A sheet conveying device has a pair of upper discharge rollers including a first discharge roller and a first following roller, a second discharge tray, a corrugation member, and a moving mechanism. The first discharge roller is rotatable in forward and reverse directions. The corrugation member corrugates the sheet by making contact with its sheet face. The moving mechanism moves the corrugation member between a first position, where it makes contact with the sheet face of the sheet, and a second position, where it is located above, away from, the nip portion of the pair of upper discharge rollers. An image forming apparatus incorporates such a sheet conveying device.

A media accumulator-ejector for use with an imaging apparatus. Rotatable upper and lower roll assemblies are located above and below a media accumulation zone comprised of an accumulation plate and positioned to receive media exiting an imaging device. The roll assemblies are moveable like jaws between an open position where media can accumulate on the accumulation plate without interference with the roll assemblies and a clamping position where the accumulated media is grasped by the upper and lower roll assemblies. The upper and lower roll assemblies are then rotated to eject the accumulated media from the accumulation plate. The upper and lower roll assemblies can also grasp and continuously eject individual sheets of media at a predetermined process speed.

An image recording apparatus includes: a recording section which records an image on a sheet conveyed in a conveyance direction in a conveyance route; a first abutment member having a plurality of first abutment portions arranged apart from each other in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and configured to abut against the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route; a first supporting member which supports the first abutment member; and a plurality of second abutment members which are supported by the first supporting member at both sides in the width direction, respectively, of the first abutment member, at a distance from the first abutment member, and each of which has a second abutment portion capable of contacting with the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route.

An image recording apparatus includes: a recording section which records an image on a sheet conveyed in a conveyance direction in a conveyance route; a first abutment member having a plurality of first abutment portions arranged apart from each other in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and configured to abut against the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route; a first supporting member which supports the first abutment member; and a plurality of second abutment members which are supported by the first supporting member at both sides in the width direction, respectively, of the first abutment member, at a distance from the first abutment member, and each of which has a second abutment portion capable of contacting with the sheet conveyed in the conveyance route.

A substrate de-bowing mechanism, system and method are described. The mechanism can include a substrate support, one or more stationary contact members, and one or more dynamic or movable contact members that are adapted to contact the substrate and bend the substrate in a desired direction to reduce or eliminate bowing of the substrate. The mechanism is controlled by a CPU or other controller that can adjust the de-bow parameters of the de-bowing mechanism based on input settings that can be dynamic and/or static settings. The mechanism can be used to de-bow a variety of substrates including plastic cards, passports, and passport pages.

A substrate de-bowing mechanism, system and method are described. The mechanism can include a substrate support, one or more stationary contact members, and one or more dynamic or movable contact members that are adapted to contact the substrate and bend the substrate in a desired direction to reduce or eliminate bowing of the substrate. The mechanism is controlled by a CPU or other controller that can adjust the de-bow parameters of the de-bowing mechanism based on input settings that can be dynamic and/or static settings. The mechanism can be used to de-bow a variety of substrates including plastic cards, passports, and passport pages.

A method of stacking a plurality of absorbent sheet products is provided. In an embodiment, the method includes folding an absorbent sheet inwardly along a first folding line to form a first inner panel, folding the absorbent sheet inwardly along a second folding line, substantially parallel to the first folding line, to form a second inner panel, folding the absorbent sheet along a third folding line substantially perpendicular to the first and the second folding lines to form a first outer panel and a second outer panel, sandwiching the first and the second inner panels therebetween to obtain one of the absorbent sheet products, and inserting at least a section of at least one of the first and the second outer panels of each one of the absorbent sheet products between the first and the second outer panels of an adjacent one of absorbent sheet products of the stack.

A method of stacking a plurality of absorbent sheet products is provided. In an embodiment, the method includes folding an absorbent sheet inwardly along a first folding line to form a first inner panel, folding the absorbent sheet inwardly along a second folding line, substantially parallel to the first folding line, to form a second inner panel, folding the absorbent sheet along a third folding line substantially perpendicular to the first and the second folding lines to form a first outer panel and a second outer panel, sandwiching the first and the second inner panels therebetween to obtain one of the absorbent sheet products, and inserting at least a section of at least one of the first and the second outer panels of each one of the absorbent sheet products between the first and the second outer panels of an adjacent one of absorbent sheet products of the stack.

An image forming apparatus includes plural medium transport paths that branch at a predetermined branching position and along which a medium is transported in a curved state; a switching member disposed at the branching position and including a guide surface that allows the medium to be transported along one of the medium transport paths, the switching member switching between the medium transport paths; an output unit that outputs the medium toward a stacking portion, on which the medium is to be stacked, while corrugating the medium; and a guide portion that guides the medium from the branching position toward the output unit in a region in which the medium is corrugated.

An image forming apparatus includes plural medium transport paths that branch at a predetermined branching position and along which a medium is transported in a curved state; a switching member disposed at the branching position and including a guide surface that allows the medium to be transported along one of the medium transport paths, the switching member switching between the medium transport paths; an output unit that outputs the medium toward a stacking portion, on which the medium is to be stacked, while corrugating the medium; and a guide portion that guides the medium from the branching position toward the output unit in a region in which the medium is corrugated.