Patent ID: 7162195
Filing Date: 2007-01-09
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet eject mechanism movable between an initial position and a sorting position in a direction orthogonal to a sheet transport direction in sorting processing, and to eject sheets being sorted by copy or by image-forming job in the sorting processing to a receiving tray, the sheet eject mechanism moving from the initial position to the sorting position with a sheet held therein, the sheet eject mechanism, after electing the sheet to the receiving tray, moving from the sorting position to the initial position without a sheet hold therein; and a control device for determining a delay time required for the sheet eject mechanism to start to return to the initial position after ejecting the sheet to the receiving tray, based on a difference in length between a transport interval that varies according to sizes of sheets being processed and time that it takes the sheet eject mechanism to move back from the sorting position to the initial position, the sheets being transported sequentially to the sheet eject mechanism at the transport interval.