Patent attributes
An image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming stations each provided with an image bearing member, a developing device for collecting any untransferred toner on the image bearing member and at the same time, developing an electrostatic image with a toner, and a transfer device for transferring the toner image on the image bearing member to a transfer material, wherein when in a first station and a second station downstream thereof with respect to the movement direction of the transfer material, of the plurality of image forming stations, a toner discharging operation of discharging the toner from each developing device is performed during a non-image forming operation, the toner discharging amount in the second station is controlled so as to be greater than the toner discharging amount in the first station.
