US 2016/0257527 A1Published application

Image forming apparatus having re-conveying path

AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsAtsushi MIWA, Shougo SATO

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Abstract

In an image forming apparatus, a discharge roller discharges a sheet conveyed by a first conveying path. The discharge roller switches between: a mode of conveying a sheet in a sheet discharging direction to discharge a sheet; and a mode of reversing a direction of conveying a sheet from the sheet discharging direction and feeding a sheet to a re-conveying path. A pivot plate at an open position constitutes a second conveying path. The pivot plate at a closed position closes the second conveying path. The pivot plate is provided with a penetrating portion penetrating the pivot plate over an entire thickness of the pivot plate. The penetrating portion constitutes part of the re-conveying path when the pivot plate is disposed at the closed position. Part of the pivot plate is exposed outside the housing.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet;
an apparatus body having a housing configured to enclose the image forming portion therein, the housing having a sheet discharge tray at its vertically upper portion, the sheet discharge tray being configured to receive thereon a sheet having an image formed thereon;
a discharge roller provided in a first conveying path and configured to discharge, onto the sheet discharge tray, a sheet that has been conveyed by the first conveying path, the first conveying path having a curved part that is configured to guide a sheet, which has been conveyed from the image forming portion, to the discharge roller, while changing an orientation of the sheet;
a pivot plate pivotally movable relative to the apparatus body between an open position and a closed position, the pivot plate at the open position constituting a second conveying path, the second conveying path being a straight path configured to guide a sheet, which has been conveyed from the image forming portion, linearly toward an outside of the housing, the pivot plate at the closed position closing the second conveying path, the pivot plate having a plate shape;
and
an image reading device assembled to the apparatus body at a vertical level higher than the sheet discharge tray such that the image reading device is pivotally movable relative to the apparatus body.

3 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet;
an apparatus body having a housing configured to enclose the image forming portion therein, the housing having a sheet discharge tray at its vertically upper portion, the sheet discharge tray being configured to receive thereon a sheet having an image formed thereon;
a discharge roller provided in a first conveying path and configured to discharge, onto the sheet discharge tray, a sheet that has been conveyed by the first conveying path, the first conveying path having a curved part that is configured to guide a sheet, which has been conveyed from the image forming portion, to the discharge roller, while changing an orientation of the sheet, the discharge roller being configured to switch between:
a mode of conveying a sheet in a sheet discharging direction to discharge a sheet toward the sheet discharge tray;
and a mode of reversing a direction of conveying a sheet from the sheet discharging direction and feeding a sheet to a re-conveying path that is arranged to convey the sheet back to an inlet port of the image forming portion;
and
an image reading device assembled to the apparatus body at a vertical level higher than the sheet discharge tray such that the image reading device is pivotally movable relative to the apparatus body,
wherein the re-conveying path and the image reading device are arranged relative to each other such that when the re-conveying path and the image reading device are projected on a virtual horizontal plane, at least part of the re-conveying path is disposed at a position that is out of a scanning range of a reading element provided in the image reading device.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/159,136Filed 19 May 2016
Priority: JP 2014-06973828 Mar 2014
Published: 8 Sep 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

B65H 85/00
Recirculating articles, i.e. feeding each article to, and delivering it from, the
B65H 29/14
By means of the nip between two, or between two sets of, moving tapes or bands or rollers: and introducing into a pile
B65H 29/60
Article switches or diverters: diverting the stream into alternative paths
B65H 31/02
Pile receivers: with stationary end support against which pile accumulates

Family

Application14/666,709Continuation · filed 24 Mar 2015
Application15/159,136Continuation
US 2015/0274473 A1Published application
US 9,371,207 B2Related patent
US 9,914,616 B2Related patent
US 2016/0257527 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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