Image forming apparatus

1. An image forming apparatus for executing an image forming operation for forming an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a rotatable image bearing member;

a charging member configured to electrically charge a surface of the image bearing member at a charging portion where the charging member is provided in contact with the image bearing member;

a developing member configured to form a toner image on the image bearing member by supplying a developer to a developing portion where the developing member is provided in contact with the image bearing member;

a transfer member configured to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member onto a transfer-receiving material in a transfer portion;

an exposure unit configured to expose, to light, the surface of the image bearing member at a position downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the charging portion with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member; and

a controller configured to control a charging voltage applied to the charging member and a developing voltage applied to the developing member,

wherein during execution of the image forming operation, toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member without being transferred in the transfer portion is collected by the developing member,

wherein the controller executes a preparatory operation in which, before the image forming operation, rotation of the image bearing member is started and the charging voltage and the developing voltage are increased stepwisely, and

wherein in the preparatory operation, the controller carries out control so as to start application of the charging voltage at a voltage value not less than a discharge start voltage of the charging member before a surface region of the image bearing member positioned in the developing portion at a time of a start of the rotation of the image bearing member reaches the charging portion in a state in which the surface of the image bearing member is exposed to the light by the exposure unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the charging voltage and the developing voltage so that during a period of the preparatory operation, a surface potential of the image bearing member in the developing portion has the same polarity as a normal charge polarity of the toner relative to the developing voltage and a potential difference between the developing voltage and the surface potential of the image bearing member is maintained within a predetermined range.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined range is a range of 130 V or more and 550 V or less.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a rotational speed of the image bearing member in the preparatory operation is slower than a rotational speed of the image bearing member in the image forming operation.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the preparatory operation, the controller carries out control so as to start the application of the charging voltage at the voltage value not less than the discharge start voltage of the charging member positioned in the transfer portion where transfer of the toner image in the transfer portion is made at the time of the start of the rotation of the image bearing member reaches the charging portion.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the preparatory operation, the controller carries out control so as to start the application of the charging voltage at a first voltage value not less than the discharge start voltage of the charging member and then to increase the charging voltage to a second voltage value higher than the first voltage value before the surface region of the image bearing member positioned in the developing portion at the time of the start of the rotation of the image bearing member reaches the charging portion.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller carries out control so as to start the application of the charging voltage at the voltage value not less than the discharge start voltage of the charging member and then to increase the charging voltage to a voltage value in the image forming operation before the surface region of the image bearing member positioned in the developing portion at the time of the start of the rotation of the image bearing member reaches the charging portion.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the preparatory operation, the controller carries out control so as to increase the developing voltage stepwisely to a voltage value, in the image forming operation, having the same polarity as a normal charge polarity of the toner, and application of the developing voltage is started at a voltage value having an opposite polarity to the normal charge polarity of the toner before the start of the rotation of the image bearing member.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the developing member is always in contact with the image bearing member.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the developer is a one-component developer consisting of the toner, and

wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a regulating member provided in contact with the developing member and configured to triboelectrically charge the toner while regulating an amount of the toner conveyed to the developing portion while being carried on the developing member.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer-receiving material is the recording material.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an intermediary transfer member; and

a secondary transfer portion configured to transfer the toner image from the intermediary transfer member onto the recording material,

wherein the transfer-receiving material is the intermediary transfer member.