US 12,085,870 B2
Image formation apparatus
Fumitaka Ozeki, Tokyo (JP); and Hisashi Soga, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on May 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/313,667.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-081485 (JP), filed on May 18, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0375957 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0844 (2013.01) [G03G 15/0887 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image formation apparatus comprising:
an image formation section configured to form an image with a developer;
an entire area printing rate calculator configured to calculate an entire area printing rate, which is, a printing rate of an entirety of an image formation area;
a divided area printing rate calculator configured to calculate each divided area printing rate, which is, a printing rate of each of divided areas into which the image formation area is divided in a main scanning direction; and
a deteriorated developer discarding operation execution section configured, when the entire area printing rate is equal to or lower than an entire area printing rate threshold, to perform a deteriorated developer discarding operation to discard the developer in any one of the divided areas in which the divided area printing rate is equal to or lower than a divided area printing rate threshold thereof.