Patent ID: 7627263

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member which bears a toner image; a toner image forming unit which forms a plurality of the toner images on the image bearing member continuously; a transfer unit which transfers the toner images on the image bearing member to a recording material; a cleaning web which wipes off toner remaining on the image bearing member after the toner images are transferred to the recording material at a cleaning position; and a contacting/separating unit which contacts the cleaning web to the image bearing member and separates the cleaning web from the image bearing member when an inter-image area of the image bearing member exists at the cleaning position, wherein during forming a plurality of the toner images on the image bearing member continuously, the contacting/separating unit separates the cleaning web from an image formed area of the image bearing member and brings the cleaning web into contact with a non-image formed area.