Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a job acquirer that acquires a print job; a photoconductor including a surface on which a toner image is to be formed; an electrifying member that electrifies the photoconductor; an exposure member that exposes the photoconductor; a developing member that supplies toner to the photoconductor; a cleaner that cleans the photoconductor; and a controller connected to the job acquirer to control the image forming apparatus, wherein the controller computes a first non-toner region that is provided on the surface of the photoconductor when the toner image is formed on the photoconductor, the first non-toner region not containing toner in a longitudinal direction of the surface of the photoconductor, and the controller causes the exposure member and the developing member to form the toner image on the photoconductor and to form a set of toner patches in the first non-toner region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a job acquirer that acquires a print job; a photoconductor including a surface on which a toner image is to be formed; an electrifying member that electrifies the photoconductor; an exposure member that exposes the photoconductor; a developing member that supplies toner to the photoconductor; a cleaner that cleans the photoconductor; and a controller connected to the job acquirer to control the image forming apparatus, wherein the controller computes a first non-toner region that is provided on the surface of the photoconductor when the toner image is formed on the photoconductor, the first non-toner region not containing toner in a longitudinal direction of the surface of the photoconductor, and the controller causes the exposure member and the developing member to form the toner image on the photoconductor and to form a set of toner patches in the first non-toner region.

Abstract: An image forming device provided with a wear part arranged in a manner being in contact with a surface of an image carrier to wear the surface of the image carrier, comprises: a hardware processor that: detects a film thickness of the image carrier; detects a deterioration progress degree of the image carrier; and compares the detected film thickness with the detected deterioration progress degree, and adjusts a wear amount of wear due to the wear mean based on the comparison result.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor, a measurer that measures the number of rotations of the photoreceptor, and a hardware processor. The hardware processor predicts a film scraping amount of the photoreceptor on the basis of a measurement result of the measurer and determines a service life of the photoreceptor on the basis of a prediction result of the hardware processor. The hardware processor calculates the film scraping amount by multiplying the number of rotations of the photoreceptor per predetermined time by a predetermined coefficient, and integrates the calculated film scraping amount for each predetermined time. The predetermined coefficient is set to a different value according to the number of rotations of the photoreceptor per predetermined time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus provided with a conductive member to form an image on a sheet using a toner includes: a voltage acquisition portion configured to acquire a biased voltage value as a voltage value by applying a bias to the conductive member; an environment sensor configured to output an environment condition measurement value representing an internal environment condition; and a hardware processor configured to transform the biased voltage value acquired by the voltage acquisition portion into a virtual voltage value appearing in the conductive member as the biased voltage value under a standard environment condition, in which the environment condition has a predetermined standard condition, on the basis of the environment condition measurement value output from the environment sensor, and determine a service life of the conductive member on the basis of the virtual voltage value.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of estimating lives of components more accurately than before. The image forming apparatus includes an ion conductive component, and a processor for estimating a life of the conductive component. The processor acquires an index value related to energization of the conductive component, and estimates the life of the conductive component based on the index value per unit time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoreceptor; a measurer that measures the number of rotations of the photoreceptor; and a hardware processor that predicts a film scraping amount of the photoreceptor on the basis of a measurement result of the measurer, and determines a service life of the photoreceptor on the basis of a prediction result of the hardware processor, wherein the hardware processor calculates the film scraping amount by multiplying the number of rotations of the photoreceptor per predetermined time by a predetermined coefficient, and integrates the calculated film scraping amount for each predetermined time, and the predetermined coefficient is set to a different value according to the number of rotations of the photoreceptor per predetermined time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer member, a measurement instrument, and a controller. The controller is configured to predict a lifetime of the transfer member based on first and second electrical states. The first electrical state is an electrical state of the transfer member when a first image carrier is attached as the image carrier. The second electrical state is an electrical state of the transfer member when a second image carrier different from the first image carrier is attached as the image carrier after formation of an image with the use of the first image carrier.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of estimating lives of components more accurately than before. The image forming apparatus includes an ion conductive component, and a processor for estimating a life of the conductive component. The processor acquires an index value related to energization of the conductive component, and estimates the life of the conductive component based on the index value per unit time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer member, a measurement instrument, and a controller. The controller is configured to predict a lifetime of the transfer member based on first and second electrical states. The first electrical state is an electrical state of the transfer member when a first image carrier is attached as the image carrier. The second electrical state is an electrical state of the transfer member when a second image carrier different from the first image carrier is attached as the image carrier after formation of an image with the use of the first image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus provided with a conductive member to form an image on a sheet using a toner includes: a voltage acquisition portion configured to acquire a biased voltage value as a voltage value by applying a bias to the conductive member; an environment sensor configured to output an environment condition measurement value representing an internal environment condition; and a hardware processor configured to transform the biased voltage value acquired by the voltage acquisition portion into a virtual voltage value appearing in the conductive member as the biased voltage value under a standard environment condition, in which the environment condition has a predetermined standard condition, on the basis of the environment condition measurement value output from the environment sensor, and determine a service life of the conductive