US 11,305,959 B2Granted

Sheet conveyance apparatus and image forming apparatus

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorYuji Nakayashiki

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Abstract

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a body portion and a guide unit having a first and second guides. Where an openable portion in the body portion is closed, a first conveyance path is formed between the first guide and a third guide in the openable portion and a second conveyance path is formed between the second guide and the body portion, and a sheet is conveyed from the first conveyance path to the second conveyance path by passing through a gap between the guide unit and a downstream end of the third guide. In a state where the openable portion is open, the guide unit moves with respect to the openable portion so the second guide faces the third guide and the gap between the guide unit and the downstream end of the third guide becomes larger than the gap in a state where the openable portion is closed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A sheet conveyance apparatus comprising:

a body portion;
an openable portion supported by the body portion and configured to be opened and closed with respect to the body portion;
a guide unit supported by the openable portion and comprising a first guide supported by the openable portion movably with respect to the openable portion and a second guide supported by the first guide movably with respect to the first guide, wherein in a state where the openable portion is closed, a first conveyance path is formed between the first guide and a third guide provided in the openable portion and a second conveyance path is formed between the second guide and the body portion, and a sheet is conveyed from the first conveyance path to the second conveyance path by passing through a gap between the guide unit and a downstream end of the third guide in a sheet conveyance direction;
an abutment portion provided in the body portion and configured to abut with the second guide to fix a position of the guide unit in a state where the openable portion is closed;
and
an urging portion configured to urge the second guide toward the abutment portion in a state where the openable portion is closed,
wherein in a state where the openable portion is open, the guide unit is movable with respect to the openable portion such that the second guide comes to face the third guide and that the gap between the guide unit and the downstream end of the third guide becomes larger than the gap in a state where the openable portion is closed,
wherein the urging portion is configured such that, in a state where the openable portion is closed, the urging portion urges the first guide in a first pivoting direction around a first shaft and urges the second guide in a second pivoting direction around a second shaft, the second pivoting direction being opposite to the first pivoting direction.

5 more elements

A sheet conveyance apparatus comprising:

a body portion;
an openable portion supported by the body portion and configured to be opened and closed with respect to the body portion;
a guide unit supported by the openable portion and comprising a first guide supported by the openable portion movably with respect to the openable portion and a second guide supported by the first guide movably with respect to the first guide, wherein in a state where the openable portion is closed, a first conveyance path is formed between the first guide and a third guide provided in the openable portion and a second conveyance path is formed between the second guide and the body portion, and a sheet is conveyed from the first conveyance path to the second conveyance path by passing through a gap between the guide unit and a downstream end of the third guide in a sheet conveyance direction;
an abutment portion provided in the body portion and configured to abut with the second guide to fix a position of the guide unit in a state where the openable portion is closed,
wherein in a state where the openable portion is open, the guide unit is movable with respect to the openable portion such that the second guide comes to face the third guide and that the gap between the guide unit and the downstream end of the third guide becomes larger than the gap in a state where the openable portion is closed;
and
an urging portion configured to urge the second guide toward the abutment portion in a state where the openable portion is closed;
wherein the openable portion comprises a contact portion configured to be in contact with the first guide in a state where the first guide is at a position to form the first conveyance path, and
wherein the urging portion is configured to urge the first guide toward the contact portion with a first urging force in a state where the openable portion is opened, and to urge the first guide to the contact portion with a second urging force greater than the first urging force in a state where the openable portion is closed.

6 more elements

A sheet conveyance apparatus comprising:

a body portion;
an openable portion supported by the body portion and configured to be opened and closed with respect to the body portion;
a guide unit supported by the openable portion and comprising a first guide supported by the openable portion movably with respect to the openable portion and a second guide supported by the first guide movably with respect to the first guide, wherein in a state where the openable portion is closed, a first conveyance path is formed between the first guide and a third guide provided in the openable portion and a second conveyance path is formed between the second guide and the body portion, and a sheet is conveyed from the first conveyance path to the second conveyance path by passing through a gap between the guide unit and a downstream end of the third guide in a sheet conveyance direction;
an abutment portion provided in the body portion and configured to abut with the second guide to fix a position of the guide unit in a state where the openable portion is closed,
wherein in a state where the openable portion is open, the guide unit is movable with respect to the openable portion such that the second guide comes to face the third guide and that the gap between the guide unit and the downstream end of the third guide becomes larger than the gap in a state where the openable portion is closed, and
a guide member provided in the body portion such that the second conveyance path is formed between the guide member and the second guide in a state where the openable portion is closed,
wherein the abutment portion is provided on the guide member, and
wherein the guide member is pivotally supported on the body portion such that the second conveyance path can be at least partially opened.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/707,142Filed 9 Dec 2019 · continuation
Priority: JP JP2016-2170177 Nov 2016
Published: US 2020/0109021 A19 Apr 2020
Granted: 19 Apr 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

B65H 29/60
Article switches or diverters: diverting the stream into alternative paths
B65H 1/04
Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated: adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for…
B65H 3/06
Using friction forces between articles and separator: rollers or like rotary separators
B65H 5/062
By rollers or balls, e.g. between rollers: between rollers or balls

Family

Application15/800,273Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Nov 2017
US 2020/0109021 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Apr 2020
US 10,532,905 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0127228 A1Published application
US 11,305,959 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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