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:
Nov. 17, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 25, 1997
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus in which a sheet conveying path and a sheet discharging path are exposed when a side cover is opened for removing a jammed sheet. The side cover, together with attached copy exit guide plate for sheets is exchangeably and detachably mounted to the main body of the apparatus and serves commonly as a side cover for a simplex type copying machine and a duplex type copying machine. Separate units, attached to each other and aligned, establish sheet discharging paths to different destinations, for example, sheet discharging trays. Sheets are guided to the paths by a course selecting pick. One of the two units includes rollers for directing sheets to a mail box or duplex copying unit, selectably. Disclosed embodiments enable copy sheets to be delivered selectably to face up and face down discharging trays or selectably to mail box and face down discharging trays.