# US 2013/0156480 A1 · Image forming apparatus including a reversing feeding unit

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- Number: US 2013/0156480 A1
- Document ID: US20130156480A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/765,764
- Filed: 2013-02-13
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2009-01-12
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Heung-kyu JANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156480A1

## CPC

- G03G 15/6579: {Refeeding path for composite copying}
- G03G 15/6552: {Means for discharging uncollated sheet copy material, e.g. discharging rollers, exit trays}
- G03G 2215/00421: Discharging tray, e.g. devices stabilising the quality of the copy medium, postfixing-treatment, inverting, sorting
- G03G 2215/007: Inverter not for refeeding purposes
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a reverse-feeding unit. The reverse-feeding unit includes a frame which forms a first feeding path along which a printing medium is fed and a second feeding path which is branched off from the first feeding path, a guide plate which rotates between a first position in which the printing medium fed along the first feeding path is supported and a second position in which the supported printing medium is directed towards the second feeding path, and a plate driving unit which comprises an actuator which actuates the guide plate, a driving source which drives the actuator, and an electronic clutch which selectively transmits a driving force of the driving source to the actuator.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body;
a printing unit which is contained in the main body and performs printing for a printing medium;
a storage unit which is installed on the main body and stores the printing medium printed through the printing unit; and
a reverse-feeding unit which changes a path of the printed printing medium to feed towards the storage unit, the reverse-feeding unit comprising:
a frame which forms a first feeding path along which a printing medium is fed and a second feeding path which is branched off from the first feeding path;
a guide plate which moves between a first position in which the printing medium fed along the first feeding path is supported and a second position in which the supported printing medium is directed towards the second feeding path; and
a plate driving unit which drives the guide plate to be moved to one of the first position and the second position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plate driving unit comprises an actuator which actuates the guide plate, a driving source which drives the actuator, and an electronic clutch which selectively transmits a driving force of the driving source to the actuator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first feeding path extends between the printing unit and the guide plate; and the second feeding path extends between the guide plate and the storage unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reverse-feeding unit is detachably coupled to the main body.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reverse-feeding unit further comprises:
a sensor unit which is installed in the first feeding path; and
a controller which controls the plate driving unit based on a sensing result of the sensor unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reverse-feeding unit further comprises:
a first driving roller which feeds the printing medium along the second feeding path; and
a contact unit which contacts the first driving roller with the printing medium being interposed therebetween when the guide plate is located in the second position and which separates from the first driving roller when the guide plate is located in the first position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the contact unit comprises at least one of an idle roller, a sliding unit and an elastic pad.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the contact unit is installed in the guide plate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the reverse-feeding unit further comprises a second driving roller which rotates in a one-way direction and which feeds the printing medium along the first feeding path and feeds the printing medium supported by the guide plate along the second feeding path.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first driving roller and the second driving roller are driven by the driving source.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reverse-feeding unit further comprises a deviation prevention unit which prevents the printing medium supported by the guide plate from being deviated from the guide plate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the actuator comprises a cam.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electronic clutch interlockingly rotates the actuator with non-gear structure.