Patent ID: 8873982

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a toner image carrier rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and carrying at least three, first to third toner images created successively thereon in the direction of rotation thereof to be transferred onto at least three successive recording media, respectively, as a print job, a toner patch section disposed between the first toner image and the second toner image and carrying a toner patch, and a blank section interposed between the second toner image and the third toner image; a transfer device separatably contacting the toner image carrier to form a transfer region therebetween through which the recording media are conveyed; a transfer device separator contacting and moving the transfer device between a contact position and a first isolation position within a shortened time, the contact position where the transfer device contacts the toner image carrier and the first isolation position where the transfer device is isolated from the toner image carrier with a first interval therebetween; and a controller operatively connected to the transfer device separator to control the transfer device separator to move the transfer device to the contact position as the first to third toner images and the blank section of the toner image carrier pass through the transfer region and to the first isolation position as the toner patch section of the toner image carrier passes through the transfer region based on a detection of the toner patch before the toner patch section passes through the transfer region.