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:
Apr. 20, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 11, 2002
Akihiro Sato, Kanagawa, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
To provide an image forming apparatus capable of discharging sheets without involving any change in page order without having to provide a sheet reversing path anew. An image forming apparatus is provided, in which an image is formed on a sheet by an image forming portion and the sheet is discharged, the apparatus including a main body portion, a first discharging unit capable of normal and reverse rotation and adapted to discharge the sheet with the image formed thereon to a first discharging portion provided on one side of the main body portion, a second discharging unit adapted to discharge the sheet with the image formed thereon to a second discharging portion provided on the other side of the main body portion, a first sheet conveyance route for conveying the sheet with the image formed thereon toward the first discharging unit, and a second sheet conveyance route for conveying the sheet with the image formed thereon toward the second discharging unit, in which a sheet discharging direction control unit is provided, which, when discharging the sheet to the second discharging portion, causes the sheet with the image formed thereon to be conveyed toward the first sheet conveyance route, and then reverses the first discharging unit to convey the sheet toward the second sheet conveyance route.