| 摘要 |
<p>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide means for improving the accuracy of detecting the amount of residual toner.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit that stores developer and supplies the developer from a developer carrier carrying the developer to form a developer image on the surface of an image carrier, a developer residual amount detection unit that detects the amount of the developer remaining inside the developing device, a transfer member that has the developer image transferred thereto and holds the transferred developer image, an image for detection forming unit that forms an image for detecting the amount of residual developer on the transfer member and a determination unit that detects the density of the image for detecting the amount of residual developer and determines the period of replacement of the developing device on the basis of the density, where the image for detecting the amount of residual developer consists of a reference density detection image and at least one density detection image for comparison, which holds a distance corresponding to the length of one cycle of the developer carrier relative to the reference density detection image, and the determination unit determines the period of replacement of the developing device on the basis of the difference in detected density between the reference density detection image and the density detection image for comparison and notifies a user of a result of the determination.</p> |
