Patent ID: 8606126
Filing Date: 2013-12-10
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrying body carrying a developer image and capable of performing regular rotation or reverse rotation; a first driving section causing the image carrying body to perform regular rotation or reverse rotation; a conveyance section conveying a sheet toward the image carrying body; a transfer section transferring onto the conveyed sheet the developer image formed on the image carrying body; a fixing section configured to nip a sheet, fixing the developer image transferred on the sheet and then conveying the sheet in a sheet conveyance direction; a second driving section driving the fixing section; a control section controlling the first driving section so as to cause the image carrying body to perform regular rotation such as to convey the sheet and transfer onto the sheet the developer image formed on the image carrying body, and controlling the second driving section so as to cause the fixing section to fix the developer image on the sheet, and a first detection section arranged downstream of the sheet conveyance direction relative to the fixing section so as to detect presence or absence of a sheet and then provide a detection signal to the control section, wherein the control section controls the first driving section so as to cause the image carrying body to perform regular rotation such as to convey the sheet, controls the second driving section so as to cause the fixing section to convey the sheet, thereby, in a state that the sheet is in contact with the image carrying body, conveys the sheet to a position that a front edge of the sheet passes through the fixing section, wherein, after the control section judges that a sheet is detected by the first detection section based on the detection signal provided from the first detection section, in a state that the fixing section nips but does not convey the sheet, the control section controls the first driving section so as to cause the image carrying body to perform reverse rotation so that the image carrying body is cleaned using the sheet; and wherein after the control section judges that absence of a sheet is detected by the first detection section based on the detection signal provided from the first detection section during the cleaning of the image carrying body using the sheet, the control section stops the cleaning, controls the first driving section so as to cause the image carrying body to perform regular rotation such as to convey the sheet, and then after the control section judges that the sheet is detected by the first detection section based on the detection signal provided from the first detection section, restarts the cleaning.