IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND WASTE TONER COLLECTING METHOD

• Main Author: INOUE KAZUE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.06.2007
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus improved to lessen the discharge of waste toner to the outside by collecting the waste toner to the inside of the apparatus, and a waste toner collecting method. SOLUTION: In the tandem type image forming apparatus, unnecessary toner (fogged toner) stuck to a secondary transfer roller is discharged to an intermediate transfer belt 50 by applying alternating voltage to the secondary transfer roller. The waste toner is collected by a photoreceptor (image carrier) 41K in a K (black) image forming station, its polarity is made uniform by electrifying the image carrier 41K again, and then the waste toner is collected to a developing device 44K and stored in a toner tank or the like. In such a case, bias voltage of Y, M and C primary transfer rollers 45 (Y, M and C) is controlled so that the waste toner on the intermediate transfer belt 50 may not adhere to the Y, M and C image carriers. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT