Image forming apparatus and sheet accommodation unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10025251-B2
Application number	US-201715726946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2017
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a main body of the image forming apparatus with an opening portion, an image forming unit, an accommodation portion, a stack portion, a sheet moving unit, and a control unit that controls switching between a first mode that moves, with the sheet moving unit, a sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion and stops the sheet when a part of the sheet is exposed external to the main body of the image forming apparatus from the opening portion, and a second mode that moves the sheet, with the sheet moving unit, accommodated in the accommodation portion and that discharges the sheet to the stack portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main body of the image forming apparatus including an opening portion;
an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet;
an accommodation portion that accommodates, inside the main body of the image forming apparatus, the sheet on which the image has been formed with the image forming unit;
a stack portion that stacks the sheet discharged external to the main body of the image forming apparatus;
a sheet moving unit that moves the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion; and
a control unit that controls switching between a first mode that moves, with the sheet moving unit, the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion and stops the sheet when a part of the sheet is exposed external to the main body of the image forming apparatus from the opening portion, and a second mode that moves, with the sheet moving unit, the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion without passing the sheet through the opening portion in which the sheet is exposed in the first mode and discharges the sheet to the stack portion.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit moves a first sheet with the sheet moving unit in the first mode when receiving a first sheet move command while in a state where the first sheet is accommodated in the accommodation portion, and
wherein the control unit moves the first sheet with the sheet moving unit in the second mode when receiving an accommodation command of accommodating a second sheet in the accommodation portion while in the state where the first sheet is accommodated in the accommodation portion.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit does not move the first sheet with the sheet moving unit in the second mode when, at a timing where the accommodation command has been received, a predetermined period of time has not elapsed since the first sheet was accommodated in the accommodation portion, and
wherein the control unit moves the first sheet with the sheet moving unit in the second mode when, at the timing, the predetermined period of time has elapsed since the first sheet was accommodated in the accommodation portion.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, after the first sheet is moved in the second mode, the second sheet is accommodated in the accommodation portion.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit moves a first sheet with the sheet moving unit in the first mode when receiving a first sheet move command while in a state where the first sheet is accommodated in the accommodation portion, and
wherein the control unit moves the first sheet with the sheet moving unit in the second mode when a predetermined period of time has elapsed while in the state where the first sheet is accommodated in the accommodation portion.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a conveyance unit that conveys the sheet on which the image has been formed with the image forming unit to the stack portion without passing the accommodation unit;
a first conveyance guide that guides the sheet on which the image has been formed with the image forming unit to the stack portion; and
a second conveyance guide that guides the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion to the stack portion, wherein the second conveyance guide merges the first conveyance guide.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a conveyance guide that guides the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion to the stack portion,
wherein the conveyance guide is located between the accommodation portion and the stack portion in a vertical direction.

8. A sheet accommodation unit in an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, the sheet accommodation unit comprising:
a unit main body including an opening portion;
an accommodation portion that accommodates, inside the unit main body, the sheet on which the image has been formed;
a stack portion that stacks the sheet discharged external to the unit main body;
a sheet moving unit that moves the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion; and
a control unit that controls switching between a first mode that moves, with the sheet moving unit, the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion and stops the sheet when a part of the sheet is exposed external to the unit main body from the opening portion, and a second mode that moves, with the sheet moving unit, the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion without passing the sheet through the opening portion in which the sheet is exposed in the first mode and discharges the sheet to the stack portion.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tsuji Hiroharu
• Fukatsu Masayoshi
• Suzuki Yohei

Classifications

• B65H31/24 Primary

  multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling · CPC title

• B65H31/3063

  by special supports like carriages, containers, trays, compartments, plates or bars, e.g. moved in a closed loop · CPC title

• B65H2301/3412

  involving transport means arranged obliquely to the in-feed or/and out-feed conveyor · CPC title

• B65H31/22

  removable or interchangeable · CPC title

• B65H39/042

  the piles being disposed in superposed carriers · CPC title