# US 11,305,959 B2 · Sheet conveyance apparatus and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,959 B2 - Document ID: US11305959B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/707,142 - Filed: 2019-12-09 - Published: 2020-04-09 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-07 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yuji Nakayashiki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305959B2 ## CPC - B65H 29/60: diverting the stream into alternative paths (B65H29/62 takes precedence) - B65H 1/04: adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile - B65H 3/06: Rollers or like rotary separators {(B65H3/42 takes precedence)} - B65H 5/062: {between rollers or balls} - B65H 29/52: Stationary guides or smoothers - B65H 85/00: Recirculating articles, i.e. feeding each article to, and delivering it from, the same machine work-station more than once - B65H 2402/441: movable for facilitating access to area inside the housing, e.g. pivoting or sliding - B65H 2404/144: with relative movement of the rollers to / from each other - B65H 2404/1521: rotating, pivoting or oscillating around an axis, e.g. parallel to the roller axis - B65H 2404/6111: and shaped for curvilinear transport path - B65H 2404/612: and shaped for curvilinear transport path - B65H 2404/63: Oscillating, pivoting around an axis parallel to face of material, e.g. diverting means - B65H 2511/21: Angle - B65H 2601/11: Clearing faulty handling, e.g. jams - B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers - B65H 2801/09: Single-function copy machines - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second conveyance path is connected to a path in which the sheet is conveyed in a first direction to be passed to the second conveyance path, and the first conveyance path is connected to a path in which the sheet passed from the first conveyance path is conveyed in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction, wherein the first and second conveyance paths form a curved path for redirecting the sheet being conveyed in the second direction to the first direction, and wherein the guide unit is located on an inner side of the curved path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the path to which the second conveyance path is connected is an image forming path where an image is formed on the sheet by an image forming portion, and wherein the path to which the first conveyance path is connected is a duplex conveyance path through which the sheet having passed the image forming path is conveyed again to the image forming path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the urging portion is disposed between the second guide and the openable portion, and is configured to fix both positions of the first guide and the second guide in a state where the openable portion is closed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second guide is configured to pivot on the second shaft with respect to the first guide, the second shaft being parallel with the first shaft. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the urging portion is a torsion coil spring disposed around the first shaft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the urging portion is a resilient member, and the resilient member is configured to be deformed upon closing the openable portion such that the second guide abutting with the abutment portion is moved with respect to the first guide along with a deformation of the resilient member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising 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. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in a state where the openable portion is closed, a guide surface of the second guide and a guide surface of the guide member are adjacent to each other in a sheet conveyance direction in the second conveyance path, and the second guide and the guide member are configured such that, the second guide is restricted from moving with respect to the guide member in a sheet thickness direction in the second conveyance path by the second guide being abutted with the abutment portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an opposing guide portion provided in the body portion and configured to be opposed to the guide member and the second guide in a state where the openable portion is closed, wherein the second conveyance path is formed between the opposing guide portion and both the guide member and the second guide. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the guide member is fixed to the body portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the guide member is pivotally supported on the body portion such that the second conveyance path can be at least partially opened. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1; and an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance apparatus. ### Claim 15 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. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the urging portion is disposed between the second guide and the openable portion, and is configured to fix both positions of the first guide and the second guide in a state where the openable portion is closed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 15; and an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance apparatus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the urging portion is a torsion coil spring disposed around the first shaft. ### Claim 19 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. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 19; and an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance apparatus.