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:
May. 02, 2000
Filed:
May. 01, 1998
Hiroshi Obara, Yokohama, JP;
Masahiro Yonekawa, Machida, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an open interior space that retains ejected printed sheets. The apparatus includes a scanner that operates in a book-scanning mode of operation and a printer that includes a sheet ejection side wall in which an opening is formed for ejecting a printed sheet there through and a pair of support walls for supporting the scanner thereon. Each of the pair of support walls is orthogonal to the sheet ejection side wall and shorter in length than a length of the scanner in a longitudinal direction. In the image forming apparatus, the scanner is mounted on the sheet ejection side wall and the pair of support walls in a way such that a front part of the scanner projects in a horizontal direction from front edge sides of the sheet ejection side wall and the pair of support walls so that an interior space for handling the printed sheet is formed under a bottom part of the scanner that projects from the front edge sides of the sheet ejection side wall and the pair of support walls.