Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Tatsuo Nishiyama

Tomoya Tateishi

Shigeo Murayama

Tetsuo Furukawa

Jumpei Nitta

Kenji Ninomiya

Fuyuto Yamashita

Shinsuke Kobayashi

Akira Kato

Kenichi Ogawa

Hisashi Nakahara

Akira Hayakawa

Kazuhiro Hosohara

Atsushi Murakami

Ninomiya Kenji

An image forming apparatus includes an attachable/detachable storage unit having a positioned portion projecting downstream in an attachment direction of the storage unit, a conveyance member, an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet conveyed by the conveyance member, and a conveyance unit to move between a first position and a second position. Engagement of the positioned portion with a positioning portion of the image forming apparatus causes the storage unit to be positioned with respect to the image forming apparatus. The conveyance unit includes a contact portion and a depressed portion. In a case where the contact portion of the conveyance unit comes into contact with the storage unit and the conveyance unit is moved from the second position to the first position by the storage unit, the positioned portion does not come into contact with the depressed portion of the conveyance unit.

Image forming apparatus

A sheet feeding apparatus includes an apparatus body including an abutting portion, an opening/closing member, a stacking member, a feeding member, a conveyance unit including a separation portion, and a guide configured to guide a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the feeding member from the stacking member toward the separation portion. The guide includes a supported portion supported pivotably by the apparatus body and an abutted portion configured to be abutted against the abutting portion. The guide is configured to move in interrelation with an operation of closing the opening/closing member and to be positioned inside the apparatus body with respect to the opening/closing member in the closed state of the opening/closing member. In the opened state of the opening/closing member, the guide is configured to be restricted from pivoting by the abutted portion being abutted against the abutting portion.

Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a stacking member having a separation unit and an opening portion disposed upstream from the separation unit, a feeding member, and a moving device that includes a slope portion having a slope along which sheets are guided toward the separation unit. The moving device moves the stacking member between a first position where the feeding member and sheets stacked on the stacking member are in contact with each other, and a second position where the feeding member and the sheets are not in contact with each other. When the stacking member is at the first position, the slope portion is disposed at a position lower than the separation unit in a vertical direction. When the stacking member is at the second position, the slope portion is disposed to protrude via the opening portion to be higher than a stacking surface of the stacking member.

A sheet storage apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet storage portion attachable/detachable to/from the apparatus body, a regulating portion to regulate a position of an end portion of the sheet stored in the storage portion, a cam member slidably movable by interlocking with a movement of the regulating portion, and a slide member supported on the apparatus body and slidably movable by engaging with the cam member in a case where the storage portion is attached to the apparatus body. A sensor includes a moving portion supported on the apparatus body and movable by engaging with the slide member, and a variable resistor, supported on the apparatus body, whose resistance value varies in response to a position of the moving portion in the second direction. The sensor outputs a detection value that varies in response to the resistance value of the variable resistor.

Sheet storage apparatus and image forming apparatus

A sheet storage apparatus includes a storage unit having bottom and side surface portions and a width regulation unit that regulates a sheet edge position and includes first and second regulation members movable in a direction opposite to a movement of a moving first regulation member. The bottom surface portion is provided with first and second positioning holes to position the first regulation member, provided with first and second fixing holes. When a direction of the fixing member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the bottom surface portion is defined as a first direction and a direction of the fixing member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the side surface portion is defined as a second direction, the first direction and the second direction are other than parallel.

The present invention is a part positioning mechanism configured to insert a protruding portion constituting a part of a second sheet metal part into an opening formed in a first sheet metal part. The first contact portion which contacts the first convex portion of the first sheet metal and the second contact portion which contacts the second convex portion of the first sheet metal are disposed to be shifted in an orthogonal direction which intersects orthogonally with the plate thickness direction and an insertion direction for the protruding portion. The edge of the opening of the first sheet metal part has a first edge which is distant from the protruding portion increases from the first convex portion to the second convex portion, and a second edge which is distant from the protruding portion increases from the second convex portion to the first convex portion.

Part positioning mechanism and image forming apparatus

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance portion, a reverse conveyance portion, and first and second conveyance regulating portions. An engagement portion contacts the first conveyance regulating portion so that it pivots in a first pivoting direction in an interlocked manner with the second conveyance regulating portion. The first and second conveyance regulating portions are arranged between the conveyance portion and the reverse conveyance portion in a first sheet conveyance direction, and an urging member urges the first and second conveyance regulating portions toward a position where the first and second conveyance regulating portions project to a first conveyance path through which the sheet conveyed from the conveyance portion toward the reverse conveyance portion is conveyed.

Sheet conveyance apparatus and image forming apparatus

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a body portion with a supporting portion to support a sheet and a feed portion to feed the sheet, a pivoting portion arranged upstream in a sheet feeding direction of the supporting portion, and a slide portion supported slidably on the pivoting portion. A first regulating portion abuts against the slide portion and regulates the slide portion from moving downstream in the sheet feeding direction, and a second regulating portion regulates a position of the sheet supported on the supporting portion. A guide portion is formed across the supporting portion and the slide portion and guides the second regulating portion between the supporting portion and the slide portion along the sheet feeding direction, with the second regulating portion moving on the supporting portion by being guided by the guide portion in a state where the second regulating portion is separated from the slide portion.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes a stacking unit, a feeding member, a conveyance guide, and a movement unit. The stacking unit is drawably mounted on an apparatus body and includes a stacking member on which a sheet is stacked. The feeding member feeds the sheet stacked on the stacking member. The conveyance guide is provided with an opening and disposed above the stacking unit. The conveyance guide configures a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed. The movement unit moves the feeding member between a first position on which the feeding member comes into contact with the sheet stacked on the stacking member and a second position disposed above the first position. The movement unit includes an entry portion configured to be located within the opening in a state where the feeding member is positioned at the second position.

Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus

A sheet cassette includes a cassette main body, an intermediate plate, a pressure spring, and a first rear end restriction member provided slidably along a sheet feeding direction and restricting a rear end of a sheet. The sheet cassette also includes a second rear end restriction member provided slidably in the first rear end restriction member along the sheet feeding direction and restricting the rear end of the sheet. The first rear end restriction member includes a first height restriction portion restricting a height of a sheet of a predetermined size loaded in the cassette main body to a first height. The second rear end restriction member includes a second height restriction portion restricting a height of a sheet of a size smaller than the predetermined size loaded in the cassette main body to a second height smaller than the first height.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus with rear end restriction members

An image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material, including a heating unit having a heater and a flexible sleeve to be rotated in contact with the heater; an elastic roller for constituting a nip portion, in cooperation with the heater and through the flexible sleeve, for heating the recording material under pinching and conveying; and a frame having a roller supporting portion for supporting the heating unit and the elastic roller; wherein the frame has a guide portion for mounting the heating unit on the frame; and the roller supporting portion of the frame is positioned, in a conveying direction of the recording material, in a downstream position of an imaginary line passing through a center of the guide portion.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Tatsuo Nishiyama