US 2023/0259065 A1Published application

Image forming apparatus

AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsYusuke IKEGAMI, Yasuhiro SUZUKI

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Abstract

An image forming apparatus, having an image forming device, a reversible roller rotatable in a first direction and a second direction, a motor, a switching assembly, is provided. The switching assembly has a planetary differential gear having an input gear, a first output gear, a second output gear, and a planetary gear; a first driving-force transmitter connecting the first output gear and the reversible roller; a second driving-force transmitter connecting the second output gear and the reversible roller; and a switcher. The switcher switches conditions of the switching assembly between a first condition, wherein the reversible roller is rotated in the first direction by the first output gear allowed to output the driving force to the first driving-force transmitter, and a second condition, wherein the reversible roller is rotated in the second direction by the second output gear allowed to output the driving force to the second driving-force transmitter.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image forming device configured to form an image on a sheet being conveyed;
a reversible roller located downstream from the image forming device in a sheet-conveying direction, the reversible roller being rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction;
a motor being a driving source for the reversible roller;
a switching assembly configured to switch rotating directions of the reversible roller in a state where the motor is rotating in one direction, the switching assembly having:
a planetary differential gear having an input gear configured to be driven to rotate by a driving force input from the motor, a first output gear and a second output gear configured to output the driving force transmitted thereto, and a planetary gear configured to transmit the driving force from the input gear to the first output gear and the second output gear;
a first driving-force transmitter connecting the first output gear and the reversible roller, the first driving-force transmitter having a first clutch, the first clutch being configured to transmit the driving force input thereto from the first output gear to the reversible roller but not to transmit the driving force input thereto from the reversible roller to the first output gear;
a second driving-force transmitter connecting the second output gear and the reversible roller, the second driving-force transmitter having a second clutch, the second clutch being configured to transmit the driving force input thereto from the second output gear to the reversible roller but not to transmit the driving force input thereto from the reversible roller to the second output gear;
and
a switcher configured to switch conditions of the switching assembly between a first condition, in which the reversible roller is rotated in the first direction by allowing the first output gear to output the driving force to the first driving-force transmitter and suspending the second output gear not to output the driving force to the second driving-force transmitter, and a second condition, in which the reversible roller is rotated in the second direction by suspending the first output gear not to output the driving force to the first driving-force transmitter and allowing the second output gear to output the driving force to the second driving-force transmitter.

6 more elements

A sheet conveyor, comprising:

a reversible roller configured to convey a sheet, the reversible roller being rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction;
a motor being a driving source for the reversible roller;
a switching assembly configured to switch rotating directions of the reversible roller in a state where the motor is rotating in one direction, the switching assembly having:
a planetary differential gear having an input gear configured to be driven to rotate by a driving force input from the motor, a first output gear and a second output gear configured to output the driving force transmitted thereto, and a planetary gear configured to transmit the driving force from the input gear to the first output gear and the second output gear;
a first gear train connecting the first output gear and the reversible roller, the first gear train having a first clutch, the first clutch being configured to transmit the driving force input thereto from the first output gear to the reversible roller but not to transmit the driving force input thereto from the reversible roller to the first output gear;
and
a second gear train connecting the second output gear and the reversible roller, the second gear train having a second clutch, the second clutch being configured to transmit the driving force input thereto from the second output gear to the reversible roller but not to transmit the driving force input thereto from the reversible roller to the second output gear;
and
a clutch lever having:
a first engageable claw configured to engage with the first output gear to suspend rotation of the first output gear;
and
a second engageable claw configured to engage with the second output gear to suspend rotation of the second output gear,
wherein the clutch lever is configured to move between a first position, at which the first engageable claw is separated from the first output gear and the second engageable claw engages with the second output gear, and a second position, at which the first engageable claw engages with the first output gear and the second engageable claw is separated from the second output gear.

10 more elements

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a photosensitive drum;
a reversible roller configured to convey a sheet, the reversible roller being located downstream from the photosensitive drum in a sheet-conveying direction, the reversible roller being rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction;
a motor being a driving source for the reversible roller;
a switching assembly configured to switch rotating directions of the reversible roller in a state where the motor is rotating in one direction, the switching assembly having:
a planetary differential gear having an input gear configured to be driven to rotate by a driving force input from the motor, a first output gear and a second output gear configured to output the driving force transmitted thereto, and a planetary gear configured to transmit the driving force from the input gear to the first output gear and the second output gear;
a first gear train connecting the first output gear and the reversible roller, the first gear train having a first clutch, the first clutch being configured to transmit the driving force input thereto from the first output gear to the reversible roller but not to transmit the driving force input thereto from the reversible roller to the first output gear;
and
a second gear train connecting the second output gear and the reversible roller, the second gear train having a second clutch, the second clutch being configured to transmit the driving force input thereto from the second output gear to the reversible roller but not to transmit the driving force input thereto from the reversible roller to the second output gear;
and
a clutch lever, having:
a first engageable claw configured to engage with the first output gear to suspend rotation of the first output gear;
and
a second engageable claw configured to engage with the second output gear to suspend rotation of the second output gear,
wherein the clutch lever is configured to move between a first position, at which the first engageable claw is separated from the first output gear and the second engageable claw engages with the second output gear, and a second position, at which the first engageable claw engages with the first output gear and the second engageable claw is separated from the second output gear.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/165,980Filed 8 Feb 2023
Priority: JP 2022-02325417 Feb 2022
Published: 17 Aug 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G03G 21/1647
For connecting the different parts of the apparatus: mechanical connection means
G03G 15/234
Using a single reusable electrographic recording member: by inverting and refeeding the image receiving material with an image on one face to the…
G03G 15/6529
Apparatus which relate to the handling of copy material: transporting
G03G 2215/00438
Refeeding path: inverter of refeeding path

Family

US 12,117,761 B2Related patent
US 2023/0259065 A1This patent

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

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