Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a paper feed section configured to store therein and feed therefrom recording paper;
• an image forming section having an image bearing member and being configured to form a toner image on a surface of the image bearing member and transfer the toner image onto the recording paper at a transfer point to form an image on the recording paper;
• a conveyance path along which the recording paper is conveyed from the paper feed section to the transfer point;
• a pair of registration rollers located upstream of the transfer point in terms of a conveyance direction of the recording paper along the conveyance path and configured to adjust a timing of the conveyance of the recording paper to the transfer point;
• a pair of upstream rollers configured to convey, toward the pair of registration rollers, the recording paper being conveyed along the conveyance path;
• a first sensor located upstream of the pair of registration rollers in terms of the conveyance direction of the recording paper and configured to detect the recording paper being conveyed from the pair of upstream rollers toward the pair of registration rollers;
• and
• a control section configured to perform rotation control on the pair of registration rollers and the pair of upstream rollers in such a manner that the control section controls the pair of upstream rollers to rotate while keeping the pair of registration rollers in a suspended state in order to cause flexing of the recording paper that has arrived at the pair of registration rollers, and then controls the pair of registration rollers to rotate so as to convey the recording paper to the transfer point, wherein
• the control section performs slowdown control for decreasing the rotational speed of the pair of upstream rollers from a steady state speed to a lower speed limit,
• the control section changes a starting timing of the slowdown control according to a time when the first sensor detects arrival of a leading end of the recording paper, and
• the control section changes a period of time from completion of the slowdown control to start of increasing the rotational speed of the pair of registration rollers and a period of time from completion of the slowdown control to start of increasing the rotational speed of the pair of upstream rollers according to the change of the starting timing of the slowdown control.