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 |
20090022514 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a cover and a supporting unit. The supporting unit includes a holding member, a supporting member, a first biasing unit, and a positioning unit. The holding member holds the transferring member. The supporting member movably supports the holding member, so that the transferring member can move toward or away from a specific member arranged in the main body. The first biasing unit biases the transferring member toward the specific member. When the cover is in a closed state, the transferring member is pressed against the specific member. The positioning unit performs positioning of the supporting member with respect to the main body. | 01-22-2009 |
20090056484 | Image forming apparatus - A reciprocating-motion converting mechanism includes a cam that rotates around a rotation center; a reciprocating member that is reciprocated due to rotation of the cam; and a pressing unit that presses the reciprocating member to the cam. A first load torque is generated by a load applied at a point of contact of the cam and the reciprocating motion member. A load applying unit applies a load to the cam to generate a second load torque having a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the first load torque. | 03-05-2009 |
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 |
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 |
20100192710 | Sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus - Plural auxiliary rotating members abut at different positions in a circumferential direction of a roller-shaped rotating member that is configured to rotate in a forward direction and a reverse direction. Diameters of a portion of the roller-shaped rotating member where a first auxiliary rotating member abuts and a portion of the roller-shaped rotating member where a second auxiliary rotating member abuts are different from each other. Conveying speeds of sheets conveyed by the first auxiliary rotating member and the second auxiliary rotating member with the roller-shaped rotating member in different directions at the same time are different from each other. | 08-05-2010 |
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 |
20100225041 | Image forming system - An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus that that forms an image on a paper sheet and a sheet finishing device that performs finishing on a paper sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus. The sheet finishing device is disposed beneath the image forming apparatus. | 09-09-2010 |
20100276874 | Manual sheet-feeding device and image forming apparatus - An adjusting member is positioned in a sheet feeding opening. The adjusting member is adjusted according to the size of the paper sheet. The adjusting member does not jut out of an exterior surface of an apparatus body. | 11-04-2010 |
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 |
20110221126 | Paper feeder assembly for image forming apparatus, and image forming apparatus incorporating the same - A paper feeder assembly for an image forming apparatus is configured to sandwich a sheet of paper between a roller and an opposing pressing member and feed the sheet of paper by the roller being rotated. The paper feeder assembly includes a pressure variable member for varying pressurized contact force between the roller and the pressing member. In conjunction with ON/OFF action of a power supply switch provided in a main body of the image forming apparatus, the pressure variable member ensures pressurized contact force enough to fix an image when the power supply switch is turned on, whereas the pressure variable member operates to separate the roller and the pressing member from each other when the power supply switch is turned off. | 09-15-2011 |
20120007307 | Sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus - A conveying device conveys a sheet of non-blank recording medium recorded with an image formed in an image forming unit, and includes a container that is detachable and contains a sheet of blank recording medium, a feeding unit that feeds the blank recording medium from the container, and a recirculating path that leads the non-blank recording medium to the feeding unit. The recirculating path is disposed lateral to the image forming unit. A part of the recirculating path is integrated into the container and forms a reversing path that leads to the feeding unit. At least one of surfaces of the reversing path can be exposed. | 01-12-2012 |
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 |
20130004222 | MEDIA GUIDE MECHANISM, FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A mechanism for guiding a recording medium into a nip formed between a first rotary member subjected to heating, and a second rotary member pressed against the first rotary member includes a guide member and a biasing member. The guide member is disposed upstream from the nip to guide the recording medium therealong. The biasing member is connected to the guide member to mechanically bias the guide member. The guide member is subjected to a constant biasing force from the biasing member and to a pressure force from the recording medium. The pressure force is opposite the biasing force and variable with a stiffness of the recording medium being guided. The guide member is movable to different operational positions depending on the biasing and pressure forces acting thereon. | 01-03-2013 |
20150063865 | TONER CONTAINER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner container includes a substantially tetrahedral toner-containing portion having an openable edge to discharge toner contained in the toner-containing portion, and a reference fold along which the toner container is foldable after the openable edge is opened. The reference fold extends from the openable edge and is provided on medians of two triangular faces of the toner-containing portion adjoining each other along the openable edge. | 03-05-2015 |