# US 11,897,256 B2 · 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 11,897,256 B2 - Document ID: US11897256B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/154,943 - Filed: 2023-01-16 - Published: 2023-07-27 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-25 - Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yuto Chiba; Takashi Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897256B2 ## CPC - B41J 11/006: {Means for preventing paper jams or for facilitating their removal} - B41J 11/70: cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed - B41J 13/0018: {in the sheet input section of automatic paper handling systems} - B65H 7/06: responsive to presence of faulty articles or incorrect separation or feed (B65H7/14 takes precedence) - B65H 20/02: by friction roller - B65H 2301/41374: arranged in a stationary manner - B65H 2301/5151: transversally to feeding direction - B65H 2404/1521: rotating, pivoting or oscillating around an axis, e.g. parallel to the roller axis - B65H 2511/528: Jam - B65H 2601/11: Clearing faulty handling, e.g. jams - B65H 2801/12: Single-function printing machines, typically table-top machines - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract An image forming apparatus includes an accommodating part configured to accommodate a sheet-like medium wound in a roll shape, an apparatus main body provided with a conveyer and an image forming engine, an electrically driven cutter, a cover configured to take a closed position for forming an exposable portion of a conveying path downstream in the conveying direction of the cutter and an open position to expose the exposable portion of the conveying path to the outside, a detector configured to detect a conveyance jam of the medium at a position downstream in the conveying direction of the exposable portion of the conveying path, a notifier configured to make notification to a user, and a controller configured to cause the notifier to prompt the user to cut off the medium at an arbitrary position in the exposable portion of the conveying path when the detector detects the conveyance jam. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: an accommodating part configured to accommodate a roll body in which a sheet-like medium is wound in a roll shape; an apparatus main body provided with a conveyer configured to convey the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll body in a conveying direction and an image forming engine configured to form an image on the sheet-like medium; an electrically driven cutter configured to cut the sheet-like medium conveyed by the conveyer in an intersecting direction intersecting the conveying direction; a cover configured to take a closed position for forming an exposable portion of a conveying path for the sheet-like medium downstream in the conveying direction from the cutter with the apparatus main body, and an open position at least partially separated from the apparatus main body to expose the exposable portion of the conveying path to the outside; a detector configured to detect a conveyance jam of the sheet-like medium conveyed to the conveying path by the conveyer at a position downstream in the conveying direction from the exposable portion of the conveying path; a notifier configured to execute a notifying operation for making notification to a user; and a controller configured to cause the notifier to execute the notifying operation including prompting the user to cut off the sheet-like medium which has caused the conveyance jam at an arbitrary position in the exposable portion of the conveying path when the detector detects the conveyance jam of the sheet-like medium. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input interface configured to allow the user to input a predetermined instruction, wherein the controller: causes the notifier to execute the notifying operation for allowing the user to select whether to execute an automatic cut of cutting the sheet-like medium which has caused the conveyance jam with the cutter before prompting the user to cut the sheet-like medium when the detector detects the conveyance jam of the sheet-like medium; causes the cutter to cut the sheet-like medium when an instruction to execute the automatic cut is inputted to the input interface; and causes the notifier to execute the notifying operation for prompting the user to cut the sheet-like medium when an instruction not to execute the automatic cut is inputted to the input interface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, after causing the cutter to cut the sheet-like medium, the controller causes the notifier to execute the notifying operation for prompting the user to remove the cut-off sheet-like medium. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when an instruction indicating that the automatic cut is to be always executed when the conveyance jam occurs is input to the input interface, the controller executes the automatic cut when the detector detects the conveyance jam of the sheet-like medium. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the conveyer includes a conveying roller pair configured to convey the sheet-like medium to the image forming engine, and the cover includes a guide member disposed adjacent to the conveying roller pair and forming part of the exposable portion of the conveying path that guides the sheet-like medium to the conveying roller pair. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutter and the exposable portion are disposed upstream from the image forming engine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutter and the exposable portion are disposed downstream from the image forming engine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector is an optical sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector is a contact sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notifier is a display, and in the notifying operation, the controller causes the display to display information to be notified to the user. ### Claim 11 An image forming apparatus comprising: an accommodating part configured to accommodate a roll body in which a sheet-like medium is wound in a roll shape; an apparatus main body provided with a conveyer configured to convey the sheet-like medium unwound from the roll body in a conveying direction and an image forming engine configured to form an image on the sheet-like medium; an electrically driven cutter configured to cut the sheet-like medium conveyed by the conveyer in an intersecting direction intersecting the conveying direction; a cover configured to take a closed position for forming an exposable portion of a conveying path for the sheet-like medium downstream in the conveying direction from the cutter with the apparatus main body, and an open position at least partially separated from the apparatus main body to expose the exposable portion of the conveying path to the outside; a detector configured to detect a conveyance jam of the sheet-like medium conveyed to the conveying path by the conveyer at a position within the exposable portion of the conveying path; a notifier configured to execute a notifying operation for making notification to a user; and a controller configured to cause the notifier to execute the notifying operation including prompting the user to cut off the sheet-like medium which has caused the conveyance jam at an arbitrary position in the exposable portion of the conveying path when the detector detects the conveyance jam of the sheet-like medium. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: the conveyer includes a conveying roller pair configured to convey the sheet-like medium to the image forming engine, the cover includes a guide member disposed adjacent to the conveying roller pair and forming part of the exposable portion of the conveying path that guides the sheet-like medium to the conveying roller pair, and the detector is disposed between the conveying roller pair and the guide member.