Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.

Kyocera Mita Corporation

Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Yoshio Sugishima

Keiji Okumura

Hiroaki Takai

Takatoshi Nishimura

Hiroyuki Nagai

Noriko Masuta

Hideaki Doyo

Toshio Hori

Kazuhisa Kondo

Yoshiaki Tashiro

Sachio Izumichi

Yoshihiro Yamaguchi

Masashi Matsumoto

Toshinori Muraoka

Keiichi Taguchi

Kenichi Honda

Keiichi Asano

Nobukazu Ootsuka

Tooru Himegi

Yasunori Ueno

Seiichi Shirasaki

Masahiko Miyazaki

Yoichiro Irie

Masuo Kawamoto

Tsuyoshi Nagao

Takehiro Sato

Kuniaki Araishi

Toshikazu Matsui

Takeshi Aoki

Jun Miyoshi

Tsugio Nakanishi

Sadahiro Matsuura

Satoru Hayama

Hiroshi Shimoyama

Kazuyoshi Yamamura

Toshiyuki Nakade

Syuji Fujisawa

Noboru Fukuoka

Kazuhisa Kondoh

Noriaki Okamoto

Nobukazu Otsuka

Shoichiro Tajima

Hiroyuki Kawaguchi

Yuichiro Iwase

Mitsuhiro Shibata

Tohru Tanjyoh

Tadakazu Okitsu

Youichirou Irie

Shouichirou Tajima

Motohisa Washitani

Shigeki Tamura

Katuhide Yamaguchi

Hideki Endoo

Ippei Miyahira

A self-closing device is configured to retract a unit capable of being pulled out with respect to an apparatus main body, to the apparatus main body. The self-closing device includes a plurality of retracting modules configured to retract the unit from a retracting start position towards a retracting end position. The plurality of retracting modules are provided such that retracting strokes from the retracting start position to the retracting end position partially overlap each other and the retracting start positions are different from each other in the retracting direction.

Self-closing device and image forming apparatus

A coupling mechanism of the present disclosure includes a drive transmission member, a coupling member and a biasing member. The drive transmission member includes a shaft portion and an engagement pin. The coupling member includes a plurality of engagement protrusions and a holding protrusion which is smaller than the engagement protrusion. The holding protrusion makes contact with the engagement pin in a state where the engagement pin makes contact with the pressing surface. A load in a reverse rotation direction is applied from the holding protrusion to the engagement pin when the coupling member is reversely rotated.

Coupling mechanism, and sheet feed device and image forming apparatus including same

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding cartridge, a pair of fixed rails, a pair of movable rails and a pressing part. The sheet feeding cartridge has a pair of side plates extending in taking-out/taking-in directions and is taken out/in an installed part in an apparatus main body. The fixed rails are extended in the taking-out/taking-in directions in the installed part. The movable rails are provided to move in the taking-out/taking-in directions along the fixed rails. If the pressing part is provided in one side plate, the pressing part applies biasing force to one movable rail facing to one side plate so that another side plate comes into pressure contact with another movable rail. If the pressing part is provided in one movable rail, the pressing part applies biasing force to one side plate so that another side plate comes into pressure contact with another movable rail.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus including the same

A sheet feeding cartridge storing a sheet conveyed orthogonally to a width direction includes a main body, a pair of side cursors and a restricting member. The main body has a bottom part including a sheet placement face and allows sheets of different sizes to be placed. The side cursors mutually slide in approaching and separating directions and restrict a position in the width direction. The restricting member comes into contact with a side edge in the width direction at a position separated from one of the side cursors to an upstream side in a conveyance direction and restricts the position in the width direction. The restricting member is attachably/detachably provided in the main body at each of plural positions along the width direction and restricts the side edge of each of the sheets of different sizes in the width direction.

Sheet feeding cartridge and image forming apparatus

A sheet feeder includes a sheet feeding cassette stored in a cassette storage part, a heater and flow regulating plates. A first gap is formed between the bottom plate of the sheet feeding cassette and a bottom portion of the cassette storage part, and having an air intake port. A second gap is formed between the side plate of the sheet feeding cassette and a side portion of the cassette storage part and has a vent port communicating with the first gap and the sheet storing part. The flow regulating plates are disposed in the first gap so as to form a duct together with the sheet feeding cassette and the cassette storage part. Air flow is generated such that air is supplied from the air intake port into the first gap, is heated, rises through the second gap from the vent port, and flows to the sheet storing part.

Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus

A recording medium storage apparatus has a storage cassette and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism restricts movement of the storage cassette in the drawing direction. The lock mechanism has an engaging portion on an apparatus body and an engaged portion on the storage cassette. While the storage cassette is drawn out of the apparatus body, an abutting portion of the engaging portion moves along a first slope on the engaged portion toward a peak portion while swinging in a second direction in which it retracts from the engaged portion, and meanwhile the engaged portion rotates in a third direction so that the peak portion is displaced from a protruding position to a guiding position.

Recording medium storage apparatus and image forming apparatus therewith

A sheet feed device includes a feed unit and a sheet loading cassette. The feed unit includes a separation conveyance portion that is composed of a feed member and a separation member, a separation holder that supports the separation member and is swingable, and a pressing member that presses the separation holder. The sheet loading cassette includes a grip portion, a pressure release member that, in conjunction with an operation of drawing out the sheet loading cassette, comes into contact with the pressing member, an operation lever that is provided at the grip portion. In a state where the sheet loading cassette is inserted in the apparatus main body, the operation lever is gripped together with the grip portion, and thus the pressure release member slides to come into contact with the pressing member, so that the pressing member is released from the separation holder.

