Patent ID: 7877032

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; toner image forming means for forming a toner image, which is formed on a recording material, and for forming a toner pattern, which is not formed on a recording material; an intermediary transfer member, contactable to said image bearing member, for forming a primary transfer portion for primary transfer of the toner image from said image bearing member; a primary transfer member for being supplied with a transfer voltage for primary transfer of the toner image from said image bearing member onto said intermediary transfer member; a voltage source for supplying, to said primary transfer member, a transfer voltage and a voltage of a polarity opposite to the transfer voltage; image bearing member cleaning means for removing toner from said image bearing member; secondary transferring means for secondary transfer of the toner image from said intermediary transfer member onto a recording material; intermediary transfer member cleaning means for electrostatically removing toner from said intermediary transfer member; and voltage source control means for controlling said voltage source so as to apply, to said primary transfer member, a voltage having an absolute value larger than a discharge starting threshold voltage and having the polarity opposite to the transfer voltage, when the toner pattern passes through said primary transfer portion.