Abstract: The invention intends to provide the image forming apparatus with plural sheet discharge paths, to enable setting of appropriately selecting the discharge paths according to the copy mode/fax mode/printer mode, etc. and to enable appropriate automatic selection of the plural discharge paths according to other conditions. For this purpose, there are provided the plural discharge paths 21 to 24, which are respectively assigned to the copy mode/fax mode/printer mode, etc., and the sheet after image formation by the latent image forming drum 18 constituting the image forming means is discharged by one of the discharge paths 21 to 24 according to such setting. On the other hand, according to the function state of the apparatus, such as designation of a specified post-processing, designation of special paper or detection of a jam, a specified discharge path is selected for the sheet discharge regardless of the aforementioned setting.

Abstract: The invention is to effectively provide the image forming apparatus with plural discharge paths and to incorporate various units for realizing multiple functions within the limited space of the casing, utilizing such plural discharge paths.

Abstract: The invention intends to provide the image forming apparatus with plural sheet discharge paths, to enable setting of appropriately selecting the discharge paths according to the copy mode/fax mode/printer mode, etc. and to enable appropriate automatic selection of the plural discharge paths according to other conditions. For this purpose, there are provided the plural discharge paths 21 to 24, which are respectively assigned to the copy mode/fax mode/printer mode, etc., and the sheet after image formation by the latent image forming drum 18 constituting the image forming means is discharged by one of the discharge paths 21 to 24 according to such setting. On the other hand, according to the function state of the apparatus, such as designation of a specified post-treatment, designation of special paper or detection of a jam, a specified discharge path is selected for the sheet discharge regardless of the aforementioned setting.

Abstract: In the case that recording paper of a roll (20) has run out during an image forming process, when the length of a piece of the remaining recording paper left last is longer than the first reference length possible to feed the paper in the inside and outside of a roll unit (RU), the paper is delivered, and when the length of the remaining piece is slightly shorter than the first reference length, the front end of the remaining piece is projected to the outside of the roll unit (RU), and when the length of the remaining piece is shorter than the second reference length impossible to feed the paper in the inside of the roll unit (RU), the remaining piece is dropped inside of the roll unit (RU) by a reverse feeding, thereby, a removal of the remaining piece is facilitated. Thus, the removal of the remaining piece may always be performed well.