Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Kyocera Mita Corporation

Hideaki Doyo

Noriko Masuta

Yoshiaki Tashiro

Takehiro Sato

Yoshio Sugishima

Hiroaki Takai

Toshio Hori

Yuichiro Tanaka

Kaori Harada

The technology according to the present disclosure is a contact pressure adjustment method capable of suppressing adhesion of ink to a roller surface of a roller that conveys a sheet on which an image has been recorded, in an image recording apparatus. The contact pressure adjustment method includes: causing an image recording portion of an image recording apparatus to record a predetermined test image on a sheet; causing a vibration detection portion to detect vibration generated in the test image recorded sheet on which the test image is recorded while the test image recorded sheet is being conveyed along a conveying path; and in a case where a fluctuation width of the vibration detected by the vibration detection portion is outside a predetermined reference range, adjusting contact pressure of a driven roller against the image recording surface of the test image recorded sheet.

Contact pressure adjustment method and image recording apparatus

A sheet feeding device includes a pickup roller, a feed roller, a retard roller, a conveyance rollers pair. The pickup roller contacts a sheet at a first contact point in a pickup position and rotates to convey the sheet in a predetermined conveyance direction. The feed roller is disposed on a downstream side of the pickup roller in the conveyance direction. The retard roller contacts the feed roller at a second contact point and conveys the sheet while separating the sheet. The conveyance rollers pair contacts each other at a third contact point and conveys the sheet passing through the second contact point to a conveyance path. The first contact point, the second contact point and the third contact point are disposed on a linear line in the conveyance direction, when viewed from axial directions of the rollers.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus () includes an image forming device (), a conveyor device (L), and a manual paper feed section (). The conveyor device (L) conveys paper (P). A part of the conveyor device (L) is constituted by a conveyance guide unit () and an exterior unit (). The exterior unit () is located opposite to the conveyance guide unit () and constitutes a part of an exterior surface of the image forming apparatus (). The manual paper feed section () includes a paper feed roller () and a retard roller (). The paper feed roller () is located in the exterior unit () and feeds paper (P) placed on a manual feed tray () to the conveyor device (L). The retard roller () is located in the conveyance guide unit () and separates sheets of the paper (P) fed by the paper feed roller ().

Image forming apparatus

An optional device of the present disclosure is attachable and detachable with respect to an image forming apparatus via a connection member fitted to a side face of a main body of the optional device. The connection member includes a shaft, a connector, and a lock member. The shaft is supported by the main body to be slidable in an axial direction. The connector is fixed to the shaft and coupled to the image forming apparatus. The lock member is capable or restricting movement of the shaft in the axial direction. A position of the connector is adjusted by releasing the restriction placed on the shaft by the lock member and then sliding the shaft in the axial direction.

Sheet feeding device attachable to an image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus of the present disclosure is provided with an apparatus main body, a caster, and a cover member. The caster movably supports the apparatus main body. The cover member is mounted to a side surface of the apparatus main body. The caster includes a wheel and a main body portion that swivelably supports a rotation shaft of the wheel. A nut portion is provided integrally with an upper part of the main body portion. A swiveling restriction portion that restricts swiveling of the nut portion is formed integrally with the cover member.

Image forming apparatus and lockable swivel caster wheel assembly

A gear engagement mechanism of a life device includes a lifting member interlocking with a lifting tray to linearly move in a vertical direction, and a gear train having a pinion engaged with the rack to transmit a rotary motion to the rack and transmitting the rotation torque of a lift motor M to the pinion. When the lifting member has over-run an upper limit stop position and a lower limit stop position, engagement of the pinion and the rack is released.

Paper feeding device and image forming apparatus

A sheet feeder includes a sheet feeding cassette stored in a cassette storage part, a heater and flow regulating plates. A first gap is formed between the bottom plate of the sheet feeding cassette and a bottom portion of the cassette storage part, and having an air intake port. A second gap is formed between the side plate of the sheet feeding cassette and a side portion of the cassette storage part and has a vent port communicating with the first gap and the sheet storing part. The flow regulating plates are disposed in the first gap so as to form a duct together with the sheet feeding cassette and the cassette storage part. Air flow is generated such that air is supplied from the air intake port into the first gap, is heated, rises through the second gap from the vent port, and flows to the sheet storing part.

Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus

A sheet conveying device that conveys a sheet includes a sheet conveying path, a conveying mechanism, and a guiding plate. The sheet conveying path is set to include a nonlinear portion. The conveying mechanism is arranged in the sheet conveying path to convey a sheet. The guiding plate is arranged in the nonlinear portion of the sheet conveying path and has a guiding plane along which the sheet is guided. The guiding plate includes a thinned portion in an area of the guiding plane against which a leading end of the sheet being conveyed along the sheet conveying path collides so that the thinned portion suppresses high frequency components of an impulsive sound produced by the collision.

Sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus including sheet conveying device

According to the present disclosure, a recording medium feeding device includes a pickup roller, a feed roller, a retard roller, a holding member, a pressing mechanism, a pressing force changing mechanism, and a driving force transmitting mechanism. The holding member is configured to rotatably support the feed roller and the pickup roller. The pressing mechanism is configured to press the pickup roller against a recording medium. The pressing force changing mechanism is configured to change the pressing force of the pickup roller. The driving force transmitting mechanism is configured to transmit a rotation-driving force to the feed roller. The pressing force changing mechanism obtains a driving force from the driving force transmitting mechanism, and increases the pressing force according to rotation time of the pickup roller.

Recording medium feeding device and image forming apparatus provided with same

A recording medium storage apparatus has a storage cassette and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism restricts movement of the storage cassette in the drawing direction. The lock mechanism has an engaging portion on an apparatus body and an engaged portion on the storage cassette. While the storage cassette is drawn out of the apparatus body, an abutting portion of the engaging portion moves along a first slope on the engaged portion toward a peak portion while swinging in a second direction in which it retracts from the engaged portion, and meanwhile the engaged portion rotates in a third direction so that the peak portion is displaced from a protruding position to a guiding position.

Recording medium storage apparatus and image forming apparatus therewith

A sheet process device includes a supporting member and a process device main body. The supporting member is attached to the lateral face at a side of an in-body sheet ejection space of an image forming apparatus. The process device main body is supported by the supporting member. The process device main body includes a relay conveyance unit and a post process unit. The relay conveyance unit is arranged slidable in a direction to the in-body sheet ejection space. The post process unit is arranged slidable in upward and downward directions with respect to the supporting member. The process device main body provides a sheet conveying path extending from a sheet ejection port of the image forming apparatus to the post process unit through the relay conveyance unit, when the post process unit is moved upwardly after the relay conveyance unit is moved into the in-body sheet ejection space.

Sheet process device

A sheet feed device includes a feed unit and a sheet loading cassette. The feed unit includes a separation conveyance portion that is composed of a feed member and a separation member, a separation holder that supports the separation member and is swingable, and a pressing member that presses the separation holder. The sheet loading cassette includes a grip portion, a pressure release member that, in conjunction with an operation of drawing out the sheet loading cassette, comes into contact with the pressing member, an operation lever that is provided at the grip portion. In a state where the sheet loading cassette is inserted in the apparatus main body, the operation lever is gripped together with the grip portion, and thus the pressure release member slides to come into contact with the pressing member, so that the pressing member is released from the separation holder.

Sheet feed device and image forming apparatus including the same

A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a sheet conveyance path designed so as to include nonlinear portions; a first conveyance roller pair which is provided at predetermined positions of the sheet conveyance path and which has a conveyance width capable of nipping and conveying a sheet having the minimum size sheet passing width among sheets to be passed through the sheet conveying apparatus; a guide plate which is placed in a downstream side or an upstream side of the first conveyance roller pair in a sheet conveyance direction and has a curved guide surface; and a plurality of guide ribs which are extended on the guide surface in the sheet conveyance direction and are provided in a sheet passing width direction of the sheet in a region corresponding to the conveyance width of the first conveyance roller pair.

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Osaka, Japan

Hideaki Doyo