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US 9,885,988 B2Granted
Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus including same
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMasanori Maeda, Daisuke Aoki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a drive unit including a first drive train through which a driving force from the drive source is transmitted to the discharge roller and a second drive train through which a driving force from the drive source is transmitted to the reverse roller, and a switching mechanism, provided on the second drive train, configured to switch a rotating direction of the reverse roller between the forward rotating direction and the reverse rotating direction with the discharge roller rotating in one direction.
Claims7
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a sheet;
- a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image, formed on the sheet by the image forming portion, to the sheet;
- a sheet discharge portion, comprising a discharge roller, configured to discharge the sheet, on which the toner image has been formed, to an outside of the apparatus;
- a reverse portion, comprising a reverse roller, configured to convey the sheet on which the toner image have been fixed on a first surface thereof by the fixing portion to the image forming portion again to form a toner image on a second surface opposite to the first surface thereof while the reverse roller rotating in a reverse rotating direction after rotating in a forward rotating direction;
- a drive source;
- a drive unit comprising a first drive train through which a driving force from the drive source is transmitted to the discharge roller, and a second drive train through which a driving force from the drive source is transmitted to the reverse roller;
- and
- a switching mechanism, provided on the second drive train, configured to switch a rotating direction of the reverse roller between the forward rotating direction and the reverse rotating direction with the discharge roller rotating in one direction,
- wherein the switching mechanism comprises:
- a first planetary gear unit comprising:
- a first internal gear to which the drive force is transmitted from the drive source;
- a first sun gear;
- a first planetary gear engaging with the first internal gear and the first sun gear, and configured to rotate around the first sun gear;
- and
- a first planetary carrier supporting the first planetary gear rotatably, transmitting the drive force to the reverse roller, and configured to rotate around a rotating axis of the first sun gear together with the first planetary gear;
- a second planetary gear unit comprising:
- a second internal gear to which the drive force is transmitted from the drive source and which rotates in the same direction as that of the first internal gear;
- a second sun gear;
- a second planetary gear engaging with the second internal gear and the second sun gear, and configured to rotate around the second sun gear;
- and
- a second planetary carrier supporting the second planetary gear rotatably, engaging with the first planetary carrier, and configured to rotate around a rotating axis of the second sun gear together with the second planetary gear;
- and
- a stop unit which selectively stops the first sun gear and the second sun gear, and
- wherein in a case where the first sun gear is stopped by the stop unit, the first planetary carrier rotates in a first rotating direction so that the reverse roller rotates in the forward rotating direction, and in a case where the second sun gear is stopped by the stop unit, the first planetary carrier rotates in a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction so that the reverse roller rotates in the reverse rotating direction.
21 more elements
A sheet conveying apparatus comprising:
- a first conveying portion, comprising a first roller, configured to convey the sheet;
- a second conveying portion, comprising a second roller, configured to convey the sheet, the second roller being configured to rotate in a forward rotating direction and in a reverse rotating direction;
- a drive source;
- a drive unit comprising a first drive train through which a driving force from the drive source is transmitted to the first roller, and a second drive train through which a driving force from the drive source is transmitted to the second roller;
- and
- a switching mechanism, provided on the second drive train, configured to switch a rotating direction of the second roller between the forward rotating direction and the reverse rotating direction with the first roller rotating in one direction,
- wherein the switching mechanism comprises:
- a first planetary gear unit comprising:
- a first internal gear to which the drive force is transmitted from the drive source;
- a first sun gear;
- a first planetary gear engaging with the first internal gear and the first sun gear, and configured to rotate around the first sun gear;
- and
- a first planetary carrier supporting the first planetary gear rotatably, transmitting the drive force to the second roller, and configured to rotate around a rotating axis of the first sun gear together with the first planetary gear;
- a second planetary gear unit comprising:
- a second internal gear to which the drive force is transmitted from the drive source and which rotates in the same direction as that of the first internal gear;
- a second sun gear;
- a second planetary gear engaging with the second internal gear and the second sun gear, and configured to rotate around the second sun gear;
- and
- a second planetary carrier supporting the second planetary gear rotatably, engaging with the first planetary carrier, and configured to rotate around a rotating axis of the second sun gear together with the second planetary gear;
- and
- a stop unit which selectively stops the first sun gear and the second sun gear, and
- wherein in a case where the first sun gear is stopped by the stop unit, the first planetary carrier rotates in a first rotating direction so that the second roller rotates in the forward rotating direction, and in a case where the second sun gear is stopped by the stop unit, the first planetary carrier rotates in a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction so that the second roller rotates in the reverse rotating direction.
19 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a sheet;
- a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image, formed on the sheet by the image forming portion, to the sheet;
- a sheet discharge portion, comprising a discharge roller, configured to discharge the sheet, on which the toner image has been formed, to an outside of the apparatus;
- a reverse portion, comprising a reverse roller, configured to convey the sheet on which the toner image have been fixed on a first surface thereof by the fixing portion to the image forming portion again to form a toner image on a second surface opposite to the first surface thereof while the reverse roller rotating in a reverse rotating direction after rotating in a forward rotating direction;
- a drive source;
- a drive unit comprising a first drive train through which a driving force from the drive source is transmitted to the discharge roller, and a second drive train through which a driving force from the drive source is transmitted to the reverse roller;
- and
- a switching mechanism, provided on the second drive train, configured to switch a rotating direction of the reverse roller between the forward rotating direction and the reverse rotating direction with the discharge roller rotating in one direction,
- wherein the switching mechanism comprises:
- a first planetary gear unit comprising:
- a first internal gear,
- a first sun gear,
- a first planetary gear engaging with the first internal gear and the first sun gear, and
- a first planetary carrier supporting the first planetary gear rotatably, and
- a second planetary gear unit engaging with the first planetary gear unit and comprising:
- a second internal gear,
- a second sun gear,
- a second planetary gear engaging with the second internal gear and the second sun gear, and
- a second planetary carrier supporting the second planetary gear rotatably.
16 more elements
A sheet conveying apparatus comprising:
- a first conveying portion, comprising a first roller, configured to convey the sheet;
- a second conveying portion, comprising a second roller, configured to convey the sheet, the second roller being configured to rotate in a forward rotating direction and in a reverse rotating direction;
- a drive source;
- a drive unit comprising a first drive train through which a driving force from the drive source is transmitted to the first roller, and a second drive train through which a driving force from the drive source is transmitted to the second roller;
- and
- a switching mechanism, provided on the second drive train, configured to switch a rotating direction of the second roller between the forward rotating direction and the reverse rotating direction with the first roller rotating in one direction,
- wherein the switching mechanism comprises:
- a first planetary gear unit comprising:
- a first internal gear,
- a first sun gear,
- a first planetary gear engaging with the first internal gear and the first sun gear, and
- a first planetary carrier supporting the first planetary gear rotatably, and
- a second planetary gear unit engaging with the first planetary gear unit and comprising:
- a second internal gear,
- a second sun gear,
- a second planetary gear engaging with the second internal gear and the second sun gear, and
- a second planetary carrier supporting the second planetary gear rotatably.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.