Patent ID: 8494386

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a first image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic latent image; a first developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image with toner into a toner image on said first image bearing member; a first cleaning device having a cleaning blade for removing residual toner from said first image bearing member; a second image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic latent image; a second developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image with toner into a toner image on the second image bearing member; a second cleaning device having a cleaning blade for removing residual toner from said second image bearing member; a rotatable member contactable to said first image bearing member and said second image bearing member, wherein said rotatable member is an intermediary transfer member for receiving the toner images formed on said first image bearing member and said second image bearing member and for transferring the toner images received by said rotatable member onto a sheet material, or a feeding member for feeding a sheet material for receiving the toner images formed on said first image bearing member and said second image bearing member; and a control device for controlling a toner supply process for supplying toner to an area of contact between said first image bearing member and said cleaning blade of said first cleaning device when formation of the toner images to be transferred onto the sheet material is not carried out, wherein said control device selects one of a toner supply process using the toner accommodated in said first developing device and a toner supply process using the toner accommodated in said second developing device, in accordance with an amount of the toner accommodated in each of said first developing device and said second developing device.