Patent ID: 8532532
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive member configured to carry a toner image; a rotatable motor; a drive transmission device to which a driving force is transmitted from the rotatable motor; a driven transmission device configured to engage with the drive transmission device and transmit the driving force from the drive transmission device to the photosensitive member; a belt configured to contact the photosensitive member; a drive roller configured to rotate the belt; a driven coupling configured to transmit the driving force to the drive roller; a drive coupling configured to come into engagement with the driven coupling and transmit the driving force to the driven coupling; a transfer member configured to transfer the toner image formed on the photosensitive member onto the recording medium carried on the belt or onto the belt; a voltage application unit configured to apply a voltage to the transfer member; and a control unit configured to control the voltage application unit and the rotatable motor, wherein when the voltage application unit applies a voltage to the transfer member before the engagement of the drive coupling with the driven coupling is completed and rotation of the belt has initiated, the belt is electrostatically attracted to the photosensitive member and follows a rotation movement of the photosensitive member, wherein the control unit starts to apply the voltage to the transfer member when a predetermined time period passes after the rotatable motor starts to rotate, the predetermined time period set to be longer than a ‘maximum’ time period from a time when the drive coupling starts to rotate to a time when the drive coupling comes into engagement with the driven coupling.