Image forming apparatus controlling pre-exposure of photosensitive drum

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a photosensitive drum;
• an exposure unit configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum by exposing the photosensitive drum to light;
• a developing unit including a developer carrying member for carrying a developer and configured to develop the electrostatic latent image by supplying the developer by the developer carrying member and to form a developer image;
• a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image;
• a development separation unit configured to enable a first contact state in which the photosensitive drum and the developer carrying member are in contact with each other and a first separation state in which the photosensitive drum and the developer carrying member are separated from each other;
• a transfer separation unit configured to enable a second contact state in which the photosensitive drum and the transfer member are in contact with each other and a second separation state in which the photosensitive drum and the transfer member are separated from each other;
• a storing portion configured to store information related to a thickness of the photosensitive drum;
• and
• a controller configured to control the exposure unit, the development separation unit, and the transfer separation unit,
• wherein before a present image forming operation is performed, the controller controls the transfer separation unit so as to put the photosensitive drum and the transfer member in the second separation state and controls the development separation unit so as to put the photosensitive drum and the developer carrying member in the first separation state, and then
• the controller controls so as to determine whether or not pre-exposure for exposing the photosensitive drum to light by the exposure unit is to be executed, depending on a standing time from an end of a last image forming operation to a start of the present image forming operation and on the information stored in the storing portion, and
• wherein the controller controls:
• so that the pre exposure is executed in a case in which the standing time is a first predetermined time and the thickness of the photosensitive drum is less than a predetermined thickness, and
• so that the pre-exposure is not executed in a case in which the standing time is the first predetermined time and the thickness of the photosensitive drum is the predetermined thickness or more.