Image forming apparatus

• US 20090035032A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Etoh, Takuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/322
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/235 the image receiving member being preconditioned before transferring the second image, e.g. decurled, or the second image being formed with different operating parameters, e.g. a different fixing temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00586 duplex mode
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/2032 the belt further entrained around additional rotating belt support members

Abstract

An image forming apparatus transfers a toner image on a recording medium in a transfer unit and fixes the toner image on the recording medium in a fixing unit. The image forming apparatus performs duplex image formation in a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is a mode in which a toner image is transferred and fixed on a second side of a recording medium after a toner image is transferred and fixed on a first side thereof. The second mode is a mode in which, after a toner image is transferred and fixed on a first side of a recording medium fed at first, a second side of the recording medium is subjected to fixing without transferring thereon a toner image.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus that transfers a toner image on a recording medium in a transfer unit and fixes the toner image on the recording medium in a fixing unit, and that is capable of performing duplex image formation, the image forming apparatus comprising a control unit that performs

a first control in which a toner image is transferred and fixed on a second side of a recording medium after a toner image is transferred and fixed on a first side thereof, and

a second control in which, after a toner image is transferred and fixed on a first side of a recording medium fed at first, a second side of the recording medium is subjected to fixing without transferring thereon a toner image.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a discharging path for discharging a recording medium and a re-conveying path for duplex image formation bifurcate at a bifurcation point at a position above the fixing unit.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor that measures a parameter indicative of any one of an internal temperature and an internal humidity of the image forming apparatus, and outputs measured parameter, wherein

the control unit compares the measured parameter with a predetermined parameter, obtains a comparing result, and performs either one of the first control and the second control based on the comparing result.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the second control when a number of recording media subjected to single-side image formation before subjecting a recording medium to duplex image formation exceeds a predetermined number.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switch with which a user can manually select either one of the first control and the second control.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit automatically performs selection of either one of the first control and the second control.

7. An image forming apparatus that transfers a toner image on a recording medium in a transfer unit and fixes the toner image on the recording medium in a fixing unit, and that is capable of performing duplex image formation by an interleaf control of more than two recording media, the image forming apparatus comprising a control unit that performs

a first control in which a toner image is transferred and fixed on a second side of a recording medium after a toner image is transferred and fixed on a first side thereof, and

a second control in which, after a toner image is transferred and fixed on a first side of a recording medium fed at first, a second side of the recording medium is subjected to fixing without transferring thereon a toner image, and usual interleaf control is performed thereafter.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a discharging path for discharging a recording medium and a re-conveying path for duplex image formation bifurcate at a bifurcation point at a position above the fixing unit.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a sensor that measures a parameter indicative of any one of an internal temperature and an internal humidity of the image forming apparatus, and outputs measured parameter, wherein

the control unit compares the measured parameter with a predetermined parameter, obtains a comparing result, and performs either one of the first control and the second control based on the comparing result.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit performs the second control when a number of recording media subjected to single-side image formation before subjecting a recording medium to duplex image formation exceeds a predetermined number.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a switch with which a user can manually select either one of the first control and the second control.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit automatically performs selection of either one of the first control and the second control.

13. An image forming apparatus that transfers a toner image on a recording medium in a transfer unit and fixes the toner image on the recording medium in a fixing unit, and that is capable of performing duplex image formation by a BBAA control for two recording media, the image forming apparatus comprising a control unit that performs

a first control in which a toner image is transferred and fixed on a second side of a recording medium after a toner image is transferred and fixed on a first side thereof, and

a second control in which a recording medium fed at first is subjected to fixing without transferring thereon a toner image, and usual BBAA control for two recording media is performed thereafter.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a discharging path for discharging a recording medium and a re-conveying path for duplex image formation bifurcate at a bifurcation point at a position above the fixing unit.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a sensor that measures a parameter indicative of any one of an internal temperature and an internal humidity of the image forming apparatus, and outputs measured parameter, wherein

the control unit compares the measured parameter with a predetermined parameter, obtains a comparing result, and performs either one of the first control and the second control based on the comparing result.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit performs the second control when a number of recording media subjected to single-side image formation before subjecting a recording medium to duplex image formation exceeds a predetermined number.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a switch with which a user can manually select either one of the first control and the second control.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit automatically performs selection of either one of the first control and the second control.