IP Library Granted Patent US 11,292,687
Granted Patent B2
US 11,292,687 · App. 16/836,940 · Granted Apr 5, 2022

Image forming apparatus

Inventors: Yasunobu Goto (Kanagawa, JP); Ryuga Oishi (Kanagawa, JP); Takuyoshi Kimura (Kanagawa, JP); Takehiko Koizumi (Kanagawa, JP); Natsumi Nakata (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
B65H29/22B65H1/266B65H15/004B65H85/00G03G15/6502B65H2301/33312B65H2301/442B65H2301/4421B65H2404/561B65H2404/732B65H2404/733B65H2405/31B65H2601/11B65H2801/06G03G15/234
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,292,687
App. No.
16/836,940
Granted
Apr 5, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a drawer unit, a sheet inverting unit, a sheet guide plate, and a projection. The drawer unit is drawable from an apparatus body. The sheet inverting unit is disposed in the apparatus body, and pulls a sheet into a lower portion of the drawer unit to invert the sheet. The sheet guide plate is disposed on the sheet inverting unit to face the drawer unit, and includes a recess extending in a pull-out direction of the drawer unit that crosses a direction in which the sheet is transported. The projection protrudes toward the recess from a portion of a lower surface of the drawer unit facing the sheet guide plate near a pull-out start point in the pull-out direction and on a rear of a transport area of the sheet.

Claims (23)

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a drawer unit drawable from an apparatus body;

a sheet inverting unit that is disposed in the apparatus body, and pulls a sheet into a lower portion of the drawer unit to invert the sheet, wherein the sheet inverting unit comprises a sheet container;

a sheet guide plate that is disposed on the sheet inverting unit to face the drawer unit, the sheet guide plate including a recess extending in a pull-out direction of the drawer unit that crosses a direction in which the sheet is transported; and

a projection that protrudes toward the recess from a portion of a lower surface of the drawer unit facing the sheet guide plate near a pull-out start point in the pull-out direction and on a rear of a transport area of the sheet.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the projection moves along the recess of the guide plate in association with a pull-out operation of the drawer unit toward a side from which the drawer unit is pulled out, and pushes the sheet out in the pull-out direction of the apparatus body while being in contact with an end of the sheet left in the sheet inverting unit.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,

further comprising a second projection that protrudes toward the sheet guide plate from a portion of the lower surface of the drawer unit facing the guide plate near the pull-out start point in the pull-out direction and on a rear of a transport area of the sheet,

wherein the second projection moves to a side from which the drawer unit is pulled while being in contact with the sheet guide plate in association with a pull-out operation of the drawer unit to clean the sheet guide plate.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the projection and the second projection are formed from elastic foam.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the projection and the second projection are formed from polyester films.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the projection and the second projection are formed from pile brushes.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,

further comprising a second projection that protrudes toward the sheet guide plate from a portion of the lower surface of the drawer unit facing the guide plate near the pull-out start point in the pull-out direction and on the rear of the transport area of the sheet,

wherein the second projection moves to a side from which the drawer unit is pulled while being in contact with the sheet guide plate in association with a pull-out operation of the drawer unit to clean the sheet guide plate.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the projection and the second projection are formed from elastic foam.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the projection and the second projection are formed polyester films.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the projection and the second projection are formed from pile brushes.

11. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

drawer means drawable from an apparatus body;

sheet inverting means disposed in the apparatus body, for pulling a sheet into a lower portion of the drawer means to invert the sheet;

sheet guide plate means disposed on the sheet inverting means to face the drawer means, the sheet guide plate means including a recess extending in a pull-out direction of the drawer means that crosses a direction in which the sheet is transported; and

projection means that protrudes toward the recess from a portion of a lower surface of the drawer means facing the sheet guide plate means near a pull-out start point in the pull-out direction and on a rear of a transport area of the sheet.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 18, 2021
From: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
To: FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP.
Reel/Frame 056280/0616 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2020
From: GOTO, YASUNOBU; OISHI, RYUGA; KIMURA, TAKUYOSHI; KOIZUMI, TAKEHIKO; NAKATA, NATSUMI
To: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 052325/0606 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-181141 · Oct 1, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210094783A1 · Apr 1, 2021