IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus and method for suppressing wasteful toner consumption and being compatible with small-diameter toner. SOLUTION: A surface of a photoreceptor 2 is charged by a corona charging unit 5 that is not in contact with the photoreceptor 2, and an electrostatic latent image is developed by a developing roller 7a disposed to face each other in non-contact with the photoreceptor 2 and to which AC developing bias Vb is applied. By applying transfer bias Vt1 having a polarity (positive polarity) opposite to the regular charging polarity (negative polarity) of the toner to an intermediate transfer belt 8a, discharge is generated between the non-exposed portion of the photoreceptor 2 and the intermediate transfer belt 8a at a position TP0 before a transfer position TP. The polarity of negatively charged particles adhered to the non-exposed portion is inverted. By applying cleaning bias Vbr having the positive polarity to a brush roller 4a, only the negatively charged particles are adsorbed and removed from the surface of the photoreceptor 2 while allowing the positively charged particles to remain thereon. An image forming process proceeds while a nearly constant amount of the positively charged particles always adhere to the surface of the photoreceptor 2. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT