Patent ID: 6477340
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus, comprising:a plurality of image bearing members; a plurality of image forming means for forming images on said plurality of image bearing members; a plurality of primary transfer means for transferring the images on said plurality of image bearing members onto an intermediate transfer member; secondary transfer means for transferring the images on said intermediate transfer member onto a transfer material; and control means for controlling drive operations of said plurality of image bearing members and said intermediate transfer member, and operations of said plurality of image forming means, said plurality of primary transfer means and said secondary transfer means, wherein an image formation emergency stop state for stopping an image forming operation is performed by stopping the drive operations of said plurality of image bearing members and said intermediate transfer member, and the operations of said plurality of image forming means, said plurality of primary transfer means and said secondary transfer means in response to an image formation emergency stop instruction, and wherein prior to performing an image formation stop state, said control means controls an image bearing member and said intermediate transfer member so as to drive said image bearing member and said intermediate transfer member, and controls primary transfer means so as to make said primary transfer means operative at least until an image area on said image bearing member on which an image is being formed at a time when said control means receives the image formation emergency stop instruction passes a transfer region in said primary transfer means opposing said image bearing member.