Patent ID: 7317883

Claim:
A color image forming apparatus which comprises two or more stages of image-forming units each image-forming unit comprising: an electrification portion provided with an electrifying member disposed to face an image carrier and designed to electrostatically charge the image carrier with a uniform surface potential and to remove memories retained in residual developing agent left remained on the image carrier; an exposure portion which irradiates the image carrier with light in conformity with on the image carrier; a developing portion which feeds electrified developing agent to the electrostatic latent image to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier to form a developing agent image; and a transferring portion which transfers the developing agent image to a transferring medium to form a transferred image; wherein the developing portion is provided with a mechanism which forms the developing agent image and recovers residual developing agent left remained on the image carrier; and the electrification portion of at least the image-forming unit or the image-forming units which are disposed at the second stage and thereafter are further provided with a developing agent-removing member which is in contact with the electrifying member to remove from the electrification portion the developing agent which is reversely transferred from the transferred image of a preceding stage and recovered by the electrification portion.