Patent ID: 9400471
Filing Date: 2016-07-26
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet conveyance section capable of conveying a long sheet; an image forming section configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member by supplying toner from a toner development section, and transfer and fix the toner image to the long sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance section; and a control section configured to control a toner refreshing operation in which toner housed in the development section is ejected by an amount required to be ejected and is replaced with new toner, wherein the toner refreshing operation includes a first toner refreshing operation and a second toner refreshing operation, the first toner refreshing operation being an operation in which an ejection toner image is formed on the image bearing member and removed by a cleaning section for the image bearing member, the second toner refreshing operation being an operation in which an ejection toner image is formed on the image bearing member and the ejection toner image thus formed is transferred and fixed to the long sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance section, and, when the toner refreshing operation is required, the control section executes the first toner refreshing operation or the second toner refreshing operation during an interval between jobs, the interval being a period between completion of an image formation process of a preceding printing job and start of an image formation process of a succeeding printing job.