DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a developing device for easily obtaining a toner layer having uniform charging amount and uniform thickness without strictly optimizing contact pressure and always obtaining optimum contact pressure according to toner layer characteristics according to changes in conditions such as an image mode, peripheral environment, use period of the developing device, and to provide an image forming apparatus using the developing device. SOLUTION: The developing device includes: a developer carrier that rotates around an axis and conveys developer carried on its surface; a toner supply roller that supplies developer to the developer carrier; a layer thickness regulating member that regulates the thickness of a developer layer formed on the surface of the developer carrier, by the contact pressure applied to the developer carrier; a contact pressure adjusting member disposed in contact with the layer thickness regulating member at the side opposite to the side where the layer thickness regulating member comes into contact with the developer carrier, and used to adjust the contact pressure; and a moving amount adjusting means that adjusts a moving amount of the contact pressure adjusting member toward the developer carrier. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT