US 6,650,862 B2 · Image forming apparatus having sheet separator and sheet separator for use in image forming apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus that enables to transversely move a sheet separator without a dedicated drive source and with a simplified construction to thereby reduce production cost of the apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a thrust driving mechanism for reciprocating the sheet separator in an axial direction of a heater roller. The mechanism includes a worm gear which is rotated by a driving force of a drive source for rotating the heater roller, a helical gear which is meshed with the worm gear, and an eccentric cam which is mounted coaxially with an axis of rotation of the helical gear. A guide member for supporting the sheet separator is reciprocated in the axial direction of the heater roller in accordance with rotation of the eccentric cam.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a pair of fixing rollers which are rotated to fix an image on a sheet;
a sheet separator which is rendered into contact with at least one of the fixing rollers to separate the sheet from the roller;
and
drive means driven by a drive source which rotates the fixing roller or a transport roller disposed downstream of the fixing roller pair along a sheet transport direction, said drive means converts a rotation motion of said drive source to a linearly reciprocating motion of said sheet separator along the axial direction of the fixing roller.

1 more element

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a sheet separator which separates a sheet from a roller in contact therewith;
a guide member which supports the sheet separator and guides the sheet in a sheet transport direction in a sheet transport path located downstream in the sheet transport direction with respect to the roller;
a support member which pivotally supports the guide member in such a manner as to reciprocate the guide member in an axial direction of the roller and to pivotally rotate the guide member about an axis of the roller, the support member being pivotable to move the sheet separator and the guide member in such a direction as to define the sheet transport path and in such a direction as to expose the sheet transport path;
and
drive means which converts a rotation motion of a drive source which rotates the roller or a transport roller disposed downstream of the roller along the sheet transport direction to a linearly reciprocating motion of the guide member and the sheet separator in the axial direction of the roller.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image forming apparatus having sheet separator and sheet separator for use in image forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Image forming apparatus having sheet separator and sheet separator for use in image forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19