Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt, a driving roller, a driven roller, a belt cleaning device, and a counter roller. Toner images formed on image carriers are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt. The driving and driven rollers rotatably stretch the intermediate transfer belt. The belt cleaning device has a cleaning blade that removes residual toner adhered to the intermediate transfer belt. The counter roller is disposed facing the cleaning blade with the intermediate transfer belt interposed therebetween. The belt cleaning device is disposed at a position that is downstream of the driving roller in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt but is upstream of the driven roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt. A leading end edge portion of the cleaning blade is disposed upstream of a top of the counter roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a housing, a cleaning blade, and first and second sealing members. The housing has formed therein an opening facing an image carrying member. The cleaning blade removes toner that remains attached to the image carrying member while being in contact with the circumferential surface of the image carrying member. The first and second sealing members prevent waste toner inside the housing from leaking out through a gap between the housing and the image carrying member, owing to the first and second sealing members abutting on the circumferential surface of the image carrying member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier and a cleaning device. The image carrier is rotated to carry a toner image. The cleaning device includes a cleaning member and an auxiliary cleaning member. To the cleaning member, a bias of a reversed polarity to a polarity of a remained toner adhered on a surface of the image carrier is applied. The auxiliary cleaning member is located at an upstream side from the cleaning member in a rotating direction of the image carrier. According to advance of whitening of the surface of the image carrier, the auxiliary cleaning member is made to come into contact with the surface of the image carrier or contact pressure of the auxiliary cleaning member with the surface of the image carrier is increased.

Abstract: A belt cleaning device is a device for an endless belt which has a bearing surface for bearing a toner image, and includes a cleaning unit and a toner rubbing portion. The cleaning unit is arranged to face the bearing surface and removes residual toner remaining on the bearing surface. The toner rubbing portion is arranged to face the bearing surface at a side upstream of the cleaning unit in a rotating direction of the belt and charges the residual toner by rubbing the residual toner. The toner rubbing portion includes brush bristles whose tips are faced toward the bearing surface and which are charged when rubbing the residual toner. The brush bristles include first bristle-like bodies to be positively charged and second bristle-like bodies to be negatively charged. The first and second bristle-like bodies are alternately arranged in a predetermined first direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier and a cleaning device. The image carrier is rotated to carry a toner image. The cleaning device includes a cleaning member and an auxiliary cleaning member. To the cleaning member, a bias of a reversed polarity to a polarity of a remained toner adhered on a surface of the image carrier is applied. The auxiliary cleaning member is located at an upstream side from the cleaning member in a rotating direction of the image carrier. According to advance of whitening of the surface of the image carrier, the auxiliary cleaning member is made to come into contact with the surface of the image carrier or contact pressure of the auxiliary cleaning member with the surface of the image carrier is increased.

Abstract: A belt cleaning device is a device for an endless belt which has a bearing surface for bearing a toner image, and includes a cleaning unit and a toner rubbing portion. The cleaning unit is arranged to face the bearing surface and removes residual toner remaining on the bearing surface. The toner rubbing portion is arranged to face the bearing surface at a side upstream of the cleaning unit in a rotating direction of the belt and charges the residual toner by rubbing the residual toner. The toner rubbing portion includes brush bristles whose tips are faced toward the bearing surface and which are charged when rubbing the residual toner. The brush bristles include first bristle-like bodies to be positively charged and second bristle-like bodies to be negatively charged. The first and second bristle-like bodies are alternately arranged in a predetermined first direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, an endless transfer belt, and a plurality of transfer rollers. Each image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, a developing unit, and a static remover. The static remover emits charge-removing light to the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum included in the image forming unit before a transfer to the circumferential surface is performed. The amount of pre-transfer charge-removing light emitted to the circumferential surface of a photosensitive drum by one static remover included in the plurality of image forming units is set to a value less than the amount of pre-transfer charge-removing light emitted to the circumferential surface of another photosensitive drum by another static remover located upstream of the one static remover in the movement direction of an intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, an endless transfer belt, and a plurality of transfer rollers. Each image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, a developing unit, and a static remover. The static remover emits charge-removing light to the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum included in the image forming unit before a transfer to the circumferential surface is performed. The amount of pre-transfer charge-removing light emitted to the circumferential surface of a photosensitive drum by one static remover included in the plurality of image forming units is set to a value less than the amount of pre-transfer charge-removing light emitted to the circumferential surface of another photosensitive drum by another static remover located upstream of the one static remover in the movement direction of an intermediate transfer belt.