Patent classifications
B65H2405/31
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a sheet cassette, and a controller. The main body includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a capacitance detector configured to output a signal indicating a value corresponding to a quantity of electricity stored in the first electrode and the second electrode. The sheet cassette includes a sheet guide, and a conductor disposed in an upper portion of the sheet guide. In a state in which the sheet cassette is at an installation position defined in the main body, the first electrode and the second electrode face the conductor in an up-down direction and are at different positions in a moving direction in which the sheet guide is movable. The controller is configured to detect a position of the sheet guide from the value of the signal outputted from the capacitance detector.
SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS
A sheet feeding apparatus includes a detection unit provided to be movable with respect to a sheet stacking portion and configured to detect a sheet by causing a contact portion to come into contact with an uppermost sheet stacked on a stacking surface, wherein a bottom portion of the sheet stacking portion forms a part of a bottom portion of the sheet feeding apparatus, the sheet stacking portion is provided with a through hole configured to be expose in the case where no sheet is stacked on the stacking surface, the through hole penetrating the stacking surface to a bottom surface of the sheet stacking portion, and the contact portion is positioned inside the through hole in the case where no sheet is stacked on the stacking surface.
Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming system
A sheet feeding apparatus includes a tray that stores a recording medium in a closed state in which the tray is placed in an apparatus body, the tray being capable of being pulled out from the apparatus body in a predetermined pulling direction; a transport unit that is provided on the apparatus body and that transports the recording medium in a direction crossing the pulling direction when the tray is in the closed state; a first contact portion provided on the tray and having a contact surface spaced from the transport unit when viewed in the pulling direction, the first contact portion being located upstream of the transport unit in the pulling direction and the contact surface being in contact with an upstream end portion of the recording medium stored in the tray in the pulling direction when the tray is in the closed state; a second contact portion disposed at a position that is upstream of the transport unit in the pulling direction and at which the second contact portion overlaps the transport unit when viewed in the pulling direction, the second contact portion having a contact surface that is in contact with the end portion when the tray is in the closed state; a first overlapping portion provided on the first contact portion and disposed downstream of the second contact portion in the pulling direction, the first overlapping portion overlapping the second contact portion when viewed in the pulling direction; and an urging portion that urges the second contact portion downstream in the pulling direction so that the second contact portion abuts against the first overlapping portion when the tray is in the closed state.
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus includes a discharge tray for supporting the recording medium, an internal unit disposed inside the apparatus main body, and a door serving as a part of outer surface members of the apparatus main body, the door being opened and closed to expose and cover an inside of the apparatus main body to the outside, wherein, by opening of the door, a fixing member that fixes the discharge tray to the apparatus main body is exposed to the outside, and removing of the fixing member from the apparatus main body allows the discharge tray to be detached from the apparatus main body without removing the outer surface members other than the door, and wherein detaching of the discharge tray from the apparatus main body allows the internal unit to be accessed.
Sheet supporting apparatus and image forming apparatus
A sheet supporting apparatus includes a sheet supporting unit having a sheet supporting portion including a supporting surface on which a sheet is supported, and a first engagement unit attached to the sheet supporting portion, and a second engagement unit to draw in the sheet supporting unit toward an attaching position where the sheet supporting unit is attached to an apparatus body. The first engagement unit includes a first engagement portion, a base portion supported by the sheet supporting portion, and a holder that is supported movably in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the supporting surface by the base portion and configured to hold the first engagement portion. The base portion supports the holder swingably around a swing shaft that extends in a direction orthogonal to both the perpendicular direction and an inserting direction in which the sheet supporting unit is inserted.
REUSABLE MEDIA PACKAGING FOR IMAGING DEVICE
A reusable media shell has a frame to hold sheets of media in an interior. A removable cap connects to the frame and its manipulation unveils the media for picking by an imaging device. The cap resides on a terminal end of the frame so the frame covers a majority of the media. A lift plate in the interior forces upward the sheets for picking. Two magnets on the frame magnetically secure the frame to magnets in a base of the imaging device and position the sheets in the base. Upstanding walls, a lid and bottom define the interior of the frame. Inserts attached to the walls allow adjustment to accommodate various sizes of the media.
SHEET STACKING TRAY, AND SHEET POSTPROCESSING DEVICE/IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SHEET STACKING TRAY
A sheet stacking tray includes a first stacking portion, a second stacking portion, and a base portion. In a sheet widthwise direction perpendicular to the sheet discharge direction, the first stacking portion includes a first sheet stacking surface having a first stacking width within a range from one half of a sheet width of a maximum-size sheet to be discharged up to the sheet width of the maximum-size sheet. The second stacking portion includes a second sheet stacking surface having a second stacking width smaller than the first stacking width. A border between the first stacking portion and the second stacking portion lies on a discharge-direction upstream side of a contact point where a leading end portion of the maximum-size sheet comes into contact with the sheet stacking part while the sheet is discharged.
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
An image forming apparatus includes a casing; a process unit for forming a developer image on a sheet; an image exposing unit; a sheet cassette detachably mounted to the casing; a feeding roller for single the sheet from the cassette; a feeding guide provided in the casing and configured to guide the sheet moving from the cassette to the process unit. The exposing unit is disposed right above the feeding roller. The process unit is at a position the same position as the exposing unit in the vertical direction and downstream of the exposing unit in a horizontal direction. The cassette is below the feeding roller. The guide is between the exposing unit and the cassette in the vertical direction. The guide includes upper and lower guides. When the cassette is drawn out of the casing, the lower guide moves to an accommodating portion in the cassette.
Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus including the same
A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding cartridge, a pair of fixed rails, a pair of movable rails and a pressing part. The sheet feeding cartridge has a pair of side plates extending in taking-out/taking-in directions and is taken out/in an installed part in an apparatus main body. The fixed rails are extended in the taking-out/taking-in directions in the installed part. The movable rails are provided to move in the taking-out/taking-in directions along the fixed rails. If the pressing part is provided in one side plate, the pressing part applies biasing force to one movable rail facing to one side plate so that another side plate comes into pressure contact with another movable rail. If the pressing part is provided in one movable rail, the pressing part applies biasing force to one side plate so that another side plate comes into pressure contact with another movable rail.
Sheet feed cassette monitor that highly accurately detects open/close state of sheet feed cassette and presence/absence state of paper sheet, image forming apparatus, and sheet feed cassette monitoring method
A sheet feed cassette monitor includes an actuator with another end portion, a detecting circuit, a plurality of protrusions, a signal monitoring circuit, and a signal determining circuit. When the one end portion is in contact with a paper sheet, the other end portion swings in a first direction. When the one end portion is not in contact with the paper sheet, the other end portion swings in a second direction opposite direction to the first direction. The detecting circuit detects the swinging of the other end portion on the actuator. The plurality of protrusions are convexly installed in an asymmetric manner with respect to a putting-in/taking-out direction of the feed cassette. The signal determining circuit determines a presence/absence state of the paper sheet housed in the sheet feed cassette and an open/close state of the sheet feed cassette based on a pattern of change in the monitored signal.