Patent ID: 7885594
Filing Date: 2011-02-08
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image based on an electrostatic latent image, comprising: a photosensitive drum with a surface on which the electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing device that supplies toner to the photosensitive drum via a developing roller, and that forms a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum; a transfer member that forms a nip with the photosensitive drum; a spacer roller that is disposed concentrically with a rotation axis of the developing roller, that contacts with the photosensitive drum outside a running region of the transfer member, and that forms a predetermined gap between the developing roller and the photosensitive drum; a cleaning device that is positioned at downstream side of a nip position with respect to the rotational direction of the photosensitive drum, and that clean the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum; and a toner removing blade that is provided in the cleaning device, that is disposed between downstream side of the nip position and upstream side of the cleaning device with respect to the rotational direction of the photosensitive drum, and that contacts with a contact region between the photosensitive drum and the spacer roller, wherein the toner removing blade includes a contact portion that contacts with the contact region in such a manner that an inner end of the contact portion, which along the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum extends, is positioned within a toner collecting region in which toner is scraped off by the cleaning device, and wherein the contact portion of the toner removing blade slants obliquely relative to the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum in such a manner that an upstream-inner corner of the contact portion is positioned downstream side of an upstream-outer corner of the contact portion with respect to the rotational direction of the photosensitive drum, where an inner face of the contact portion intersects an upstream-side end face thereof and an outer face of the contact portion intersects the upstream-side end face thereof.