Patent ID: 7395011

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive member adapted to be rotationally or circulatingly moved; a charge roller adapted to subject a surface of said photosensitive member to a charge process while being in contact with the surface of said photosensitive member; a charge erasing device disposed around said photosensitive member and on an upstream side relative to said charge roller in a direction of the rotational or circulating movement of said photosensitive member, and adapted to erase the charged area in said photosensitive member; a cleaning device operable to come into contact with an outer peripheral surface of said photosensitive member to remove toner particles remaining on the outer surface of said photosensitive member after completion of a transfer process; a preliminary voltage-applying member disposed around said photosensitive member and on an upstream side relative to said charge erasing device and on a downstream side relative to said cleaning device in the direction of the rotational or circulating movement of said photosensitive member, and adapted to apply to the surface of said photosensitive member a voltage of the same polarity as that of a voltage to be applied from said charge roller to said surface, while being in contact with said surface; and a reciprocating mechanism for reciprocating said preliminary voltage-applying member along the surface of said photosensitive member and in a direction orthogonal to the movement direction of said surface.