Patent ID: 7822356
Filing Date: 2010-10-26
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a latent image carrier for carrying a latent image on an endlessly moving surface thereof; developing means for developing with toner a latent image on the latent image carrier; a charging member for uniformly charging a surface of the latent image carrier while the surface thereof in contact with the latent image carrier is moved endlessly; first bias supply means for supplying bias to the charging member; a first cleaning member for cleaning a surface of the charging member by recovering at least toner adhered to the surface of the charging member while the surface thereof in contact with the latent charging member is moved endlessly; second bias supply means for supplying bias to the first cleaning member; a second cleaning member for recovering toner at least from the first cleaning member while the surface thereof in contact with the charging member and the first cleaning member is moved endlessly; and third bias supply means for supplying bias to the second cleaning member, wherein the first bias supply means supplies bias to the charging member, and the third bias supply means supplies bias to the second cleaning member, in such a way that toner recovered in the second cleaning member is transferred by electrostatic forces to the charging member, to transfer thereby toner from the second cleaning member to the charging member; the first bias supply means supplies bias to the charging member and the second bias supply means supplies bias to the first cleaning member in such a way that toner recovered in the first cleaning member is transferred by electrostatic forces, from the first cleaning member directly to the charging member, to transfer thereby toner from the first cleaning member to the charging member, and/or the first bias supply means supplies bias to the charging member, the second bias supply means supplies bias to the first cleaning member, and the third bias supply means supplies bias to the second cleaning member in such a way that toner is transferred from the first cleaning member to the charging member via the second cleaning member, to transfer thereby toner from the first cleaning member to the charging member; and wherein toner transferred to the charging member is transferred to a non-image area on the latent image carrier, such that the toner transferred to the non-image area is recovered by the developing means.