Patent ID: 8041249

Claim:
A developer collecting/charging device for temporarily collecting and charging after-transfer remaining developer that remains on a transfer member after a developer image primarily transferred from an image carrier onto the transfer member has been secondarily transferred onto a recording medium, so as to allow the after-transfer remaining developer to be reversely transferred to the image carrier and collected by a cleaning section, comprising: a developer collecting/charging member which is provided in such proximity to the transfer member as not to make contact with the primarily transferred developer image, and which has a collecting function of temporarily collecting the after-transfer remaining developer and a charging function of charging the after-transfer remaining developer to a specified polarity; a power supply which is so connected that a voltage in which an AC voltage is superimposed on a DC voltage is applied to the developer collecting/charging member; and a control section for changing a waveform of the AC voltage so that the developer collecting/charging member is switched between a developer-collecting mode and a developer-releasing mode.