# US 9,039,005 B2 · Image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 9,039,005 B2
- Document ID: US9039005B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/200,041
- Filed: 2014-03-07
- Published: 2014-09-11
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-07
- Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Saya Minoshima; Junki Ueyama
- Inventors: Saya Minoshima; Junki Ueyama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039005B2

## CPC

- B65H 1/04: adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile
- B65H 3/0607: {cooperating with means for automatically separating the pile from roller or rotary separator after a separation step}
- B65H 3/0615: {reciprocating and rotatable in one direction only}
- B65H 3/0684: {on moving support, e.g. pivoting, for bringing the roller or like rotary separator into contact with the pile}
- B65H 9/00: Registering, e.g. orientating, articles; Devices therefor
- B65H 2402/412: details or the parts to be hold by the user, e.g. handle
- B65H 2402/441: movable for facilitating access to area inside the housing, e.g. pivoting or sliding
- B65H 2402/442: with openings for introducing material to be handled, e.g. for inserting web rolls
- B65H 2402/46: Table apparatus
- B65H 2403/411: Double rack cooperating with one pinion, e.g. for performing symmetrical displacement relative to pinion
- B65H 2405/1111: with several surface portions forming an angle relatively to each other
- B65H 2405/11162: Front portion pivotable around an axis perpendicular to transport direction
- B65H 2405/12: Parts to be handled by user
- B65H 2405/31: Supports for sheets fully removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette
- B65H 2405/324: between operative position and non operative position
- B65H 2405/332: Superposed compartments
- B65H 2407/21: Manual feeding
- B65H 2511/12: Width
- B65H 2511/22: Distance
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES

## Abstract

An image forming apparatus, including a chassis with an opening formed on one side thereof; a first placement section, on which a sheet inserted through the opening is placeable; a cover configured to be openable to expose and closable to cover the opening and configured to form, when in a position to expose the opening, an outer part of the first placement section outside the chassis; and a second placement section arranged in an upper position with respect to the first placement section, and on which a sheet inserted through the opening is placeable, is provided. The second placement section is detachably attached to the chassis through the opening.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a chassis with an opening formed on one side thereof;
a first placement section, on which a sheet inserted through the opening is placeable;
a cover configured to be openable to expose the opening and closable to cover the opening and configured to form, when in a position to expose the opening, an outer part of the first placement section outside the chassis;
a second placement section arranged in an upper position with respect to the first placement section, and on which a sheet inserted through the opening is placeable; and
a pickup roller configured to be disposed in the chassis on a side opposite from the cover across the opening and in an upper position with respect to the first placement section,
wherein the second placement section is detachably attached to the chassis through the opening,
wherein the second placement section comprises a first guiding part, the first guiding part extending in between the cover and the pickup roller along a sheet placement surface of the first placement section and comprising an end closer to the pickup roller and an end closer to the cover, and a second guiding part, the second guiding part extending from the end of the first guiding part closer to the pickup roller toward the pickup roller with inclination to be closer to the sheet placement surface of the first placement section,
wherein the chassis comprises a guiding plane in a position between the pickup roller and the second guiding part of the second placement section, the guiding plane facing the second guiding part of the second placement section and extending with inclination toward the pickup roller to be closer to the sheet placement surface of the first placement section, and
wherein an angle between the guiding plane of the chassis and the sheet placement surface of the first placement section is greater than an angle between a sheet placement surface of the second guiding part and the sheet placement surface of the first placement section.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the sheet placement surface of the second placement section at the first guiding part is arranged in an upper position with respect to the pickup roller.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein an end of the second guiding part extending toward the pickup roller is arranged in a closer position from the cover with respect to the pickup roller.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the first placement section comprises a lifting member configured to uplift the sheet placed on the first placement section toward the pickup roller,
wherein the image forming apparatus comprises a restrictive wall arranged on an opposite side with respect to the lifting member from the cover across the opening,
wherein the lifting member is arranged on an extension line along a sheet placement surface of the second guiding part.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein an intersection, in which a first extension plane extended along the sheet placement surface of the first guiding part intersects with a second extension plane extended along a sheet placement surface of the second guiding part, is arranged in an eccentric position closer to an end of the first placement section opposite from the cover across the opening with respect to a center between one end of the chassis closer to the cover on the side having the opening and another end of the chassis on a side opposite from the cover across the opening.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the chassis comprises a holder frame configured to support the pickup roller, and
wherein the guiding plane is formed on the holder frame.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 6,
wherein the holder frame comprises a projection formed to protrude toward a widthwise central position for the sheet on the second placement section.

