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:
Sep. 04, 1997
Satoshi Haneda, Hachioji, JP;
Kunio Shigeta, Hachioji, JP;
Yotaro Sato, Hachioji, JP;
Hisayoshi Nagase, Hachioji, JP;
Shuta Hamada, Hachioji, JP;
Konica Corporation, , JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a first image carrier for carrying a toner image formed thereon; a second image carrier for carrying the toner image transferred from the first image carrier and for conveying a recording sheet; a first transfer device for transferring the toner image carried on the first image carrier onto the second image carrier or an obverse side of the recording sheet; a second transfer device for transferring the toner image carried on the second image carrier onto a reverse side of the recording sheet and a fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred on the recording sheet. The second image carrier is provided with a curved portion at an end on a side of the fixing device, at which the recording sheet conveyed by the second image carrier is bent toward the reverse side of the recording sheet so as to separate the recording sheet from the second image carrier. A conveyor is provided between the curved portion and the fixing device, having rotatable spurred wheels each equipped with a plurality of protrusions on a circumferential surface thereof for conveying the separated recording sheet to the fixing device, wherein the spurred wheels contact to guide the obverse or reverse side of the recording sheet so that a moving direction of the recording sheet is changed toward a side which is opposite to the side where the spurred wheels contact the recording sheet.