Patent ID: 11860566
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 1:
2. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a rotatable image bearing member;
a developing member configured to develop an electrostatic latent image, formed on a surface of the image bearing member, with toner in a developing portion;
a transfer member configured to transfer a toner image, obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image by the developing member, from the image bearing member onto a toner image receiving member in a transfer portion;
a brush contacting the surface of the image bearing member in a contact portion downstream of the transfer member and upstream of the developing member with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member; and
voltage applying means configured to apply a voltage to the brush,
wherein the toner which is not transferred onto the toner image receiving member is collected by the developing member,
wherein the voltage applied to the brush by the voltage applying means is on the same side as a normal charge polarity of the toner relative to a surface potential of the image bearing member, and
wherein in the contact portion,
a maximum value of a contact pressure of 0.7 gf/mm2 or more and 3.5 gf/mm2 or less,
a maximum contact area ratio is 18% or more and 74% or less, and
a Clark-Evans index of the brush is 1 or more.