Patent ID: 6546218
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus comprising:a plurality of image forming means substantially vertically arranged, each of said plurality of image forming means including an image bearing member on which a latent image is to be formed and developing means for developing the latent image; image bearing member driving means for driving said image bearing members; development driving means for driving said developing means; transfer material bearing and conveying means for bearing and conveying a transfer material, wherein, while the transfer material is upwardly conveyed in a substantially vertical direction through transfer nips that are formed by said transfer material bearing and conveying means and said image bearing members of said plurality of image forming means, images formed by said plurality of image forming means are sequentially transferred to the transfer material; and control means for selecting image forming means that is used for forming an image among said plurality of image forming means and for controlling said image bearing member driving means and said development driving means so that, during an image forming process, an image bearing member of image forming means that is not used for forming the image is driven and developing means of image forming means that is not used for forming the image is halted.