CLEANING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To bring out the cleaning performance of a cleaning rotating body to the maximum extent in a mode having the electrically conductive cleaning rotating body, and to suppress the occurrence of a poor cleaning caused by a momentary toner discharge at the time of cycle out. SOLUTION: A cleaning device 5 to clean residual toner on an image carrier 1 has at least the electrically conductive cleaning rotating body 6 which rotates in contact with the image carrier 1. The cleaning rotating body 6 is connected to a reference potential part 9 through a means 8 for regulating an electric current direction. The means 8 for regulating the electric current direction is provided with a unidirectional rectifying device 8a which suppresses an electric current at least flowing in a direction where tone is re-transferred from the cleaning rotating body 6 to the image carrier 1. When necessary, an inverting mechanism 8b to invert an electric current allowing direction by the unidirectional rectifying device 8a is provided in the means 8 for regulating an electric current direction to perform a toner discharge process at regular intervals or as needed.