Image forming apparatus that performs effective toner refresh process, non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, and image forming method

摘要

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a toner carrier, a region setting unit, a printing-rate detecting unit, a discharge-region determining unit, and a region redividing unit. The region setting unit is configured to set a plurality of regions divided along an image width direction on the image carrier. The printing-rate detecting unit is configured to detect a printing rate when forming the image for each of the plurality of regions. The discharge-region determining unit is configured to determine necessity of a toner discharge for each region based on the detected printing rate. The region redividing unit is configured to redivide a region determined to require the toner discharge into a plurality of regions in which respective printing rates during subsequent image formation are individually detected.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image carrier; a toner carrier configured to carry toner and supply the toner to the image carrier so as to form a toner image; a region setting unit configured to set a plurality of regions divided along an image width direction on the image carrier; a printing-rate detecting unit configured to detect a printing rate for each of the plurality of regions; a discharge-region determining unit configured to determine necessity of a toner discharge for each region based on the detected printing rate; and a region redividing unit configured to redivide a region determined to require the toner discharge into a plurality of regions in which respective printing rates during subsequent image formation are individually detected; wherein the toner discharge is a refresh process that discharges toner from the toner carrier side to the image carrier side while not forming an image.