Image forming apparatus having variable/controlled timing for successive feeding of recording material at image transfer position

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a rotatable charging member, forming a nip with the image bearing member, for electrically charging the image bearing member; developing structure for developing an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member to form a toner image, the developing structure supplying electroconductive particles to the image bearing member, wherein the electroconductive particles are fed to the nip by the image bearing member; and transferring structure for transferring the toner image onto a recording material at a transfer position. The developing structure feeds the electroconductive particles to a region of the image bearing member which corresponds to a region between a first recording material and a second recording material immediately subsequent to the first recording material, and a time period from passage of a trailing end of the first recording material through the transfer position to arrival of a leading end of the second recording material at a transfer position is longer than a time period required for the charging member to rotate one full-turn.