Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080224385 | Feeding device and image forming apparatus - A sheet discharge roller has a contact portion in contact with a feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The sheet discharge roller includes a kick-out unit having a projected portion and a recess portion on one end of the noncontact portion in the circumferential direction. A reverse roller also has a contact portion in contact with the feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The reverse roller includes a large-diameter portion on its one end in a direction opposite to a direction of the kick-out unit. The large-diameter portion has a diameter larger than a diameter of the contact portion. | 09-18-2008 |
20080237970 | Sheet loading device, sheet conveying device, and image forming apparatus - A sheet cassette loads and houses therein a plurality of sheets. A separating unit separates the sheets loaded in the sheet cassette one by one. The separating unit is arranged in the sheet cassette in opposite to a feeding roller that conveys the sheets from the sheet cassette. A rib is formed on a rear surface of a bottom plate of the sheet cassette. The rib is pressed by a pressing member. | 10-02-2008 |
20080273908 | Sheet discharging device and image forming apparatus - A sheet-discharging device includes an upper discharging roller, a lower discharging roller, and a protruding member. The protruding member allows discharging of a sheet to outside from the nip between the upper discharging roller and the lower discharging roller, and prevents taking-in of a sheet that has already been discharged. | 11-06-2008 |
20080284090 | Switchback mechanism and image forming apparatus - In a color printer in which a drive force of a fixed gear that rotates not in both a forward direction and a reverse direction but in either one direction only is transmitted to a discharging unit, a swing gear is attached to a branch guide via a switching link and a transmission link as a link mechanism. When a solenoid mechanism starts driving, the transmission link rotates. In accordance with the rotation of the transmission link, the switching link rotates, so that a switching among a discharge conveying path, a duplex-printing conveying path, and a switchback conveying path by the branch guide and a switching of a rotating direction of a transmission gear can be simultaneously performed. | 11-20-2008 |
20090110459 | Image forming device - An image forming device is disclosed. The device includes a toner-image forming unit which forms a toner image; a transfer unit; a fixing unit; a paper-output unit; a drive unit; a first drive-power transmission gear; a second drive-power transmission gear; a gear housing; a first positioning unit which positions the fixing unit relative to a device body; and a second positioning unit. The second positioning unit positions the paper-output unit relative to the device body in the direction of a gap between the first drive-power transmission gear and the second drive-power transmission gear by engaging the gear housing with the device body. | 04-30-2009 |
20090121418 | Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus - A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding member, a friction separation member, a retaining member, a downstream guiding member, and a biasing member. The downstream guiding member is arranged downstream of a sheet conveyance direction than the friction separation member such that its guide surface is inclined at a predetermined angle to a front surface of the friction separation member towards the sheet feeding member. A line joining an apex of a sheet guiding member arranged upstream of the sheet conveyance direction than the friction separation member and an apex of the downstream guiding unit is positioned towards the sheet feeding member than a contact portion of the sheet feeding member and the friction separation member. | 05-14-2009 |
20090174135 | Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus - A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet containing unit that contains sheets; a sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheets; a separating unit that separates a single sheet from the sheets; a holding unit that holds the separating unit; and a vibration applying unit that applies a vibration to any one of the sheets conveyed by the sheet conveying unit and the separating unit before starting conveyance of the sheets. | 07-09-2009 |
20090190949 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus enables a high-quality double-side printing of a transfer medium by one-pass method using a simple structure. A latent image is formed and developed on an image carrier (drum) in a process cartridge. A resultant toner image is transferred by a first transfer unit (roller) onto either an upper surface of the transfer medium or a first intermediate transfer body (roller) in a first transfer area. The toner image on the first intermediate transfer body is transferred onto a back surface of the transfer medium in a fourth transfer area via a second intermediate transfer body (belt) and a third intermediate transfer body (roller). The fourth transfer area is located downstream of the first transfer area along a transport path of the transfer medium. | 07-30-2009 |
20090238585 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, forming a color image by successively superposing color images, formed on image carriers of corresponding image forming parts arranged along a rotational direction of an endless moving member, onto the endless moving member or a recording medium conveyed thereby, includes a first part causing a color registration pattern to be created on the endless moving member or the recording medium; a second part obtaining a color registration pattern signal by detecting the color registration pattern; a third part changing image formation timing in the image forming parts based on the color registration pattern signal; and a fourth part causing the endless moving member to rotate in forward and reverse directions after the creation of the color registration pattern. The second part obtains the color registration pattern signal by detecting the color registration pattern during each of the forward and reverse rotations of the endless moving member. | 09-24-2009 |
