Patent ID: 8965227
Filing Date: 2015-02-24
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a latent image carrier that carries on a surface thereof a latent image depending on image information; a developing unit that performs development processing in which toner is caused to adhere to the latent image on the latent image carrier by a developer so as to form a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image formed on the latent image carrier through the development processing, onto a recording medium directly or via an intermediate transfer member; a transfer bias switching unit that switches a transfer bias applied to the transfer unit when the toner image is transferred on the recording medium, between a direct current transfer bias consisting of a direct current component and a superimposed transfer bias in which an alternating current component is superimposed on a direct current component and polarity of the superimposed transfer bias changes with time, according to a certain transfer bias switching condition; and a toner forced consumption control unit that performs toner forced consumption control in which toner in the developing unit is forcibly consumed in response to a certain condition to perform the toner forced consumption control being met; wherein the certain condition includes a specific performance condition that a transfer bias switching condition to switch the transfer bias to the superimposed transfer bias is met, and wherein in response to at least the specific performance condition being met, the toner forced consumption control unit performs preliminary toner forced consumption control in which the toner forced consumption control is performed before image forming operations are started for a print job using the superimposed transfer bias.