Patent ID: 6078346
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus, comprising:a rotating platen;a medium holding section, holding a leading end of a print medium;a rotary transporting section driven in rotation independently of said rotating platen, said rotary transporting section supporting said medium holding section thereon and rotating to guide said medium holding section to travel around said platen in such a manner that the print-medium rotates together with said platen, said medium holding section traveling in a loop-like path which is shorter than a maximum dimension of the print-medium in a direction of travel of the print-medium; anda color image recording head movable into pressure engagement with said platen with the print-medium sandwiched between said platen and said color image recording head, said color image recording head printing images of a predetermined plurality of colors in sequence and in register on the print-medium;wherein when said color image recording head is printing each of the images, said rotary transporting section rotates until said medium holding section reaches a position immediately before said color image recording head and then halts, said platen continuously rotating before and after said medium holding section has halted so that, after the recording medium has been printed with the respective images, the recording medium leaves said platen and has slack in a region thereof that extends between the medium holding section and the color image recording head.