Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10073402-B2
Application number	US-201715681743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2017
Priority date	Sep 1, 2016
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

In one embodiment, an image forming apparatus has an image forming device, a discharge port of a recording medium, a conveying device of the recording medium, and a controller. The controller judges a kind of the recording medium and the discharge port that is a conveying destination of the recording medium. The controller controls a conveying speed of the recording medium to be discharged from the discharge port by the conveying device, in accordance with the kind of the recording medium and the conveying destination of the recording medium which have been judged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming device which forms an image on a recording medium;
a discharge port of the recording medium provided at a downstream side of the image forming device;
a conveying device which conveys the recording medium to the discharge port via the image forming device; and
a controller which
acquires information indicating a kind of the recording medium,
when having judged that the kind of the recording medium is a first kind based on the acquired information, controls the conveying device so that after the recording medium has been conveyed at a first speed at the downstream side from the image forming device, the recording medium is decelerated to a second speed that is slower than the first speed and is discharged from the discharge port, and
when having judged that the kind of the recording medium is a second kind, controls the conveying device so that after the recording medium has been conveyed at a third speed that is slower than the first speed at the downstream side from the image forming device, the recording medium is discharged from the discharge port at the third speed.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tray which supports the discharged recording medium; and
a pressing member which presses the recording medium in a direction toward the tray;
wherein:
the discharge port includes at least a first discharge port and a second discharge port; and
the pressing member is arranged at the first discharge port.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
when having judged that a conveying destination of the second kind of recording medium is the first discharge port, the controller controls the conveying device so that after the recording medium has been conveyed at the third speed, the conveying speed of the second kind of the recording medium is decelerated to a fourth speed that is slower than the third speed, and the second kind of the recording medium is discharged from the first discharge port.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
when having judged that the conveying destination of the second kind of recording medium is the second discharge port, the controller controls the conveying device so that after the recording medium has been conveyed at the third speed, the second kind of the recording medium is discharged from the second discharge port at the third speed.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the third speed is a speed that is slower than the second speed.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the third speed is a speed that is equal to the second speed.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the controller judges whether or not a post-stage processing apparatus to which the recording medium discharged from the second discharge port is to be fed is connected to the second discharge port; and
when having judged that the post-processing apparatus is connected to the second discharge port, and having judged that the kind of the recording medium is the first kind, the controller controls the conveying device so that the conveying speed of the first kind of recording medium is accelerated to the first speed, and after the first kind of recording medium has been conveyed at the first speed, the recording medium is discharged from the second discharge port without being decelerated from the first speed to the second speed.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:
when having judged that the post-processing apparatus is connected to the second discharge port, and having judged that the kind of the recording medium is the second kind, the controller controls the conveying device so that the conveying speed of the second kind of recording medium is accelerated to the third speed, and after the second kind of recording medium has been conveyed at the third speed, the recording medium is discharged from the second discharge port without being decelerated to the fourth speed.

9. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming device which forms an image on a recording medium;
a first discharge port provided at a downstream side of the image forming device;
a second discharge port provided at a downstream side of the image forming device;
a conveying device which conveys the recording medium to the first discharge port or the second discharge port via the image forming device; and
a controller which
acquires information indicating a kind of the recording medium,
judges whether a conveying destination of the recording medium is the first discharge port or the second discharge port,
when having judged that the kind of the recording medium is a first kind based on the acquired information, controls the conveying device so that the first kind of recording medium is discharged from the first discharge port or the second discharge port at a second speed,
when having judged that the kind of the recording medium is a second kind based on the acquired information, and having judged that the conveying destination of the recording medium is the first discharge port, controls the conveying device so that the second kind of recording medium is discharged from the first discharge port at a fourth speed, and
when having judged that the kind of the recording medium is the second kind based on the acquired information, and having judged that the conveying destination of the recording medium is the second discharge port, controls the conveying device so that the second kind of recording medium is discharged from the second discharge port at a third speed that is faster than the fourth speed.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a first sheet discharge tray including a first surface which supports the recording medium discharged from the first discharge port; and
a second sheet discharge tray including a second surface which supports the recording medium discharged from the second discharge port;
wherein the second surface is formed to form an angle to a discharge direction of the recording medium from the second discharge port.

11. An image forming method of an image forming apparatus having an image forming device which forms an image on a recording medium, first and second discharge ports which are provided at downstream sides of the image forming device, a conveying device which conveys the recording medium to the first discharge port or the second discharge port via the image forming device, comprising:
acquiring information indicating a kind of the recording medium, and judging whether the kind of the recording medium is a first kind or a second kind;
judging whether a conveying destination of the recording medium is the first discharge port or the second discharge port;
when having judged that the kind of the recording medium is the first kind, decelerating a conveying speed of the first kind of recording medium irrespective of the judgement result of the conveying destination, and discharging the first kind of recording medium from the first discharge port or the second discharge port;
when having judged that the kind of the recording medium is the second kind, and having judged that the conveying destination of the recording medium is the first discharge port, decelerating the conveying speed of the second kind of recording medium, and discharging the second kind of recording medium from the first discharge port; and
when having judged that the kind of the recording medium is the second kind, and having judged that the conveying destination of the recording me

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Takuwa Noriyuki

Classifications

• G03G15/6552 Primary

  Means for discharging uncollated sheet copy material, e.g. discharging rollers, exit trays · CPC title

• B65H2408/10

  for handling sheet(s) · CPC title

• B65H2801/06

  Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers · CPC title

• B65H2513/104

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B65H7/00

  Controlling article feeding, separating, pile-advancing, or associated apparatus, to take account of incorrect feeding, absence of articles, or presence of faulty articles · CPC title