Patent ID: 7383004

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image bearing member; a contact charging member, disposed in contact with a surface of said image bearing member; for electrically charging said image bearing member; exposure means for exposing the surface of said image bearing member, after being electrically charged, to light to form an electrostatic latent image; developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image with toner to form a toner image and recovering toner remaining on said image bearing member; transfer means for transferring the toner image from said image bearing member onto another member; an auxiliary charging member, for processing the toner remaining on said image bearing member, disposed downstream from said transfer means and upstream from said contact charging member in a movement direction of the surface of said image bearing member; voltage application means for applying a pulse-like direct-current voltage to said auxiliary charging member so as to expel the toner deposited on said auxiliary charging member from said auxiliary charging member onto said image bearing member; control means for controlling said voltage application means; and an environmental sensor for detecting an ambient environment in which said image forming apparatus is set; wherein said control means changes the number of times the pulse-like direct-current voltage is applied from said voltage application means to said auxiliary charging member on the basis of a detection result of said environmental sensor.