Patent ID: 8855513

Claim:
An image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming elements including a photoreceptor, the image forming elements each having a surface that revolves and transferring a toner image formed on the photoreceptor to a sheet of paper, the image forming apparatus comprising: a transfer portion that, when transfer voltage is applied, transfers the toner image from a first image forming element to a second image forming element among the plurality of image forming elements; a plurality of cleaning elements of which each cleans each surface of the plurality of image forming elements; and a control portion that controls formation of the toner image to the photoreceptor, as well as application of the transfer voltage to the transfer portion, wherein the control portion, at time of cleaning the plurality of image forming elements, after integrally forming a cleaning toner image to be supplied to the first image forming element and the second image forming element on a surface of the photoreceptor along a revolving direction, switches polarity or an application state of the transfer voltage to the transfer portion to transfer the toner image in a manner such that the toner image is divided into at least four sections along the revolving direction of the first image forming element, out of which at least two sections that are not adjacent to each other are transferred from the first image forming element to the second image forming element.