An image forming apparatus includes a first toner image forming unit for forming first toner image on a transfer belt with a first toner and a second toner image forming unit for forming a second toner image on the transfer belt with a second toner. A secondary transfer unit transfers the first and second toner images from the transfer belt to a sheet traveling in a sheet transport direction. A fixing unit fixes the first and second toner images to the sheet. A control unit controls the first toner image forming unit to form a first pattern, the second toner image forming unit to form a second pattern, and to leaving a margin on a downstream side of the sheet in the sheet transport direction that is greater than or equal to a circumferential distance of a fixing element in the fixing unit.

In an image forming apparatus, a calculation processing portion includes an input portion and an input-portion abnormality determining portion. The input portion is connected to a temperature detection portion. When an abnormality detection circuit has detected that a temperature detected by the temperature detection portion is an abnormally heated temperature, the input-portion abnormality determining portion determines whether or not a first temperature calculated as a temperature of a fixing member is lower than a predetermined second temperature, and upon determining that the first temperature is lower than the second temperature, determines that the input portion is abnormal.

A solid lubricant to be applied onto an image carrier of an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic system, includes a metal soap and resin particles, and the resin particles have a particle main body constituted by a rigid resin other than fluorine-based resins, and fluorine atoms carried on the surface of the particle main body.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier, a developing section, a transfer roller, a power supply section, a conveyance roller, and an operation control section. The operation control section has a cleaning operation mode and an image formation operation mode where images are formed on recording paper. In the cleaning operation mode, the operation control section causes the developing section to supply a predefined amount of toner to a circumferential surface of the image carrier, causes the power supply section to apply a bias of a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity to the transfer roller, then causes the conveyance roller to convey a single piece of recording paper, causes the conveyance roller to stop rotating operation when the recording paper is located in a nip area, and causes the image carrier and the transfer roller to rotate while the recording paper is stopped in the nip area.

The present invention is directed to downsize the main body and achieve a good image quality at a low cost. A rotation shaft of a first discharge roller is tilted with respect to that of a second discharge roller. The center of oscillation C of a first discharge roller holding member is provided more upstream in the direction in which a sheet is discharged than a straight line made by the rotation center of the first discharge roller and the rotation center of the second discharge roller.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier, a developing section, a transfer roller, a power supply section, a conveyance roller, and an operation control section. The operation control section has a cleaning operation mode and an image formation operation mode where images are formed on recording paper. In the cleaning operation mode, the operation control section causes the developing section to supply a predefined amount of toner to a circumferential surface of the image carrier, causes the power supply section to apply a bias of a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity to the transfer roller, then causes the conveyance roller to convey a single piece of recording paper, causes the conveyance roller to stop rotating operation when the recording paper is located in a nip area, and causes the image carrier and the transfer roller to rotate while the recording paper is stopped in the nip area.

In an image forming apparatus, a calculation processing portion includes an input portion and an input-portion abnormality determining portion. The input portion is connected to a temperature detection portion. When an abnormality detection circuit has detected that a temperature detected by the temperature detection portion is an abnormally heated temperature, the input-portion abnormality determining portion determines whether or not a first temperature calculated as a temperature of a fixing member is lower than a predetermined second temperature, and upon determining that the first temperature is lower than the second temperature, determines that the input portion is abnormal.

A sheet characteristic detection device includes: a detector that is disposed on a sheet ejection path through which a sheet is ejected and that detects an electrical resistance value of the sheet; and a charge neutralizer that is disposed on a downstream side of the detector on the sheet ejection path and that neutralizes electric charge on the sheet.