G03G15/6552

IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20220171319 · 2022-06-02 · ·

A first cover includes a first discharge tray portion and a first recess. The first discharge tray portion supports a discharged sheet. The first recess is formed at the first discharge tray portion. The first recess extends along a sheet discharge direction to a downstream end of the first discharge tray portion in the sheet discharge direction. The second cover surrounds the first cover. A second cover includes a second discharge tray portion and a second recess. The second discharge tray portion is arranged downstream of the first discharge tray portion in the sheet discharge direction. The second discharge tray portion supports the discharged sheet in cooperation with the first discharge tray portion. The second recess is arranged downstream of the first recess in the discharge direction. The second recess is formed continuously from the first recess, and serves as a sheet handle portion in cooperation with the first recess.

Sheet discharge device, and document conveying device and image forming apparatus provided therewith

A sheet discharge device includes: a sheet discharge portion; a sheet stacking portion having a sheet stacking surface for stacking a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge portion; and a stopper in the sheet stacking portion against which, for alignment, the leading end of the sheet discharged from the sheet discharge portion is thrust. The stopper has a support portion, a restricting portion, and an urging mechanism. The restricting portion is supported pivotally on a pivot shaft on the support portion, and is arranged either in a retracted position to lie flat substantially horizontally along the sheet stacking surface or in a restricting position to stand upright substantially vertically to the sheet stacking surface. The urging mechanism urges the restricting portion, when in retracted position, in a direction from restricting position to retracted position and, when in restricting position, in a direction from retracted position to restricting position.

Sheet stacker and image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet stacker
11339022 · 2022-05-24 · ·

A sheet stacker includes a sheet stacking member, a biasing force applier, an angle changer, and a biasing force change reducer. The sheet stacking member has an upstream portion in a sheet conveyance direction. The upstream portion is movable in a vertical direction. The biasing force applier is configured to bias the sheet stacking member upward. The angle changer is configured to change an angle of a sheet stacking face of the sheet stacking member, relative to a surface of a sheet conveyed through a sheet conveying portion. The biasing force change reducer is configured to restrain a change of a biasing force acting on the sheet stacking member, before and after a change of the angle of the sheet stacking member by the angle changer.

Sheet discharge device, sheet discharge method, and image forming apparatus
11334016 · 2022-05-17 · ·

A sheet discharge device includes at least one sheet discharge tray, a sheet discharge position adjustment actuator, and a controller. The sheet discharge tray receives discharged sheets. The discharge position adjustment actuator adjusts discharge positions of the discharged sheets on the at least one sheet discharge tray. The controller compares a first rotation amount of first print data printed on a first sheet with a second rotation amount of second print data printed on a second sheet. In response to a determination that the first rotation amount is different than the second rotation amount, the controller controls the sheet discharge position adjustment actuator to (a) discharge the first sheet to a first discharge position and (b) discharge the second sheet to a second discharge position different than the first discharge position.

IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20230259050 · 2023-08-17 ·

An image forming apparatus includes a main body that includes a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed and a development unit configured to develop the photosensitive member with toner. The main body is configured to discharge a recording material on which an image is formed with the toner onto a discharge tray. The image forming apparatus also includes a toner supply port on which a supply container is mounted to supply toner to a toner containing portion of the development unit. The image forming apparatus further includes a non-contact communication portion including an antenna and configured to receive a signal for user authentication. The discharge tray, the toner supply port, and the non-contact communication portion are provided at an upper portion of the main body. The non-contact communication portion is provided outside the discharge tray when the main body is viewed from above.

PAPER EJECTION APPARATUS, PAPER EJECTION METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM
20220135360 · 2022-05-05 · ·

A paper ejection apparatus including: paper ejection trays to which printed sheets are selectively ejected; a main tray disposed lower than the paper ejection trays; an inspection result acquirer configured to acquire an inspection result of each of the printed sheets; a paper ejection controller configured to control paper ejection such that each of the printed sheets is ejected to the paper ejection trays before the inspection result is obtained by the inspection result acquirer; and a tray information manager configured to manage by associating identification information of each of the paper ejection trays with the inspection result of each of the printed sheets ejected on the paper ejection trays.

Image forming apparatus having a guide member forming a reconveyance path

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming engine, a re-conveyance path configured to guide a sheet, on which an image is formed by the image forming engine, to be switched back and re-conveyed toward the image forming engine. The apparatus also includes a discharge tray, and a discharge path configured to guide the sheet in a sheet discharge direction toward the discharge tray. A stack lever is configured to contact a top surface of the sheet on the discharge tray and press the sheet toward the discharge tray. A guide member is configured to form a part of the re-conveyance path, extend up to a position downstream of the stack lever in the sheet discharge direction above the stack lever, and guide the sheet being conveyed along the re-conveyance path, between the guide member and the stack lever.

Print control apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium

A print control apparatus includes a processor configured to receive printing information including the number of prints to be printed in accordance with one of print jobs, acquire the numbers of containable sheets left for multiple respective container units that contain printing media printed in accordance with the print jobs, and perform control if a maximum value of the acquired numbers of containable sheets left for the respective container units is higher than or equal to the number of prints in one of the print jobs that is to be executed subsequently. The control is performed to discharge one of the printing media that is printed in accordance with the print job to a container unit of the multiple container units that has the maximum value of the numbers of containable sheets left.

IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a discharge roller pair, a detection portion, and a discharge control unit. The discharge roller pair discharges a sheet on which a toner image has been fixed in the fixing device to a discharge tray via a discharge port. The detection portion detects a rear end of the sheet being conveyed from the fixing device toward the discharge port. The discharge control unit performs control so that, within a prescribed period from a point in time of detection of the rear end of the sheet by the detection portion to when the rear end of the sheet passes through the discharge roller pair, a discharge speed of the sheet is reduced to a value lower than a reference speed, and after a lapse of the prescribed period, the discharge speed is increased back to the reference speed.

RECORDING-MATERIAL-TRANSPORTING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM

A recording-material-transporting apparatus includes: a transport unit that transports a recording material along a transport path; an image reading unit that is disposed on one side of the transport path and that reads an image formed on the recording material transported along the transport path; and a rotating member disposed opposite the image reading unit with the transport path provided therebetween. At least one portion of the rotating member contacts the image reading unit, or a rotating member support that supports the rotating member contacts the image reading unit.