Image forming apparatus and method

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image forming means for forming a developer image on an image carrier;
• a transfer means for conveying a member on which the developer image is to be transferred while placing the member on a transfer surface, and allowing the developer image formed on said image carrier to be transferred on said member or allowing the developer image to be directly transferred on said transfer surface as a mark for control of the image formation;
• a detecting means provided so that a detecting surface thereof faces the transfer surface of said transfer means, for optically detecting the control mark formed on said transfer surface;
• a control means for controlling the formation of the developer image on said image carrier executed by said image forming means, in accordance with detection information of said detecting means;
• an opening/closing member movably provided between the detecting surface of said detecting means and the transfer surface, for moving in a first direction and opening the detecting surface of said detecting means when the control mark is detected by said detecting means and for moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction and covering the detecting surface of said detecting means when the control mark is not detected;
• and
• a discriminating means for discriminating a condition of the operation of said opening/closing member by using a result of the detection of the control mark executed by said detecting means when said opening/closing means executes the opening/closing operation.

An image forming method comprising the steps of:

• forming a developer image on an image carrier;
• detecting the developer image formed at said image forming step, by a detecting means;
• controlling the formation of the developer image on said image carrier executed at said image forming step, in accordance with detection information obtained at said detecting step;
• operating an opening/closing member for opening a detecting surface of said detecting means when said developer image is detected by said detecting means, and for covering the detecting surface thereof when said developer image is not detected;
• and
• discriminating a condition of the operation of said opening/closing member by using a result of the detection of the developer image executed by said detecting means.

An image forming method comprising the steps of:

• forming a developer image on an image carrier;
• conveying a member on which the developer image is to be transferred while placing the member on a transfer surface of a transfer means, and allowing the developer image formed on said image carrier to be transferred on said member or allowing the developer image to be directly transferred on said transfer surface as a mark for control of the image formation;
• optically detecting the control mark formed on said transfer surface of said transfer means while a detecting surface faces the transfer surface of said transfer means;
• controlling the formation of the developer image on said image carrier executed at said image forming step, in accordance with detection information obtained at said detecting step;
• moving an opening/closing member in a first direction and opening the detecting surface of said detecting means when the control mark is detected by said detecting means and moving the opening/closing member in a second direction opposite to the first direction and covering the detecting surface of said detecting means when the control mark is not detected;
• and
• optically discriminating a condition of the operation of said opening/closing member by using a result of the detection of the control mark executed by said detecting means when said opening/closing means executes the opening/closing operation.