To provide an image forming apparatus which makes it possible to form a high-quality image by suppressing the flow of a latent image pattern while reducing the concentration of oxygen becoming the cause of the production of ozone and NOx, etc., which are generated in the atmosphere in the image forming apparatus in an electrifying process efficiently, and in which stable operation of a fuel cell and other devices is made possible by preventing the degradation of the electrolyte of a mounted fuel cell.
In the image forming apparatus in which at least an image carrier, an electrifying means, an exposing means, a developing means, and the fuel cell are mounted, cathode-side gas supplying ports of the mounted fuel cell are provided in the casing and in the outside of the casing of the apparatus. The apparatus is configured so as to reduce the concentration of oxygen in the casing by changing over the cathode-side gas supplying port of the inside or the outside of the casing according to the concentration of oxygen while detecting the concentration of oxygen in the casing with a sensor, and also to more reduce oxygen in the casing by exhausting gas to be ejected from the side of the cathode in the casing.
KIMURA OKITOSHI
TANAKA MASAHARU
TAKAHASHI TOMOKO
YAMADA MASAAKI
