Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and computer-readable non-transitory recording medium
The image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material using an electrophotographic process, and includes a transfer section that transfers a toner image on an image bearing member onto a transfer-receiving member; and a hardware processor (transfer voltage controller) that controls a transfer voltage to be applied to the transfer section by correcting a reference transfer voltage with a correction amount that is based on an environmental change, wherein, the correction amount depends on at least the transfer voltage, and the hardware processor determines the correction amount for determining the transfer voltage for a current transfer by referring to the transfer voltage for an immediately preceding transfer.
1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material by using an electrophotographic process, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a transfer section that transfers a toner image on an image bearing member onto a transfer-receiving member; and
a hardware processor that controls a transfer voltage to be applied to the transfer section by correcting a reference transfer voltage with a correction amount that is based on an environmental change, wherein,
the correction amount depends on at least the transfer voltage, and
the hardware processor determines the correction amount for determining the transfer voltage for a current transfer by referring to the transfer voltage for an immediately preceding transfer.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
the correction amount depends on the transfer voltage and an internal temperature, and
the hardware processor determines the correction amount for determining the transfer voltage for the current transfer by referring to the transfer voltage for the immediately preceding transfer and the internal temperature at present.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein,
the correction amount depends on the transfer voltage, the internal temperature, and a use history of the transfer section, and
the hardware processor determines the correction amount for determining the transfer voltage for the current transfer by referring to the transfer voltage for the immediately preceding transfer, the internal temperature at present, and the use history at present.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the transfer voltage is stored in a first storage section, and the internal temperature is stored in a second storage section, the first storage section and the second storage section being configured as separate hardware.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the correction amount is calculated by using a correction coefficient associated with at least the transfer voltage.
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the correction amount is calculated based on the correction coefficient and an internal temperature change amount indicating the environmental change.
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein,
V n =V R +c×ΔT,
where V n is the transfer voltage for a transfer to an n-th sheet (n is an integer of 2 or more), V R is the reference transfer voltage, c is the correction coefficient, and ΔT is the internal temperature change amount.
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein,
the reference transfer voltage V R is the transfer voltage for an immediately preceding transfer, and
the internal temperature change amount ΔT is an amount of change from the internal temperature at the immediately preceding transfer.
9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein,
the reference transfer voltage V R is the transfer voltage V n-1 for a transfer to an (n−1)-th sheet, and
the internal temperature change amount ΔT is a difference between the internal temperature T n-1 at the transfer to the (n−1)-th sheet and the internal temperature T n at a transfer to an n-th sheet.
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recording material is continuous paper.
11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recording material is a flat cut sheet.
12. An image forming method for forming an image on a recording material using an electrophotographic process, the method comprising:
controlling a transfer voltage to be applied to the transfer section by correcting a reference transfer voltage with a correction amount that is based on an environmental change; and
applying the transfer voltage to the transfer section and transferring a toner image that is on an image bearing member onto a transfer-receiving member, wherein,
the correction amount depends on at least the transfer voltage, and
the controlling the transfer voltage includes determining the correction amount for determining the transfer voltage for a current transfer by referring to the transfer voltage for an immediately preceding transfer.
13. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing a computer of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material using an electrophotographic process to execute predetermined processing, the predetermined processing comprising:
processing of controlling a transfer voltage to be applied to the transfer section by correcting a reference transfer voltage with a correction amount that is based on an environmental change; and
processing of applying the transfer voltage to the transfer section and transferring a toner image that is on an image bearing member onto a transfer-receiving member, wherein,
the correction amount depends on at least the transfer voltage, and
the processing of controlling the transfer voltage includes determining the correction amount for determining the transfer voltage for a current transfer by referring to the transfer voltage for an immediately preceding transfer.