Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Junichi Ochi

Yohei Suzuki

Miho Kaiga

Hideto Chino

Hiroharu Tsuji

Koji Kawamura

Tomooku Koyama

Takuya Keino

Kenichi Fujii

Ken Nakagawa

Ichiro Yasumaru

Takeshi Kawamura

Masao Amano

Joji Goto

Atsushi Kawarago

Eiichiro Kimizuka

Masao Umezawa

Toshifumi Kitamura

Masatoshi Yoshida

Shinkichi Yamamoto

Kazuhide Okuno

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit provided on a first conveyance path, and a reading unit provided on a second conveyance path and configured to read image information from a sheet conveyed in the second conveyance path, with the second conveyance path branching from the first conveyance path. The sheet is conveyed through the second conveyance path in a case of forming an image on a second surface of the sheet opposite to a first surface of the sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit. In addition, an opposing member opposes the reading unit with a space therebetween, and a conveyance roller conveys the sheet through the space between the reading unit and the opposing member and is rotatably supported by the opposing member.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming unit forms an image on a sheet. The sheet is conveyed through a conveyance path after the image has been formed on the sheet. A reading unit reads the image formed on the sheet in the conveyance path. A conveyance guide constitutes a portion of the conveyance path and guides the sheet. A pressing unit presses the reading unit against the sheet. A connection unit connects the reading unit and the conveyance guide such that the reading unit and the conveyance guide move in an interlocked manner.

Technique for conveying reading unit while pressed against sheet

A sheet discharge apparatus includes a pivot member pivoting in an up-down direction by being pressed by a sheet discharged from a sheet discharging portion, with the pivot member retained by being in contact with an uppermost sheet supported on the sheet supporting portion. A control unit changes a sheet interval between a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet and executes a first discharge operation in which at least one sheet is discharged, and a second discharge operation in which sheets are discharged by the sheet discharging portion at a first sheet interval such that the pivot member does not contact with an uppermost sheet supported on the sheet supporting portion during the second discharge operation, and the control unit acquires a number of sheets to be discharged in the second discharge operation based on a detected position of the pivot member detected during the first discharge operation.

Sheet discharge apparatus and image forming apparatus

A transfer unit includes a reading unit to read an image on a sheet conveyed along a conveyance path, a first signal transmission member having a flat shape and is connected to the reading unit, and a relay member connected to the first signal transmission member. The relay member relays a signal from the first signal transmission member, and a second signal transmission member having a round shape and is connected to the relay member. The second signal transmission member leads into an apparatus body from an inner portion of the transfer unit in an axial direction of a first rotation shaft.

An elastic force of an elastic memberrequired for rotating a driven rotational bodyis decreased. A first rotational bodyand a second rotational bodyarranged downstream of a driven rotational bodyin a drive train that transmits a driving force from a driving rotational bodyto a driven memberare included. The first rotational bodyrotates in synchronization with the driven rotational body. The second rotational bodyis rotated by the first rotational bodyand rotates the driven member. The first rotational bodyrotates without rotating the second rotational bodywhen the driven rotational bodyrotates by an elastic force of an elastic member

Drive transmission device and image forming apparatus including the same

A drive transmission device includes: a first rotating member that rotates with driving power received from a driving source, a second rotating member that rotates with driving power from the first rotating member, and a driving-side engagement member and a driven-side engagement member for transmitting the driving power of the first rotating member to the second rotating member, wherein the driving-side engagement member and the driven-side engagement member engage with each other in a state in which the first rotating member is rotating whereby a power applying portion and a power receiving portion engage with each other while resisting against a second biasing power.

Drive transmission device

An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly including an image forming portion; a rotatable member capable of feeding a sheet and configured to rotate; and a detecting unit including an interrelating member configured to rotate in interrelation with rotation of the rotatable member, a detecting member configured to detect rotation of the interrelating member, and a holding member configured to integrally hold the interrelating member and the detecting member. The interrelating member, the detecting member and the holding member are integrally assembled into a unit. The detecting unit is detachably mountable to the main assembly.

