Patent ID: 8903258

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a transfer member to transfer a toner image formed on a photoreceptor to an intermediate transfer body or a transfer material; a controller to determine voltage to be applied to the transfer member so that transfer current of the transfer member has a previously determined value and to perform constant voltage control so that the voltage to be applied to the transfer member becomes the determined voltage; a discharge electrode provided near a transfer nip portion of the transfer member to take a part of the transfer current flowing through the transfer member according to the applied voltage; a detector to detect a parameter value of a predetermined parameter by which the transfer current of the transfer member that changes by continuous operation of the constant voltage control can be specified; and a storage section to store the parameter value detected by the detector immediately after the voltage to be applied to the transfer member is determined, wherein based on an amount of change between the parameter value detected by the detector after transfer by the transfer member and the parameter value stored in the storage section, the controller determines voltage necessary for the discharge electrode to take the same amount of current as an increase in transfer current of the transfer member from the previously determined transfer current and applies the determined voltage to the discharge electrode.