Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member, an image forming unit adapted to form a toner image on the image bearing member and having a first charge member for charging the image bearing member with the same polarity as normal polarity on toner, an intermediate transfer member, a voltage apply means for applying voltage to the intermediate transfer member to electrostatically transfer the toner image formed on the image bearing member by the image forming unit onto the intermediate transfer member at a first transfer station, a second charge member for charging residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member with polarity opposite to the normal polarity of the toner on the image bearing member, after the toner image on the intermediate transfer member is electrostatically transferred onto a transfer material at a second transfer station, and a controller for variably controlling voltage applied to the first charge member, and the voltage application generates an electric field for tr

Abstract: The present invention relates to the cleaning of an intermediate transfer member of an image forming apparatus for transferring a toner image formed on a photosensitive member onto the intermediate transfer member and then transferring the toner image onto a transfer material. An effective cleaning width of a cleaning means for removing residual toner remaining on the photosensitive member in a width-wise direction of the photosensitive drum is selected to become greater than a longitudinal dimension of the intermediate transfer member, the longitudinal dimension of the intermediate transfer member is selected to become greater than a width of a transfer electrode for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer member, and the longitudinal dimension of the intermediate transfer member is selected to become greater than a charge width of an electrode for charging the residual toner on the intermediate transfer member to return the toner to the photosensitive member.