Abstract: A developing apparatus for developing operation on an image bearing member, includes a rotatable developer carrying member for carrying a developer; a rubbing member for rubbing the developer carrying member with the developer therebetween to cause the developer to be carried on the developer carrying member; wherein the rubbing member includes a free end portion extending toward a downstream with respect to a rotational moving direction of the developer carrying member, the free end portion rubs the developer carrying member, and wherein the rubbing member is provided with a reinforcing portion for reinforcing the free end portion.

Abstract: A developing device usable with an image forming apparatus includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer; a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer; a guiding member having an inclined surface contacting the developer carrying member, the inclined surface being effective to guide a developer to a contact portion where the inclined surface contacts the developer carrying member to cause the developer to be carried on the developer carrying member; and a regulating member for regulating an amount of the developer carried on the developer carrying member, wherein an inclination angle of the inclined surface is in a range not less than an angle of rest and less than 90 degrees.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; developing devices, each of which includes a developer carrying member, having an electrode member, for carrying a developer, and a developer feeding member, having a core metal and a surface foam layer, for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member; a supporting member, supporting the developing devices, for sequentially rotating the developing devices to a developing position; and a controller for executing an operation for reducing non-uniform distributions of the developers in the developing devices on the basis of electrostatic capacities between the electrode members and the core metals, respectively.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member on which a developer image is formed, a developer bearing member configured to develop a surface of the image bearing member, and a cleaning member configured to clean a residual developer remaining on the surface of the image bearing member, wherein, when an image forming operation is interrupted, the image forming apparatus is capable of performing a recovery operation before resuming the image forming operation, and wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of, during the recovery operation, a potential difference between a potential applied to the developer bearing member and a surface potential of a non-image area within the surface of the image bearing member greater than that during the image forming operation according to a predetermined value such that the developer on the image bearing member is moved to the developer bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; developing devices, each of which includes a developer carrying member, having an electrode member, for carrying a developer, and a developer feeding member, having a core metal and a surface foam layer, for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member; a supporting member, supporting the developing devices, for sequentially rotating the developing devices to a developing position; and a controller for executing an operation for reducing non-uniform distributions of the developers in the developing devices on the basis of electrostatic capacities between the electrode members and the core metals, respectively.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes a supporting member, supporting developing devices, for moving the supporting member sequentially to a developing position; a detector for detecting at a position different from the developing position information relating to a developer remainder in the developing device; deducing means for deducing a developer consumption from image information. As to the developing device for which the detection is effected after the developing operation therefor, determining device determines the remainder from the information detected by the detector. As to the developing device for which the detection is effected before the developing operation therefor, the determining means determines the remainder from the information detected by the detector and the consumption amount deduced by the deducing means.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, when no image is being formed, an image bearing member is rotated at least one rotation, in a state in which a transfer bias is controlled such that a potential on a surface of the image bearing member on the upstream side in the rotational direction of a cleaning apparatus is a polarity opposite to that of a developer.