Image forming apparatus and method, a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile device set, and complex machine

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• paper feeding means for separating and feeding piled recording paper;
• image forming means for forming images in order on said fed recording paper;
• paper turning-over means for switching back said recording paper on a paper conveying path extending from said paper feeding means to said image forming means and turning over a front tip end of said recording paper and a rear tip end of said recording paper;
• paper re-feeding means for re-feeding said recording paper having the image formed on a first side surface thereof by said image forming means to said image forming means;
• and
• wherein said recording paper is turned over from said paper re-feeding means to said image forming means and is fed again to said image forming means, and
• wherein, after formation of images on plural pages of said first surface of said recording paper, said recording paper re-fed from said paper re-feeding means and said recording paper fed from said paper feeding means are set so as to alternately advance to said paper turning-over section.

A method of forming an image in an image forming apparatus comprising the steps of:

• separating and feeding piled recording paper by use of a paper feeding section;
• forming images in order on said fed recording paper by use of an image forming section;
• switching back said recording paper on a paper conveying path extending from said paper feeding section to said image forming section;
• turning over a front tip end of said recording paper and a rear tip end of said recording paper;
• and
• re-feeding said recording paper having the image formed on a first side surface thereof by said image forming section to said image forming section,
• wherein said recording paper is turned over from said paper re-feeding section to said image forming section and is fed again to said image forming section, and
• wherein, after formation of images on plural pages of said first surface of said recording paper, said recording paper re-fed from said paper re-feeding section and said recording paper fed from said paper feeding section are set so as to alternately advance to said paper turning-over section.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a printer engine configured to form an image on recording paper;
• a paper piling and accommodating section configured to pile and accommodate said recording paper;
• a paper feeding device configured to separate said piled recording paper sheet by sheet and to convey said separated recording paper to said printer engine through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• a temporary paper accommodating section provided on said paper conveying path and configured to temporarily accommodate said recording paper taken out from said paper piling and accommodating section;
• a paper sending-back path configured to send back said recording paper having the image formed thereon by said printer engine to said temporary paper accommodating section;
• and
• a paper turning-over device configured to cause said temporary paper accommodating section to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating section and said recording paper conveyed through said paper sending-back path from a front tip end of said recording paper and to switch back said recording paper toward said printer engine such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating section becomes the front tip end thereof.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• printer engine means for forming an image on recording paper;
• paper piling and accommodating means for piling and accommodating said recording paper;
• paper feeding means for separating said piled recording paper sheet by sheet and conveying said separated recording paper to said printer engine means through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• temporary paper accommodating means provided on said paper conveying path for temporarily accommodating therein said recording paper taken out from said paper piling and accommodating means;
• paper sending-back path means for sending back said recording paper having an image formed thereon by said printer engine means to said temporary paper accommodating means;
• and
• paper turning-over means for causing said temporary paper accommodating means to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating means and said recording paper conveyed through said paper sending-back path means from a front tip end of said recording paper and for switching back said recording paper toward said printer engine means such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating means becomes the front tip end thereof.

An image forming method comprising the steps of:

• forming an image on recording paper with a printer engine;
• piling and accommodating said recording paper in a paper piling and accommodating section;
• separating said piled recording paper sheet by sheet and conveying said separated recording paper to said printer engine through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• temporarily accommodating said recording paper taken out from said paper piling and accommodating section in a temporary paper accommodating section on said paper conveying path;
• sending back said recording paper having an image formed thereon by said printer engine to said temporary paper accommodating section by use of a paper sending-back path;
• causing said temporary paper accommodating section to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating section and said recording paper conveyed through said paper sending-back path from a front tip end of said recording paper;
• and
• switching back said recording paper toward said printer engine such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating section becomes the front tip end thereof by use of a paper turning-over device.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a printer engine configured to form an image on recording paper;
• a paper piling and accommodating section configured to pile and accommodate said recording paper;
• a paper feeding device configured to separate said piled recording paper sheet by sheet and to convey said separated recording paper to said printer engine through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• a temporary paper accommodating section provided on said paper conveying path and configured to temporarily accommodate said recording paper taken out from said paper piling and accommodating section;
• a paper turning-over device configured to cause said temporary paper accommodating section to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating section from a front tip end of said recording paper and to switch back said recording paper and send out said recording paper toward said printer engine such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating section becomes the front tip end thereof;
• a control device configured to control said paper feeding device and said paper turning-over device such that a preceding recording paper sent out toward said printer engine and a subsequent recording paper just subsequent to said preceding recording paper are at least partially superposed on each other;
• and
• a processing device provided in said temporary paper accommodating section and configured to perform an operation.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• printer engine means for performing image formation on recording paper;
• paper piling and accommodating means for piling and accommodating said recording paper;
• paper feeding means for separating said piled recording paper sheet by sheet and conveying said separated recording paper to said printer engine means through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• temporary paper accommodating means provided on said paper conveying path for temporarily accommodating said recording paper taken out from said paper piling and accommodating means;
• paper turning-over means for causing said temporary paper accommodating means to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating means from a front tip end of said recording paper and for switching back said recording paper and sending out said recording paper toward said printer engine means such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating means becomes the front tip end thereof;
• control means for controlling said paper feeding means and said paper turning-over means such that a preceding recording paper sent out toward said printer engine means and a subsequent recording paper just subsequent to said preceding recording paper are at least partially superposed on each other;
• and
• processing means provided in said temporary paper accommodating means for performing an operation.

