Patent ID: 9429884
Filing Date: 2016-08-30
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image bearing member that bears a toner image; an intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image is primarily transferred from the image bearing member in a primary transfer portion that contacts the image bearing member; a secondary transfer member that constitutes, together with the intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer portion, and secondarily transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to a recording material in the secondary transfer portion; and a control unit that controls voltage to be applied to the secondary transfer member, wherein the control unit changes polarity of a potential of the intermediate transfer member in the primary transfer portion by changing polarity of the voltage to be applied to the secondary transfer member, applies a first voltage in a first step of forming an image on the recording material by transferring the toner image, and applies a second voltage having polarity opposite to that of the first voltage, in a second step, and in the transition from the first step to the second step, the control unit applies the second voltage to the secondary transfer member after the recording material and the toner image pass through the secondary transfer portion in the first step.