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:
Jun. 19, 2012
Filed:
Sep. 15, 2008
Takamasa Shiraki, Yokohama, JP;
Takayuki Andoh, Kawasaki, JP;
Kohji Hatayama, Ebina, JP;
Yoshihide Ohta, Sagamihara, JP;
Masato Ogawa, Sagamihara, JP;
Tetsuya Fujioka, Yokohama, JP;
Takuji Takahashi, Yokohama, JP;
Yasunobu Youda, Sagamihara, JP;
Kazushige Kawamura, Sagamihara, JP;
Takamasa Shiraki, Yokohama, JP;
Takayuki Andoh, Kawasaki, JP;
Kohji Hatayama, Ebina, JP;
Yoshihide Ohta, Sagamihara, JP;
Masato Ogawa, Sagamihara, JP;
Tetsuya Fujioka, Yokohama, JP;
Takuji Takahashi, Yokohama, JP;
Yasunobu Youda, Sagamihara, JP;
Kazushige Kawamura, Sagamihara, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In an image forming apparatus, when a first sheet discharger discharges a sheet bearing an image in a first direction from a proximal end to a distal end of the image forming apparatus, a post-processing device performs post-processing including at least one of stapling, punching, stamping, and sorting of the sheet discharged from the first sheet discharger. After a second sheet discharger discharges the processed sheet in a second direction opposite to the first direction in which the first sheet discharger discharges the sheet bearing the image, a sheet stacker stacks the sheet discharged from the second sheet discharger. A sheet conveyance path is provided between the first sheet discharger and the second sheet discharger. An opening is provided between the sheet stacker and an image reader so that the sheet discharged from the second sheet discharger can be retrieved from the sheet stacker in the second direction.