Patent ID: 7142791

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a cleaner portion adapted for recovering toner remaining on an image carrying surface of an image carrier after a toner image formed on the carrying surface of the image carrier has been transferred onto a transfer material; a recovered-toner transporting portion adapted for transporting the toner recovered by said cleaner portion to a developing portion adapted for supplying the toner onto the image carrying surface; a temperature detecting portion adapted for detecting a temperature relative to said cleaner portion; and a controlling portion adapted for (1) additionally operating said recovered-toner transporting portion over a predetermined period of time beyond a predetermined operation termination timing when a time when a temperature detected by said temperature detecting portion exceeds a predetermined temperature is after the predetermined operation termination timing, and for (2) operating said recovered-toner transporting portion over a prolongation of only the predetermined period of time from the predetermined operation timing when a time when the temperature has exceeded the predetermined temperature is before the predetermined operation termination timing.