An image formation unit that forms an image on a transfer medium, a conveyance unit that conveys the transfer medium, a control unit that controls formation of the image and conveyance of the transfer medium are provided. The control unit has a sheet gap image forming function of forming a predetermined toner image in a sheet gap between the transfer media conveyed by the conveyance unit. When the transfer medium is conveyed, the control unit acquires information of a tilt angle on a conveyance surface of the transfer medium conveyed to the image formation unit, calculates a sheet gap between the transfer media based on the tilt angle, determines whether or not a toner image of a required amount is able to be formed in the sheet gap when performing the sheet gap image forming function, and controls formation of the sheet gap image based on the determination result.

The present invention includes an optical system disposed on an optical path of light that is emitted by a light emitting section, travels to a detection target object, is reflected by the detection target object, and reaches a light receiving section. The optical system, in a sub scanning direction, that is, the direction in which a detection target object is moving, collects light so that the light receiving section has, for light from the light emitting section, a regularly reflected light receiving area and a diffuse-reflected light receiving area that differ from each other in position within a predetermined range. The optical system, in a perpendicular direction that is perpendicular to the movement direction, refracts light so that a light receiving area, which covers the regularly reflected light receiving area and the diffuse-reflected light receiving area, is wider in the perpendicular direction than in the sub scanning direction.

An image forming apparatus includes: an output unit configured to receive light reflected from a measurement image on an image carrier and output a signal corresponding to a light receiving result; a detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the output unit; a conversion unit configured to convert an output value output from the output unit, based on a conversion condition; a controller configured to control an image forming condition for adjusting a density of an image to be formed based on a converted output value by the conversion unit; and a generation unit configured to, at a predetermined timing, acquire an output value output from the output unit without emitting light, control the detection unit to detect the temperature, and generate the conversion condition based on the acquired output value and the detected temperature.

In an image forming apparatus, a storage portion stores a target adhesion amount of toner to adhere to an image bearing member at each of gradation levels as a target gradation level and a setting value of a control parameter used for control on the image forming portion at the target gradation level. A first control processor makes an adhesion amount sensor measure an actual adhesion amount corresponding to the setting value and thereafter compares a resultant measured value and the target adhesion amount and corrects the setting value if needed in association with at least one of the target gradation levels as a subject. A second control processor makes the image forming portion output a calibration image used for correcting the target adhesion amount using a period when the first control processor performs processing if there arises a need to correct the target adhesion amount associated with the subject.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet based on image forming condition, a reader configured to convey the sheet and read a test image on the sheet while the sheet is conveyed, and a controller configured to control the image forming unit to form the image and the test image on a same sheet, control the reader to read the test image on the same sheet, and generate the image forming condition for adjusting a density of an image to be formed by the image forming unit, based on a reading result of the test image by the reader.

The image forming apparatus transfers an image onto a surface of a sheet at a transfer position on a conveying path. A pair of conveying rollers convey the sheet to the transfer position. The image sensor reads the sheet upstream of the transfer position. The rotary body is disposed to face the image sensor with the conveying path interposed therebetween. The rotary body includes a background portion configured to face a reading surface of the image sensor when the rotary body is at a first rotational position, and a cleaning portion configured to come into contact with the reading surface of the image sensor when the rotary body is at a second rotational position.

According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a scanning device, and a controller. The image forming device forms a first test image and forms a second test image. The scanning device scans the first test image with a first amount of emitted light corresponding to a first input value and scans the second test image with a second amount of emitted light corresponding to a second input value. The controller selectively executes any one of a first correction process, a second correction process, or a third correction process on the basis of an event change.

A toner concentration sensing apparatus includes a first acquisition processing portion, a second acquisition processing portion, and a third acquisition processing portion. The first acquisition processing portion acquires a first sensing value corresponding to light reflected by a first region of an image-carrying member where a toner image is not formed. The second acquisition processing portion acquires a second sensing value corresponding to light reflected by a second region of the image-carrying member where a toner image has been formed. The third acquisition processing portion acquires a component ratio of a component in the second sensing value, that corresponds to light reflected by toner adhered onto a surface of the image-carrying member, using a specific calculation formula determined based on a first relational expression based on the first sensing value and a second relational expression not based on the first sensing value, and the second sensing value.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium based on an image forming condition; an image reader configured to read an image for adjustment of the image forming condition, the image for adjustment being formed on the recording medium; and a controller configured to control the image forming unit to form images for adjustment; control the image reader to read the images for adjustment; determine target data based on a reading result of a first image included in reading results of the images for adjustment; and adjust the image forming condition, during execution of a job in which the image forming unit forms a plurality of images on a plurality of recording mediums, based on the target data and a reading result of second image included in the reading results of the images for adjustment.

The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit having a heating member, a temperature detector, an acquisition unit, and a controller. When image formation is consecutively performed, and the acquisition unit acquires a first density, which is the density information of the image formed on a k-th recording material, and a second, higher density, which is the density information of the image formed on an l-th recording material, while the image is being fixed on the k-th recording material, the controller controls the power so that the detection temperature becomes a temperature higher than a fixing temperature according to the first density, and lower than a fixing temperature according to the second density. While the image is being fixed on the l-th recording material, the controller controls the power so that the detection temperature becomes the fixing temperature according to the second density.