Patent ID: 7590364
Filing Date: 2009-09-15
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a pattern forming unit adapted to form a light amount adjustment pattern image on an image carrier; a light amount control unit adapted to control an amount of light irradiated from a light source to irradiate the image carrier and the pattern image; a detection unit adapted to detect reflected light amounts from the image carrier and the pattern image with respect to the irradiating light amount; a calculation unit adapted to calculate a correspondence between the irradiating light amount and the reflected light amounts from the image carrier and the pattern image on the basis of detection results; a light amount decision unit adapted to decide, on the basis of the correspondence, an irradiating light amount at which a difference between the reflected light amount from the image carrier and the reflected light amount from the pattern image exhibits a value set in advance; and a determination unit adapted to determine presence/absence of a scratch on the image carrier from a comparison between a light amount threshold and a reflected light amount for one turn from the image carrier with respect to a maximum irradiating light amount controlled by said light amount control unit.