IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR RECOGNIZING STATE OF CONTACTING/SEPARATING MEMBER IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of detecting the contacting/separating state of a cleaner with respect to an intermediate transfer belt without using a dedicated sensor.

SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus is equipped with the rotatable intermediate transfer belt 20 whose surface a toner image is transferred to, and a cleaner 38 which contacts with/separates from the intermediate transfer belt 20. By rotating the intermediate transfer belt 20 in such a state that a predetermined toner patch T is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 20 and detecting the existence of the toner patch T on the intermediate transfer belt 20 after predetermined time, the contacting/separating state of the cleaner 38 is recognized.

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