Image forming apparatus with collection

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable image bearing member;
• a charging unit that contacts the image bearing member to form a charging portion, and charges a surface of the image bearing member in the charging portion;
• an exposure unit that exposes the surface of the image bearing member charged in the charging portion to form an electrostatic latent image;
• a developing unit that supplies toner charged to have a predetermined polarity to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing member to form a toner image;
• a transfer unit that contacts the image bearing member to form a transfer portion, and transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the image bearing member onto a transfer material in the transfer portion;
• a charge neutralizer that neutralizes a charge on the surface of the image bearing member downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the charging portion in a rotating direction of the image bearing member;
• a collecting unit that has conductivity and collects an adhering material adhered to the surface of the image bearing member downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the charging portion in the rotating direction of the image bearing member;
• a voltage application unit that applies a voltage of the predetermined polarity to the collecting unit;
• and
• a controller that controls the voltage application unit, wherein
• the developing unit collects residual toner on the surface of the image bearing member after the toner image has been transferred onto the transfer material in the transfer portion, and
• the controller controls the voltage application unit such that a potential difference between a voltage of the predetermined polarity applied to the collecting unit and a surface electric potential of the image bearing member on the surface of the image bearing member is not more than a discharge threshold.