Patent ID: 6438331
Filing Date: 2002-08-20
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus, comprising:an image bearing body for bearing a toner image; transferring means for transferring a toner image on said image bearing body to a transferring material; a charging member for charging said image bearing body having a residual toner after the transfer on a surface thereof by being brought into contact therewith; electrostatic image forming means for forming an electrostatic image on said image bearing body charged by said charging member; developing means for collecting the residual toner on said image bearing body while developing the electrostatic image on said image bearing body by using a toner charged in the same polarity as a charging polarity generated by said charging member; and control means for controlling a voltage to be applied to said charging member, wherein a cleaning sequence is effected by controlling the voltage by said control means, and, in said cleaning sequence, the toner being returned from said charging member to said image bearing body by applying a voltage, which has a same polarity as a normal polarity of the toner and is not higher than a discharge threshold value, to said charging member, after a voltage, which has a polarity opposite to the normal polarity of the toner and is higher than the discharge threshold value, is applied to said charging member, when an image formation is not effected.