Patent ID: 9213253
Filing Date: 2015-12-15
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive drum; an image forming unit configured to form an image on the photosensitive drum; an intermediate transfer belt; a transfer unit configured to transfer the image formed on the photosensitive drum to the intermediate transfer belt, and transfer the image on the intermediate transfer belt to a recording medium; a determination unit configured to determine whether the photosensitive drum should be replaced based on usage conditions of the photosensitive drum; a notification unit configured to notify that the photosensitive drum should be replaced in a case where the determination unit determines that the photosensitive drum should be replaced; and a separation unit configured to perform a separating operation for separating the intermediate transfer belt from the photosensitive drum, wherein, in a case where the determination unit determines that the photosensitive drum should be replaced, the separation unit is configured to perform the separating operation after the image on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to the recording medium by the transfer unit, wherein, in a case where the determination unit does not determine that the photosensitive drum should be replaced, the separation unit is configured to not perform the separating operation, and wherein, in a case where the determination unit determines that the photosensitive drum should be replaced while the image forming unit continuously forms a plurality of images, the separation unit is configured to perform the separating operation after the plurality of images are transferred to the recording mediums by the transfer unit.