Image forming apparatus having a charging member applying an electric charge through electrically conductive or electroconductive particles to the surface of a photosensitive or image bearing member

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member with a recirculatively movable peripheral surface; and a device for forming electrostatic latent images on the peripheral surface of the image bearing member, the device including a charging member to which voltage is applicable to charge the image bearing member. The charging member includes a flexible member capable of forming a nip between itself and the image bearing member; a developer for developing the latent image with the use of developer composed of toner particles and electrically conductive particles. The developer is capable of cleaning the residual toner particles from the image bearing member. The electrically conductive particles transferred onto the image bearing member by the developer are delivered to the nip by the image bearing member. The flexible member is moved so that it maintains a peripheral velocity difference relative to the image bearing member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.