Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasato Nishio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus which does not involve an increase in apparatus size and which is capable of effectively performing curl correction is provided. In the image forming apparatus, a sheet to which an image formed by an image forming portion is fixed by a fixing device is discharged through a discharge path, or conveyed to a separation path separated from the discharge path, and then surfaces of the sheet are reversed before the sheet is caused to move toward the discharge path from a surface reverse path. A curl correcting means is provided in the surface reverse path, and any curl generated in the sheet when it passes through the fixing device is corrected by the curl correcting means.
Claims17
A sheet conveying apparatus comprising curl correcting means having a rubber roller and at least two rotary members abutting against an outer periphery of the rubber roller at different positions, the curl correcting means passing a sheet through nip portions between the rubber roller and the rotary members to correct any curl in the sheet,
- wherein the curl correcting means has a first guide member arranged in a central portion in an axial direction of the rotary members so as to extend along the outer periphery of the rubber roller to guide the sheet.
An image forming apparatus which fixes an image formed on a sheet by an image forming portion to the sheet by a fixing device before discharging the sheet, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- a discharge path for discharging the sheet,
- a separation path separated from the discharge path,
- a surface reverse path for reversing surfaces of the sheet conveyed to the separation path to cause the sheet to move toward the discharge path, and
- curl correcting means provided in the surface reverse path for correcting any curl generated in the sheet when the sheet passes through the fixing device.
A sheet conveying apparatus comprising:
- a first path for guiding a sheet;
- a second path branching off from the first path;
- switching means for selectively guiding the sheet to the first path and the second path;
- conveying means for switchback-conveying the sheet guided to the second path by the switching means in a direction in which the sheet is introduced into the second path from the switching means and in a direction opposite thereto;
- a third path for guiding the sheet switchback-conveyed in the opposite direction by the conveying means from the second path to the first path;
- and
- curl correcting means for correcting any curl in the sheet passing through the third path,
- wherein at least a part of the switching means and at least a part of the curl correcting means are arranged in a region surrounded by the first path, the second path, and the third path.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- fixing means for fixing an image formed on a sheet by an image forming portion to the sheet;
- a first path for guiding the sheet passed through the fixing means;
- a second path branching off from the first path, switching means for selectively guiding the sheet to the first path and the second path;
- conveying means for switchback-conveying the sheet guided to the second path by the switching means in a direction in which the sheet is introduced into the second path from the switching means and in a direction opposite thereto;
- a third path for guiding the sheet switchback-conveyed in the opposite direction by the conveying means from the second path to the first path;
- and
- curl correcting means for correcting any curl in the sheet passing through the third path,
- wherein at least a part of the switching means and at least a part of the curl correcting means are arranged in a region surrounded by the first path, the second path, and the third path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.