Patent ID: 9411271
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member configured to bear a toner image thereon; a movable intermediate transfer member configured to temporarily bear the toner image, wherein the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer member in a transfer portion and then is transferred onto a recording material; a transfer member configured to electrostatically transfer the toner image formed on the image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer member in the transfer portion; a power supply configured to apply a voltage to the transfer member; a detection member configured to detect a current flowing through the transfer member during the application of the voltage to the transfer member; an execution portion configured to execute a test mode during preparatory period before an image forming operation, wherein the execution portion determines a target voltage in the test mode so that an output of the detection member becomes a target current when the toner image to be transferred to the recording material passes through the transfer portion; a setting portion configured to set the target current, based on the target voltage determined in the test mode, (a) to a first current when an absolute value of the target voltage is smaller than or equal to a first voltage, wherein the first current is a constant value regardless of the target voltage, (b) to a second current when the absolute value of the target voltage is larger than or equal to a second voltage which is larger than the first voltage, wherein the second current is a constant value regardless of the target voltage and an absolute value of the second current is smaller than an absolute value of the first current, (c) to a third current when an absolute value of the target voltage is larger than the first voltage and smaller than the second voltage, wherein an absolute value of the third current is smaller than the absolute value of the first current and larger than the absolute value of the second current, and wherein the third current is set so that, when an absolute value of the target voltage is a first value, an absolute value of the third current is smaller than the absolute value of the third current when the absolute value of the target voltage is smaller than the first value.