US 7,333,742 B2
Image forming apparatus with switched-potential responsive to attenuation of a remaining voltage
Kuniyasu Kimura, Toride (Japan); Eiichi Motoyama, Shinjuku-ku (Japan); Yoshihito Osari, Chuo-ku (Japan); Hiroaki Tomiyasu, Toride (Japan); Takahiko Yamaoka, Kashiwa (Japan); and Yuichi Yamamoto, Abiko (Japan)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on May 27, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/138,383.
Claims priority of application No. 2004-167708 (JP), filed on Jun. 04, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2005/0271405 A1, Dec. 08, 2005
Int. Cl. G03G 15/043 (2006.01); G03G 13/04 (2006.01); B41J 2/385 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 399—51  [347/129] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearing member;
charging means for charging said image bearing member;
electrostatic latent image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on said image bearing member charged by said charging means;
a developing member for developing an image on the basis of the electrostatic latent image formed on said image bearing member by applying a voltage to said developing member;
voltage applying means for applying a voltage to said developing member; and
electric potential controlling means for switching, in a plurality of steps, an absolute value of an electric potential on said image bearing member, while passing said developing member, to a lower value during a period of attenuation of an absolute value of an electric potential of said developing member after a supply of the voltage from said voltage applying means is turned off.