Patent ID: 8107849
Filing Date: 2012-01-31
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a rotatable image bearing member configured to bear a toner image; a rotatable intermediate transfer member to which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member; a rotatable transfer-material bearing member configured to bear a transfer material; a transfer member that forms a transfer nip portion with the intermediate transfer member, with the transfer-material bearing member therebetween, and is configured to be able to transfer the toner image on the intermediate transfer member to the transfer material carried by the transfer-material bearing member; a rotatable collecting member configured to collect toner adhering to the transfer-material bearing member after the toner passes through the transfer nip portion; a cleaning unit configured to clean the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member after the toner passes through the transfer nip portion; wherein the collecting member collects the toner adhering to the transfer-material bearing member at the time when the toner adhering to the transfer-material bearing member reaches the collecting member first, completes the collection of the toner at the time when an amount of toner corresponding to a difference between a peripheral length of the transfer-material bearing member and a length of the toner image on the intermediate transfer member in the rotating direction of the intermediate transfer member has been collected, and transfers the collected toner to the transfer-material bearing member after the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer member to the transfer material, and the toner that is transferred from the collecting member to the transfer-material bearing member is transferred from the transfer-material bearing member to the intermediate transfer member by the transfer member and is then cleansed by the cleaning unit.