IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REMOVING SCATTERED TONER IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus that can effectively prevent clogging of suction ducts for removing scattered toner, and a method for removing scattered toner in an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: photoreceptors; developing devices that supply toner to the surfaces of the photoreceptors; and a toner suction device that has suction ducts and electrodes provided in the suction ducts, and sucks and collects scattered toner scattered and leaking from between the photoreceptors and the developing devices from one ends of the suction ducts. The toner suction device has a control part that inverts the polarity of a voltage applied to the electrodes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2 【課題】飛散トナーを除去するための吸引ダクトの詰まりを効果的に防止することが可能な画像形成装置および画像形成装置における飛散トナーの除去方法を提供する。【解決手段】感光体と、前記感光体の表面にトナーを供給する現像装置と、吸引ダクトと前記吸引ダクトに設けられた電極とを有し前記感光体と前記現像装置との間から飛散して漏れ出した飛散トナーを前記吸引ダクトの一端から吸引して捕集するトナー吸引装置とを備え、前記トナー吸引装置は、前記電極に印加する電圧の極性を反転させる制御部を有する画像形成装置である。【選択図】図２