Patent ID: 8483598

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a latent image bearing member having a moving surface; a charging device configured to charge the surface of the latent image bearing member at a charging position; a latent image forming device configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the latent image bearing member at a latent image forming position; a developing device configured to supply toner to the electrostatic latent image at a development position to form a toner image on a surface of a cover film covering the surface of the latent image bearing member; a cover film supplying device configured to supply the cover film to the surface of the latent image bearing member at a cover film supplying position located on an upstream side from the development position relative to a moving direction of the latent image bearing member so that the surface of the latent image bearing member is covered with the cover film and the toner image is formed on the surface of the cover film covering the latent image bearing member; and a cover film separating device configured to separate the cover film bearing the toner image thereon from the surface of the image bearing member before the cover film bearing the toner image thereon reaches the cover film supplying position, wherein the cover film supplying position is the same as the charging position or is located on an upstream side from the charging position relative to the moving direction of the latent image bearing member.