Patent ID: 8099005
Filing Date: 2012-01-17
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive element having a photoconductive property in which a ratio of a decrease in an exposed-area potential to an increase in an exposure amount decreases as the exposure amount increases; a charging unit that charges a surface of the photosensitive element evenly to a target potential; an exposure unit that exposes an exposure target area on charged surface of the photosensitive element to light of an exposure amount thereby forming an electrostatic latent image in the exposure target area by lowering a potential of the exposure target area, the exposure amount being determined based on a reference exposure amount that corresponds to a high-exposure amount area for which a ratio of a decrease in a potential of an exposure area on the photosensitive element to an increase in an exposure amount is smaller than a threshold; a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive element into a toner image by applying toner to the electrostatic latent image using a developer carrier that is charged with a development bias; a transferring unit that transfers the toner image from the photosensitive element onto a recording medium; a control unit that determines the reference exposure amount that is used when the exposure unit performs image formation; and a potential detecting unit that detects a potential of the surface of the photosensitive element, wherein when performing adjustment of exposure amount, the control unit causes the charging unit to charge the surface of the photosensitive element and, after the exposure target area on the charged surface of the photosensitive element is exposed to a high adjustment exposure that corresponds to the high-exposure amount area, determines the reference exposure amount based on either a detected charging potential that is detected by the potential detecting unit as a potential of the charged surface, or the target potential and a detected residual potential that is detected by the potential detecting unit as a potential of the target exposure area on the photosensitive element after being exposed to the high adjustment exposure.