Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member bearing a normal toner image and a toner pattern; toner image forming means for forming the normal toner image in an image area of the image bearing member and for forming the toner pattern in a non-image-area of the image bearing member; an intermediary transfer member, contactable to the image bearing member, for forming a primary transfer portion for primary transfer of the toner image from the image bearing member; a primary transfer member for being supplied with a transfer voltage for primary transfer of the toner image from the image bearing member onto the intermediary transfer member; a voltage source for supplying, to the primary transfer member, a transfer voltage and a voltage of a polarity opposite to the transfer voltage; image bearing member cleaning means for removing toner from the image bearing member; secondary transferring means for secondary transfer of the toner image from the intermediary transfer member onto a recording material; intermediary transfer member cleaning means for electrostatically removing toner from the intermediary transfer member; and voltage source control means for controlling the voltage source so as to apply, to the primary transfer member, a voltage having an absolute value larger than a discharge threshold and having the polarity opposite to the transfer voltage, when the toner pattern passes through the primary transfer portion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.