Patent ID: 9284157
Filing Date: 2016-03-15
CPC Classification: B65H,G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a developing unit to form a visible image, which is formed with a developer, on a printing medium; a fixing unit to fix the visible image formed on the printing medium onto the printing medium; a first discharging roller and a second discharging roller to rotate such that the printing medium passed through the fixing unit is conveyed to the developing unit along a duplex printing path when the first discharging roller and the second discharging roller rotate reversely, the first discharging roller and the second discharging roller performing a printing medium discharge operation to discharge the printing medium from the image forming apparatus when the first discharging roller and the second discharging roller rotate forwardly; and an intermediate conveying unit interposed between the fixing unit and the first discharging roller and the second discharging roller at a jointing point of a simplex printing path and the duplex printing path, to selectively hold the printing medium, including a first conveying roller and a second conveying roller, at least one of the first and the second conveying roller being urged in a direction closer with respect to the other of the first and the second conveying rollers, and before or when in a duplex printing mode, at least a portion of a first printing medium overlaps at least a portion of a second printing medium therebetween, being moved in a direction far away with respect to the other of the first and the second conveying rollers to prevent a lam of at least one of the first printing medium and the second printing medium, wherein only one of the first and the second conveying rollers is driven to have a same rotation direction of one of the first discharging roller and the second discharging roller and the other conveying roller is rotatably driven when the first and second conveying rollers are engaged.