Image forming apparatus

Abstract

The present invention has been made to provide an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing occurrence of a problem which is based on a sheet feeding speed with a simple configuration without increasing cost and changing a process speed. The image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a drive controller 101 that controls the drive speed of an intermediate feeding roller 38 for feeding a sheet to a regist roller 37 for performing skew correction for the sheet; and a feeding speed information acquisition section 102 that acquires information relating the feeding speed of the sheet to be fed to the intermediate feeding roller 38. The drive controller 101 controls the drive of the intermediate feeding roller 38 with a feeding speed for duplex printing and a process speed based on the information relating to the feeding speed acquired by the feeding speed information acquisition section 102. The feeding speed for duplex printing is a speed at which a sheet to be resupplied to the intermediate feeding roller 38 for image forming onto the second surface thereof is received by the intermediate feeding roller 38 after the sheet has been passed through the regist roller 37 and a toner image has been formed onto the first surface thereof. The process speed is a speed at which a sheet is fed by both the intermediate feeding roller 38 and regist roller 37. The drive of intermediate feeding roller 38 is controlled such that the feeding speed for duplex printing becomes 1 to 1.3 times the process speed.

1 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a drive controller that controls the drive speed of an intermediate feeding roller that feeds a sheet to a regist roller that performs skew correction for the sheet; and    a feeding speed information acquisition section that acquires information relating the feeding speed of the sheet to be fed to the intermediate feeding roller, wherein    the drive controller controls the drive of the intermediate feeding roller with a feeding speed for duplex printing and a process speed based on the information relating to the feeding speed acquired by the feeding speed information acquisition section,    the feeding speed for duplex printing being a speed at which a sheet, which is to be resupplied to the intermediate feeding roller for image forming onto the second surface thereof after it has been passed through the regist roller and a toner image has been formed onto the first surface thereof, is received by the intermediate feeding roller, and the process speed being a speed at which a sheet is fed by both the intermediate feeding roller and regist roller, and    the drive controller controls the drive of the intermediate feeding roller such that the feeding speed for duplex printing becomes 1 to 1.3 times the process speed.    
   
   
       2 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a drive controller that controls the drive speed of an intermediate feeding roller that feeds a sheet to a regist roller that performs skew correction for the sheet; and    a feeding speed information acquisition section that acquires information relating the feeding speed of the sheet to be fed to the intermediate feeding roller, wherein    the drive controller controls the drive of the intermediate feeding roller with a feeding speed for sheet supply and a process speed,    the feeding speed for sheet supply being a speed at which a sheet to be newly supplied to the intermediate feeding roller is received by the intermediate feeding roller, and the process speed being a speed at which a sheet is fed by both the intermediate feeding roller and regist roller, and    the drive controller controls the drive of the intermediate feeding roller such that the feeding speed for sheet supply becomes 1 to 1.3 times the process speed.    
   
   
       3 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the intermediate feeding roller is driven by a pulse motor.    
   
   
       4 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the motive force for driving a feeding roller that supplies the intermediate feeding roller with a sheet is transferred by a clutch.    
   
   
       5 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a sheet supply unit that feeds a sheet that has been picked up from a sheet housing section along a sheet feeding path at a first feeding speed;    a process speed feeder that feeds the sheet that has been fed to a process section by the sheet supply unit at a second feeding speed lower than the first feeding speed; and    an automatic duplexing unit feeder that feeds the sheet that has been fed to an automatic duplexing unit by the process speed feeder at a third feeding speed lower than the second feeding speed, wherein    the sheet that has been fed by the automatic duplexing unit feeder is fed again to the process section.    
   
   
       6 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 the process section has a photoconductor and transfers a toner image formed on the photoconductor onto a sheet.    
   
   
       7 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 the automatic duplexing unit feeder performs sheet feeding operation such that the third feeding speed becomes lower than the first feeding speed.