20090295061 | Sheet discharge device and image forming apparatus - A sheet discharge device discharges a sheet to a sheet discharge tray. The sheet discharge device includes a rotary shaft, two inside drive rollers, two outside drive rollers, two inside driven rollers, two outside driven rollers, two end retainers, and two inside retainers. The drive rollers are rotatably attached to the rotary shaft. Each of the driven rollers opposes a corresponding one of the drive rollers to be driven by the drive roller. The end retainers and the inside retainers rotatably extend from the rotary shaft across a common tangent of the driven rollers and the drive rollers. The end retainers are longer than the inside rollers and constructed so as to rest on the stacked sheets. | 12-03-2009 |
20090302521 | Image forming apparatus, optional sheet feeder, and base plate member - A base plate is selectively attached to a lower surface of a main body of an image forming apparatus or to an optional sheet feeder attachable to the main body. | 12-10-2009 |
20090315250 | Sheet feeding device, image forming apparatus, and sheet feeding method - A sheet feeding device includes a first roller that draws a recording medium at a first position and feeds the recording medium; a friction pad that comes into contact with the first roller with a predetermined contact pressure at a second position that is close to and downstream of the first position in a conveying direction of the recording medium and nips the recording medium with the first roller to convey the recording medium in the conveying direction; and a second roller that comes into contact with the first roller at a third position that is close to and downstream of the second position in the conveying direction and nips the recording medium with the first roller. | 12-24-2009 |
20100059930 | Paper feeder and image forming device - A paper feeder includes a sheet container including a platen member on which sheet-like recording media is placed, the platen member having one end portion on an upstream side of a paper feed direction rotatably supported to a spindle, such that the other end portion on a downstream side of the paper feed direction is lifted, and a paper feed member which draws and feeds the sheet-like recording media, and the sheet container includes a stepped portion which presses down the downstream side of the paper feed direction of the platen member when inserting the sheet container in the direction opposite to the paper feed direction, and a sliding portion which maintains the pressing down. | 03-11-2010 |
20100201059 | Open/close mechanism for paper tray for use in image forming apparatus - An open/close mechanism can be used for paper trays of an image forming apparatus. The open/close mechanism includes a plate member provided on a side of a housing of the image forming apparatus and configured to pivot upon an axis between an open position and a close position, and a box member that is arranged in the housing beneath the plate member and that can be drawn out of the housing from the side. The open/close mechanism includes also includes a restricting unit that is coupled to the plate member and that abuts against the box member when the box member is set in the housing and when the plate member is in the open position thereby restricting detachment of the box member from the housing. | 08-12-2010 |
20100314827 | Sheet transport mechanism and electrophotographic image forming apparatus incorporating same - A sheet transport mechanism that can be incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a first sheet transport member, a second sheet transport member disposed downstream from the first sheet transport member in a sheet transport direction, a sheet transport path defined by and curved between the first and second sheet transport members and including a downstream section recessed from an upstream section in the sheet transport direction, and a contact member disposed at the downstream section and including a first contact portion to which the leading edge of a sheet contacts to move the contact member in a direction to recess from the sheet transport path and a second contact portion connected to the first contact portion to advance toward the sheet transport path at a position upstream from the first contact portion in the sheet transport direction to contact the surface of the sheet. | 12-16-2010 |
20110058873 | Conveyer and image forming apparatus including the same - A conveyer includes a first rotating body; a second rotating body pair; and an intermediate rotating body arranged between the first rotating body and the second rotating body pair. A curl of the recording medium is corrected by winding and bending the recording medium around and with the intermediate rotating body at a bent angle formed by a tangent line shared by the intermediate rotating body and the first rotating body, and a line on which such a tangent line of the intermediate rotating body is connected to a nip point of the second rotating body pair. The intermediate rotating body includes an escape mechanism that is capable of causing the intermediate rotating body to escape in a direction to increase the bent angle depending on the width of the recording medium. | 03-10-2011 |
