In an image forming apparatus, the image bearing member has a surface and configured to rotate about an axis. The collection device is in contact with the surface, and configured to collect materials adhered to the surface. The developing roller is configured to provide a charged toner having a first polarity. The processor is configured to perform: executing a print job in a printing period; executing, in a non-printing period, a first process in which the image bearing member is rotated at least one rotation while a holding bias is applied to the collection device, the holding bias having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity; and executing, in a non-printing period after the first process, a second process in which the image bearing member is rotated while an ejection bias is applied to the collection device, the ejection bias having the first polarity.

An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a charging device, an electrostatic latent image forming device, a developing device, a transfer device, and a cleaning device, and further includes an intercepting device that includes an intercepting member separated from the electrophotographic photoreceptor by a gap so that a distance from the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to the intercepting member is about 0.3 to 0.9 (inclusive) times a volume-average particle size of toner particles. The intercepting member is used to intercept residual toner particles at a position downstream of the transfer device and upstream of the cleaning device in a rotation direction of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, the residual toner particles remaining on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.

An image forming apparatus includes a main frame, a plurality of process cartridges, a cartridge-supporting body, a belt, a waste toner cartridge, a contact-separation mechanism, and a collective conveying unit. Each process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a drum cleaning unit collecting waste toner on the drum. The cartridge-supporting body is movable between an internal position inside the frame and an external position outside the frame. The belt confronts the process cartridges in the internal position. The waste toner cartridge accommodates the waste toner collected from the drums. The contact-separation mechanism moves the cartridge-supporting body between a contact position where the drums are in contact with the belt and a separated position where the drums are out of contact with the belt. The collective conveying unit aggregates waste toner collected from drums and conveys collectively the aggregated waste toner to the waste toner cartridge.

A cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning member having an abutment member being attached to a tip end portion of a support member. The support member includes a bent portion, an abutment-side support portion, and a fixed-side support portion. The abutment member abuts on a surface of an image carrying member. A point of fixation of the support member fixed to a fixing member is located downstream in a direction of movement relative to a normal at a point of abutment of the abutment member. With an angle of bending at the bent portion being set to 90<<180, the abutment-side support portion is curved in a form of a crest toward downstream in the direction of movement whereas the fixed-side support portion is curved in a form of a crest toward upstream in the direction of movement.

An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member bearing a toner image and image forming units arranged side by side, with each image forming unit having a developing device forming the toner image, a magnetic permeability sensor detecting a toner density of a developer in the developing device, and a cleaning unit having a cleaning member which removes toner remaining on an image bearing member and a conductive support member which supports the cleaning member. The apparatus further includes a conductive member facing the magnetic permeability sensor of the most upstream image forming unit and arranged upstream of that image forming unit. The developing device of one of adjacent image forming units is opposed to the cleaning unit of another unit which is arranged downstream and is next to the developing device of the one of the adjacent image forming units.

In an example implementation, a method of cleaning a silicon photoconductor includes contacting the silicon photoconductor with a base-peroxide solution, rinsing the silicon photoconductor with a liquid, and heating the silicon photoconductor to evaporate the liquid.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member configured to carry a toner image; a cleaning member contacted to the image bearing member to clean a surface of the image bearing member by movement of the surface of the image bearing member: a supporting member configured to support the cleaning member; a case provided with a space configured to hold the supporting member therein; a viscoelasticity member; and a vibration controlling member configured to suppress vibration of the cleaning member, wherein the vibration controlling member is mounted on an outer surface of the case by the viscoelasticity member.

A cleaning apparatus includes a scraper and a support member. The scraper is in contact with a surface of a recovery roller to clean out residuals from the surface. A base portion of the scraper is held between and a fixing plate and a supporting plate. In this case, a leading end of the scraper is in contact with the surface of the recovery roller while an edge of the supporting plate serving as a fulcrum. Also, a base length d of the scraper from the fulcrum to the base portion is selected to make uniform the contact pressure of the scraper.

In a toner conveying device, a conveyance path of toner is formed in the casing. A conveyance screw is supported by two support portions of the casing so as to be rotated in the conveyance path and convey the toner along the conveyance path. A low friction portion is provided on an inner side surface of the casing facing the conveyance screw, in a middle of the two support portions. The low friction portion has a lower friction coefficient with the conveyance screw than the other portions of the inner side surface. In a region along a longitudinal direction of the conveyance screw including the low friction portion, a space between the low friction portion and the conveyance screw is narrower than a space between the conveyance screw and portions of the inner side surface other than the portion on which the low friction portion is provided.

A cleaning member includes plural bristles including tips that come into contact with an object to be cleaned having a surface including recesses and projections; and a brush base to which the bristles are attached. The bristles each have a non-circular cross-section including a projecting portion that projects toward an outer periphery, at least the projecting portion having a size such that the projecting portion is capable of entering the recesses in the object to be cleaned.