Patent ID: 7496310
Filing Date: 2009-02-24
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing roller to fix a developer onto a recording medium; a heating unit to heat the fixing roller; a manual feed roller that is disposed at a position contact with a top end of the recording medium inserted into a manual feed port, and is capable of holding and feeding the recording medium; a common driving unit that drives the fixing roller and the manual feed roller together when driving the manual feed roller; a judgment unit to judge whether a temperature of the fixing roller is lower than a first temperature capable of starting image formation and reaches a second temperature higher than a melting point of the developer; a detection unit to detect whether the recording medium is inserted into the manual feed port; a control unit to control the driving unit to drive the manual feed roller to hold the recording medium by the manual feed roller if the recording medium is detected by the detection unit and the judgment unit judges that the temperature of the fixing roller reaches the second temperature; and a transmission switching unit to switch between a transmission state in which a driving force is transmitted from the driving unit to the manual feed roller and a non-transmission state in which no driving force is transmitted, wherein the fixing roller can be driven and rotated by the driving unit in the non-transmission state under the control of the control unit.