Image formation apparatus

An image formation apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable photosensitive medium;
• means for forming a latent image on said photosensitive medium;
• means for developing the latent image with toner into a toner image;
• means for transferring the toner image onto a transfer web, said transfer means including an intermediate transfer material to which the toner image may be transferred prior to transfer onto the transfer web;
• means for feeding the transfer web;
• and
• control means for operating said image forming means and said developing means, while rotating said rotatable photosensitive medium, and for allowing said transfer means to start its transferring operation after the movement of the transfer web by said feeding means becomes synchronized with the peripheral movement of said rotatable photosensitive medium;
• wherein said intermediate transfer material is first fed by a first driving source and then fed by a second driving source which also drives said rotatable photosensitive medium.

An image formation apparatus comprising:

• a photosensitive medium;
• means for forming a latent image on said photosensitive medium;
• means for forming a visible image on the basis of the latent image;
• and
• means for transferring the visible image onto a recording material;
• wherein said transfer means includes an intermediate transfer material onto which the visible image may first be transferred onto an intermediate transfer material and then transferred onto the recording material, and wherein said transfer means defines first and second transfer paths along which the recording material is alternatively conveyed, the visible image being transferred from the intermediate transfer material onto the recording material when conveyed along the first path and the visible image being directly transferred onto the recording medium when conveyed along the second path.

An image formation apparatus comprising:

• a group of drums each having an original image associated therewith;
• a group of rotatable photosensitive mediums each facing an associated drum;
• means for forming corresponding latent images of the original images on each of said drums;
• means for developing the latent images with toner into toner images;
• means for transferring the toner images onto a recording web;
• means for driving the drums synchronously;
• means for driving the photosensitive mediums synchronously with said drums;
• a belt positioned to face each of said photosensitive mediums;
• pressure means disposed in opposition to said belt;
• and
• feeding means defining first and second feeding paths along which said recording web is alternatively conveyed, wherein said toner images are first transferred to said belt and then transferred onto the recording web by said pressure means when conveyed along the first path, and wherein said recording web is fed by said belt while the toner images on said photosensitive mediums are directly transferred onto the recording web when conveyed along the second path.