Patent ID: 7567765

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a photoconductor capable of bearing developer; a rotatable intermediate transfer member serving as an intermediate medium when transferring the developer on the photoconductor to a medium; a voltage supply section supplying to the intermediate transfer member a transfer voltage for letting the developer on the photoconductor advance to the intermediate transfer member at a primary transfer location; a secondary transfer member for transferring to the medium the developer that has moved to a secondary transfer location through rotation of the intermediate transfer member; a removal member arranged downstream from the secondary transfer location, with respect to a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer member, the removal member abutting against the intermediate transfer member and removing remaining developer remaining on the intermediate transfer member; and a controller that controls the voltage supply section, which does not cause the supply of the transfer voltage with the voltage supply section during the removal, with the removal member, of the remaining developer located upstream from the secondary transfer location, with respect to the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer member, and located between the primary transfer location and the secondary transfer location when a situation has arisen in which an image forming operation is stopped midway, in order to resume the image forming operation, wherein the voltage supply section is capable of supplying to the intermediate transfer member the transfer voltage for letting the developer advance to the intermediate transfer member and of supplying to the intermediate transfer member a reverse transfer voltage having a polarity opposite to a polarity of the transfer voltage for repelling the developer from the intermediate transfer member, and the controller causes the supply of the reverse transfer voltage with the voltage supply section during the removal, with the removal member, of the remaining developer located upstream from the secondary transfer location, with respect to the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer member, and located between the primary transfer location and the secondary transfer location when said situation has arisen in which an image forming operation is stopped midway, in order to resume the image forming operation.