US 11,988,979 B2
Image forming apparatus with developing member that supplies toner to surface of image bearing member to form toner image
Hisashi Taniguchi, Shizuoka (JP); Bunro Noguchi, Shizuoka (JP); Shinichi Agata, Shizuoka (JP); Kodai Hayashi, Shizuoka (JP); and Keitaro Nakata, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Sep. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/940,197.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-148441 (JP), filed on Sep. 13, 2021; and application No. 2022-091485 (JP), filed on Jun. 6, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0091090 A1, Mar. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0894 (2013.01) 38 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a rotatable image bearing member;
a developing member that supplies a toner to a surface of the image bearing member to form a toner image at a developing portion facing the image bearing member;
a supply member that supplies the toner to the developing member at a supplying portion in contact with the developing member; and
a control unit that executes an image forming operation of forming the toner image on a recording material and a metal soap supply operation of supplying a metal soap that is included in the toner and has a polarity opposite to that of the toner to the surface of the image bearing member when an operation other than the image forming operation is executed,
wherein an operation mode of the metal soap supply operation includes a first mode and a second mode, and
wherein a potential difference that is formed between the supply member and the developing member and causes an electrostatic force in a direction from the supply member to the developing member to act on the metal soap is smaller at the time of executing the metal soap supply operation in the second mode than at the time of executing the metal soap supply operation in the first mode.