Patent ID: 6323939
Filing Date: 2001-11-27
Classification: G03G,H04N

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus comprising:a plurality of sheet stacking means for stacking sheets;a plurality of sheet feed paths provided respectively with each of said sheet stacking means for conveying the sheet fed from said sheet stacking means;a sheet convey path, connected to said plurality of sheet feed paths, for conveying the sheet fed from each of said sheet feed paths to an image forming portion for forming an image;a reversing portion for reversing a front surface and a rear surface of the sheet having a first surface on which the image was formed in said image forming portion;a re-feed path for supplying the sheet surface-reversed by said reversing portion to said sheet convey path; andwaiting means for temporarily stopping and waiting the sheet having the first surface on which the image was formed at a waiting position in said re-feed path, wherein at least one waiting position is provided in said re-feed path; andwherein a sheet having a first surface on which an image is to be formed later and a sheet having a first surface on which the image was formed and a second surface on which an image is to be formed are alternately fed into said sheet convey path,wherein some of said plurality of sheet stacking means are sheet stacking means disposed in parallel to each other, and the sheet feed path of at least one sheet stacking means among said some of the sheet stacking means is joined to said re-feed path so that a part of said re-feed path at a downstream side of a junction is used commonly,wherein, in said re-feed path, a first waiting position is set at a downstream side of said junction, and a second waiting position is set at an upstream side of said junction,wherein feeding of the sheet fed from said sheet stacking portion nearer to said sheet convey path is interrupted at said first waiting position after the image is formed on the first surface of said sheet, andwherein feeding of the sheet fed from said sheet stacking portion remote from said sheet convey path is interrupted at said second waiting position after the image is formed on the first surface of said sheet.