Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Naoko Iwata

Mitsuru Seto

Takashi Bisaiji

Hiroyuki Sugimoto

Naoki Sugiyama

Hideo Yuu

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an intermediate transfer element to transfer a developed image, an electrode to apply a bias having preselected polarity to the intermediate transfer element and form an electric field. The intermediate transfer element has an adhering force acting on toner of the developed image that is greater than or equal to an adhering force acting between the toner and the image carrier, and when a frictional charging polarity of the toner which rubs against the intermediate transfer element is the same polarity as the bias applied to the intermediate transfer element from the electrode.

Image forming apparatus with an intermediate transfer element having a

An ordinary printing mode of forming an image and a transfer adjusting mode are provided and changed over. Under a condition of setting to the transfer adjusting mode, a pattern forming unit controls an exposing unit and thereby forms a toner image of a test pattern on a circumferential surface of a photosensitive body. A transfer controlling unit changes the transfer condition for electrostatically absorbing the toner image. An electric potential measuring unit measures a surface electric potential at a specified position. A condition detecting unit detects a condition of minimizing a rate '.DELTA.Vs/.DELTA.T' of a variation .DELTA.T of the transfer condition and a variation .DELTA.Vs of the surface electric potential on the photosensitive body. A condition setting unit adjusts the transfer condition in the ordinary printing mode based on the above transfer condition, and thereby the transfer unit can be adjusted to an optimum state.

Image forming apparatus and method of forming an image with enhanced

An image forming apparatus in which a toner image formed on an image bearing member is first transferred onto an intermediate transfer element and then onto a transfer member. A potential of the image bearing member is detected and a transfer bias voltage applied to the intermediate transfer element is controlled according to the potential of the image bearing member. Undesired images such as transfer blurring due to discharge at the first transfer area, and a solid image scattering and so-called crow's claw mark due to increase of resistance of the transfer member under low absolute humidities are improved.

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Tokyo, Japan

Naoko Iwata