### Claim 8

An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a chassis with an opening formed on one side thereof;
a first placement section, on which a sheet inserted through the opening is placeable;
a cover configured to be openable to expose the opening and closable to cover the opening and configured to form, when in a position to expose the opening, an outer part of the first placement section outside the chassis;
a second placement section arranged in an upper position with respect to the first placement section, and on which a sheet inserted through the opening is placeable;
an image forming unit configured to form an image on the sheet,
wherein the chassis comprises a pair of frames arranged to be spaced apart from each other, each of the paired frames being formed in a single piece, a wall, an edge of which forms an edge of the opening, and a guide, which is configured to guide the second placement section being attached to the chassis, wherein the guide is formed over the wall and each of the paired frames continuously
wherein one of the paired frames supports the image forming unit at least partly,
wherein the second placement section is detachably attached to the chassis through the opening, and comprises a positioning part, which is engageable with the one of the paired frames,
wherein the second placement section is placed in a correct position with respect to the one of the paired frames by the positioning part being engaged with the one of the paired frames.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,
wherein the image forming unit is at least partly placed in a correct position with respect to the one of the paired frames.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,
wherein the image forming unit comprises a photosensitive drum, a scanning unit configured to scan the photosensitive drum, and a fixing unit, and
wherein at least one of the photosensitive drum, the scanning unit, and the fixing unit is placed in a correct position with respect to the one of the paired frames.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,
wherein the positioning part of the second placement section comprises a first positioning part and a second positioning part, the second positioning part being arranged in a position displaced from the first positioning part along a direction of attaching the second placement section to the chassis.

### Claim 12

An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a chassis with an opening formed on one side thereof;
a first placement section, on which a sheet inserted through the opening is placeable;
a cover configured to be openable to expose the opening and closable to cover the opening and configured to form, when in a position to expose the opening, an outer part of the first placement section outside the chassis; and
a second placement section arranged in an upper position with respect to the first placement section, and on which a sheet inserted through the opening is placeable,
wherein the second placement section is detachably attached to the chassis through the opening, and
wherein the second placement section comprises a main part, on which the inserted sheet is placeable, the main part comprising an end closer to the cover and an end farther from the cover, and a handgrip formed to protrude from the end of the main part closer to the cover toward the cover.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 12,
wherein the end of the main part closer to the cover is arranged in a position opposite from the cover across the opening.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 13,
wherein the handgrip is arranged to protrude toward the cover beyond the opening.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 14,
wherein the cover comprises a plurality of ribs protruding inwardly from an inner surface thereof, the inner surface being on an inner side of the cover when the cover is in a closable position to cover the opening, and
wherein the plurality of ribs are formed in different positions from the handgrip, when the cover is in the closable position to cover the opening, along an aligning direction, in which the cover and the opening align with each other.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 12,
wherein, while the handgrip comprises an end closer to the main part and an end farther from the main part, the end of the handgrip farther from the main part is arranged in a lower position with respect to a sheet placement surface of the main part, and an outer plane of the handgrip extends with inclination from the lower position with respect to the sheet placement surface of the main part to be closer to the sheet placement surface of the main part.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 12,
wherein the second placement section comprises a lateral guide, which is configured to restrict a widthwise position of the sheet on the second placement section by contacting widthwise ends of the sheet placed on the main part of the second placement section,
wherein the lateral guide comprises a restrictive part configured to restrict a position of the sheet on the main part of the second placement section along a direction of thickness, and
wherein the restrictive part comprises a protrusive portion configured to protrude toward the cover with respect to the end of the main part closer to the cover.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 17,
wherein the restrictive part comprises a lower-side restrictive surface, which is configured to contact a lower surface of the sheet, and
wherein, while the protrusive portion in the restrictive part comprises an end closer to the main part and an end farther from the main part, the lower-side restrictive surface of the end of the protrusive portion farther from the main part is arranged in a lower position with respect to a sheet placement surface of the main part, and the lower-side restrictive surface of the protrusive portion extends with inclination from the lower position with respect to the sheet placement surface of the main part toward an inner side of the chassis to be closer to the sheet placement surface of the main part.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 18,
wherein the lower-side restrictive surface of the restrictive part protrudes toward the cover beyond the opening.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 17,
wherein the restrictive part comprises an upper-side restrictive surface, which is configured to contact an upper surface of the sheet, and
wherein, while the protrusive portion in the restrictive part comprises an end closer to the main part and an end farther from the main part, the upper-side restrictive surface of the end of the protrusive portion farther from the main part is arranged in an upper position with respect to a sheet placement surface of the main part, and the upper-side restrictive surface of the protrusive portion extends with inclination from the upper position with respect to the sheet placement surface of the main part toward an inner side of the chassis to be closer to the sheet placement surface of the main part.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 20,
wherein the upper-side restrictive surface of the restrictive part protrudes toward the cover beyond the opening.