member on the basis of the virtual voltage value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer belt that is stretched on a plurality of support rollers including a backup roller in a loop-like manner and has an outer surface for carrying thereon a toner image; a transfer roller that is brought into pressurized contact with the backup roller across the transfer belt and forms a transfer nip with the transfer belt; a restriction member that is placed upstream of a transfer nip in a sheet conveying direction so as to be switchable between a first state in which the restriction member is brought closer to an inner surface of the transfer belt and a second state in which a distance of the restriction member from the inner surface of the transfer belt is larger than that in the first state; and a control section that switches a state of the restriction member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image forming section having a intermediate transfer body to carry a toner image on a photoreceptor and transfer the toner image onto a sheet of paper; a cleaning section for removing residual toner on the intermediate transfer body by bringing a cleaning blade into close contact with the intermediate transfer body; and a control section for controlling a rotation of the intermediate transfer body so as to carry out a return action of a blade configuration which stops or reverses the rotation of the intermediate transfer body, when a rotation amount reaches a predetermined value, wherein the control section carries out the return action when the rotation amount reaches a value smaller than the predetermined value, in a case where a plurality of previous printing jobs is determined to be intermittent printing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt, a pressure receiving roller, a suspension roller, a secondary transfer roller, and an endless support belt. The support belt is stretched over at least one of the pressure receiving roller and the suspension roller. When pressing the transfer belt between the pressure receiving roller and the secondary transfer roller, and nipping paper between the transfer belt and the secondary transfer roller, an angle defined by the portion, upstream from the secondary transfer roller, of the transfer belt and an imaginary line connecting the pressure-receiving-roller axis with the secondary-transfer-roller axis is less than 90 degrees. A part of the support belt is held between the transfer belt and at least one of the two rollers over which the support belt is stretched.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt, a pressure receiving roller, a secondary transfer roller, and a belt movement restricting section. The belt movement restricting section is disposed close to the back of the belt. When pressing the belt between the pressure receiving roller and the secondary transfer roller, and nipping paper between the belt and the secondary transfer roller, an angle defined by the portion, upstream from the secondary transfer roller, of the belt and an imaginary line connecting the pressure-receiving-roller axis with the secondary-transfer-roller axis is less than 90 degrees. During non-secondary-transfer mode, the belt movement restricting section is separated from the belt. During secondary transfer, the belt movement restricting section holds the belt not to let the belt pushed by the paper move toward the pressure receiving roller.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning a belt member, includes a cleaning blade; a removing member coming in contact with the surface of the belt member so as to remove foreign matter adhering on the surface of the belt member; and a contact pressure changing section to change a contact pressure between the removing member to the belt member, wherein, when the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be not transferred to a paper sheet is made P1, and the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be transferred to a paper sheet is made P2, the contact pressure changing section changes the contact pressure to satisfy the conditional formula: (P1<P2).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer belt that is stretched on a plurality of support rollers including a backup roller in a loop-like manner and has an outer surface for carrying thereon a toner image; a transfer roller that is brought into pressurized contact with the backup roller across the transfer belt and forms a transfer nip with the transfer belt; a restriction member that is placed upstream of a transfer nip in a sheet conveying direction so as to be switchable between a first state in which the restriction member is brought closer to an inner surface of the transfer belt and a second state in which a distance of the restriction member from the inner surface of the transfer belt is larger than that in the first state; and a control section that switches a state of the restriction member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a transfer section for transferring a toner image formed on an image bearing member onto a sheet by pressure contact of the sheet against the image bearing member with a transfer member; a cleaning section having a cleaning blade to remove residual toner on the image bearing member; and a control section for controlling a rotation of the image bearing member so as to carry out a return action of a blade configuration which stops or reverses the rotation of the image bearing member, when the rotation amount reaches a predetermined value, wherein the control section additionally carries out the return action when the rotation amount reaches a value smaller than the predetermined value, in a case where a size of a sheet in a current job is larger than a size a sheet having been passed through in a previous job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a cleaning blade provided on an intermediate transfer member to which a toner image formed on at least one image forming section is primary transferred and on a secondary transfer section which transfers the toner image transferred on the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer material, respectively, which cleans the toner image remained thereon, respectively; a bias power source which is electrically connected to the secondary transfer section; and a controller which causes the image forming section to form a patch toner image onto a non-image area on the image carrier corresponding to an area between adjoining two transfer materials, and causes the bias power source to conduct a power control in synchronization with a positional movement timing of the patch toner image, to supply selectively the patch toner image to the intermediate transfer member and the secondary transfer section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: image carriers, an intermediate transfer body, primary transfer members, support members, a secondary transfer unit, a cleaning member, an adjustment mechanism, and a control unit. The support members rotatably support the intermediate transfer body. The cleaning member abuts against the intermediate transfer body at a position other than a position opposite to the support member under a predetermined condition based on a reference tension of the intermediate transfer body. The adjustment mechanism can adjust an abutment condition between the cleaning member and the intermediate transfer body. The control unit controls the adjustment mechanism to adjust the abutment condition to be suitable for removing, by the cleaning member, recording materials remaining on the intermediate transfer body without being transferred onto the transfer material when a tension of the intermediate transfer body is changed from the reference tension.