20110127707 | Switchback mechanism and image forming apparatus - In a color printer in which a drive force of a fixed gear that rotates not in both a forward direction and a reverse direction but in either one direction only is transmitted to a discharging unit, a swing gear is attached to a branch guide via a switching link and a transmission link as a link mechanism. When a solenoid mechanism starts driving, the transmission link rotates. In accordance with the rotation of the transmission link, the switching link rotates, so that a switching among a discharge conveying path, a duplex-printing conveying path, and a switchback conveying path by the branch guide and a switching of a rotating direction of a transmission gear can be simultaneously performed. | 06-02-2011 |
20110204556 | Feeding device and image forming apparatus - A sheet discharge roller has a contact portion in contact with a feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The sheet discharge roller includes a kick-out unit having a projected portion and a recess portion on one end of the noncontact portion in the circumferential direction. A reverse roller also has a contact portion in contact with the feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The reverse roller includes a large-diameter portion on its one end in a direction opposite to a direction of the kick-out unit. The large-diameter portion has a diameter larger than a diameter of the contact portion. | 08-25-2011 |
20110217058 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit forming an image on a sheet transported along a transport path in a printing operation; a sheet stacking unit in which the sheet ejected at the end of the transport path is stacked; a sheet detecting unit detecting the presence or absence of the sheet in the transport path; a counting unit counting number-of-sheet data of the sheet detected by the sheet detecting unit; and a control unit controlling the printing operation in accordance with a first print request from a print instructing unit for a print job and based on a count value obtained by the counting unit. The control unit clears the count value in the absence of a next print request from the print instructing unit within a predetermined time after completion of the printing operation. | 09-08-2011 |
20110285076 | Sheet inverting device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - A sheet inverting device includes a loop pathway including an entrance slot to which a recording medium is conveyed and an exit slot from which the recording medium is conveyed, the loop pathway forming a loop shape to convey the recording medium therethrough in a forward direction defined by a sheet conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed from the entrance slot travels, and a redirectable sheet conveyance member to convey the recording medium traveling through the loop pathway in the forward direction and a reverse direction that is the reverse of the forward direction. The exit slot is configured to convey the recording medium that is conveyed by the redirectable sheet conveyance member in the reverse direction outside the sheet inverting device therethrough. | 11-24-2011 |
20110291353 | Image forming apparatus and control method therefor - An image forming apparatus for which a control method is performed includes a recording unit, a conveying device conveying a recording medium to the recording unit, a feeding device supplying the recording medium to the conveying device, a recording medium conveying pathway along which the recording medium travels, and a control device controlling the conveying device and the feeding device. A first partial length of the recording medium conveying pathway extending from the feeding device to the recording unit is shorter than a conveyance direction length of a maximum usable size recording medium. When the leading end of the recording medium is located between the conveying device and the recording unit after the conveying device is driven to convey the recording medium, the control device switches the feeding device from a driven state to a non-driven state to move the feeding device by the recording medium. | 12-01-2011 |
20120104685 | OPEN/CLOSE MECHANISM FOR PAPER TRAY FOR USE IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An open/close mechanism can be used for paper trays of an image forming apparatus. The open/close mechanism includes a plate member provided on a side of a housing of the image forming apparatus and configured to pivot upon an axis between an open position and a close position, and a box member that is arranged in the housing beneath the plate member and that can be drawn out of the housing from the side. The open/close mechanism includes also includes a restricting unit that is coupled to the plate member and that abuts against the box member when the box member is set in the housing and when the plate member is in the open position thereby restricting detachment of the box member from the housing. | 05-03-2012 |
20120146281 | SHEET FEEDING DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SHEET FEEDING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING THE SHEET FEEDING DEVICE - A sheet feeding device includes a feeding device and a detector. The feeding device is configured to feed a sheet to a destination. The detector is configured to detect the sheet at the destination. If the detector does not detect the sheet within a predetermined time after the start of preparation for a feeding operation by the feeding device, it is determined that the sheet is misfed. Further, the start of the feeding operation of a sheet is changed in accordance with the result of detection by the detector of the presence or absence of a sheet standing by at the destination. | 06-14-2012 |
