Technology to collect or remove foreign matter or unwanted substances using electrostatic adsorption

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a conveyance roller configured to convey a sheet;
• a first cleaning unit configured to clean the sheet;
• an image forming unit configured to form an image on the sheet cleaned by the first cleaning unit;
• and
• a second cleaning unit configured to clean the image forming unit, wherein the first cleaning unit comprises:
• a first capturing rotation member that is rotatable and configured to capture an object to be captured on the sheet by static electricity;
• a first charging rotation member that rotates while being in contact with the first capturing rotation member and configured to triboelectrically charge a peripheral surface of the first capturing rotation member;
• and
• a first collecting rotation member that rotates while in contact with the first capturing rotation member and configured to collect the object to be captured that adhered to the peripheral surface of the first capturing rotation member,
• in a rotational direction of the first capturing rotation member, the first capturing rotation member and the sheet are in contact at a first position,
• in the rotational direction of the first capturing rotation member, the first capturing rotation member and the first collecting rotation member are in contact at a second position,
• in the rotational direction of the first capturing rotation member, the first capturing rotation member and the first charging rotation member are in contact at a third position,
• the first position, the second position, and the third position along the rotational direction of the first capturing rotation member are arranged in order,
• the rotational direction of the first capturing rotation member is the same as a rotational direction of the first charging rotation member,
• the rotational direction of the first capturing rotation member is opposite to a rotational direction of the first collecting rotation member,
• the second cleaning unit comprises:
• a second capturing rotation member that is rotatable and configured to capture an object to be captured on a surface to be cleaned in the image forming unit by static electricity;
• a second charging rotation member that rotates while being in contact with the second capturing rotation member to triboelectrically charge a peripheral surface of the second capturing rotation member;
• and
• a second collecting rotation member that rotates while in contact with the second capturing rotation member and collects the object to be captured that adhered to the peripheral surface of the second capturing rotation member,
• wherein in a rotational direction of the second capturing rotation member, the second capturing rotation member contacts the surface to be cleaned at a fourth position,
• in the rotational direction of the second capturing rotation member, the second capturing rotation member and the second collecting rotation member are in contact at a fifth position,
• in the rotational direction of the second capturing rotation member, the second capturing rotation member and the second charging rotation member are in contact at a sixth position,
• the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position along the rotational direction of the second capturing rotation member are arranged in order,
• the rotational direction of the second capturing rotation member is the same as a rotational direction of the second charging rotation member, and
• the rotational direction of the second capturing rotation member is opposite to a rotational direction of the second collecting rotation member.

A cleaning device comprising:

• a capturing rotation member that is rotatable and configured to capture an object to be captured on a surface to be cleaned by static electricity;
• a charging rotation member that is in contact with the capturing rotation member and is configured to triboelectrically charge a peripheral surface of the capturing rotation member;
• and
• a collecting rotation member that rotates while being in contact with the capturing rotation member and collects the object to be captured that adhered to the peripheral surface of the capturing rotation member,
• wherein in a rotational direction of the capturing rotation member, the capturing rotation member contacts the surface to be cleaned at a first position,
• in the rotational direction of the capturing rotation member, the capturing rotation member and the collecting rotation member are in contact at a second position,
• in the rotational direction of the capturing rotation member, the capturing rotation member and the charging rotation member are in contact at a third position,
• a charge polarity of the object to be captured is a first polarity, and
• in a triboelectric series, a material of the capturing rotation member is more likely to be charged to a second polarity than a material of the charging rotation member, and a material of the collecting rotation member is more likely to be charged to the second polarity than the material of the capturing rotation member.