Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a first path, adapted to transport a medium; an image former, disposed in the first path, and operable to form an image on the medium transported therethrough; a second path, adapted to transport the medium, which has once passed through the image former, while turning inside out, thereby allowing the medium to pass through the image former again; and a transport controller, operable to transport the medium with a first speed when the medium first passes through the image former, and to transport the medium in the second path with a second speed lower than the first speed, in a case where the image to be formed on the medium which has passed through the second path is a multiple color image.

1 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a first path, adapted to transport a medium;    an image former, disposed in the first path, and operable to form an image on the medium transported therethrough;    a second path, adapted to transport the medium, which has once passed through the image former, while turning inside out, thereby allowing the medium to pass through the image former again; and    a transport controller, operable to transport the medium with a first speed when the medium first passes through the image former, and to transport the medium in the second path with a second speed lower than the first speed, in a case where the image to be formed on the medium which has passed through the second path is a multiple color image.    
   
   
       2 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a gate roller, disposed between the image former and a connecting point of the first path and a downstream end of the second path in a direction in which the medium is transported in the second path, the gate roller operable to control a timing that the medium is transported to the image former, 
 wherein the transport controller is operable to transport the medium with the first speed, before the medium which has entered the second path passes the gate roller again.    
   
   
       3 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second speed is variable.  
   
   
       4 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a first path, adapted to transport a medium;    an image former, disposed in the first path, and operable to form an image on the medium transported therethrough;    a second path, adapted to transport the medium, which has once passed through the image former, while turning inside out, thereby allowing the medium to pass through the image former again; and    a transport controller, operable to transport the medium through the second path while stopping intermittently, in a case where the image to be formed on the medium which has passed though the second path is a multiple color image.    
   
   
       5 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising 
 an ejection tray, adapted to receive the medium ejected from the first path,    wherein the transport controller is operable to eject a part of the medium which has once passed through the image former to the ejection tray, and to continuously pull the medium into the second path such an extent that a user cannot access the ejected part of the medium.    
   
   
       6 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein 
 a time period for which the medium is stopped at a downstream part in the second path in a direction in which the medium is transported in the second path is longer than a time period for which the medium is stopped at an upstream part in the second path in the direction.    
   
   
       7 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a first path, adapted to transport a medium;    an image former, disposed in the first path, and operable to form an image on the medium transported therethrough;    a second path, adapted to transport the medium, which has once passed through the image former, while turning inside out, thereby allowing the medium to pass through the image former again;    an ejection tray, adapted to receive the medium ejected from the first path; and    a transport controller, operable: 
 to transport the medium with a first speed when the medium first passes through the image former;  
 to eject a part of the medium which has once passed through the image former to the ejection tray, and to continuously pull the medium into the second path with the first speed such an extent that a user cannot access the ejected part of the medium; and  
 to transport the medium in the second path with a second speed lower than the first speed,  
   in a case where the image to be formed on the medium which has passed through the second path is a multiple color image.    
   
   
       8 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising 
 a gate roller, disposed between the image former and a connecting point of the first path and a downstream end of the second path in a direction in which the medium is transported in the second path, the gate roller operable to control a timing that the medium is transported to the image former,    wherein the transport controller is operable to transport the medium with the first speed, before the medium which has entered the second path passes the gate roller again.    
   
   
       9 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein 
 the second speed is variable.    
   
   
       10 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a first path, adapted to transport a medium;    an image former, disposed in the first path, and operable to form an image on the medium transported therethrough;    a second path, adapted to transport the medium, which has once passed through the image former, while turning inside out, thereby allowing the medium to pass through the image former again;    a pair of rollers, disposed in the second path, and adapted to nip the medium transported therethrough, the rollers being separatabe from each other; and    a transport controller, operable to stop the medium within the second path for a predetermined time period while separating the rollers from each other, in a case where the image to be formed on the medium which has passed through the second path is a multiple color image.