Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Kiyohide Ochi

Norio Hontani

Hiroshi Kida

Masanori Takeda

Masanori Kato

Masahiko Fujita

Hideo Taniguchi

Norimasa Kurata

Keigo Hashimoto

Hitoshi Nishida

Tatsuya Seo

Nobuhiko Sakamoto

Hideaki Sugata

Hideyuki Kamiura

Daigo Nishioka

A sheet conveyed into a sheet discharge processing device is conveyed through a straight convey path by first convey rollers and then is discharged onto a first discharge tray by second convey rollers and first discharge rollers. Second discharge rollers are arranged on a reverse convey path. A second discharge tray and a fan for applying an external force to the rear surface of a sheet are placed below the reverse convey path. When the trailing end of a sheet is detected by a second detection sensor, the fan is driven for a predetermined period of time to blow air against the rear surface of the discharged sheet. When sheets conveyed into the sheet discharge processing device are guided to a post-processing convey path by the first convey rollers so as to be subjected to post-processing, and are sequentially conveyed to a sheet stored section by convey rollers from the last or start page, the sheets are guided along one of guide plates constituting the sheet storing section to be aligned. A stapler for stapling a bundle of sheets aligned in the sheet storing section is placed below the sheet storing section.

Sheet discharge processing device

A sheet conveyed into a sheet discharge processing device is conveyed through a straight convey path by first convey rollers and then is discharged onto a first discharge tray by second convey rollers and first discharge rollers. Second discharge rollers are arranged on a reverse convey path. A second discharge tray and a fan for applying an external force to the rear surface of a sheet are placed below the reverse convey path. When the trailing end of a sheet is detected by a second detection sensor, the fan is driven for a predetermined period of time to blow air against the rear surface of the discharged sheet. When sheets conveyed into the sheet discharge processing device are guided to a post-processing convey path by the first convey rollers so as to be subjected to post-processing, and are sequentially conveyed to a sheet storing section by convey rollers from the last or start page, the sheets are guided along one of guide plates constituting the sheet storing section to be aligned. A stapler for stapling a bundle of sheets aligned in the sheet storing section is placed below the sheet storing section.

Image forming device with sheet discharge apparatus

The intermediate sheet feeding device for a duplex image forming apparatus includes: an intermediate tray; an sheet input conveyance path to the intermediate tray; a sheet output conveyance path from the intermediate tray; the sheet input conveyance path and the sheet output conveyance path being arranged to intersect each other at one end of the intermediate sheet tray; a conveying roller provided along the conveyance path from the image processing portion to the intermediate tray; and a conveyance controlling means which controls the conveying roller so as to convey the sheet at a speed lower than that when the sheet advances through the image processing portion and so that a short-sized sheet is conveyed slower than a long-sized sheet. Further, a configuration for preventing sheet curl includes: a presser member for pressing the rear end of a sheet input above the intermediate tray against the intermediate tray; and a lift stopper member pivotally supported at an axle below the input roller so as to inhibit the pop-up of the rear ends of sheets.

Sheet feeding device for a duplex image forming apparatus

First and second switchback convey paths are arranged to be symmetrical about the convey path between an inlet and a discharge path. First and second detection sensors are arranged on the first and second switchback convey paths, respectively, to detect sheets conveyed therein. A switching gate is rotatably placed between the respective convey paths. The switching gate is constituted by a first reverse guide path for causing the inlet to communicate with the first switchback convey path and also causing the discharge path to communicate with the first switchback convey path, and a second reverse guide path for causing the discharge path to communicate with the second switchback convey path and also causing the inlet to communicate with the second switchback convey path. The switching gate is switched in a state wherein the trailing end of a conveyed sheet is detected by the first detection sensor on the first switchback convey path, but no sheet is detected by the second detection sensor on the second switchback convey path. With this operation, switching control can be accurately performed without leaving the trailing end of a sheet in any of the guide paths of the switching gate.

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Hiroshima, Japan

Kiyohide Ochi