DEVELOPMENT METHOD, DEVELOPER, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CALCULATION DEVICE FOR AMOUNT OF CONSUMPTION, AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent occurrence of an abnormal image by efficiently removing a degraded toner on a developer carrier; to obtain excellent images over a long period of time; and to achieve long service life of an apparatus.

SOLUTION: A development method includes developing, with a developer supplied from the developer carrier, an electrostatic latent image on a latent image carrier that is rotated. In the method, the amount of consumption of the developer is calculated with respective conditions for forming the image and carrying out a compulsory consumption mode different from each other by using a means for calculating the amount of consumption in the developer; and a function of carrying out the compulsory consumption mode for discharging the developer that remains on the developer carrier by applying a developing bias different from that when forming the image for a predetermined period of time. Accordingly, the amount of consumption in each mode can be calculated accurately, thereby preventing the generation of the abnormal image by efficiently removing the degraded toner on the developer carrier, obtaining the excellent images over a long period of time, and achieving long service life of the apparatus.

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