Detecting unit, sheet feeding unit, and image forming apparatus comprising the same

Included are an output member including a coupling allowed to be engaged with a unit; an input member; an input-side engagement member; an output-side engagement member allowed to be engaged with the input-side engagement member; an elastic member urging the input-side engagement member toward the output-side engagement member; and a disengagement member which moves the input-side engagement member at an engaged position, at which engagement with the output-side engagement member is allowed, to a disengaged position at which engagement with the output-side engagement member is released. In each of a state where the input-side engagement member is at the engaged position and a state where the input-side engagement member is at the disengaged position, a space is formed in which the output-side engagement member is allowed to move in the shaft direction when the output member is pressed to the shaft direction.

Driving force transmitting apparatus and image forming apparatus

The conveyance apparatus includes a first engaging portion of a first planetary gear unit and a second engaging portion of a second planetary gear unit, and a stopping member movable to a first stop position to stop a first engaged gear, and to a second stop position to stop a second engagement gear, in which a pivot fulcrum of the stopping member is arranged at an intersection between an extension line of a vector of a force that the first engaging portion receives from the first engaged portion under a state in which the stopping member is at the first stop position, and an extension line of a vector of a force that the second engaging portion receives from the second engaged portion under a state in which the stopping member is at the second stop position.

Driving force transmission apparatus, sheet conveyance apparatus, and image forming apparatus

Provided is a sheet conveying apparatus including: a pair of rollers which includes an upper roller and a lower roller and conveys a sheet in a nipping manner; a driving unit which independently drives the upper roller and the lower roller; a conveying unit which is disposed at the upstream of the pair of rollers in the sheet conveying direction and conveys the sheet to the pair of rollers; an overlapping unit which is provided between the pair of rollers and the conveying unit and overlaps a subsequent sheet on a precedent sheet in the conveying direction; and a control unit which controls the driving unit, wherein the control unit controls the driving unit so that: the upper roller and the lower roller are driven before a leading end of the precedent sheet conveyed by the conveying unit reaches the pair of rollers and the driving of the upper roller and the lower roller is stopped before a tail end of the precedent sheet passes the pair of rollers; the pair of rollers is driven again before a leading end of the subsequent sheet conveyed by the conveying unit and overlapped on the precedent sheet nipped by the pair of rollers reaches the pair of rollers and only the upper roller is driven so as to convey the subsequent sheet to the downstream in the conveying direction after the leading end of the subsequent sheet conveyed by the conveying unit reaches the pair of rollers; and the upper roller and the lower roller are driven so as to convey the precedent sheet and the subsequent sheet overlapped on the precedent sheet to the downstream in the conveying direction.

Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus

A conveying portion includes a pair of superimposing rollers and a controller which controls the rotation of the pair of superimposing rollers, wherein the controller controls a rotation of a pair of conveying rollers so that a tail end of a first sheet passes a nip portion between the pair of conveying rollers by conveying the first sheet to the downstream side before a leading end of a third sheet superimposed on a second sheet reaches the nip portion between the pair of conveying rollers nipping the first sheet and the second sheet superimposed on the first sheet.

Sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an intermediary transfer belt, a first charging device and a second charging device. Residual toner remaining on the intermediary transfer belt is to be electrically charged by the first and second charging devices and then is to be collected by being moved from the intermediary transfer belt to the photosensitive member. The first and second charging devices are successively contacted to the intermediary transfer belt at a determined timing, beginning with the first charging device disposed on an upstream side, thus electrically charging the residual toner. Thereafter, the first and second charging devices are successively spaced from the intermediary transfer belt at a determined timing, beginning with the first charging device.

Electrostatic image forming apparatus utilizing dual chargers to clean transfer belt

An image forming apparatus includes a substantially horizontally arranged image bearing member; a developing unit, including a plurality of developing devices and supporting the developing devices rotatably relative to the image bearing member; a movable intermediate transfer belt supported by first and second rotation members and facing the developing unit; a primary transfer member forming, together with the image bearing member, a primary transfer portion located near the first rotation member in a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt, through the intermediate transfer belt; and a secondary transfer member forming, together with the second rotation member, a secondary transfer portion through the intermediate transfer belt. A toner image formed on the image bearing member by the developing unit is transferred on the intermediate transfer belt at the primary transfer portion, and is transferred on a recording material at the secondary transfer portion.

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Mishima, Japan

Junichi Ochi