Development device and image forming apparatus having electrodes that cause toner particles to form a toner cloud on the surface of the toner carrier

Abstract

The development device includes a toner carrier, a toner supplier, and a surface electrical potential controller. When the toner supplier supplies toner particles to the toner carrier, the toner carrier carries toner particles to adhere to a latent image formed on the latent image carrier and has a time constant τof a surface electrical potential change of the toner carrier. The surface electrical potential controller has a time constant τof a surface electrical potential change of the toner carrier smaller than the time constant τ. The toner carrier includes a plurality of electrodes aligned in parallel and electrically insulated from each other on the surface thereof, and a voltage supplier for supplying each of the plurality of electrodes with a voltage to periodically switch electrical fields therebetween, so that the toner particles form a cloud on the surface of the toner carrier while hopping.