Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Nisca Corporation

Naofumi Okada

Jinichi Nagata

Toshiki Ohgita

Toyoaki Nanba

Kiyoshi Tokishige

Shigeki Hayashi

Kouzou Yamaguchi

Hideo Yoshikawa

Yasunobu Ohkawa

Susumu Hashimoto

Yoshitaka Matsumoto

Kazuhito Shimura

Kazutoshi Yamamoto

Takuharu Tanimoto

Tokuyasu Inoue

Mitsuhiro Murata

Shin Tsugane

Masaki Saka

Toshiki Ogita

Yasuhiro Takai

Tsutomu Yoshimoto

Syouichirou Yoshiura

Shinji Kawamura

Tomohisa Shimizu

Hiroshi Moriyama

Tatsuya Utsumi

Tetsuya Itoh

Mitshiro Murata

An image forming apparatus in which an original reading portion is disposed in an upper portion of the apparatus main body, a feed portion is disposed in a lower portion of the apparatus main body, and a printing portion is disposed between the original reading portion and the feed portion as an image forming system, is configured as follows. A paper post-processing portion that can perform a plurality of types of paper post-processing for recording paper transported from the apparatus main body after printing by the printing portion is finished, and a discharge portion to which recording paper is discharged after paper post-processing by the paper post-processing portion is finished, are disposed in a space of the apparatus main body formed by the original reading portion, the printing portion, and the feed portion.

Image forming apparatus with switchback transport path in the stapling unit

An image forming apparatus in which an original reading portion is disposed in an upper portion of the apparatus main body, a feed portion is disposed in a lower portion of the apparatus main body, and a printing portion is disposed between the original reading portion and the feed portion as an image forming system, is configured as follows. A paper post-processing portion that can perform a plurality of types of paper post-processing for recording paper transported from the apparatus main body after printing by the printing portion is finished, and a discharge portion to which recording paper is discharged after paper post-processing by the paper post-processing portion is finished, are disposed in a space of the apparatus main body formed by the original reading portion, the printing portion, and the feed portion. The paper post-processing portion is provided such that it can slide relative to the apparatus main body. In a front face of the paper post-processing portion, a cover is provided that covers this front face. The discharge portion is provided such that it can be raised or lowered according to the quantity of stacked recording paper.

Image forming apparatus

A paper feeder includes a storage section, a feed path, a delivery section, and a receiving section. The storage section is configured to store therein plural sheet members to be fed to a processing apparatus which is operative to perform processing on the sheet members. The feed path allows each of the plural sheet members fed from the storage section to pass therethrough in a feed direction toward the processing apparatus. The delivery section is located most downstream on the feed path in the feed direction. The feed path is open to exterior in the delivery section. The receiving section is located upstream of the feed path in the feed direction for communication with a delivery section of a separate paper feeder having an identical construction with the present paper feeder when the separate paper feeder is disposed upstream of the present paper feeder in the feed direction.

Paper feeder

In an image forming apparatus in which an original reading portion is disposed in an upper portion of the apparatus main body, a feed portion is disposed in a lower portion of the apparatus main body, and a printing portion is disposed between the original reading portion and the feed portion as an image forming system, a paper post-processing portion that can perform a plurality of types of paper post-processing for recording paper transported from the apparatus main body after printing by the printing portion is finished, and a discharge portion to which recording paper is discharged after paper post-processing by the paper post-processing portion is finished, are disposed in a space of the apparatus main body formed by the original reading portion, the printing portion, and the feed portion, and the paper post-processing portion is controlled according to print conditions selected when a print request is made.

The subject invention provides a sheet feeding device which can be easily attached to an image forming apparatus. The sheet feeding device includes an adapting part and a lock section. When the sheet feeding device is attached to the image forming apparatus, the adapting part is hooked to a catch section provided in the image forming apparatus. Then, the sheet feeding device is lifted up by the adapting part, which serves as a fulcrum, so as to attach lock section to an attachment board of the image forming apparatus. In this method, it is not necessary to lift up the entire body of the sheet feeding device, and therefore the sheet feeding device can be installed on the image forming apparatus with a little effort. After installation, the sheet feeding device transfers recording sheets to the image forming apparatus via a sheet feeding opening.

Sheet feeding device, image-forming device, image-forming system, method of installing peripheral device, and method of connecting devices

A connector cover of the present invention serves a function as a cover for a connector when a postprocessing device is not fitted to a main unit of an image forming device. Further, when the postprocessing device is fitted to the main unit of the image forming device, the connector cover is secured at the other position while maintaining the function as a cover for the connector, and serves a function as a shock-absorbing member with respect to the actuator which is provided in the postprocessing device. This makes it possible to secure a good appearance of the image forming device and make effective use of resources.

