Patent ID: 6708018
Filing Date: 2004-03-16
Classification: B41J,G03G

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus comprising:(a) a primary sheet feeder for feeding a recording sheet from a sheet accommodation tray; (b) a secondary sheet feeder for conveying the recording sheet fed from the primary sheet feeder to an image forming position in timed relationship with image formation; (c) a recording sheet detector provided upstream of the secondary sheet feeder for detecting the recording sheet fed by the primary sheet feeder; and (d) a controller for controlling the primary sheet feeder and the secondary sheet feeder; wherein the controller selects either a long or a short sheet feed interval of a feed start timing between a preceding recording sheet and a following recording sheet, according to a detection signal of the recording sheet detector, and wherein an arrival time within a range on a faster side of fluctuation of a secondary sheet feed arrival time at which the preceding recording sheet arrives at the secondary sheet feeder, and the short sheet feed interval, satisfy the condition that an integer value in which an image forming speed calculated from the long and short sheet feed intervals is rounded to a nearest whole number, coincides with a target image forming speed value.