Image forming apparatus using image carrier cleanerless system

Abstract

An image forming apparatus having an image carrier, a charging unit for charging the image carrier and residual toner on the image carrier, a charging bias applying unit, an electrostatic image forming unit, a developing unit for collecting the residual toner on the image carrier and visualizing the electrostatic image, and a developing bias regulating unit. The apparatus further comprises an image ratio calculating unit for calculating an image ratio on the basis of the electrostatic image, and a regulating unit for regulating a contrast potential between the developing unit collecting the residual toner and the image carrier on the basis of a calculated image ratio. In the apparatus, an occurrence of the problem of adhesion of toner to a non-image area is prevented by fully collecting transfer residual toner also in forming an image having a high image ratio.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.