Patent ID: 8798495

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a housing provided with an opening opposed to a developer carrying member that carries and transports developer; a collecting member provided along an edge of the opening at a downstream end of the opening in a transporting direction, in which the developer carrying member transports the developer, the collecting member being capable of coming into contact with and separating from the developer carrying member; a sealing member provided along an edge of the opening at an upstream end of the opening in the transporting direction; a suction member that sucks air from the opening; a suction path provided between the opening and the suction member; an opening-closing unit provided in the suction path, the opening-closing unit opening or closing the suction path; and a controller that controls the opening-closing unit so as to open the suction path from a closed state at a time that is before separation of the collecting member from the developer carrying member and a predetermined time period after the time of contact between the collecting member and the developer carrying member.