Image forming apparatus

摘要

An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier; a latent image writer to write a latent image on the latent image carrier; a developing unit including a toner carrier having first and second electrodes insulated via an insulator member and a voltage applying unit to apply voltages to the first and second electrodes having a potential difference to generate first electric fields to cause the toner to hop from the toner carrier to the latent image carrier to develop a toner image; and a transfer unit to transfer the developed toner image to a transferring member. When alternating voltages having a same phase and same amplitude are applied to the first and second electrodes to form second electric fields between the latent image carrier and the toner carrier, the toner is discharged from the toner carrier to the latent image carrier in a toner discharge mode.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a latent image carrier configured to carry a latent image; a latent image writer configured to write the latent image on the latent image carrier; a developing unit including a toner carrier configured to carry toner, the toner carrier including a first electrode and a second electrode arranged along a surface thereof, the first electrode and the second electrode being insulated from each other via an insulator member, and a voltage applying unit configured to apply voltages to the first electrode and the second electrode such that first electric fields formed by a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode cause the toner to hop from the toner carrier to the latent image carrier to attach the hopping toner to the latent image formed on the latent image carrier to develop a toner image on the latent image carrier; and a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image developed on the latent image carrier to a transferring member, wherein, when alternating voltages are applied to the first electrode and the second electrode in a toner discharge mode, the alternating voltages having a same phase and a same amplitude and forming second electric fields between the latent image carrier and the toner carrier to cause the toner to hop from the toner carrier toward the latent image carrier, the toner is discharged from the toner carrier to the latent image carrier in the toner discharge mode.