Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a plurality of toner images on an image carrier, an optical detector configured to detect reflection light from the toner image, and dedicated to detect infrared rays and near-infrared rays, and a controller configured to perform a predetermined control using a detection results of the optical detector. Gradation pattern that is comprised of a plurality of toner patches formed in the image forming unit with an image forming condition to have different adhesive amounts, and is formed of at least two colors, and detection values detected by the optical detector are used for the predetermined control.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an electrostatic latent image, a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a two-component developer including toner and magnetic carrier, a toner supplier configured to supply the toner to the developing device, a toner concentration detector configured to detect toner concentration in the two-component developer inside the developing device, and a controller. The controller is configured to detect first information to determine toner replacement amount in the developing device during a predetermined time period and second information to determine a charge characteristic of the toner in the developing device, change a toner concentration control reference value based on the first information and the second information, and control the toner concentration based on an output from the toner concentration detector and the toner concentration control reference value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes an image density control unit that performs control operations based on an image density control condition that is adjustably set to control an output image to have a predetermined image density, an image density control condition modifying unit that calculates a modified image density control condition based on information on an amount of toner exchanged at a developing apparatus within a predetermined period and a parameter for image density control condition calculation and sets the modified image density control condition as the image density control condition to be used by the image density control unit, and a parameter modifying unit that modifies the parameter for image density control condition calculation used by the image density control condition modifying unit based on a toner pattern detection result obtained by detecting a toner pattern formed on a belt member.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus and an image density control method that are capable of suppressing the amount of toner consumed for a purpose other than image formation and responding to variation in the development ability of a development device due to environmental variation and the like such that a constant image density is obtained, the image density is maintained at a substantially fixed level by first target output value correcting means in accordance with a toner replacement amount and without consuming toner, and adjustment of the image density accompanying variation in the development ability due to environmental variation and the like is dealt with by second target output value correcting means in accordance with a toner pattern detection result.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an image and a charger to which a direct current voltage overlapped with an AC voltage is applied as a charging bias to charge the image carrier. The charger is positioned in contact or contactlessly with the image carrier. The AC voltage applied to the charger in an adjustment of the AC voltage is not less than twice a charging start voltage Vth at which the image carrier starts to be charged.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum is primarily transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt. The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt is secondarily transferred onto a transfer material by a secondary transfer roller in contact with the intermediate transfer belt. A relation A>B>C is satisfied, where A is a width of the intermediate transfer member, B is a width of the secondary transfer member, and C is a width of the transfer material. The intermediate transfer member includes a patch-pattern forming area that is not contacted by the secondary transfer member. The image forming apparatus includes a reflection-type photosensor that detects a patch pattern formed in the patch-pattern forming area.

Abstract: A developing device including a developer bearing member configured to configured to bear thereon a developer including a toner and a magnetic carrier to develop an electrostatic image on an image bearing member with the developer; a developer container configured to contain and feed the developer to the developer bearing member; a toner concentration sensor configured to detect a concentration of the toner in the developer in the developer container and output a signal depending on the detected toner concentration; and a characteristic information storage device configured to store a characteristic of the toner concentration sensor, wherein the sensor information storage device is separated from the toner concentration sensor. A process unit including an image bearing member and the developing device. An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, the developing device and a controller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member; a developing device configured to develop a latent image on the image bearing member with a two-component developer; a development potential forming device configured to form a development potential; a toner replenishing device configured to supply the toner to the developing device; a toner concentration detecting device configured to detect and output the concentration of the toner in the developer; a toner concentration controlling device configured to compare the toner concentration output with a toner concentration target to control the toner concentration; an information detecting device configured to obtain information to determine the replacement amount of the toner in the developing device in a predetermined period of time; and a development potential correcting device configured to adjust the development potential on the basis of the information obtained by the information detecting device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes at least one image bearing member, an intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer member, and at least one optical sensor. In the image forming apparatus, it is determined that output values of the respective amounts of toner detected by the at least one optical sensor are affected by an impact caused due to a separation of the secondary transfer member from the intermediate transfer member and the output values are ignored as image adjustment input information, when the secondary transfer member separates from the intermediate transfer member during any of writing, developing, and transferring the plurality of image adjustment patterns, if the output values fall outside a given range and an interval between the output values of adjacent image bearing members is substantially equal to a distance between the two adjacent image bearing members for the primary transfer.

