Image forming apparatus, image forming system and image forming method

摘要

An image forming apparatus has an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, a fixing unit that performs fixing of the sheet on which the image is formed, a first conveyance route that has a reverse conveyance route and a second conveyance route that does not pass the reverse conveyance route, and a control unit that performs first control for conveying a previously printed sheet which is printed previously via the first conveyance route and second control for conveying a subsequently printed sheet which is printed subsequently via the second conveyance route, and exerts control to feed the previously printed sheet and the subsequently printed sheet in an overlapped manner after the first conveyance route and the second conveyance route merge together.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; a fixing unit structured to perform fixing of the sheet on which the image is formed; ejection reverse conveyance unit structured to convey a sheet conveyed from the fixing unit such that the sheet is diverged from a route that extends to a sheet ejection from the fixing unit onto a reverse conveyance route, is reversed, and then is merged in the route that extends to the sheet ejection; and a control unit structured to perform first control of conveying a previously printed sheet, which is printed previously, via the reverse conveyance route of the reverse conveyance unit, perform second control of conveying a subsequently printed sheet, which is printed subsequently via the second conveyance route without being conveyed on the reverse conveyance route; and control conveyance of the previously printed sheet and the subsequently printed sheet such that the previously printed sheet and the subsequently printed sheet are fed in an overlapped manner in the route that extends to the sheet ejection at or after a merge location merging the reverse conveyance route and the route that extends to the sheet ejection; wherein the control unit is structured to detect arrival of the previously printed sheet on the reverse conveyance route, and adjust conveyance of the previously printed sheet and the subsequently printed sheet on the basis of detection so that the previously printed sheet and the subsequently pointed sheet are led in the overlapped manner when the first conveyance route and the second conveyance route merge together.