IP Library › Granted Patent US 12692112
Granted Patent B2
US 12692112 · App. 18/595,763 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus

Inventors: Hideki Hayashi (Saitama, JP); Jianxun Xie (Chiba, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B65H5/36B65H2402/10B65H2404/7414B65H2801/21
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12692112
App. No.
18/595,763
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed is a sheet conveying apparatus to which a sheet conveying module is separably connected. The sheet conveying module is provided with a conveying unit including a conveying guide. The conveying unit can be pulled out in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction. The sheet conveying apparatus has a passing-over unit for passing the sheet over between the sheet conveying module and the sheet conveying apparatus. The passing-over unit includes a stopper member. The stopper member restricts a movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction when the passing-over unit is in a first position. The restriction of the stopper member is released when the passing-over unit is in the second position.

Claims (63)

1 . A sheet conveying apparatus to which a sheet conveying module is separably connected, the sheet conveying module being provided with a conveying unit including a conveying guide configured to guide a sheet, the conveying unit being able to be pulled out in a pulling-out direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction, the sheet conveying apparatus comprising:

a passing-over unit configured to pass the sheet over between the sheet conveying module and the sheet conveying apparatus, the passing-over unit including a rotation central shaft and a conveying guide configured to guide the sheet and to be rotatable around the rotation central shaft, the passing-over unit being arranged on an upstream side or a downstream side of the conveying unit in the sheet conveying direction,

wherein the passing-over unit is configured to be switched by rotation between a first position and a second position, the sheet is passed over in the first position of the passing-over unit, the conveying guide of the passing-over unit overlaps with the conveying guide of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction when the passing-over unit is in the first position, and the conveying guide of the passing-over unit does not overlap with the conveying guide of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction when the passing-over unit is in the second position,

wherein a stopper member is provided, which is configured to restrict a movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction when the passing-over unit is in the first position, and the restriction by the stopper member to restrict the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction is released when the passing-over unit is in the second position,

wherein the sheet conveying apparatus includes a rotation restricting member that restricts rotation of the passing-over unit by engaging with the passing-over unit, and

wherein, in a case where the rotation restricting member restricts the rotation of the passing-over unit when the passing-over unit is in the first position, the stopper member restricts the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction and the restriction by the stopper member is not released unless the restriction by the rotation restricting member is released.

2 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein when the passing-over unit is in the first position, the stopper member is arranged in a position where the stopper member overlaps with the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction to restrict the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction, and

wherein when the passing-over unit is moved to the second position, the stopper member is moved to a position where the stopper member does not overlap with the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction to release the restriction of the stopper member to restrict the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction.

3 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the passing-over unit includes a rotary conveying unit that rotates around the rotation center shaft and supports the conveying guide, and

wherein the rotary conveying unit serves as the stopper member.

4 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the rotary conveying unit has a side wall provided at one side or the other side of the rotary conveying unit in the pulling-out direction, and

wherein the side wall serves as the stopper member.

5 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the rotation restricting member is a fastening member to be fastened to a securing member, and

wherein the passing-over unit includes a first fastening portion to which the fastening member is fastened when the passing-over unit is in the first position and a second fastening portion to which the fastening member is fastened when the passing-over unit is in the second position.

6 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the sheet conveying apparatus includes a second conveying guide configured to guide the sheet, the second conveying guide is provided on a side opposite the conveying unit with respect to the passing-over unit in the sheet conveying direction,

wherein the passing-over unit is configured to be switched by rotation between the first position and the second position,

wherein when the passing-over unit is in the first position, one side of the conveying guide of the passing-over unit overlaps with the conveying guide of the conveying unit in the sheet conveying direction and the other side of the conveying guide of the passing-over unit overlaps with the second conveying guide, and

wherein when the passing-over unit is in the second position, the one side of the conveying guide of the passing-over unit does not overlap with the conveying guide of the conveying unit and the other side of the conveying guide of the passing-over unit does not overlap with the second conveying guide.

7 . The conveying apparatus according to claim 6 ,

wherein the sheet conveying apparatus includes a second conveying unit configured to guide the sheet, the conveying unit being able to be pulled out in the pulling-out direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction.