Abstract: A device for detecting image information includes an intermediate transfer member configured to hold a pattern image; a detecting unit configured to optically detect the pattern image; a secondary transfer unit configured to contact with and separate from the intermediate transfer member; and a control unit that controls the secondary transfer unit in such a manner that the secondary transfer unit does not contact the intermediate transfer member while the detecting unit is detecting the pattern image, and that controls the secondary transfer unit in such a manner that the secondary transfer unit contacts the intermediate transfer member after the detecting unit finishes detection of the pattern image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism and a control device. The image forming mechanism performs an image forming operation under predetermined image forming conditions, and includes an image carrying member for forming an electrostatic latent image thereon, a development device for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image, and a transfer device for transferring the toner image to a recording medium. The control device controls an amount of toner replenished to the development device, sets a developer mixing time for evenly mixing developer in the development device, causes the development device to mix the developer for the set developer mixing time, causes the image forming mechanism to form toner image patterns, detects the toner image patterns, and determines the predetermined image forming conditions based on the detection of the toner image patterns. An image forming method is also described.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism and a process controller. The process controller is configured to instruct the image forming mechanism to perform an image forming operation and a control operation of image forming process conditions. The control operation includes at least two phases each executable at an individual time. The process controller instructs the image forming mechanism to perform the control operation by executing the at least two phases in order of execution frequency from the highest execution frequency to the lowest execution frequency, and discontinue sequential execution of the at least two phases in accordance with an image output command to preferentially perform the image output operation in accordance with the image output command. An image forming method is also described.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured that a developing unit develops a latent image with a toner, which is controlled by a toner-supply control unit based on a deference between a toner-density of the toner that is supplied to the developing unit and a reference-value. A reference-value determining unit determines the reference-value. A condition determining unit determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied. The reference-value determining unit updates the reference-value with a different reference-value when the condition determining unit determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A developing unit supplies toner from a developing roller to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier, and creates a visual image. A forced consumption unit causes, when a proportion of number of pixels used for forming the electrostatic latent image for a maximum image effective-width is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a forced consumption of toner by an amount corresponding to a difference between a toner amount corresponding to the number of pixels and a predetermined toner consumption amount. The forced consumption unit adds toner of an amount used in the forced consumption to an amount of toner to be supplied in a next imaging process.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a developing device that holds a two-component developer to develop an image, a detecting unit that outputs a reference output value and a second output value when the two-component developer is stirred and carried at a stirring/carrying speed corresponding to a second image forming mode, a stirring/carrying member that stirs and carries the two-component developer, and a controlling unit that controls the toner concentration based on the reference output value when forming an image in a first image forming mode, and controls the toner concentration, when forming an image in the second image forming mode, a corrected output value obtained by correcting an output value in the second image forming mode with a difference value between the reference output value and the second output value.

Abstract: A device for detecting image information includes an intermediate transfer member configured to hold a pattern image; a detecting unit configured to optically detect the pattern image; a secondary transfer unit configured to contact with and separate from the intermediate transfer member; and a control unit that controls the secondary transfer unit in such a manner that the secondary transfer unit does not contact the intermediate transfer member while the detecting unit is detecting the pattern image, and that controls the secondary transfer unit in such a manner that the secondary transfer unit contacts the intermediate transfer member after the detecting unit finishes detection of the pattern image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism and a control device. The image forming mechanism performs an image forming operation under predetermined image forming conditions, and includes an image carrying member for forming an electrostatic latent image thereon, a development device for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image, and a transfer device for transferring the toner image to a recording medium. The control device controls an amount of toner replenished to the development device, sets a developer mixing time for evenly mixing developer in the development device, causes the development device to mix the developer for the set developer mixing time, causes the image forming mechanism to form toner image patterns, detects the toner image patterns, and determines the predetermined image forming conditions based on the detection of the toner image patterns. An image forming method is also described.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism and a process controller. The process controller is configured to instruct the image forming mechanism to perform an image forming operation and a control operation of image forming process conditions. The control operation includes at least two phases each executable at an individual time. The process controller instructs the image forming mechanism to perform the control operation by executing the at least two phases in order of execution frequency from the highest execution frequency to the lowest execution frequency, and discontinue sequential execution of the at least two phases in accordance with an image output command to preferentially perform the image output operation in accordance with the image output command. An image forming method is also described.