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:
Mar. 23, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 04, 2002
Toshiki Ogita, Nara, JP;
Shigeki Hayashi, Nara, JP;
Naofumi Okada, Tenri, JP;
Jinichi Nagata, Osaka, JP;
Kiyoshi Tokishige, Kyoto, JP;
Toyoaki Nanba, Osaka, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A plurality of bin units are provided with respective gates and, hence, it is possible to sufficiently narrow the clearance between the gates and the bodies of the bin unit. When the gate provided at each bin unit is expanded to lie toward a conveying path, the front edge of the gate becomes put into a dent portion of a sidewall of an image-forming apparatus. For this reason, any clearance or protrusion causing jamming of recording paper is not formed in a branch path extending from the conveying path to a discharged paper tray through the gate and, hence, it is possible to guide recording paper from the conveying path into each bin unit by means of the gate smoothly.