External cover, and image forming device and control system including the same

In an image forming system, an image forming device and a post-treatment device are provided so as to keep a distance L therebetween, by a positioning member and a transfer relaying device, and the image forming device is connected with the post-treatment device by the transfer relaying device. With this arrangement, a space surrounded by the image forming device, post-treatment device, positioning member, and transfer relaying device is made. On this account, it is possible to provide an image forming system in which an image forming device is coupled with a peripheral unit, which does not require cumbersome operations to make a space between the image forming device and the peripheral unit, on the occasion of carrying out unjamming treatment between the image forming device and the peripheral unit.

Image forming system having a space for unjamming

A plurality of bin units are provided with respective gates and, hence, it is possible to sufficiently narrow the clearance between the gates and the bodies of the bin unit. When the gate provided at each bin unit is expanded to lie toward a conveying path, the front edge of the gate becomes put into a dent portion of a sidewall of an image-forming apparatus. For this reason, any clearance or protrusion causing jamming of recording paper is not formed in a branch path extending from the conveying path to a discharged paper tray through the gate and, hence, it is possible to guide recording paper from the conveying path into each bin unit by means of the gate smoothly.

Sheet-like object sorter, and discharged paper processing device for image-forming apparatus employing the same

A paper feeder includes: a multiple number of paper feed cassettes arranged abreast at approximately the same level in the sheet feed direction. These paper feed cassettes are formed into a unibody structure so that they can be pulled out altogether. The more upstream a paper feed cassette is located with respect to the sheet feed direction, the higher the level of the upper surface of the paper feed cassette is arranged. This arrangement affords a space over the downstream paper feed cassette, in which a feed path for recording paper picked up from a paper feed cassette located on the upstream side can be arranged.

Paper feeder for an image forming apparatus

In a recirculating feeder of sheets, the sheets are supplied and restored by the top-pick bottom-return method from a storing device in which the sheets are stacked and stored. The sheets are restored in the lowermost position in the stacking direction of the stacked sheets and stored in the storing device through a driving member, a first restoring device and a second restoring device. The driving member is controlled so as to approach/depart from the first restoring device, and when the sheet is conveyed into the storing device, it approaches to intervene between the lowermost position in the stacking direction of the sheets and the first restoring device, thereby pinching the sheet together with the first restoring device. In this way, the conveying force of the first restoring device is securely transmitted to the sheet, and repelling and mixing are avoided. The driving member contains defining members, which are intended to match the sheet stacking. When the sheet is conveyed to the second restoring device, the driving member is departed. The second restoring device is controlled so as to intermittently contact with or depart from the sheet after the first restoring device, and conveys the sheet up to the final storing position. Thus, without lack of the conveying force, the sheet is securely restored, and soiling of the sheet is lessened by the intermittent contact.

Recirculating feeder of sheets

A shredding machine has a rotary cutter and a fixed cutter. The rotary cutter includes a cutter part with a spiral cutting edge and a flute, and a column part for rotatably holding by a holding member for rotation of the rotary cutter. The fixed cutter has a cutting edge contacting with the cutter part of the rotary cutter. In rotating the rotary cutter, longitudinal slips of documents are fed between the cutters so that the documents enter the flute of the rotary cutter to cut the slips into chips by cooperation between the cutting edge of the rotary cutter and the cutting edge of the fixed cutter.

Shredding machine

An automatic document transportation device has a rotatably supported guide piece at the junction between a document feeding route through which an incoming document sheet to be processed is passed to a scanning position and a discharge route through which the processed document sheet, moving backwards from the scanning position, travels to be discharged. The guide piece normally assumes a downward position by its own weight, thereby blocking the feeding route in such a way that the incoming document sheet can cause it to rotate and travel past it but the outgoing sheet, moving in the opposite direction, is deflected by it into the discharge route.

Automatic document transportation device

A document holder for holding a document sheet on top of and against a document table of a copier is connected to the housing structure of the copier and can be opened and closed with respect to the document table with hinge mechanisms. Each hinge mechanism has a plate adjustably attached to the side surface of the copier housing structure and supports a spring for applying a biasing force on the other hinge plate attached to the document holder. The spring applies its force through a cover piece having a cam surface such that the document holder can be kept open at any angular position and no biasing force acts on it when it is closed.

Document holder for a copier and hinge mechanism therefor

An automatic document transportation device is attached to a copier and can be opened and closed with respect to its document table. Its various components for transporting a document sheet to and from the document table are supported by plates which are directly attached to a flexible outer housing piece. Rollers for a conveyor belt for transporting a document sheet has collar-like pieces directly attached to their axes such that a fixed distance can be maintained between the conveyer belt and the document table.

Growing community of inventors

Tenri, Japan

Naofumi Okada