Patent ID: 8781358
Filing Date: 2014-07-15
Classification: G03G,Y02P

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier; a developing unit configured to supply a toner onto a surface of the image carrier to form a toner image, the toner being carried from a toner container; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image formed by the developing unit onto a transfer medium; a cleaning unit configured to collect a non-transferred toner that is not transferred onto the transfer medium during the transfer by the transfer unit; a recycle unit configured to carry the non-transferred toner collected by the cleaning unit to the developing unit; a non-transferred-toner-amount detecting unit configured to detects a non-transferred toner amount indicating an amount of the non-transferred toner; a total-toner-amount calculating unit configured to calculate a total toner amount that is an amount of the toner carried from the toner container; a consumed-toner-amount calculating unit configured to calculate a difference between the total toner amount calculated by the total-toner-amount calculating unit and the non-transferred toner amount detected by the non-transferred-toner-amount detecting unit, as a consumed toner amount that is an amount of the toner consumed during the formation of the toner image; and an environmental-load-information calculating unit configured to calculate, based on the consumed toner amount calculated by the consumed-toner-amount calculating unit, environmental load information indicating a load imposed on an environment.