IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING IMAGE CARRIER AND BELT MEMBER

摘要

An image forming apparatus which is capable of reducing downtime while preventing generation of friction between an image carrier and a belt member when the image carrier or the belt member is replaced. Whether or not a photosensitive drum should be replaced is determined based on usage conditions of the photosensitive drum, and when it is determined that the photosensitive drum should be replaced, a separating operation of separating an intermediate transfer belt from the photosensitive drum is carried out after an image formed on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to a recording medium. When it is not determined that the photosensitive drum should be replaced, the separating operation is not carried out after the image formed on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to the recording medium.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a photosensitive drum; an image forming unit configured to form an image on said photosensitive drum; an intermediate transfer belt; a transfer unit configured to transfer the image formed on said photosensitive drum to said intermediate transfer belt, and transfer the image on said intermediate transfer belt to a recording medium; a determination unit configured to determine whether it is necessary to replace said photosensitive drum based on usage conditions of said photosensitive drum; and a separation unit configured to perform a separating operation for separating said intermediate transfer belt from said photosensitive drum, wherein, in a case where said determination unit determines that said photosensitive drum should be replaced, said separation unit is configured to perform the separating operation after the image on said intermediate transfer belt is transferred to the recording medium by said transfer unit, and wherein, in a case where said determination unit does not determine that said photosensitive drum should be replaced, said separation unit is configured not to perform the separating operation.