Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section that forms a toner image on a sheet; a fixing section that fixes the toner image on the sheet; a sheet conveyance path that branches into a first sheet conveyance path and a second sheet conveyance path downstream of the fixing section; a blowing section that guides the sheet to the first sheet conveyance path or to the second sheet conveyance path by blowing air to the sheet; and a controller that controls the blowing air of the blowing section.

1 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 (a) an image forming section that forms a toner image on a sheet;   (b) a fixing section that fixes the toner image on the sheet;   (c) a sheet conveyance path that branches into a first sheet conveyance path and a second sheet conveyance path downstream of the fixing section;   (d) a blowing section that guides the sheet to the first sheet conveyance path or to the second sheet conveyance path by blowing air to the sheet; and   (e) a controller that controls the blowing air of the blowing section.   
     
     
         2 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the blowing section comprises a first blowing member and a second blowing member which blow air of the blowing section, wherein the first and second blowing members are arranged to face each other. 
     
     
         3 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second blowing members comprises a slit-shaped air blowing outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second blowing members are arranged so that blown air blowing out each of of the first blowing member and the second blowing member advances toward a leading edge of the sheet after hitting a surface of the advancing sheet. 
     
     
         5 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first blowing member comprises a first air amount changing section which changes an amount of blown air blowing out of the first blowing member, and the second blowing member comprises a second air amount changing section which changes an amount of blown air blowing out of the second blowing member. 
     
     
         6 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second air amount changing sections comprises an opening area adjusting member which changes an opening area at the air blowing outlet, and changes the amount of the blown air blowing out of the air blowing outlet by moving the opening area adjusting member. 
     
     
         7 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the blowing section comprises a first air valve which sends or intercepts air blowing from the first blowing member, and a second air valve which sends or intercepts air blowing from the second blowing member. 
     
     
         8 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the controller calculates positional information of a leading edge of the conveyed sheet on the basis of a signal sent from a sheet detection sensor that detects the leading edge of the sheet, determines a timing of the sending air or the intercepting air on the basis of the calculated positional information, and changes the amount of the air blowing out of each of the first and second air amount changing sections. 
     
     
         9 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sheet ejection tray which receives the sheet ejected from the apparatus; and   a re-feeding section through which the sheet having an image on a front side thereof is re-fed for forming an image on a rear side,   wherein the first sheet conveyance path is a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed to the sheet ejection tray, and the second sheet conveyance path is a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed to the re-feeding section.   
     
     
         10 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sheet ejection tray which receives the sheet ejected from the apparatus; and   a sheet reversing section by which a front and rear sides of the sheet are reversed,   wherein the first sheet conveyance path is a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed to the sheet ejection tray, and the second sheet conveyance path is a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed to the sheet reversing section.