Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10656586-B2
Application number	US-201815903123-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

An image forming apparatus, having feeder tray, a multipurpose tray arranged on a first side surface, a first conveyer path, a second conveyer path, a third conveyer path, and a fourth conveyer path, is provided. A nip position between paired registration rollers is located to be lower than a nip position between a separation roller and a separator member. A tangent that contacts circumferential surfaces of the paired registration rollers at the nip position between paired registration rollers inclines to be lower toward a second side surface opposite from the multipurpose tray. The second conveyer path inclines to be lower toward the second side surface in a range between a merging point merging with the fourth conveyer path and the nip position between the paired registration rollers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a housing comprising
a first side surface having an opening portion,
a second side surface arranged on a side opposite of the first side surface, and
an upper surface, on which an ejection tray is formed;

a feeder tray arranged at a lower position in the housing, the feeder tray being configured to support a first sheet;
a multipurpose tray arranged on a side of the first side surface, the multipurpose tray being configured to support a second sheet;
a feeder comprising
a feed roller configured to contact an upper-side surface of the second sheet supported by the multipurpose tray,
a separation roller arranged on a side closer to the second side surface with respect to the feed roller, and
a separator member configured to contact the separation roller at a first nip position;

a process cartridge configured to be detachably attached to a predetermined position in the housing through the opening portion, the process cartridge comprising a photosensitive drum;
a transfer member arranged to face the photosensitive drum, the transfer member being configured to transfer a toner image carried on the photosensitive drum onto a sheet being one of the first sheet and the second sheet; and
a registration roller pair configured to adjust timing to feed the sheet to the photosensitive drum, the registration roller pair defining a second nip position,
wherein the housing includes
a first conveyer path having a first U-shaped portion disposed downstream relatively to the feeder tray in a sheet conveying direction, in which the first sheet is conveyed from the feeder tray,
a second conveyer path continuous with the first conveyer path, the second conveyer path extending toward the second side surface through the second nip position and a position between the photosensitive drum and the transfer member,
a third conveyer path continuous with the second conveyer path, the third conveyer path having a second U-shaped portion disposed downstream relatively to the second conveyer path in the sheet conveying direction and extending to the ejection tray, and
a fourth conveyer path extending from the multipurpose tray toward the second side surface, the fourth conveyer path merging into the second conveyer path;

wherein the registration roller pair is arranged at a position, in which the second nip position is located to be lower than the first nip position, and in which a tangent that contacts circumferential surfaces of paired rollers in the registration roller pair at the second nip position inclines to be lower toward the second side surface;
wherein the separation roller overlaps the tangent in a side view, and a part of the separation roller is located to be lower than the tangent; and
wherein the second conveyer path inclines to be lower toward the second side surface in a range between a merging point merging with the fourth conveyer path and the second nip position.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover configured to cover the feed roller and the separation roller from above,
wherein the cover includes a guiding surface formed on an upper side thereof, the guiding surface being configured to contact and guide the process cartridge being detachably attached to the predetermined position in the housing.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a guide groove configured to guide the process cartridge being detachably attached to the predetermined position in the housing, the guide groove inclining to be lower toward the second side surface.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the photosensitive drum is arranged at a position, in which a rotation axis of the photosensitive drum is located to be lower than the first nip position.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a heater; and
a pressor arranged to face the heater, the pressor contacting the heater at a third nip position,
wherein the heater and the pressor are arranged at positions, in which the third nip position is located to be lower than the first nip position.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a fifth conveyer path, in which the sheet with the toner image transferred on one side thereof travels, the fifth conveyer path branching off from the third conveyer path and extending toward the second conveyer path, the fifth conveyer path merging into the second conveyer path at a position closer to the first side surface with respect to the registration roller pair.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the paired rollers in the registration roller pair arranged at an upper position is held by the process cartridge.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pre-registration sensor arranged to be closer to the first side surface with respect to the registration roller pair, the pre-registration sensor comprising an actuator arranged to protrude into the second conveyer path from a lower side with respect to the second conveyer path.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Okamoto Yoshihiro

Classifications

• G03G21/1604

  Arrangement or disposition of the entire apparatus · CPC title

• G03G15/6511 Primary

  Feeding devices for picking up or separation of copy sheets · CPC title

• G03G15/2003

  using heat · CPC title

• G03G15/652

  Feeding a copy material originating from a continuous web roll · CPC title

• G03G21/1853

  the process cartridge being mounted perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive member · CPC title