Sheet feed device and image forming apparatus including the same

A sheet feeder includes a sheet cassette insertable into a housing in a first direction, a remaining amount detecting member including a contact piece extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction and coming into contact with an uppermost sheet, and detecting a remaining amount of sheets according to a position of the contact piece, and a switching member switching the position of the contact piece between a contact position where the contact piece enters a storage space to come into contact with the uppermost sheet and a retracted position where the contact piece is retracted from the storage space. The position is switched to the contact position when the sheet cassette is inserted into the housing in the first direction and set to a feeding position while switched to the retracted position when the sheet cassette is separated from the feeding position and withdrawn from the housing.

Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus provided with the same

A paper supply apparatus for conveying paper to an image forming apparatus has a paper accommodating unit to accommodate paper and to be drawn out from an accommodating space in a main body of the image forming apparatus. The apparatus also has a handle to rotate about an axis extending in the width direction of the paper in the paper accommodating unit. The handle includes a first edge that moves toward the paper accommodating unit upon rotation of the handle and a second edge that opposes the first edge. A link on the first edge of the handle releases engagement with the main body when the first edge moves toward the paper accommodating unit. A flapper is disposed on the second edge of the handle and forms a point where a force acts to move the first edge toward the paper accommodating unit.

Paper supply apparatus and image forming apparatus equipped with the same

A sheet feeding device has a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet stack, a sheet carrying plate for carrying the sheet stack and a pickup roller that dispatches the uppermost sheet of the stack. An elevator displaces the sheet carrying plate between a sheet feeding position where an upper face of the sheet stack contacts the pickup roller and a separating position where the upper face of the sheet stack is separated from the pickup roller. A first warm air mechanism blows warm air toward a side face of the sheet stack. A controller causes the first warm air mechanism to blow warm air to the side face of the sheet stack and causes the elevator to displace the sheet carrying plate between the sheet feeding position and the separating position.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus including sheet feeding device with a sheet feeding preparation period

A sheet feeding device for feeding a sheet-form recording medium includes: a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet stack constituted by a plurality of sheets of the sheet-form recording medium; and a first warm air unit having a first blowing port for blowing warm air toward an upper face of the sheet stack accommodated in the sheet accommodating portion. The sheet feeding device preferably further includes a second warm air unit having a second blowing port for blowing warm air onto a side face of the sheet stack that is parallel to a sheet feeding direction.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus with warm air unit for blowing air toward upper face of sheet stack

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet stack. A sheet carrying plate carries the sheet stack and has an upstream end supported in the sheet accommodating portion for rotation. A pickup roller contacts an upper face of the sheet stack and dispatches an uppermost sheet. An elevator displaces the sheet carrying plate between a feeding position where the upper face of the sheet stack contacts the pickup roller and a separating position where the upper face of the sheet stack is separated from the pickup roller. A first warm air mechanism blows warm air toward a side of the sheet stack in the sheet accommodating portion, the side being parallel to the sheet feeding direction. A controller controls the elevator so that the sheet carrying plate is displaced between the feeding position and the separating position during a warm air blowing operation.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus including sheet feeding device with rear end detection portion

A sheet member discharge mechanism comprising an upper discharge roller and a lower discharge roller for conveying a sheet member in a predetermined direction while nipping it therebetween. A push-down member is disposed downstream of the nipping portion between the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller as viewed in a direction of conveying the sheet member, the push-down member being allowed to move between an ascended position and a descended position and is urged to the descended position. The push-down member is moved to the ascended position by the sheet member acting upon the push-down member while the sheet member is being conveyed by the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller that work in cooperation. The push-down member moves to the descended position to push down the trailing edge of the sheet member after the trailing edge of the sheet member has passed the nipping portion between the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller.

Sheet member discharge mechanism

In the present invention, a staple processing section for collectively stapling a predetermined number of paper sheets, on which an image have been fixed, is contained in a main body housing containing an image forming section, a transfer section, a fixing section, and a conveying path. The staple processing section is integrated with a main body of an image forming apparatus, so that the degree of freedom of design of the paper conveying path is increased, the appearance of the main body of the image forming apparatus can neatly be designed.

Image forming apparatus having staple processing section

A sheet post-processing apparatus having a sheet tray, a sheet transportation path for guiding a sheet into the sheet tray, a bypass path bypassing a part of the sheet transportation path for guiding a sheet into the sheet tray, a post-processing mechanism for performing a post-processing operation on one set of sheets retained in the sheet tray, and a sheet transportation mechanism for feeding the sheet into the sheet tray. During the post-processing operation performed on the one set of sheets previously fed into the sheet tray, the first sheet of the next sheet set is once stopped in one of the transportation path and the bypass path, and the second sheet of the next sheet set is introduced into the other of the bypass path and the transportation path. Upon completion of the post-processing operation performed on the one sheet set, the first and second sheets of the next sheet set are fed into the sheet tray.

Sheet post-processing apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Yoshio Sugishima