Patent ID: 6816690
Filing Date: 2004-11-09
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus having at least one image forming section, wherein the image forming section comprising:a rotating image bearing body; a charging member that charges a surface of said image bearing body; an exposing unit that illuminates the surface of said image bearing body charged by said charging member to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of said image bearing body; a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image; a transfer member that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium; a toner removing member that removes residual toner from the surface of said of said image bearing body after the toner image is transferred onto the recording medium; and a controller that performs a toner discharging operation wherein when said image bearing body rotates, said controller controls said charging member to charge the surface of said image bearing body, then the charged surface of said image bearing body rotates to oppose said transfer member to charge a surface of said transfer member, then said exposing unit illuminates the charged surface of the image bearing body, and finally said developing unit supplies the toner to the illuminated surface, wherein the illuminated surface of said image bearing body rotates past said transfer member to said toner removing member with the toner adhering to the illuminated surface of said image bearing body.