Charging device, image forming apparatus, and computer program product

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image forming unit;
• and
• a charging device, wherein
• the charging device includes
• a plurality of capacitors that are connected in series;
• a charging unit that charges the capacitors;
• a plurality of bypass units, each of which respectively connects in parallel to each of the capacitors, wherein
• each bypass unit causes, when a charged voltage of any of the capacitors has reached a set voltage, a charging current to bypass the capacitor whose charged voltage has reached the set voltage;
• and
• a control unit that controls the charging unit to charge the capacitors in such a manner that,
• when a charging voltage of the any of the capacitors has reached the set voltage, the control unit causes the charging unit to reduce the charging current that is to be applied to the any of the capacitors,
• if, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the charging voltage of the any capacitor has reached the set voltage, a charging voltage of any of the other capacitors has not reached the set voltage the control unit causes the charging unit to increase the charging current that is to be applied to the capacitors, and
• if the charging current has reached a predetermined current value after having increased the charging current applied to the capacitors, the control unit causes the charging unit to stop increasing the charging current to the capacitors and to charge the capacitors with a constant current.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-readable program codes embodied in the medium for processing a charging device that includes:

• a plurality of capacitors that are connected in series;
• a charging unit that charges the capacitors;
• a plurality of bypass units, each of which respectively connects in parallel to each of the capacitors, wherein each bypass unit causes, when a charged voltage of any of the capacitors has reached a set voltage, a charging current to bypass the capacitor whose charged voltage has reached the set voltage;
• and a control unit that controls the charging unit to charge the capacitors, the program codes when executed causing a computer to execute:
• controlling the charging unit to reduce the charging current that is to be applied to the any of the capacitors, when a charging voltage of the any of the capacitors has reached the set voltage;
• controlling the charging unit to increase the charging current that is to be applied to the capacitors if, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the charging voltage of the any capacitor has reached the set voltage, a charging voltage of any of the other capacitors has not reached the set voltage and
• controlling the charging unit to stop increasing the charging current to the capacitors and to charge the capacitors with a constant current if the charging current has reached a predetermined current value after having increased the charging current applied to the capacitors.