Patent ID: 7909319

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a feeding device that feeds a medium during a loading period; a transport device that transports the medium fed by the feeding device; an image recorder that forms an image on the medium transported by the transport device; a step drive driving source that drives both the feeding device and the transport device; a position detector that detects a transporting position of the medium; a judging means that determines whether the feeding device is in the loading period during which the operation of the feeding device applies a load to the driving source by determining whether the transporting position of the medium detected by the position detector falls within a region; a recording mode setter that sets a recording mode; and a controller that sets a torque of the driving source, wherein the controller selectively operates in a first recording mode and in a second recording mode, wherein in the first recording mode: a first feeding operation is performed wherein a leading end setting position of the medium is set by transporting the medium only the transport direction, and wherein when operating in the first recording mode, the controller sets a first torque when the judging means determines that the feeding device is the loading period in order to offset the load applied on the driving source during the loading period, wherein after the controller continues to apply the first torque when the step driving source is driving the transport device regardless of whether the step driving source is also driving the feeding device if the judging means determines that the feeding device is in the loading period, and wherein the controller sets a second torque, which is less than the first torque when the judging means determines that the loading period is complete, and wherein in the second recording mode: a second feeding operation is performed wherein a reverse feeding operation is performed on the medium after the medium is fed in the transport direction to a position at which the loading period of the feeding device ends, wherein in the reverse feeding operation the medium is fed in the counter transport direction in order to set the medium to a leading end setting position, and wherein the controller sets the driving source with the second torque irrespective of the load is applied to the driving source.