Patent ID: 7992954

Claim:
An image forming apparatus operable in a duplex printing mode, the image forming apparatus comprising: a liquid ejecting head configured to eject liquid droplets to respective first and second faces of a recording medium to form images on the respective first and second faces of the recording medium in order of the first face and then the second face; a conveyance member configured to convey the recording medium while attracting the recording medium by an electrostatic force to a surface of the conveyance member; a charger configured to conduct a charging operation of the conveyance member to generate the electrostatic force for attracting the recording medium on the conveyance member; and a controller configured to control, based on a state of the first face having the image formed thereon, the charging operation for generating the electrostatic force in the conveyance member during an image formation on the second face, and control a pause operation of a conveyance of the recording medium after the image formation on the first face, wherein the controller determines the state of the first face having the image formed thereon, based on, at least in part, an estimate of an amount of droplets attached on the first face, determined based on a count of a number of the liquid droplets ejected by the liquid ejecting head towards the first face of the recording medium, wherein the controller determines, based on the state of the first face having the image formed thereon, whether or not charging control to be executed when the charger charges the conveyance member needs to be changed in printing the second face, wherein the controller adjusts a length of charge cycle of the charger, if the controller determines that the charging control needs to be changed, wherein in a case in which the amount of droplets attached on the first face having the image formed thereon is smaller than a threshold value, the controller extends the length of the charge cycle without pausing the conveyance of the recording medium, and in a case in which the amount of droplets attached on the first face is greater than the threshold value, the controller extends the length of the charge cycle and causes the conveyance of the recording medium to be paused.