# US 2020/0401073 A1 · Image forming apparatus and intermediate transfer member > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0401073 A1 - Document ID: US20200401073A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/901,438 - Filed: 2020-06-15 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-20 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Shuji Saito; Seiji Nakahara; Ken Yokoyama; Hiroshi Kita; Koujirou Izumidate; Kazushi Ino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200401073A1 ## CPC - G03G 15/5054: {by measuring the characteristics of an intermediate image carrying member or the characteristics of an image on an intermediate image carrying member, e.g. intermediate transfer belt or drum, conveyor belt} - G03G 15/5058: {using a test patch} - G03G 15/162: {details of the the intermediate support, e.g. chemical composition} - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus including: a movable intermediate transfer member onto which a toner image borne by an image bearing member is to be transferred; a detection unit configured to irradiate the toner image on the intermediate transfer member with light to detect reflected light; and a control unit configured to adjust a condition for forming the toner image based on a detection result of the detection unit, wherein a plurality of grooves extending along a movement direction of the intermediate transfer member are formed in a surface of the intermediate transfer member in a width direction intersecting the movement direction, and wherein grooves, formed within a range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that intervals each between adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are regularly changed within a predetermined range. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member configured to bear a toner image; an intermediate transfer member, onto which the toner image is to be transferred from the image bearing member, and which is movable; a detection unit configured to irradiate the toner image on the intermediate transfer member with light to detect reflected light; and a control unit configured to perform control of adjusting a condition for forming the toner image based on a detection result of the detection unit, wherein, in a surface of the intermediate transfer member, a plurality of grooves extending along a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member are formed side by side in a width direction of the intermediate transfer member intersecting the movement direction, and wherein grooves, formed within a range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to at least the width direction, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that intervals each between adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are regularly changed within a predetermined range. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a change in intervals is a periodic change with respect to the width direction, and wherein a period of the periodic change is smaller than a width of the range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to the width direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the intervals are periodically changed with respect to the width direction by difference in widths of the grooves with respect to the width direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the intervals are periodically changed with respect to the width direction by intervals of projection portions each between the adjacent grooves being changed with respect to the width direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein grooves, formed outside the range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit which respect to the width direction, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that the intervals each between the adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are substantially equal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an average interval between the grooves in which the intervals are changed and an interval of the grooves in which the intervals are substantially equal are substantially equal to each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a width of each of the plurality of grooves with respect to the width direction is smaller than an average particle diameter of toner. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning member configured to abut against the intermediate transfer member to remove toner from the intermediate transfer member, wherein with respect to the width direction, the plurality of grooves are formed over a substantially entire of an area in which the cleaning member and the intermediate transfer member abut against each other. ### Claim 9 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member configured to bear a toner image, an intermediate transfer member, onto which the toner image is to be transferred from the image bearing member, and which is movable, a detection unit configured to irradiate the toner image on the intermediate transfer member with light to detect reflected light; and a control unit configured to perform control of adjusting a condition for forming the toner image based on a detection result of the detection unit, wherein, in a surface of the intermediate transfer member, a plurality of grooves extending along a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member are formed side by side in a width direction of the intermediate transfer member intersecting the movement direction, and wherein grooves, formed within a range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to at least the width direction, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that intervals each between adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are changed within a predetermined range having a first area and a second area, the first area being an area in which an interval continuously increases as a position in the width direction changes in one direction in a coordinate system having a horizontal axis representing the position in the width direction and a vertical axis representing the interval, and the second area being an area in which an interval continuously degreases as a position in the width direction changes in the one direction in the coordinate system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first area and the second area are adjacent to each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first area and the second area are alternately and repeatedly arranged with respect to the width direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a period, in which the first area and the second area are alternately and repeatedly arranged with respect to the width direction, is smaller than a width of the range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to the width direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the intervals are changed with respect to the width direction by difference in widths of the grooves with respect to the width direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the intervals are changed with respect to the width direction by intervals of projection portions each between the adjacent grooves being changed with respect to the width direction. ### Claim 15 An intermediate transfer member, which is to be used in an image forming apparatus, and onto which a toner image is transferred from an image bearing member, and to which light is irradiated by a detection unit in the image forming apparatus, the intermediate transfer member comprising a plurality of grooves, which are formed in a surface of the intermediate transfer member, and which are formed side by side in a width direction of the intermediate transfer member intersecting a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member, wherein the plurality of grooves extend along the movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member in the image forming apparatus, and wherein grooves, formed within a range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to at least the width direction, among the plurality of grooves are formed so that intervals each between adjacent grooves with respect to the width direction are regularly changed within a predetermined range. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An intermediate transfer member according to claim 15, wherein a change in intervals is a periodic change with respect to the width direction, and wherein a period of the periodic change is smaller than a width of the range of the intermediate transfer member to which the light is irradiated by the detection unit with respect to the width direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The intermediate transfer member according to claim 15, wherein the intervals are changed with respect to the width direction by difference in widths of the grooves with respect to the width direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The intermediate transfer member according to claim 15, wherein the intervals are changed with respect to the width direction by intervals of projection portions each between the adjacent grooves being changed with respect to the width direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The intermediate transfer member according to claim 15, wherein a width of each of the plurality of grooves with respect to the width direction is smaller than an average particle diameter of toner.