A method of forming an image comprising the steps of:

• performing image formation on recording paper by use of a printer engine;
• piling and accommodating said recording paper in a paper piling and accommodating section;
• separating said piled recording paper sheet by sheet by use of a paper feeding device;
• conveying said separated recording paper to said printer engine through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• temporarily accommodating said recording paper taken out from said paper piling and accommodating section in a temporary paper accommodating section on said paper conveying path;
• causing said temporary paper accommodating section to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating section from a front tip end of said recording paper and for switching back said recording paper and sending out said recording paper toward said printer engine such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating section becomes the front tip end thereof, by use of a paper turning-over device;
• controlling said paper feeding device and said paper turning-over device such that a preceding recording paper sent out toward said printer engine and a subsequent recording paper just subsequent to said preceding recording paper are at least partially superposed on each other, by use of a control device;
• providing a processing device in said temporary paper accommodating section;
• and
• performing an operation by use of said processing device.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a printer engine configured to form an image on recording paper;
• a paper piling and accommodating section configured to pile and accommodate said recording paper;
• a paper feeding device configured to separate said piled recording paper sheet by sheet and to convey said separated recording paper to said printer engine through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• a temporary paper accommodating section provided on said paper conveying path and configured to temporarily accommodate said recording paper taken out from said paper piling and accommodating section;
• a paper turning-over device configured to cause said temporary paper accommodating section to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating section from a front tip end of said recording paper and to switch back said recording paper and send out said recording paper toward said printer engine such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating section becomes the front tip end thereof;
• a control device configured to control said paper feeding device and said paper turning-over device such that a preceding recording paper sent out toward said printer engine and a subsequent recording paper just subsequent to said preceding recording paper are at least partially superposed on each other;
• and
• a return conveying device configured to return said recording paper after finishing image formation at said printer engine to said temporary paper accommodating section so as to enable said recording paper to accommodate into said temporary paper accommodating section from the front tip end of said recording paper.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• printer engine means for performing image formation on recording paper;
• paper piling and accommodating means for piling and accommodating said recording paper;
• paper feeding means for separating said piled recording paper sheet by sheet and conveying said separated recording paper to said printer engine means through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• temporary paper accommodating means provided on said paper conveying path for temporarily accommodating said recording paper taken out from said paper piling and accommodating means;
• paper turning-over means for causing said temporary paper accommodating means to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating means from a front tip end of said recording paper and for switching back said recording paper and sending out said recording paper toward said printer engine means such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating means becomes the front tip end thereof;
• control means for controlling said paper feeding means and said paper turning-over means such that a preceding recording paper sent out toward said printer engine means and a subsequent recording paper just subsequent to said preceding recording paper are at least partially superposed on each other;
• and
• return conveying means for returning said recording paper after finishing image formation at said printer engine means to said temporary paper accommodating means so as to enable said recording paper to accommodate into said temporary paper accommodating means from the front tip end of said recording paper.

A method of forming an image comprising the steps of:

• performing image formation on recording paper by use of a printer engine;
• piling and accommodating said recording paper in a paper piling and accommodating section;
• separating said piled recording paper sheet by sheet by use of a paper feeding device;
• conveying said separated recording paper to said printer engine through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• temporarily accommodating said recording paper taken out from said paper piling and accommodating section in a temporary paper accommodating section on said paper conveying path;
• causing said temporary paper accommodating section to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating section from a front tip end of said recording paper and for switching back said recording paper and sending out said recording paper toward said printer engine such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating section becomes the front tip end thereof, by use of a paper turning-over device;
• controlling said paper feeding device and said paper turning-over device such that a preceding recording paper sent out toward said printer engine and a subsequent recording paper just subsequent to said preceding recording paper are at least partially superposed on each other, by use of a control device;
• and
• returning said recording paper after finishing image formation at said printer engine to said temporary paper accommodating section so as to enable said recording paper to accommodate into said temporary paper accommodating section from the front tip end of said recording paper, by use of a return conveying device.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a printer engine configured to form an image on a recording paper;
• a paper pilling and accommodating section configured to pile and accommodate said recording papers;
• a paper feeding device configured to separate said piled recording paper sheet by sheet and to convey said separated recording paper to said printer engine through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• a temporary paper accommodating section provided on said paper conveying path and configured to temporarily accommodate said recording paper taken out from said paper pilling and accommodating section;
• a paper turning-over device configured to cause said temporary paper accommodating section to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating section from a front tip end of said recording paper and to switch back said recording paper and send out said recording paper toward said printer engine such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating section becomes the front tip end thereof;
• a control device configured to control said paper feeding device and said paper turning-over device such that a distance between a preceding recording paper sent out toward said printer engine and a subsequent recording paper just subsequent to said preceding recording paper are nullified;
• and
• a processing device provided in said temporary paper accommodating section and configured to perform an operation.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a printer engine configured to form an image on recording paper;
• a paper piling and accommodating section configured to pile and accommodate said recording paper;
• a paper feeding device configured to separate said piled recording paper sheet by sheet and to convey said separated recording paper to said printer engine through a paper conveying path for conveying said recording paper;
• a temporary paper accommodating section provided on said paper conveying path and configured to temporarily accommodate said recording paper taken out from said paper piling and accommodating section;
• a paper turning-over device configured to cause said temporary paper accommodating section to accommodate said recording paper conveyed from said paper piling and accommodating section from a front tip end of said recording paper and to switch back said recording paper and send out said recording paper toward said printer engine such that a rear tip end of said recording paper accommodated in said temporary paper accommodating section becomes the front tip end thereof;
• a control device configured to control said paper feeding device and said paper turning-over device such that a distance between a preceding recording paper sent out toward said printer engine and a subsequent recording paper just subsequent to said preceding recording paper are nullified;
• and
• a return conveying device configured to return said recording paper after finishing image formation at said printer engine to said temporary paper accommodating section so as to enable said recording paper to be accommodated into said temporary paper accommodating section from the front tip end of said recording paper.