Image forming apparatus

Claim 2

An image forming apparatus comprising: first drive means for rotating a plurality of rotatable image carriers, the first drive means having a first image carrier drive motor for driving at least one of said image carriers, and a second image carrier drive motor for driving the image carriers other than said at least one of said image carriers; means for forming electrostatic latent images on the image carriers; developing means having a plurality of developing rollers arranged in contact with the image carriers, respectively, for developing the electrostatic latent images by rotations of the image carriers and the developing rollers; second drive means for rotating the developing rollers; first transmitting means for, when the developing means performs a development with respect to one or some of the image carriers, transmitting the drive force of the first drive means to only the image carrier or image carriers used for the development; second transmitting means for, when the developing means performs a development with respect to one or some of the image carriers, transmitting the drive force of the second drive means to only the developing roller or rollers contacting said one or some of the image carriers; and transfer means for transferring the developed image or developed images from the image carrier or image carriers, on which the electrostatic latent images are developed, to a transfer material.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive means includes a first developing device drive motor for driving at least one of said developing rollers and a second developing device drive motor for driving the remaining developing rollers.

Claim 4

A color image forming apparatus, comprising: first image forming means for forming an image in black on a first photoconductive drum; second image forming means for forming an image in a first color different from black on a second photoconductive drum; third image forming means for forming an image in a second color different from black on a third photoconductive drum; first rotating means for rotating the first photoconductive drum; second rotating means for rotating the second and third photoconductive drums; transfer means for transferring images, which are formed by the first, second and third image forming means, to a transfer material; first control means for actuating the first and second rotating means to rotate the first, second and third photoconductive drums, when a color image in black, first and second colors is formed on the transfer material; and second control means for actuating the first rotating means to rotate the first photoconductive drum and stopping the second rotating means to stop the rotation of the second and third photoconductive drums, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material.

Claim 5

A color image forming apparatus, comprising: first image forming means for forming an image in black on a first photoconductive drum; second image forming means for forming an image in a first color different from black on a second photoconductive drum; third image forming means for forming an image in a second color different from black on a third photoconductive drum; first rotating means for rotating the first photoconductive drum; second rotating means for rotating the second and third photoconductive drums; transfer means for transferring images, which are formed by the first, second and third image forming means, to a transfer material; first control means for actuating the first and second rotating means to rotate the first, second and third photoconductive drums, when a color image in black, first and second colors is formed on the transfer material; and second control means for actuating the first rotating means to rotate the first photoconductive drum and stopping the second rotating means to stop the rotation of the second and third photoconductive drums, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first image forming means has a first developing device for forming a toner image on the first photoconductive drum, said second image forming means has a second developing device for forming a toner image on the second photoconductive drum, said third image forming means has a third developing device for forming a toner image on the first photoconductive drum, wherein the apparatus further comprises first developing device drive means for driving the first developing device, and second developing device drive means for driving the second and third developing devices, wherein said first control means has means for actuating the first and second developing device drive means to drive the first, second and third developing devices, when a color image with black, first and second colors is formed on the transfer material, and wherein said second control means has means for actuating the first developing device drive means to drive the first developing device and stopping the second developing device drive means to stop the second and third developing devices, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first image forming means has a first developing device for forming a toner image on the first photoconductive drum, said second image forming means has a second developing device for forming a toner image on the second photoconductive drum, said third image forming means has a third developing device for forming a toner image on the first photoconductive drum, each of said first, second, third developing devices being movable between a developing position where the device contacts the corresponding photoconductive drum and a separate position where the developing device is separated from the corresponding photoconductive drum, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for moving the second and third developing devices to the separate positions, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material.

Claim 8

A color image forming apparatus comprising: first image forming means for forming an image in black on a first photoconductive drum; second image forming means for forming an image in a first color different from black on a second photoconductive drum; a third image forming means for forming an image in a second color different from black on a third photoconductive drum; first rotating means for rotating the first photoconductive drum; second rotating means for rotating the second and third photoconductive drums; a transfer belt for transporting a transfer material through the first, second and third image forming means; first transfer means for transferring an image in black, which is formed by the first image forming means, to the transfer material, the first transfer means having a first transfer roller for rolling contact with the first photoconductive drum with the transfer belt interposed between the first transfer roller and the first photoconductive drum; second transfer means for transferring an image in the first color, which is formed by the second image forming means, to the transfer material, the second transfer means having a second transfer roller for rolling contact with the second photoconductive drum with the transfer belt interposed between the second transfer roller and the second photoconductive drum; third transfer means for transferring an image in the second color, which is formed by the third image forming means, to the transfer material, the third transfer means having a third transfer roller for rolling contact with the third photoconductive drum with the transfer belt interposed between the third transfer roller and the third photoconductive drum; first control means for actuating the first and second rotating means to rotate the first, second and third photoconductive drums, when a color image in black, first and second colors is formed on the transfer material; second control means for actuating the first rotating means to rotate the first photoconductive drum and stopping the second rotating means to stop the rotation of the second and third photoconductive drums, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material; first moving means for moving the second photoconductive drum and the second transfer roller relative to each other so that the second transfer roller is away from the second photoconductive drum, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material; and second moving means for moving the third photoconductive drum and the third transfer roller relative to each other so that the third transfer roller is away from the third photoconductive drum, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material.

