A control portion executes: a step of calculating a surface potential of an image bearing member charged by a charging member, to which a predetermined voltage is applied, and exposed to light by a predetermined exposure amount on the basis of a discharge start voltage between a measurement member and the image bearing member and calculating a correction value from a difference between a target value and calculated surface potential of the image bearing member; a step of correcting calculated surface potential of the image bearing member on the basis of the correction value; and a step of controlling at least one of the voltage applied to the charging member and an exposure amount of the exposure apparatus on the basis of the corrected surface potential of the image bearing member so that the surface potential of the image bearing member reaches the target value.

A cleaning blade for an intermediate transfer medium is provided. A cleaning target of the cleaning blade is an intermediate transfer medium. The cleaning blade includes an edge layer and a coating layer. The coating layer provided on a forefront end of the edge layer at which the edge layer contacts the intermediate transfer medium contains a first fluorine-based resin and a second fluorine-based resin incompatible with the first fluorine-based resin. The cleaning blade for an intermediate transfer medium has a Martens hardness of 0.5 N/mm.sup.2 or greater and 3 N/mm.sup.2 or less at a location having a distance of 20 μm from a ridgeline of the forefront end of the edge layer.

An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer, an intermediate transferor, a primary transferor, a second transferor, and a cleaning blade. The latent image bearer has a surface onto which a lubricant comprising zinc stearate is supplied. The intermediate transferor has a surface onto which the toner image is transferred, the surface including an adhering region to which the lubricant from the latent image bearer adheres. The cleaning blade cleans the surface of the intermediate transferor including the adhering region, after the toner image is secondarily transferred. In a region outside at least a horizontal A4 sheet passing width on the intermediate transferor, a ratio of a peak area derived from zinc stearate to a peak area derived from the intermediate transferor in a difference spectrum between attenuated total reflection (ATR) infrared absorption spectrums of the intermediate transferor in an unused state and after use is 0.892 or less.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a toner image, an intermediate transfer belt configured to transfer the transferred toner image to a recording material at a secondary transfer position, a first cleaning unit arranged downstream of the secondary transfer position and upstream of the primary transfer position in a conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer belt and configured to clean the intermediate transfer belt, a second cleaning unit arranged downstream of the secondary transfer position and upstream of the first cleaning unit in the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer belt and configured to clean the intermediate transfer belt, a conveyance unit provided opposite to the first and the second cleaning units at a position below the first and the second cleaning units and configured to convey the recording material, and a third space from which the first and the second spaces are accessible.

Provided is a cleaning blade including: an elastic member containing a polyurethane; and a supporting member configured to support the elastic member. The polyurethane has a linear moiety represented by —(CH.sub.2)m-. The elastic member has a plate shape having a main surface and a distal end surface forming a distal end-side edge with the main surface, at least on a distal end side. Martens hardness at positions on a bisector at intervals of 30 μm from a distal end-side edge to a position furthest away from the distal end-side edge by 100 μm decreases from a distal end-side edge to the position. A Martens hardness HM1 of the elastic member at a position P1 is 1.0 N/mm.sup.2 or more. The elastic layer satisfies Kω.sub.1>Kω.sub.2>Kω.sub.3. Further, the cleaning blade has an erosion rate E of 0.6 μm/g or less.

An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member, a cleaning member, and an image forming unit having a developer carrier. During an image forming job, when a ratio of an amount of toner consumed to a distance that the developer carrier is rotationally driven is greater than a threshold value, the image forming unit forms a first toner supply image for supplying toner to the cleaning member in a predetermined period that is from a time at which a first toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer member to a time at which a second toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer member. When the ratio is less than the threshold value, the image forming unit forms a second toner supply image for supplying toner to the cleaning member in the predetermined period and having a density that is higher than a first toner supply image density.

A cleaning apparatus includes an endless belt configured to bear a toner image, a rotary member configured to be wound around by the belt, and configured to rotate integrally with the belt, a bearing configured to rotatably support the rotary member, a cleaning unit configured to come into contact with a surface of the belt and collect an adhering matter adhered onto the surface, an urging member configured to urge the cleaning unit toward the surface of the belt, and a support member configured from a single member and including a first supporting portion, a second supporting portion, and a third supporting portion. The first supporting portion rotatably supports the belt via the bearing and the rotary member. The second supporting portion pivotably supports the cleaning unit. The third supporting portion supports the urging member.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a transfer belt, a secondary transfer portion, a cleaning member contacting a surface of the transfer belt for cleaning the surface of the transfer belt, a fixing device, an exhausting device, a duct portion and a sheet member. The sheet member is provided on the exhausting device so as to project toward the transfer belt from the exhausting device, the sheet member being opposed to transfer belt and separated by a predetermined space downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the cleaning member with respect to a rotational direction of the transfer belt, and being configured to prevent air flow between the exhausting device and the transfer belt from flowing downstream with respect to the rotational direction.

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive drums, an intermediate transfer belt, a cleaning member to contact an inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt to remove impurities from the intermediate transfer belt, a storage member including a storage to accommodate the impurities removed by the cleaning member, and a shutter movable to a first location at which the storage is opened and a closing location at which the storage is closed.

An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a charging section that charges a surface of the photoconductor, an electrostatic charge image forming section that forms an electrostatic charge image on the charged surface of the photoconductor, a developing section that accommodates a developer containing a toner and develops the electrostatic charge image formed on the surface of the photoconductor by using the developer to form a toner image, a transfer section that includes an endless belt and transfers the toner image to a recording medium; and a cleaning section that includes a cleaning blade that comes into contact with a surface of the endless belt and performs cleaning of the surface of the endless belt with the cleaning blade, in which a dynamic friction coefficient μ between the endless belt and the cleaning blade is 0.10 or more and 0.25 or less, and the endless belt has an outer peripheral surface on which an uncharged toner is scattered by a wind force of wind pressure of 23 kPa or smaller at a temperature of 22° C. and relative humidity of 55%.