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:
Dec. 16, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 14, 2000
Naomasa Kimura, Moriya-machi, JP;
Yoshiyuki Koshimizu, Abiko, JP;
Masakazu Mori, Toride, JP;
Hideki Mori, Abiko, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image reader for reading information about an image on a document, a sheet support disposed below the image reader and arranged for supporting sheets thereon, and an image forming unit disposed between the image reader and the sheet support. A body of the image forming apparatus has at least one of the image reader, the sheet support and the image forming unit, and provides a sheet discharging space into which a sheet having an image formed thereon by the image forming unit is discharged, where the image reader, the sheet support, and the image forming unit are arranged around the sheet discharging space. The image forming apparatus further includes an opening unit for exposing the image forming unit to the exterior of the image forming apparatus through the sheet discharging space.