Patent ID: 7945190

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member configured to bear a toner image; charging means configured to charge the image bearing member; latent image forming means configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the charged image bearing member; development means configured to develop the latent image using toner and collect residual toner that was not transferred in the last image forming process and remains on the image bearing member; transfer means configured to transfer the toner image formed on the image bearing member to a transfer material; first toner charging means, to which at least a direct current voltage having the same polarity as a normal charging polarity of toner is applied, configured to apply an electrical charge to the residual toner, the first charging means being disposed downstream from the transfer means and upstream from the charging means along a rotation direction of the image bearing member; second toner charging means, to which a direct current voltage having the same polarity as a normal charging polarity of toner is applied, configured to apply an electrical charge to the residual toner, the second charging means being disposed downstream from the first toner charging means and upstream from the charging means along the rotation direction of the image bearing member; and discharging means configured to discharge the image bearing member, the discharging means being disposed downstream from the first toner charging means and upstream from the second toner charging means along the rotation direction of the image bearing member.