Patent ID: 6816697
Filing Date: 2004-11-09
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus, comprising:an image bearing member; an image forming unit which forms a toner image on a surface of the image bearing member; an intermediate transfer device having at least one intermediate transfer member and which is in contact with the image bearing member at a primary transfer position; a final transfer member which is in contact with the intermediate transfer device at a final transfer position; a potential gradient forming unit which forms a potential gradient between the image bearing member, the at least one intermediate transfer member, and the final transfer member so as to transfer the toner image to the final transfer position; and a cleaning unit which removes residual toner on the at least one intermediate transfer member that is not finally transferred to a recording sheet at the final transfer position, wherein the cleaning unit includes: an upstream side cleaning roll which is in contact with the at least one intermediate transfer member; a downstream side cleaning roll which is in contact with the at least one intermediate transfer member on the downstream side of the upstream side cleaning roll with respect to a feedback direction in which the residual toner is fed back from the final transfer position to the primary transfer position; and a cleaning brush which is in contact with the at least one intermediate transfer member on the downstream side of the upstream side cleaning roll with respect to the feedback direction and on the upstream side of the downstream side cleaning roll with respect to the feedback direction.