# US 10,766,050 B2 · Coating apparatus and image forming system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,050 B2 - Document ID: US10766050B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/294,447 - Filed: 2019-03-06 - Published: 2019-09-19 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-16 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Toshihiro Nakagaki; Kenji Nozawa - Inventors: Toshihiro Nakagaki; Kenji Nozawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766050B2 ## CPC - B05C 1/083: {being passed between the coating roller and one or more backing rollers} - B41J 11/0015: {for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing (selective coating B41J2/2114)} - B41J 11/006: {Means for preventing paper jams or for facilitating their removal} - B41M 5/0017: {Application of ink-fixing material, e.g. mordant, precipitating agent, on the substrate prior to printing, e.g. by ink-jet printing, coating or spraying} - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - B41M: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING, (correction of typographical errors B41J; processes for applying transfer pictures or the like B44C1/16; fluid media for correction of typographical errors by coating C09D10/00; printing textiles D06P) ## Abstract A coating apparatus is connectable to both an image forming apparatus and a sheet feeder. The coating apparatus includes a coater, a carry-in entrance, and an ejector. The coater coats a recording medium with a treatment liquid. The carry-in entrance is on one of two exterior wall surfaces facing each other. The recording medium is conveyed from the sheet feeder through the carry-in entrance. The ejector is on another of the two exterior wall surfaces. The ejector ejects the recording medium to the image forming apparatus. A position of the carry-in entrance on the one of the exterior wall surfaces matches a position of the ejector on said another of the exterior wall surfaces. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A coating apparatus connectable to both an image forming apparatus with a first enclosure having an entrance and a sheet feeder with a second enclosure having an ejector, the coating apparatus comprising: a coater to coat a recording medium with a treatment liquid; a carry-in entrance on one of two exterior wall surfaces, the carry-in entrance to receive the recording medium from the sheet feeder; and an ejector on another of the two exterior wall surfaces, the ejector to eject the recording medium to the image forming apparatus, wherein a position of the carry-in entrance on the one of the exterior wall surfaces aligns with the ejector on said another of the exterior wall surfaces, aligns with the ejector of the second enclosure of the sheet feeder, and aligns with the entrance of the first enclosure of the image forming apparatus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The coating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first path to eject the recording medium to the image forming apparatus after the recording medium passes via the coater; and a second path to eject the recording medium to the image forming apparatus without the recording medium passing via the coater. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The coating apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a reversing path to reverse the recording medium with a first surface coated with the treatment liquid and convey the recording medium to the coater. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The coating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a length between the coater and a rear edge of a reversing portion of the reversing path is a length allowing a plurality of recording media to stay. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The coating apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a switch to selectively switch a conveyance destination of the recording medium between the reversing path and the ejecting path, wherein the switch is disposed at a branch point branching into the reversing path and an ejecting path to convey the recording medium to the ejector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The coating apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a remaining sheet ejection portion to eject the recording medium remaining in a recording medium conveying path at a time of occurrence of a sheet jam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The coating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the recording medium remaining in the recording medium conveying path from the sheet feeder to a branch point branching into the reversing path and an ejecting path to convey the recording medium to the ejector, and the recording medium remaining in the reversing path are ejected to the remaining sheet ejection portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The coating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the recording medium on which a double feed is detected in the sheet feeder is conveyed to the remaining sheet ejection portion without via the coater. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An image forming system comprising: the sheet feeder; the coating apparatus according to claim 1 connected to the sheet feeder; and the image forming apparatus connected to the coating apparatus.