Patent ID: 8934793
Filing Date: 2015-01-13
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A toner-state predicting device, comprising: a changing unit configured to change a rotation speed of a stepping motor that drives a toner recovery mechanism in an image forming apparatus; a detecting unit configured to detect presence of synchronization loss of the stepping motor at the changed rotation speed; and a predicting unit configured to predict toner clogging which will occur in future in the toner recovery mechanism, using the rotation speed changed by the changing unit and the presence of the synchronization loss detected by the detecting unit, wherein the predicting unit is configured to predict a timing at which the toner clogging occurs in the toner recovery mechanism using a relationship between a timing at which the synchronization loss is detected at a first rotation speed being higher than a reference rotation speed and a timing at which the synchronization loss is detected at a second rotation speed being higher than the reference rotation speed and lower than the first rotation speed.