US 12,265,344 B2
Image forming apparatus to suppress scattering of toner
Hiroko Katagiri, Tokyo (JP); Shinji Katagiri, Kanagawa (JP); and Koji An, Saitama (JP)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Nov. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/507,546.
Application 18/507,546 is a continuation of application No. 17/930,632, filed on Sep. 8, 2022, granted, now 11,841,649.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-146409 (JP), filed on Sep. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0085827 A1, Mar. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. G03G 15/16 (2006.01); G03G 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/1615 (2013.01) [G03G 15/80 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearing member configured to bear a developer image;
a rotatable endless intermediate transfer belt;
a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image from the image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer belt by applying an electric current to the intermediate transfer belt in a circumferential direction;
an information acquisition unit for acquiring environment information on surroundings of the image forming apparatus;
a power source configured to apply a transfer voltage to the transfer member; and
a control unit configured to control the power source,
wherein the control unit executes a first mode in which to rotate the intermediate transfer belt and a second mode in which to rotate the intermediate transfer belt at a rotation speed higher than that in the first mode,
wherein the control unit performs control such that an absolute value of a second transfer voltage to be applied from the power source to the transfer member in a case of performing the primary transfer in the second mode is less than an absolute value of a first transfer voltage to be applied from the power source to the transfer member in a case of performing the primary transfer in the first mode,
wherein the control unit controls the transfer voltage so that a voltage difference between the first transfer voltage and the second transfer voltage changes based on the environmental information and
wherein in a case where the information acquisition unit detects the environment information indicating a higher temperature than a predetermined temperature or a higher humidity than a predetermined humidity, the control unit decreases the difference between the absolute values of the first voltage and the second voltage to be less than a difference between the absolute values of the first voltage and the second voltage in an environment at the predetermined temperature and the predetermined humidity.