Sheet conveyance device and image forming system equipped with the same

A sheet conveyance system comprising:

• a sheet conveyance device including:
• a body including a conveyance path through which a sheet passes, an outlet path through which a sheet is sent from the downstream end of the conveyance path, a reverse slot that is an opening of the body connected to the downstream end of the conveyance path and where a sheet reverses its direction of motion, and a return path connecting the reverse slot to the conveyance path;
• a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet through the conveyance path;
• a switching unit configured to switch, at the downstream end of the conveyance path, a destination of a sheet between the outlet path and the reverse slot;
• a delivery unit configured to deliver a sheet from the outlet path;
• a reverse unit configured to first convey a sheet to a position where a portion of the sheet hangs out of the reverse slot outside the body, and then move the sheet in the reverse direction from the position to the return path;
• a return unit configured to convey a sheet through the return path to return the sheet face down to the conveyance path;
• and
• a controller unit configured to, when at least one of the conveyance unit, the reverse unit, and the return unit is conveying one or more sheets at the time of notification of a jam, control the conveyance unit, the reverse unit, and the return unit to continue to convey the one or more sheets to purge the one or more sheets from the reverse slot to the outside of the body or to convey the one or more sheets to the outlet path,
• the controller unit further configured to, when controlling the conveyance unit, the reverse unit, and the return unit to continue to convey the one or more sheets, control the switching unit to convey a leading sheet to the reverse slot if a first condition is satisfied, or to convey the leading sheet to the outlet path and issue a stop signal if a second condition is satisfied, the leading sheet being, of the one or more sheets, a sheet that first reaches the downstream end of the conveyance path,
• the first condition being satisfied when no other sheet is present in the reverse slot at the time of detection of the jam, and the second condition being satisfied when another sheet is present in the reverse slot at the time of detection of the jam;
• and
• a downstream conveyance device configured to convey a sheet from the outlet path to a destination through a path, and when detecting a jam on the path, to notify the controller unit of the jam, and in response to the stop signal, to stop the leading sheet upstream from a location where the jam is detected.

An image forming device comprising:

• an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
• and
• a sheet conveyance device including:
• a body including a conveyance path through which the sheet passes from the image forming unit to a destination device, an outlet path through which a sheet is sent from the downstream end of the conveyance path, a reverse slot that is an opening of the body connected to the downstream end of the conveyance path and where a sheet reverses its direction of motion, and a return path connecting the reverse slot to the conveyance path;
• a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet through the conveyance path;
• a switching unit configured to switch, at the downstream end of the conveyance path, a destination of a sheet between the outlet path and the reverse slot;
• a delivery unit configured to deliver a sheet from the outlet path;
• a reverse unit configured to first convey a sheet to a position where a portion of the sheet hangs out of the reverse slot outside the body, and then move the sheet in the reverse direction from the position to the return path;
• a return unit configured to convey a sheet through the return path to return the sheet face down to the image forming unit;
• and
• a controller unit configured to, when at least one of the conveyance unit, the reverse unit, and the return unit is conveying one or more sheets at the time of detection of a jam, control the conveyance unit, the reverse unit, and the return unit to continue to convey the one or more sheets to purge the one or more sheets from the reverse slot to the outside of the body or to convey the one or more sheets to the outlet path,
• the controller unit further configured to, when controlling the conveyance unit, the reverse unit, and the return unit to continue to convey the one or more sheets, control the switching unit to convey a leading sheet to the reverse slot if a first condition is satisfied, or to eject the leading sheet to the outlet path if a second condition is satisfied, the leading sheet being, of the one or more sheets, a sheet that first reaches the downstream end of the conveyance path,
• the first condition being satisfied when no other sheet is present in the reverse slot at the time of detection of the jam, and the second condition being satisfied when another sheet is present in the reverse slot at the time of detection of the jam.

An image forming system comprising:

• an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
• a sheet conveyance device including:
• a body including a conveyance path through which a sheet passes from the image forming unit, an outlet path through which a sheet is sent from the downstream end of the conveyance path, a reverse slot that is an opening of the body connected to the downstream end of the conveyance path and where a sheet reverses its direction of motion, and a return path connecting the reverse slot to the conveyance path;
• a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet through the conveyance path;
• a switching unit configured to switch, at the downstream end of the conveyance path, a destination of a sheet between the outlet path and the reverse slot;
• a delivery unit configured to deliver a sheet from the outlet path;
• a reverse unit configured to first convey a sheet to a position where a portion of the sheet hangs out of the reverse slot outside the body, and then move the sheet in the reverse direction from the position to the return path;
• a return unit configured to convey a sheet through the return path to return the sheet face down to the image forming unit;
• and
• a controller unit configured to, when at least one of the conveyance unit, the reverse unit, and the return unit is conveying one or more sheets at the time of notification of a jam, control the conveyance unit, the reverse unit, and the return unit to continue to convey the one or more sheets to purge the one or more sheets from the reverse slot to the outside of the body or to convey the one or more sheets to the outlet path,
• the controller unit further configured to, when controls the conveyance unit, the reverse unit, and the return unit to continue to convey the one or more sheets, control the switching unit to convey a leading sheet to the reverse slot if a first condition is satisfied, or to eject the leading sheet to the outlet path and issue a stop signal if a second condition is satisfied, the leading sheet being, of the one or more sheets, a sheet that first reaches the downstream end of the conveyance path,
• the first condition being satisfied when no other sheet is present in the reverse slot at the time of detection of the jam, and the second condition being satisfied when another sheet is present in the reverse slot at the time of detection of the jam;
• and
• a post-processing device configured to convey a sheet from the outlet path through a path, and to post process the sheet,
• the post-processing device further configured to, when detecting a jam on the path, notify the controller unit of the jam, and in response to the stop signal, stop the leading sheet upstream from a location where the jam is detected.