US 10,207,883 B2Granted

Sheet conveyance apparatus and image forming apparatus

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorKozo Inoue

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Abstract

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes first and second conveyance paths that eventually merge together. A guide member pair constituting the first conveyance path includes a second path guide member disposed on the second conveyance path side among the guide member pair and having a straight portion and a curved portion provided continuously downstream of the straight portion. A downstream end portion of the guide member is positioned in a merging portion of the first and second conveyance paths. The straight portion includes a plurality of ribs and a slope portion formed thereon. The plurality of ribs project perpendicularly from a base portion and are parallel to the sheet conveyance direction. The slope portion is provided between two of the plurality of ribs adjacent to each other and is inclined from the base portion toward the ridges of the plurality of ribs.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A sheet conveyance apparatus comprising:

a first conveyance path whose downstream portion in a sheet conveyance direction is curved;
a second conveyance path configured to merge with the first conveyance path at a merging portion;
and
a second path side guide member disposed on a side of the second conveyance path among guide members configured to form the first conveyance path, wherein
the second path side guide member comprises a downstream end portion, in the sheet conveyance direction, positioned at a merging portion, a curved portion provided upstream, in the sheet conveyance direction, of the downstream end portion, and a straight portion provided upstream, in the sheet conveyance direction, of the curved portion and extending straightly so as to be continuous with the curved portion, with the downstream end portion, the curved portion, and the straight portion formed as one piece,
the straight portion comprises a plurality of ribs, a base portion, and a slope portion, the plurality of ribs projecting from the base portion and being parallel to the sheet conveyance direction, the slope portion being provided between two of the plurality of ribs adjacent to each other in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction and being inclined in such a manner that the slope portion approaches from the base portion to ridges of the ribs as it approaches the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction,
the curved portion and the downstream end portion comprise smooth surfaces,
a first surface of the downstream end portion of the second path side guide member is configured to form the first conveyance path in the merging portion and a second surface, oppositely arranged to the first surface, of the downstream end portion of the second path side member is configured to form the second conveyance path in the merging portion, and
no rib is provided on the downstream end portion.

6 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
and
a sheet conveyance apparatus configured to convey a sheet to the image forming unit, the sheet conveyance apparatus comprising:
a first conveyance path whose downstream portion in a sheet conveyance direction is curved;
a second conveyance path configured to merge with the first conveyance path at a merging portion;
and
a second path side guide member disposed on a side of the second conveyance path among guide members configured to form the first conveyance path, wherein
the second path side guide member comprises a downstream end portion, in the sheet conveyance direction, positioned at the merging portion, a curved portion provided upstream, in the sheet conveyance direction, of the downstream end portion, and a straight portion provided upstream, in the sheet conveyance direction, of the curved portion and extending straight so as to be continuous with the curved portion, with the downstream end portion, the curved portion, and the straight portion formed as one piece,
the straight portion comprises a plurality of ribs, a base portion, and a slope portion, the plurality of ribs projecting from the base portion and being parallel to the sheet conveyance direction, the slope portion being provided between two of the plurality of ribs adjacent to each other in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction and being inclined in such a manner that the slope portion approaches from the base portion to ridges of the ribs as it approaches the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction,
the curved portion and the downstream end portion comprise smooth surfaces,
a first surface of the downstream end portion of the second path side guide member is configured to form the first conveyance path in the merging portion and a second surface, oppositely arranged to the first surface, of the downstream end portion of the second path side member is configured to form the second conveyance path in the merging portion, and
no rib is provided on the downstream end portion.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/251,161Filed 30 Aug 2016
Priority: JP 2015-1764588 Sep 2015
Published: US 2017/0066609 A19 Mar 2017
Granted: 19 Feb 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B65H 5/38
Article guides or smoothers, e.g. movable in operation: immovable in operation
B65H 5/26
Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines: duplicate, alternate, selective, or coacting feeds
G03G 15/65
Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern: apparatus which relate to the handling of copy material
B65H 2402/45
Details of frames, housings or mountings of the whole handling apparatus: doors