US 8,939,448 B2Granted

Image forming apparatus

AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorYohei Hashimoto

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Abstract

There is provided an image forming apparatus including a driving source, a switchback roller which switches between a normal rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction, first and second gear train for rotating the switchback roller in the normal and reverse rotation directions, respectively, a switching mechanism which switches among a first mode for transmitting driving force to the first gear train, a second mode for transmitting the driving force to the second gear train, and a third mode for not to transmit the driving force, a switching element which switches between a first state allowing switching of the switching mechanism into the first or third mode and a second state allowing switching of the switching mechanism into the second mode; and a controller which controls a state change of the switching element between the first state and the second state.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a driving source configured to generate a one-direction rotational driving force;
a switchback roller configured to be switched between a normal rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction for switching a conveyance direction of a recording medium having an image formed thereon by an image forming unit;
a first gear train configured to transmit the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the switchback roller such that a rotation direction of the switchback roller becomes the normal rotation direction;
a second gear train configured to transmit the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the switchback roller such that the rotation direction of the switchback roller becomes the reverse rotation direction;
a switching mechanism configured to be switchable among a first mode for transmitting the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the first gear train, a second mode for transmitting the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the second gear train, and a third mode for not transmitting the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to any of the first gear train and the second gear train;
a switching element configured to selectively change between a first state allowing switching of the switching mechanism into the first mode or the third mode, and a second state allowing switching of the switching mechanism into the second mode;
and
a controller configured to control a state change of the switching element between the first state and the second state,
wherein the switching mechanism is configured to be switched from the second mode only to the third mode,
wherein the controller is configured to perform:
first control to control the switching element to hold the first state for a first time period;
and
second control to control the switching element to hold the second state for a second time period, and
wherein the controller is configured to, after performing the second control to cause the switching mechanism to switch into the second mode, switch to perform the first control.

11 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a driving source configured to generate a one-direction rotational driving force;
a switchback roller configured to be switched between a normal rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction for switching a conveyance direction of a recording medium having an image formed thereon by an image forming unit;
a first gear train configured to transmit the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the switchback roller such that a rotation direction of the switchback roller becomes the normal rotation direction;
a second gear train configured to transmit the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the switchback roller such that the rotation direction of the switchback roller becomes the reverse rotation direction;
a switching mechanism configured to be switchable among a first mode for transmitting the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the first gear train, a second mode for transmitting the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to the second gear train, and a third mode for not transmitting the one-direction rotational driving force of the driving source to any of the first gear train and the second gear train;
a switching element configured to selectively change between a first state allowing switching of the switching mechanism into the first mode or the third mode, and a second state allowing switching of the switching mechanism into the second mode;
and
a controller configured to control a state change of the switching element between the first state and the second state,
wherein the controller is configured to perform:
first control to control the switching element to hold the first state for a first time period;
second control to control the switching element to hold the second state for a second time period;
third control to control the switching element to hold the second state for a third time period shorter than the second time period,
wherein the switching mechanism is configured to:
selectively hold the first mode or the third mode based on the first control of the controller;
hold the second mode based on the second control of the controller;
and
interchange the first mode and the third mode before and after the third control of the controller.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/228,538Filed 28 Mar 2014
Priority: JP 2013-07531829 Mar 2013
Published: US 2014/0291923 A12 Oct 2014
Granted: 27 Jan 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B65H 85/00
Recirculating articles, i.e. feeding each article to, and delivering it from, the
B65H 5/062
By rollers or balls, e.g. between rollers: between rollers or balls
B65H 7/02
Controlling article feeding, separating, pile-advancing, or associated apparatus, to take account of incorrect feeding, absence of articles, or…:…
B65H 29/125
By means of the nip between two, or between two sets of, moving tapes or bands or rollers: between two sets of rollers