Patent ID: 9268282
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; a process member configured to act on the image bearing member; a voltage application unit configured to selectively output a voltage having positive polarity and a voltage having negative polarity to the process member; a current detection unit configured to detect an electric current that flows to the image bearing member; and a control unit configured to determine a first voltage to start discharge between the image bearing member and the process member from the detection result acquired by the current detection unit when the voltage having the positive polarity is applied to the process member, to determine a second voltage to start discharge between the image bearing member and the process member from the detection result acquired by the current detection unit when the voltage having the negative polarity is applied to the process member, and to calculate the surface potential based on the determined first voltage and the determined second voltage, wherein the control unit determines whether a surface of the image bearing member has an abnormality based on the calculated surface potential.