Image forming apparatus including controller driving image carriers

An image forming apparatus comprising;

• a plurality of image carriers arranged side by side in a preselected direction;
• a plurality of developing rollers each for forming a toner image on a particular one of said plurality of image carriers;
• drive mechanism configured to drive in the preselected direction, a member to which toner images are to be sequentially transferred from said plurality of image carriers, the toner images transferred one above the other;
• a plurality of developing roller drive mechanisms configured to drive each said developing roller;
• and
• a plurality of image transferring mechanisms each configured to transfer a toner image from a particular one of said plurality of image carriers to said member,
• said plurality of developing roller drive mechanisms are configured to all stop being driven at a same time after said member reaches the last of an image transfer end timing assigned to one of said plurality of image carriers.

A method for operating an image forming apparatus including,

• a plurality of image carriers arranged side by side in a preselected direction,
• a plurality of developing rollers each for forming a toner image on a particular one of said plurality of image carriers,
• a drive mechanism for driving in the preselected direction a member to which toner images are to be sequentially transferred from said plurality of image carriers, the toner images transferred one above the other,
• a plurality of developing roller drive mechanisms configured to drive each said developing roller, and
• a plurality of image transferring mechanisms, each for transferring a toner image from a particular one of said plurality of image carriers to the member, the method comprising:
• driving the plurality of developing roller drive mechanisms;
• and
• stopping, at a same time, the plurality of developing rollers from being driven after the member reaches a last one of said plurality of image carriers and an image transfer timing has ended.