Image Forming Apparatus

摘要

There is provided an image forming apparatus including a driving source, a switchback roller which switches between a normal rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction, first and second gear train for rotating the switchback roller in the normal and reverse rotation directions, respectively, a switching mechanism which switches among a first mode for transmitting driving force to the first gear train, a second mode for transmitting the driving force to the second gear train, and a third mode for not to transmit the driving force, a switching element which switches between a first state allowing switching of the switching mechanism into the first or third mode and a second state allowing switching of the switching mechanism into the second mode; and a controller which controls a state change of the switching element between the first state and the second state.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a driving source configured to generate one-direction rotational driving force; a switchback roller configured to be switched between a normal rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction for switching a conveyance direction of a recording medium having an image formed thereon by an image forming unit; a first gear train configured to transmit the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the switchback roller such that a rotation direction of the switchback roller becomes the normal rotation direction; a second gear train configured to transmit the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the switchback roller such that the rotation direction of the switchback roller becomes the reverse rotation direction; a switching mechanism configured to be switchable among a first mode for transmitting the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the first gear train, a second mode for transmitting the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the second gear train, and a third mode for not transmitting the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to any of the first gear train and the second gear train; a switching element configured to selectively change between a first state allowing switching of the switching mechanism into the first mode or the third mode, and a second state allowing switching of the switching mechanism into the second mode; and a controller configured to control a state change of the switching element between the first state and the second state, wherein the switching mechanism is configured to be switched from the second mode only to the third mode, wherein the controller is configured to perform:
first control to control the switching element to hold the first state for a first time period; andsecond control to control the switching element to hold the second state for a second time period, and wherein the controller is configured to, after performing the second control to cause the switching mechanism to switch into the second mode, switch to perform the first control.