Image forming apparatus having improved image carrier cleaning

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a first image carrier means for carrying a toner image developed by said developing means;
• an intermediate image carrier means mounted in an image transfer position relative to the first image carrier means for receiving and carrying the toner image transferred thereto from the intermediate image carrier means;
• a recording medium means mounted in an image transfer position relative to the intermediate image carrier means for receiving the toner image transferred from the intermediate image carrier means;
• cleaning means for cleaning a surface of said intermediate image carrier means after the toner image has been transferred from said intermediate image carrier means to the recording medium means;
• liquid feeding means for feeding a cleaning liquid to said cleaning means;
• and
• charge applying means for applying a charge of a preselected polarity to the toner of residual developing liquid remaining on the intermediate image carrier means after the toner image has been transferred to the recording medium means;
• and
• electric field means for forming an electric field causing the toner charged by said charging means to the preselected charge to move toward said cleaning means.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• developing means using a developing liquid consisting of a carrier liquid and toner dispersed in said carrier liquid;
• an image carrier for carrying a toner image developed by said developing means;
• cleaning means for cleaning a surface of said image carrier after the toner image has been transferred from said image carrier to a recording medium;
• and
• liquid feeding means for feeding a cleaning liquid to a surface of said image carrier after said surface has moved away from an image transfer position, but before said surface reaches said cleaning means;
• said image carrier comprising an intermediate image transfer body for carrying the toner image transferred thereto from another image carrier, wherein said toner image is transferred from said intermediate image transfer body to the recording medium.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• developing means using a powdery developer containing at least toner;
• an image carrier means for carrying a toner image developed by said developing means;
• a recording medium means mounted in an image transfer position relative to the image carrier means for receiving the toner image transferred from the image carrier means;
• cleaning means for cleaning a surface of said image carrier means after the toner image has been transferred from said image carrier means to the recording medium means;
• liquid feeding means for feeding a cleaning liquid to said cleaning means;
• and
• an electric field means for forming an electric field between the image carrier means and the cleaning means that causes the toner of a residual developer remaining on the image carrier means after the toner image has been transferred to the recording medium means to move toward the cleaning means.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• developing means using a powdery developer containing at least toner;
• an image carrier means for carrying a toner image developed by said developing means;
• a recording medium means mounted in an image transfer position relative to the image carrier means for receiving the toner image transferred from the image carrier means;
• cleaning means for cleaning a surface of said image carrier means after the toner image has been transferred from the image carrier means to the recording medium means;
• liquid feeding means for feeding a cleaning liquid to said cleaning means;
• and
• charge applying means for applying a charge of a preselected polarity to the toner of residual developer remaining on the image carrier means after the toner image has been transferred to the recording medium means.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• developing means using a powdery developer containing at least toner;
• an image carrier means for carrying a toner image developed by said developing means;
• a recording medium means mounted in an image transfer position relative to the image carrier means for receiving the toner image transferred from the image carrier means;
• cleaning means for cleaning a surface of said image carrier means after the toner image has been transferred from the image carrier means to the recording medium means;
• liquid feeding means for feeding a cleaning liquid to said cleaning means;
• charge applying means for applying a charge of a preselected polarity to the toner of residual developer remaining on the image carrier means after the toner image has been transferred to the recording medium means;
• and
• electric field means for forming an electric field causing the toner charged by said charging means to the preselected charge to move away from the surface of said image carrier means.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• developing means using a powdery developer containing at least toner;
• an image carrier for carrying a toner image developed by said developing means;
• cleaning means for cleaning a surface of said image carrier after the toner image has been transferred from said image carrier to a recording medium;
• and
• liquid feeding means for feeding a cleaning liquid to a surface of said image carrier after said surface has moved away from an image transfer position, but before said surface reaches said cleaning means.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• developing means using a developing liquid consisting of a carrier liquid and toner dispersed in said carrier liquid;
• an image carrier for carrying a toner image developed by said developing means;
• cleaning means for cleaning a surface of said image carrier after the toner image has been transferred from said image carrier to a recording medium;
• and
• electric field forming means for forming an electric field, which causes the toner of a residual developing liquid remaining on said image carrier to move toward a surface of said cleaning means, between said image carrier and said cleaning means.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a developing device configured to use a developing liquid including a carrier liquid and toner dispersed in said carrier liquid;
• an image carrier configured to carry a toner image developed by said developing device;
• an intermediate image transfer body mounted in an image transfer position relative to the image carrier and configured to receive and carry the toner image transferred thereto from the first image carrier;
• a recording medium mounted in an image transfer position relative to the intermediate image transfer body and configured to receive the toner image transferred from the intermediate image transfer body;
• a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of said intermediate image transfer body after the toner image has been transferred from said intermediate image transfer body to a recording medium;
• a liquid feeding device constructed to feed a cleaning liquid to said cleaning member;
• and
• an electric field generator configured to generate an electric field between the intermediate image transfer body and the cleaning member to cause the toner of a residual developing liquid remaining on the intermediate image transfer body after the toner image has been transferred to the recording medium to move toward said cleaning member.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a developing device using a developing liquid consisting of a carrier liquid and toner dispersed in said carrier liquid;
• an image carrier configured to carry a toner image developed by said developing device;
• a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of said image carrier after the toner image has been transferred from said image carrier to a recording medium;
• and
• a liquid feeding device for feeding a cleaning liquid to a surface of said image carrier after said surface has moved away from an image transfer position, but before said surface reaches said cleaning member;
• said image carrier comprising an intermediate image transfer body for carrying the toner image transferred thereto from another image carrier, wherein said toner image is transferred from said intermediate image transfer body to the recording medium.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a developing device configured to use a powdery developer containing at least toner;
• an image carrier configured to carry a toner image developed by said developing device;
• a recording medium mounted in an image transfer position relative to the image carrier and configured to receive the toner image transferred from the image carrier;
• a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of said image carrier after the toner image has been transferred from said image carrier to the recording medium;
• a liquid feeding device configured to feed a cleaning liquid to said cleaning member;
• and
• an electric field generator configured to generate an electric field between the image carrier and the cleaning member to cause the toner of a residual developer remaining on the image carrier after the toner image has been transferred to the recording medium to move toward said cleaning member.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a developing device using a powdery developer containing at least toner;
• an image carrier configured to carry a toner image developed by said developing device;
• a cleaning member for cleaning a surface of said image carrier after the toner image has been transferred from said image carrier to a recording medium;
• and
• a liquid feeding device for feeding a cleaning liquid to a surface of said image carrier after said surface has moved away from an image transfer position, but before said surface reaches said cleaning means.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a developing device using a developing liquid consisting of a carrier liquid and toner dispersed in said carrier liquid;
• an image carrier configured to carry a toner image developed by said developing device;
• a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of said image carrier after the toner image has been transferred from said image carrier to a recording medium;
• and
• an electric field forming device configured to form an electric field, which causes the toner of a residual developing liquid remaining on said image carrier to move toward a surface of said cleaning member, between said image carrier and said cleaning member.