Patent ID: 8066281

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet feeding and conveying device configured to feed and convey a sheet, feeding and conveying operation of said sheet feeding and conveying device causing a curl at a tip of the sheet; a conveyance belt configured to convey the sheet toward a printing region while attracting the sheet with electrostatic force on its flat surface, said printing region being disposed in a vicinity of the flat surface of the conveyance belt, said curl caused by the feeding and conveying operation of said sheet feeding and conveying device separating the tip of the sheet from the flat surface of the conveyance belt; a conveyance roller configured to drive the conveyance belt and positioned upstream of the printing region; a printing device provided in the printing region and configured to form an image on the sheet; a leading end pressure applying roller arranged in a vicinity of the printing device, the leading end pressure applying roller being closer than the conveyance roller to the printing device and being configured to depress the sheet toward the flat surface of the conveyance belt subjected to the electrostatic force; and a controller configured to control the conveyance belt to stop conveying the sheet toward the printing region for a prescribed time period when the tip of the sheet is pinched between the leading end pressure applying roller and the conveyance belt; and an input part that inputs a sheet type designation, wherein said controller determines, based on the sheet type designation input through the input part, an amount of time the conveyance belt is to be stopped before conveying the sheet to the printing region, wherein depression force applied by the leading end pressure applying roller to the tip of the sheet for the prescribed time period in which the controller stops conveyance of the sheet by the conveyance belt when the tip of the sheet is pinched between the leading end pressure applying roller and the conveyance belt, in combination with the electrostatic force, settles down said curl at the tip of the sheet during the prescribed time period, and wherein said controller controls the conveyance belt to resume conveying the sheet toward the printing region when the prescribed time period has elapsed.