US 12,189,321 B2 · Image forming apparatus and sheet conveyance device

Abstract

A manual feed tray is located at a side surface of a main housing. A supply roller conveys a sheet on the manual feed tray toward a print engine. A pressure plate is movable between a contact position at which the sheet on the manual feed tray contacts the supply roller and a separated position at which the sheet on the manual feed tray is separated from the supply roller. A push-up cam pushes up the pressure plate from the separated position to the contact position. The push-up cam includes a contact portion configured to contact the pressure plate. A controller is configured to: when performing printing on a plurality of sheets, after moving the pressure plate from the separated position to the contact position, convey the plurality of sheets by intermittently driving the supply roller while maintaining the pressure plate at the contact position.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main housing;
a print engine accommodated in the main housing and configured to form an image on a sheet;
a manual feed tray located at a side surface of the main housing;
a supply roller configured to convey a sheet on the manual feed tray toward the print engine;
a pressure plate movable between a contact position at which the sheet on the manual feed tray contacts the supply roller and a separated position at which the sheet on the manual feed tray is separated from the supply roller;
a push-up cam configured to push up the pressure plate from the separated position to the contact position, the push-up cam including a contact portion configured to contact the pressure plate;
and
a controller configured to:
when performing printing on a plurality of sheets, after moving the pressure plate from the separated position to the contact position, convey the plurality of sheets by intermittently driving the supply roller while maintaining the pressure plate at the contact position.

6 more elements

A sheet conveyance device comprising:

a tray;
a supply roller configured to convey a sheet set on the tray;
a pressure plate movable between a contact position at which the sheet on the tray contacts the supply roller and a separated position at which the sheet on the tray is separated from the supply roller;
a motor;
a transmission switching gear train including a solenoid actuator, the transmission switching gear train being switchable between a transmission state in which drive force of the motor is transmitted to the supply roller and a non-transmission state in which drive force of the motor is not transmitted to the supply roller;
a pressure plate operating mechanism switchable between an operating state in which the pressure plate is operated by using drive force of the motor and a non-operating state in which the pressure plate is not operated by cutting off drive force of the motor, the pressure plate operating mechanism including:
an input gear to which drive force is input;
a sector gear having an outer circumferential surface on which a tooth portion and a toothless portion are arranged, the tooth portion being engageable with the input gear, the toothless portion being not engageable with the input gear;
and
a spring configured to urge the sector gear in a rotation direction of the sector gear;
and
a sector lever configured to switch a state of the pressure plate operating mechanism, the sector lever being rotatable between:
a rotation restricting position at which the sector lever engages with a part of the sector gear to stop rotation of the sector gear due to urging force of the spring;
and
a rotation allowing position at which the sector lever separates from the part of the sector gear to allow rotation of the sector gear due to urging force of the spring,
wherein, in response to switching, by the sector lever, a state of the pressure plate operating mechanism from the non-operating state to the operating state, the pressure plate moves from the separated position to the contact position;
wherein, in response to switching the state of the pressure plate operating mechanism from the operating state to the non-operating state, the pressure plate is maintained at the contact position;
and
wherein the transmission switching gear train is alternately switchable between the transmission state and the non-transmission state in a state where the pressure plate is maintained at the contact position.

16 more elements

A sheet conveyance device comprising:

a tray;
a supply roller configured to convey a sheet set on the tray;
a pressure plate movable between a contact position at which the sheet on the tray contacts the supply roller and a separated position at which the sheet on the tray is separated from the supply roller;
a motor;
a transmission switching gear train switchable between a transmission state in which drive force of the motor is transmitted to the supply roller and a non-transmission state in which drive force of the motor is not transmitted to the supply roller;
a pressure plate operating gear train switchable between an operating state in which the pressure plate is operated by using drive force of the motor and a non-operating state in which the pressure plate is not operated by cutting off drive force of the motor;
and
a solenoid actuator configured to switch a state of the pressure plate operating gear train and a state of the transmission switching gear train,
wherein, in a case where an actuation time of the solenoid actuator is a first time, the state of the pressure plate operating gear train is switched to the operating state to move the pressure plate, and the state of the transmission switching gear train is switched to the transmission state or the non-transmission state;
and
wherein, in a case where the actuation time of the solenoid actuator is a second time shorter than the first time, the state of the pressure plate operating gear train is not switched to the operating state to maintain a position of the pressure plate, and the state of the transmission switching gear train is switched to the transmission state or the non-transmission state.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image forming apparatus and sheet conveyance device

Life of this patent

Image forming apparatus and sheet conveyance device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20