Patent ID: 8135303
Filing Date: 2012-03-13
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrying member; toner image forming means for forming a toner image and an adjusting image, for adjusting a toner image forming condition, on said image carrying member; a transfer member, contactable to said image carrying member, for forming a transfer portion for transferring a toner image from said image carrying member onto a recording material, wherein when an image is continuously formed on recording materials, the adjusting image is formed on said image carrying member, by said toner image forming means, in an area corresponding to an area between the recording material and a subsequent recording material and then is deposited on said transfer member, which is in contact with said image carrying member; voltage applying means for applying a voltage to said transfer member; a cleaning member, contactable to said transfer member, for removing toner from said transfer member; and a control portion for (i) controlling said toner image forming means so that a toner band is formed on said image carrying member with an amount of toner per unit area equal to or larger than that of the adjusting image and is formed in a length not less than a circumferential length of said transfer member, and (ii) controlling said voltage applying means so that the toner band is electrostatically transferred onto at least an area of said transfer member on which the adjusting image is deposited, and then the toner band is electrostatically transferred from said transfer member onto said image carrying member.