Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.

Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Brother Industries, Ltd.

Ricoh Printing Sysetms, Inc.

Takamitsu Ikematsu

Kaoru Tada

Ippei Kimura

Ikuo Fujii

Yasuo Matsuyama

Haruo Hashimoto

Katsumi Kumada

Kazuhiro Wakamatsu

Tadashi Okano

Hiroyuki Seki

Tamotsu Ikeda

Kazuyoshi Kondo

Shigeharu Katayama

Mizuna Tanaka

Kazuhiko Hiraoka

Yoshiaki Yamauchi

Tomoyoshi Yamazaki

Masafumi Takahira

Chikara Hiraoka

Shunichi Oohara

Hirofumi Horita

Kazuo Kikuchi

Toru Hanashima

Atsushi Onose

Seiji Okunomiya

Shinji Kojima

Masato Moribe

Shoji Ukei

Kouichi Oomori

Mitsuhiro Furuse

Akio Miyauchi

A feeding device includes a paper feed tray, a detector on an image forming apparatus main body, a control member rotatably supported by the paper feed tray, and spacers. The detector includes movable pieces and contact points corresponding to the movable piece, and switches each contact point by the position of the corresponding movable piece. The control member includes a control surface formed on its outer circumferential surface with projecting and recessed portions. The projecting and recessed portions are disposed in a pattern corresponding to rotation angles in an area of the control surface facing the movable pieces. Controlling the positions of the movable pieces according to the pattern encodes paper size. Each movable piece is lined in the circumferential direction facing the control surface. The outer circumferential surface of the projecting portions is formed in a cylindrical surface shape centering around the rotational axis of the control member.

Feeding device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet-shaped recording medium; a registration roller pair to convey the recording medium to the image forming unit; a sheet feed roller to convey the recording medium to the registration roller pair; and a controller to control driving of the registration roller pair and the sheet feed roller. In such an image forming apparatus, the controller starts driving of the sheet feed roller to feed the recording medium and stops driving of the sheet feed roller before the sheet feed roller has completed conveyance of the recording medium for a distance equal to a length of the settable minimum-sized recording medium in the conveyance direction.

Image forming apparatus

A sheet supplying device that is incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a recording media container, a sheet feeding unit to feed a recording medium from the recording media container, and a frame to support the recording media container and the sheet feeding unit. The recording media container is detachably attachable to the frame in a first operation in which the recording media container is moved in a sheet conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed upstream or downstream by the sheet feeding unit, and the recording media container is separated from the frame and the sheet feeding unit with the sheet feeding unit remaining in the frame, and a second operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, and the recording media container is separated from the frame together with the sheet feeding unit.

Sheet supplying device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A sheet feed unit includes a medium container configured to contain sheet-like recording media; a bottom plate disposed in the medium container and configured to accommodate the recording media thereon; a sheet feed device configured to feed out the recording media contained in the medium container; a main body of the sheet feed unit, which the medium container can be inserted into and pulled out from, including the sheet feed device; and a displaying member configured to display a remaining level of the recording media in the medium container, the displaying member including a first display oriented in a first direction and a second display oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The sheet feed unit improves a freeness in the observable range of the displaying member and the remaining level of the recording media in the medium container can be more accurately ascertained.

Sheet feed unit and image forming apparatus including same

A sheet supplying device includes a recording media container to accommodate a stack of recording media therein, a sheet feeding unit to feed a recording medium from the stack of recording media in the recording media container, a frame to support the recording media container and the sheet feeding unit, a holder to hold the recording media container by surrounding the outer circumference of the recording media container, and a locking mechanism to engage the frame and the holder with each other. The recording media container is detachably attachable to the frame in a first detaching and attaching operation and a second detaching and attaching operation. The locking mechanism causes the frame and the holder to engage at removal of the recording media container in the first detaching and attaching operation.

A sheet supplying device that is incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a recording media container, a sheet feeding unit to feed a recording medium from the recording media container, a frame to support the recording media container and the sheet feeding unit, and a holder to hold the recording media container by surrounding an outer circumference of the recording media container. The recording media container is detachably attachable to the frame in a first operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction parallel to a sheet conveyance direction and the recording media container is separated from the frame and the holder with the holder remaining in the frame, and a second operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction and the recording media container is separated from the frame together with the holder.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording sheet; an image reading unit provided above the image forming unit so as to open and close with respect to the image forming unit; an automatic document feeder provided above the image reading unit so as to open and close with respect to the image reading unit; and an open-close regulation mechanism that regulates opening and closing movements of the automatic document feeder so that when the image reading unit is closed with respect to the image forming unit, the automatic document feeder is capable of opening with respect to the image reading unit, and when the image reading unit is opened with respect to the image forming unit, the automatic document feeder is prevented to open with respect to the image reading unit.

Image forming apparatus with an open-close regulation mechanism of the automatic document feeder

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feed cassette including: a main container on which sheets are mounted; a sub container slidably attached to the main container; and first slidable portions that are arranged on sidewalls of each of the main container and the sub container, and that are formed in a U-shape.

Sheet feed cassette and image forming apparatus using the same

According to an aspect of the invention, an image forming apparatus comprises: a manuscript reading device reading a manuscript and converting the manuscript into an image signal; a recording device printing on paper; at least one rotating support member connecting the manuscript reading device and the recording device, and a wiring housing member housing the electrical wiring. The recording device is electrically connected to the manuscript reading device by an electrical wiring. The rotating support member is configured so as to rotate the manuscript reading device relative to the recording device. The wiring housing member is positioned different from the rotating support member.

Image forming apparatus including a wiring housing member

A paper feeder is capable of minimizing abnormal noise produced at a separation pad during paper feed, without reducing the paper feed capability, for use in an image forming apparatus using the same. Buffers are mounted on the separation pad. This arrangement ensures that, when a stick-slip condition occurs between the paper and separation pad during paper feed, and the separation pad is vibrated by the paper, the buffer vibrates so as to dissipate the vibration energy of the separation pad, with the result that the vibration of the separation pad is minimized, thereby to reduce any abnormal noise.

Paper feeder with separation pad and vibration buffers

An image forming device includes an openable panel disposed on a side of the image forming device. The panel includes a pair of carrying rollers, a transcribing roller and a pair of discharging sheet carrying rollers.

Image forming apparatus having a sheet removal portion

Printer

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takamitsu Ikematsu