The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 22, 1992
Filed:
Sep. 06, 1991
Takashi Gonda, Aichi, JP;
Hirofumi Hasegawa, Hadano, JP;
Motohiro Yamada, Okazaki, JP;
Takayuki Ariyama, Toyokawa, JP;
Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming units and a sheet transporting unit for transporting sheets discharged from an arbitrary one of the image forming units to a discharge portion of its own or to that of other image forming unit. When one of the image forming units is incapable of continuous operation during the execution of an operation thereof, another image forming unit is operated in place thereof which feeds recording sheets of the same size as those of the former image forming unit and forms images with toner of the same color as that of the former image forming unit, and the image bearing sheets discharged from the latter image forming unit are discharged onto the same discharge portion as that of the former image forming unit.