| US 7,555,236 B2 | ||
| Image forming method and apparatus for effectively performing a cleaning operation of a transfer member | ||
| Kazuchika Saeki, Kanagawa (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 15, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/452,969. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2005-175757 (JP), filed on Jun. 15, 2005. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0285873 A1, Dec. 21, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. G03G 15/16 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 399—101 [399/66] | 17 Claims |
| 1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image bearing member configured to bear an image on a surface thereof;
a transfer unit configured to transfer the image formed on the surface of the image bearing member onto a recording medium;
a bias applying unit configured to apply a bias voltage to the transfer unit to remove a developer adhered on a surface of
the transfer unit to the surface of the image bearing member;
a detecting unit configured to detect a width dimension of the recording medium in a sheet conveyance direction; and
a control unit configured to determine whether a cleaning operation of the transfer unit is performed, based on a width dimension
of the recording medium detected by the detecting unit and a number of the recording medium printed wherein:
the cleaning operation includes a first cleaning operation performed at a start of an image forming operation of a job and
a second cleaning operation performed at an end of the image forming operation of the job; and
at least one of the first and second cleaning operations is performed when the recording medium has a width smaller than a
maximum width of image forming area of the image forming apparatus.
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