20130004221 | GUIDE DEVICE WITH MECHANISM CAPABLE OF MINIMIZING DAMAGE TO TONER IMAGE BY WATER DROPLET AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A guide device for guiding a recording medium discharged from a fixing device includes a first conveyance wall plate and at least one rib assembly mounted on the first conveyance wall plate. The at least one rib assembly includes a plurality of primary ribs contacting the first conveyance wall plate, each having a first thickness in a recording medium conveyance direction; and a plurality of secondary ribs mounted on selected ones of the plurality of primary ribs. Each secondary rib includes a bottom contacting the primary rib and having a second thickness in the recording medium conveyance direction that is smaller than the first thickness of the primary rib; and a top contacting the recording medium and having a third thickness in the recording medium conveyance direction that is smaller than the second thickness of the bottom of the secondary rib. | 01-03-2013 |
20130106050 | DRIVE TRANSMISSION DEVICE, SHEET FEEDER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 05-02-2013 |
20130164066 | SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A sheet feeding mechanism incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a cover unit rotatably attached to one side of a main body of an image forming apparatus to cover a part of a sheet conveyance path, a first feeding member located in a main body of the apparatus, a second feeding member located in the cover unit in a displaceable manner and facing the first feeding member when the cover unit is closed and sandwiching and conveying a recording medium along the sheet conveyance path with the first feeding member, and a guide member disposed in the main body to guide the second feeding member. The guide member guides the second feeding member to move in a first direction that approaches the first feeding member when closing the cover unit and in a second direction that separates from the first feeding member when opening the cover unit. | 06-27-2013 |
20130243465 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording medium includes a hollow, fixing rotary body rotatable in a given direction of rotation and a first heater disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body to heat the fixing rotary body. A pressing rotary body is pressed against the fixing rotary body to form a fixing nip therebetween through which the recording medium bearing the toner image is conveyed. A heat conductor, disposed opposite the first heater and the inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body, is disconnectably connected to a guide disposed downstream from the fixing device in a recording medium conveyance direction to guide the recording medium discharged from the fixing nip. The heat conductor conducts heat received from the first heater to the guide. | 09-19-2013 |
20140091518 | SHEET CONVEYING DEVICE, SHEET DISCHARGING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet conveying device includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member, and a biasing unit that biases the second rotating member toward the first rotating member. The first and second rotating members pinch a sheet therebetween and convey the sheet in a sheet conveying direction. The second rotating member includes a small-diameter portion that faces a conveying portion of the first rotating member, and a large-diameter portion at a position axially displaced from the conveying portion. The second rotating member can change its orientation to an orientation where a rotating shaft of the second rotating member is tilted relative to a rotating shaft of the first rotating member as viewed in the sheet conveying direction, thereby moving a position of an end portion of the second rotating member on a side of the large-diameter portion away from the rotating shaft of the first rotating member. | 04-03-2014 |
20140233979 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a manual operating unit, at least a part of which being exposed to an outside of the apparatus body and a part of which included inside the apparatus body being exposed to the outside by manually operating from the outside, a condensation part to which moist air in the apparatus body contacts to dew-condense to a water droplet, and a recovery container part containing the water droplet generated by the condensation part and being disposed on an inner surface of the manual operating unit included inside the apparatus body. | 08-21-2014 |
20140239578 | SHEET DISCHARGING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A sheet discharging device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet discharging tray, a sheet discharging roller pair, a full state detection feeler pivotably supported and including a center feeler to measure a height of a center part of the recording medium and an edge feeler to measure a height of an edge part of the recording medium, and a full state detection sensor to detect a position of the full state detection feeler. A distance between a leading edge of the center feeler and an upper surface of the sheet discharging tray is smaller than a distance between a leading edge of the edge feeler and the upper surface thereof. The leading edge of the edge feeler is located closer to the upper surface of the sheet discharging tray than a common tangential line of the sheet discharging roller pair. | 08-28-2014 |
20150014919 | SHEET CONVEYOR, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME, AND METHOD OF PREVENTING SHEET SKEW - A sheet conveyor, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus and in which a method of preventing sheet skew is performed, includes a sheet conveying path through which a sheet is conveyed, a first conveying unit disposed in a sheet conveying direction and including a shaft extending in a lateral direction, multiple rollers fixed to the shaft along the shaft, and a rotation regulator disposed between each of the multiple rollers and the shaft to idly rotate each of the multiple rollers in a given range about the shaft, a second conveying unit disposed along the sheet conveying path and downstream from the first conveying unit in the sheet conveying direction, and a sheet abutting part provided at the second conveying unit, against which a leading edge of the sheet abuts to form a slack of the sheet to correct skew of the sheet. | 01-15-2015 |