An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member about a rotational axis extending in the axial direction, a charging member, an accommodating portion accommodating toner charged to a predetermined polarity; a developing member, a transfer portion, a static eliminating portion, and a collecting member. In the axial direction, when A is a eliminating width with which the eliminating portion discharges the surface of the image bearing member, B is an effective charging width with which the charging member charges the surface, and C is a collection contacting width with which the collecting member contacts the surface, the formula A<B<C is satisfied. In the axial direction, a surface potential of the surface in an area outside the effective charging width, inside the collection contacting width and in contact with the collecting member is a first potential larger than 0V in the same polarity direction as the predetermined polarity.

An optical scanning device (12) includes cleaning holders (511, 512), light transmitting members (52), a linear member (54), a winding motor (55), and stoppers (56a, 56b). The two cleaning holders (511, 512) are coupled to the linear member (54). The linear member 54 is driven to circulate by the winding motor (55), whereby the two cleaning holders (511, 512) move and each cleaning member slides on a corresponding one of the light transmitting members (52). When the cleaning holders (511, 512) come into contact with the respective stoppers (56a, 56b), the stoppers (56a, 56b) restrict movement of the respective cleaning holders (511, 512) in one of directions of extension of the light transmitting members (52). A contact determining section (913) determines, based on a current value of the winding motor (55), that the cleaning holder (511, 512) has come into contact with the stopper (56a, 56b).

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.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body housing and a process cartridge demountable from the main-body housing. The process cartridge includes a drum cartridge and a toner cartridge. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a drum cleaner, an outlet with an outlet opening, an outlet shutter, and a lever. The lever is pivotable between a first position at which the lever places the outlet shutter closing the outlet opening and a second position at which the lever places the outlet shutter opening the outlet opening. When the lever is located at the first position, the process cartridge is demountable from the main-body housing. When the lever is located at the second position, the process cartridge is disabled to be demounted from the main-body housing.

An image forming apparatus performs a transfer residual toner collection operation including a toner adhesion step of allowing transfer residual toner to temporarily adhere to the collecting roller during execution of image forming operation, a toner moving step of moving the transfer residual toner adhered on the collecting roller to an image carrier after the image forming operation is finished, and a toner collecting step of moving the transfer residual toner from the image carrier to an intermediate transfer body so that a cleaning mechanism can collect the transfer residual toner. The control unit controls an image forming unit having developing current less than a threshold value, to apply the collecting roller with a voltage having the same polarity as toner charge polarity in the toner adhesion step, and to apply the collecting roller with a voltage having opposite polarity to the toner charge polarity in the toner moving step.

An image forming apparatus performs a transfer residual toner collection operation including a toner adhesion step of allowing transfer residual toner to temporarily adhere to the collecting roller during execution of image forming operation, a toner moving step of moving the transfer residual toner adhered on the collecting roller to an image carrier after the image forming operation is finished, and a toner collecting step of moving the transfer residual toner from the image carrier to an intermediate transfer body and collecting the transfer residual toner. The control unit controls an image forming unit having white background toner amount that is a threshold value or more, to apply the collecting roller with a voltage having the same polarity as toner charge polarity in the toner adhesion step, and to apply the collecting roller with a voltage having opposite polarity to the toner charge polarity in the toner moving step.

In the image forming apparatus, a controller applies a collection voltage to a cleaning roller by a voltage application part in image formation process. After making a toner image formed on an outer circumferential surface of an image carrier and transferred to a transfer-objective member, the controller predicts a toner charging level of after-transfer remaining toner which results after the transfer of the toner image, and changes at least either one of absolute value or polarity of the collection voltage applied to the cleaning roller in response to the toner charging level.

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 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 solid lubricant application device includes: a rotating body; a solid lubricant applied to the rotating body; a resilient urging member that causes the solid lubricant to abut toward a circumferential surface of the rotating body; and a guide mechanism that guides movement of the solid lubricant. When a straight line parallel to a direction in which the solid lubricant abuts against the rotating body is referred to as a first straight line, and a straight line parallel to a direction in which the resilient urging member and the solid lubricant are connected is referred to as a second straight line, the guide mechanism guides the movement of the solid lubricant such that an intersecting angle, which is a smaller one of angles formed by the first straight line and the second straight line, decreases as the solid lubricant is applied to the rotating body and accordingly changed in shape.