Patent ID: 9618871
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: G03G

Claim:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrying member on a surface of which a toner image is formed; a driving device for driving the image carrying member to rotate; a charging member for electrostatically charging the image carrying member; a cleaning member arranged in contact with the surface of the image carrying member for cleaning the surface of the image carrying member; a voltage applying device for applying a charging voltage to the charging member; a torque detector for detecting a torque of the driving device when the driving device drives the image carrying member to rotate; a storage for storing a predetermined torque value Tc which relates to a torque of the image carrying member and which is a constant larger than one; and a control portion for checking condition of the surface of the image carrying member based on the torque of the driving device detected by the torque detector, wherein the control portion obtains as Ton the torque detected by the torque detector when the charging voltage is applied and obtains as Toff the torque detected by the torque detector when no charging voltage is applied, and let the torque observed when no charging voltage is applied at an early stage of use of the image carrying member be represented by Toff(0), then, when relations Toff(0)<Toff and Tc<Ton/Toff hold, the control portion determines that a degree of smoothness of the surface of the image carrying member is equal to or higher than a predetermined degree of smoothness.