| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus configured to prevent toner scattering or image disturbance induced in a transferring process, by press-contacting a toner image after being developed and before being transferred. <P>SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a developing unit developing a latent image formed on a surface of the image carrier with toner to form an unfixed toner image; a transfer unit transferring the unfixed toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier onto a transfer material; and an elastic roller member, which is disposed to press the image carrier on a downstream side of the developing unit in the rotation direction of the image carrier as well as on an upstream side of the transfer unit, and which rotates in the same direction as the image carrier. The elastic roller member is configured in such a manner that when the contact portion of the elastic roller member with the image carrier turns into a non-contact state by rotation, the elastic roller member maintains the press-deformation state and that before the contact portion comes again into contact with the image carrier, the elastic roller member recovers from the press-deformation state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT |
