# US 2008/0187382 A1 · Image forming apparatus and method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0187382 A1 - Document ID: US20080187382A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/956,609 - Filed: 2007-12-14 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-01 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Byung Sun Ahn; Jin Min Chung; Jin Soo Lee; Min Jae Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080187382A1 ## CPC - G03G 15/234: {by inverting and refeeding the image receiving material with an image on one face to the recording member to transfer a second image on its second face, e.g. by using a duplex tray; Details of duplex trays or inverters} - G03G 15/6573: {Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing} - G03G 15/6579: {Refeeding path for composite copying} - G03G 21/1633: {using doors or covers (G03G21/1638 takes precedence)} - G03G 2215/00438: Inverter of refeeding path - G03G 2215/00586: duplex mode - G03G 2215/007: Inverter not for refeeding purposes - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus having an improved structure to enable a user to conveniently operate the image forming apparatus at a front of the image forming apparatus, and a method thereof. The image forming apparatus includes a main body formed with a discharge port at a front portion, a printing unit mounted inside the main body and disposed adjacent to a front panel of the main body, a feeding unit to feed paper printed by the printing unit toward a rear panel of the main body, and a discharge reversal unit to reverse a moving direction of the paper fed by the feeding unit to feed the paper to the discharge port. A sensor to detect a moving position of the paper and a paper guide guiding movement of the paper is mounted between the feeding unit and the discharge reversal unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus, comprising: a main body formed with a discharge port at a front portion thereof; a printing unit mounted inside the main body and disposed adjacent to a front panel of the main body; a feeding unit to feed paper printed by the printing unit toward a rear panel of the main body; and a discharge reversal unit to reverse a moving direction of the paper fed by the feeding unit to feed the paper to the discharge port. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a sensor mounted on a paper feeding path between the feeding unit and the discharge reversal unit to detect a moving position of the paper. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a paper guide mounted between the feeding unit and the discharge reversal unit to guide movement of the paper. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge reversal unit comprises: a discharge reversal roller mounted rotatably in forward and reverse directions; and a discharge reversal backup roller to rotate while contacting the discharge reversal roller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a discharge roller to discharge the paper fed by the discharge reversal unit to an exterior of the main body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the discharge reversal unit is positioned at a rear of the discharge roller. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the paper guide comprises: a first guide surface to guide the paper moving from the feeding unit toward the discharge reversal unit; and a second guide surface to guide the paper moving from the discharge reversal unit toward the discharge roller. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the discharge reversal unit comprises: a discharge reversal roller mounted rotatably in forward and reverse directions; a discharge reversal backup roller to rotate while contacting the discharge reversal roller; and a nip portion where the discharge reversal roller contacts the discharge reversal backup roller is positioned higher than a corner of the paper guide where the first guide surface is contiguous to the second guide surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the feeding unit comprises: a discharge feed roller to rotate by receiving a drive power from a driving source; a feed backup roller to rotate while contacting the discharge feed roller; and a nip portion where the discharge reversal roller contacts the discharge reversal backup roller is positioned higher than a nip portion where the discharge feed roller contacts the feed backup roller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a fixing unit to fix an image formed on the paper by the printing unit to the paper, wherein the feeding unit includes a discharge feed roller which is mounted rotatably in forward and reverse directions, and a sensor is mounted on a paper feeding path between the fixing unit and the discharge feed roller to detect a moving position of the paper. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front panel of the main body is provided to be opened and closed to access the printing unit. ### Claim 12 An image forming apparatus, comprising: a main body having a paper feeding path; a printing unit provided inside the main body to form an image on paper which moves along the paper feeding path; a fixing unit to fix the image formed on the paper by the printing unit to the paper; a discharge roller to feed the paper toward a front panel of the main body and discharge the paper to an exterior of the main body; and a discharge reversal roller mounted rotatably in forward and reverse directions at a rear of the discharge roller to reverse a moving direction of the paper fed from the fixing unit to feed the paper to the discharge roller. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the printing unit and the fixing unit are mounted adjacent to the front panel of the main body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: a discharge feed roller disposed on the paper feeding path between the fixing unit and the discharge reversal roller, wherein the discharge feed roller feeds the paper having passed through the fixing unit rearward toward the discharge reversal roller. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising: a sensor mounted between the discharge feed roller and the discharge reversal roller to detect a moving position of the paper. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising: a paper guide comprising: a first guide surface to guide movement of the paper between the discharge feed roller and the discharge reversal roller; and a second guide surface to guide movement of the paper between the discharge reversal roller and the discharge roller. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the discharge feed roller is mounted rotatably in forward and reverse directions, and a sensor is mounted between the fixing unit and the discharge feed roller to detect a moving position of the paper. ### Claim 18 A method of feeding a printing medium within an image forming apparatus having a main body, the method comprising: feeding the printing medium to a printing unit to print an image on a first side thereof at a first side of the main body; re-feeding the printing medium to the printing unit a second time to print another image on a second side thereof; and discharging the printing medium outside the main body at the first side thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: feeding the printing medium to a duplex printing path at the first side of the main body to feed the printing medium to the printing unit the second time. ### Claim 20 A method of feeding a printing medium within an image forming apparatus having a main body, the method comprising: feeding the printing medium to a printing unit adjacent to a first side of the main body to print an image on the printing medium; feeding the printing medium to a second side of the main body after the image has been printed on the printing medium; and reversing a moving direction of the printing medium to discharge the printing medium outside the main body.