8 . A sheet conveying apparatus comprising:

a conveying unit that includes a conveying guide configured to guide a sheet, the conveying unit being able to be pulled out in a pulling-out direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction; and

a passing-over unit configured to pass the sheet over to and from the conveying guide of the conveying unit, the passing-over unit including a rotation central shaft and a conveying guide configured to guide the sheet and to be rotatable around the rotation central shaft, the passing-over unit being arranged on an upstream side or a downstream side of the conveying unit in the sheet conveying direction,

wherein the passing-over unit is configured to be switched by rotation between a first position and a second position, the sheet is passed over in the first position of the passing-over unit, the conveying guide of the passing-over unit overlaps with the conveying guide of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction when the passing-over unit is in the first position, and the conveying guide of the passing-over unit does not overlap with the conveying guide of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction when the passing-over unit is in the second position,

wherein a stopper member is provided, which is configured to restrict a movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction when the passing-over unit is in the first position, and the restriction by the stopper member to restrict the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction is released when the passing-over unit is in the second position,

wherein the sheet conveying apparatus includes a rotation restricting member that restricts rotation of the passing-over unit by engaging with the passing-over unit, and

wherein, in a case where the rotation restricting member restricts the rotation of the passing-over unit when the passing-over unit is in the first position, the stopper member restricts the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction and the restriction by the stopper member is not released unless the restriction by the rotation restricting member is released.

9 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein when the passing-over unit is in the first position, the stopper member is arranged in a position where the stopper member overlaps with the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction to restrict the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction, and

wherein when the passing-over unit is moved to the second position, the stopper member is moved to a position where the stopper member does not overlap with the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction to release the restriction of the stopper member to restrict the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction.

10 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein the passing-over unit includes a rotary conveying unit that rotates around the rotation center shaft and supports the conveying guide, and

wherein the rotary conveying unit serves as the stopper member.

11 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the rotary conveying unit has a side wall provided at one side or the other side of the rotary conveying unit in the pulling-out direction, and

wherein the side wall serves as the stopper member.

12 . The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein the rotation restricting member is a fastening member to be fastened to a securing member, and

wherein the passing-over unit includes a first fastening portion to which the fastening member is fastened when the passing-over unit is in the first position and a second fastening portion to which the fastening member is fastened when the passing-over unit is in the second position.

13 . An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet and has multiple modules connected together, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a first module provided with a conveying unit including a conveying guide configured to guide the sheet, the conveying unit being able to be pulled out in a pulling-out direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction; and

a second module to which the first module is separably connected, the second module including a passing-over unit configured to pass the sheet over between the first module and the second module, the passing-over unit including a rotation central shaft and a conveying guide configured to guide the sheet and to be rotatable around the rotation central shaft, the passing-over unit being arranged on an upstream side or a downstream side of the conveying unit in the sheet conveying direction,

wherein the passing-over unit is configured to be switched by rotation between a first position and a second position, the sheet is passed over in the first position of the passing-over unit, the conveying guide of the passing-over unit overlaps with the conveying guide of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction when the passing-over unit is in the first position, and the conveying guide of the passing-over unit does not overlap with the conveying guide of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction when the passing-over unit is in the second position,

wherein a stopper member is provided, which is configured to restrict a movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction when the passing-over unit is in the first position, and the restriction by the stopper member to restrict the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction is released when the passing-over unit is in the second position,

wherein the sheet conveying apparatus includes a rotation restricting member that restricts rotation of the passing-over unit by engaging with the passing-over unit, and

wherein, in a case where the rotation restricting member restricts the rotation of the passing-over unit when the passing-over unit is in the first position, the stopper member restricts the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction and the restriction by the stopper member is not released unless the restriction by the rotation restricting member is released.

14 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 ,

wherein when the passing-over unit is in the first position, the stopper member is arranged in a position where the stopper member overlaps with the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction to restrict the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction, and

wherein when the passing-over unit is moved to the second position, the stopper member is moved to a position where the stopper member does not overlap with the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction to release the restriction of the stopper member to restrict the movement of the conveying unit in the pulling-out direction.

15 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 ,

wherein the passing-over unit includes a rotary conveying unit that rotates around the rotation center shaft and supports the conveying guide, and

wherein the rotary conveying unit serves as the stopper member.

16 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 ,

wherein the rotary conveying unit has a side wall provided at one side or the other side of the rotary conveying unit in the pulling-out direction, and

wherein the side wall serves as the stopper member.

17 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 ,

wherein the rotation restricting member is a fastening member to be fastened to a securing member, and

wherein the passing-over unit includes a first fastening portion to which the fastening member is fastened when the passing-over unit is in the first position and a second fastening portion to which the fastening member is fastened when the passing-over unit is in the second position.