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:
Aug. 02, 2005
Filed:
Jul. 09, 2003
Yasushi Hashimoto, Hitachinaka, JP;
Yasushi Hashimoto, Hitachinaka, JP;
Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming device includes an upstream-side sheet transport pathway, a plurality of downstream-side sheet transport pathways, and a pathway switching mechanism. The plurality of downstream-side sheet transport pathways diverge from the upstream-side sheet transport pathway at a divergence point. At the divergence point, the pathway switching mechanism selectively guides sheets that were transported following the upstream-side sheet transport pathway to one of the plurality of downstream-side sheet transport pathways. The pathway switching mechanism includes a pair of upstream-side gate members and a gate member pivoting unit. The pair of upstream-side gate members include a pair of pivot shafts and a pair of gates. The pair of pivot shafts are disposed with the sheet transport pathway interposed therebetween. Each of the pair of gates is pivotable around a corresponding one the pair of pivot shafts and extends substantially toward the downstream-side sheet transport pathways. The gate member pivoting unit pivots the pair of gates substantially simultaneously and substantially in the same direction.