Patent ID: 8099004
Filing Date: 2012-01-17
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a first image carrier that carries a first latent image; a first charging section that charges the first image carrier; a first exposure section that exposes the first image carrier charged by the first charging section; a first developing section that develops the first latent image formed on the first image carrier in the first exposure section using a first liquid developer containing a carrier and first toner particles; a first primary transfer section that transfers a first image developed in the first developing section onto a transfer medium; a second image carrier that carries a second latent image; a second charging section that charges the second image carrier; a second exposure section that exposes the second image carrier charged by the second charging section; a second developing section that develops the second latent image formed on the second image carrier in the second exposure section using a second liquid developer containing the carrier and second toner particles; a second primary transfer section that transfers a second image developed in the second developing section onto a transfer medium; a carrier removal section of the transfer medium that removes the carrier from the first and second images transferred on the transfer medium; a condition storage section that stores a first condition in which the carrier removal amount in the carrier removal section of the transfer medium is set to a first carrier removal amount and a second condition in which the carrier removal amount in the carrier removal section of the transfer medium is set to a second carrier removal amount smaller than the first carrier removal amount; an optical sensor that detects the first and second images transferred on the transfer medium, from which the carrier has been removed under the first condition stored in the condition storage section; and a distance calculation section that calculates the distance between the first and second images detected by the optical sensor.