Patent ID: 8055156

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a photosensitive layer; an exposure unit for irradiating the electrophotographic photoreceptor with light; a pressing member pressed against the photosensitive layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to remove a deposit from the photosensitive layer, the pressing member including a blade edge surface that is in contact with the photosensitive layer and a main surface that is wider than the blade edge surface; and a static removing unit for eliminating the static electricity of the deposit to be removed by the pressing member, wherein the static removing unit includes a photoirradiation member for irradiating the photosensitive layer with light to eliminate the static electricity of the deposit, the photoirradiation member positioned so that light from the photoirradiation member enters into the pressing member through the main surface of the pressing member, the main surface substantially fully exposed to the photoirradiation member to irradiate a region of the photosensitive layer both beneath the pressing member and adjacent to the contact point of the pressing member on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and wherein the pressing member is optically transparent with a light transmittance of at least 15%, and the photoirradiation member is disposed so that the photosensitive layer is irradiated with light from the photoirradiation member passing through the main surface of the pressing member.