Claim 9

A color image forming apparatus comprising: first image forming means for forming an image in black on a first photoconductive drum; second image forming means for forming an image in a first color different from black on a second photoconductive drum; a third image forming means for forming an image in a second color different from black on a third photoconductive drum; first rotating means for rotating the first photoconductive drum; second rotating means for rotating the second and third photoconductive drums; a transfer belt for transporting a transfer material through the first, second and third image forming means; first transfer means for transferring an image in black, which is formed by the first image forming means, to the transfer material, the first transfer means having a first transfer roller for rolling contact with the first photoconductive drum with the transfer belt interposed between the first transfer roller and the first photoconductive drum; second transfer means for transferring an image in the first color, which is formed by the second image forming means, to the transfer material, the second transfer means having a second transfer roller for rolling contact with the second photoconductive drum with the transfer belt interposed between the second transfer roller and the second photoconductive drum; third transfer means for transferring an image in the second color, which is formed by the third image forming means, to the transfer material, the third transfer means having a third transfer roller for rolling contact with the third photoconductive drum with the transfer belt interposed between the third transfer roller and the third photoconductive drum; first control means for actuating the first and second rotating means to rotate the first, second and third photoconductive drums, when a color image in black, first and second colors is formed on the transfer material; second control means for actuating the first rotating means to rotate the first photoconductive drum and stopping the second rotating means to stop the rotation of the second and third photoconductive drums, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material; first moving means for moving the second photoconductive drum and the second transfer roller relative to each other so that the second transfer roller is away from the second photoconductive drum, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material; and second moving means for moving the third photoconductive drum and the third transfer roller relative to each other so that the third transfer roller is away from the third photoconductive drum, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first image forming means has a first developing device for forming a toner image on the first photoconductive drum, said second image forming means has a second developing device for forming a toner image on the second photoconductive drum, said third image forming means has a third developing device for forming a toner image on the first photoconductive drum, wherein the apparatus further comprises first developing device drive means for driving the first developing device, and second developing device drive means for driving the second and third developing devices, wherein said first control means has means for actuating the first and second developing device drive means to drive the first, second and third developing devices, when a color image with black, first and second colors is formed on the transfer material, and wherein said second control means has means for actuating the first developing device drive means to drive the first developing device and stopping the second developing device drive means to stop the second and third developing devices, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first image forming means has a first developing device for forming a toner image on the first photoconductive drum, said second image forming means has a second developing device for forming a toner image on the second photoconductive drum, said third image forming means has a third developing device for forming a toner image on the first photoconductive drum, each of said first, second, third developing devices being movable between a developing position where the device contacts with the corresponding photoconductive drum and a separate position where the developing device is separated from the corresponding photoconductive drum; and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for moving the second and third developing devices to the separate positions, when only an image in black is formed on the transfer material.

Claim 12

An image forming apparatus, comprising: first drive means for rotating a plurality of rotatable image carriers, the first drive means having a first image carrier drive motor for driving at least one of said image carriers, and a second image carrier drive motor for driving the remaining image carriers; means for forming electrostatic latent images on the image carriers; developing means having a plurality of developing rollers arranged to face the image carriers, respectively, for developing the electrostatic latent images by rotations of the image carriers and the developing rollers; second drive means for rotating the developing rollers; first transmitting means for, when the developing means performs a development with respect to one or some of the image carriers, transmitting the drive force of the first drive means to only the image carrier or image carriers used for the development; second transmitting means for, when the developing means performs a development with respect to one or some of the image carriers, transmitting the drive force of the second drive means to only the developing roller or rollers contacting said one or some of the image carriers; and transfer means for transferring the developed image or developed images from the image carrier or image carriers, on which the electrostatic latent images are developed, to a transfer material.

Claim 13

An image forming apparatus, comprising: first drive means for rotating a plurality of rotatable image carriers, the first drive means having a first image carrier drive motor for driving at least one of said image carriers, and a second image carrier drive motor for driving the remaining image carriers; means for forming electrostatic latent images on the image carriers; developing means having a plurality of developing rollers arranged to face the image carriers, respectively, for developing the electrostatic latent images by rotations of the image carriers and the developing rollers; second drive means for rotating the developing rollers; first transmitting means for, when the developing means performs a development with respect to one or some of the image carriers, transmitting the drive force of the first drive means to only the image carrier or image carriers used for the development; second transmitting means for, when the developing means performs a development with respect to one or some of the image carriers, transmitting the drive force of the second drive means to only the developing roller or rollers contacting said one or some of the image carriers; and transfer means for transferring the developed image or developed images from the image carrier or image carriers, on which the electrostatic latent images are developed, to a transfer material.