Patent ID: 6205303
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An automatic cleaning method of automatically cleaning, with a cleaning member, an electrifier for an image forming apparatus which forms an image on a medium, said method comprising the steps of:measuring an electrification time of the electrifier after the last electrifier cleaning;discriminating whether or not the medium is located at an image forming station;if the medium is absent at the image forming station after said electrification time reaches a first predetermined time, cleaning the electrifier with said cleaning member;if the medium is located at the image forming station after said electrification time reaches said first predetermined time and if said electrification time reaches a second predetermined time subsequent to said first predetermined time, cleaning the electrifier with said cleaning member when an image forming operation of the image forming apparatus is stopped; andif said electrification time reaches a third predetermined time subsequent to said second predetermined time with the image forming operation kept continuing, temporarily stopping the image forming operation even before the electrifier is cleaned with the cleaning member.