Image forming apparatus including developer carrier that is rotatable in forward direction and reverse direction

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a developing device having a developer carrier that carries a developer on a surface and that is rotatable in a forward direction or a reverse direction;
• a layer regulating member that regulates a layer thickness of the developer carried by the developer carrier;
• and
• a developer tank that has a storage that stores the developer to be carried by the developer carrier and to which the developer carrier and the layer regulating member are attached, wherein
• the developer tank has a side part on which a first inclined surface inclined with respect to a horizontal plane is provided at a position adjacent to the layer regulating member and opposite the developer carrier such that a distance from the developer carrier becomes larger as the first inclined surface becoming closer from a side of the layer regulating member to a side of the storage,
• the layer regulating member is attached to the side part such that a distance from the developer carrier is smaller than a shortest distance between the first inclined surface and the developer carrier, and
• the image forming apparatus executes a loosening mode in which the developer carrier is rotated in a forward direction during image formation, and when a predetermined condition is satisfied, after the image formation is ended, the developer carrier is rotated in the reverse direction by a length of a circumference of the developer carrier or more in a circumferential direction opposed to the first inclined surface-and then, rotated in the forward direction,
• wherein a distance, at a position nearest to the layer regulating member, between the first inclined surface and the developer carrier is equal to or smaller than four times of the distance between the layer regulating member and the developer carrier.