Patent ID: 7450879

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a rotating image carrier for carrying a latent image, the image carrier including a central portion and tip portions; a rotating developing element for contacting the rotating image carrier and applying a developer to the latent image to form a visible image on the rotating image carrier, an axial direction of the rotating developing element being parallel to an axial direction of the rotating image carrier, the rotating developing element including tip portions at ends in the axial direction of the rotating image carrier; a member for removing dust from the central portion of the rotating image carrier, a width of the member in the axial direction of the rotating image carrier being less than a width of the rotating developing element and a width of the rotating image carrier in the axial direction of the rotating image carrier; and a dust collector for collecting dust removed from the rotating image carrier by the member, the dust collector having a width greater than the width of the rotating developing element in the axial direction of the rotating image carrier.