Image forming apparatus capable of inserting sheet tray in one direction and discharging printed sheet in opposite direction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11493871-B2
Application number	US-201816115628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2018
Priority date	Mar 4, 2016
Publication date	Nov 8, 2022
Grant date	Nov 8, 2022

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a toner image forming portion, a foil transfer unit, a sheet tray, and a discharge portion. The toner image forming portion is provided in the housing and configured to form a toner image on a sheet. The foil transfer unit is configured to superpose a foil with a surface of the sheet. The sheet tray is installable in the housing in an inserting direction and configured to accommodate a sheet to be supplied to the toner image forming portion. The first discharge portion is configured to discharge the sheet from the foil transfer unit to the outside of the housing in a discharging direction opposite to the inserting direction. The second discharge portion is configured to discharge the sheet from the toner image forming portion to the outside of the housing without passing through the foil transfer unit in the discharge direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing comprising a front wall and a rear wall spaced away from the front wall in a frontward direction;
a toner image forming portion provided in the housing and configured to form a toner image on a sheet;
a foil transfer unit configured to superpose a foil with a surface of the sheet on which the toner image is formed, the foil transfer unit comprising a first reel on which a foil prior to the transferring is wound, a foil transfer portion configured to transfer the foil over the toner image, a second reel configured to take-up a foil after transferring, and a casing formed with an opening, the opening being provided at a front portion of the casing, the casing being configured to accommodate the first reel, the second reel, and the foil transfer portion therein, the foil transfer unit being provided on a rear portion of the housing;
a sheet tray installable in the housing in a rearward direction opposite to the frontward direction and configured to accommodate a sheet to be supplied to the toner image forming portion;
a first discharge portion including a first discharge roller configured to discharge a sheet, which has passed through the toner image forming portion and the foil transfer portion, to outside of the casing in the frontward direction; and
a second discharge portion including a second discharge roller configured to discharge a sheet, which has passed through the toner image forming portion, but has not passed through the foil transfer unit, to outside of the housing in the frontward direction, the second discharge roller being positioned below the first discharge roller and being positioned at a same relative position as the first discharge roller in the frontward direction,
wherein the first reel and the second reel are attachable to and detachable from the casing through the opening of the casing in the frontward direction,
wherein the opening of the casing is arranged at an opposite side of the foil transfer portion with respect to the first reel and the second reel in the frontward direction, and
wherein the opening is positioned between the first discharge roller and the second discharge roller in a vertical direction perpendicular to both of the frontward direction and the rearward direction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first discharge tray configured to receive the sheet discharged from the casing by the first discharge roller; and
a second discharge tray positioned below the first discharge tray and configured to receive the sheet discharged from the housing by the second discharge roller.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first reel and the second reel are positioned between the first discharge tray and the second discharge tray in a vertical direction perpendicular to both the frontward direction and the rearward direction,
wherein the opening is positioned between the first discharge tray and the second discharge tray in the vertical direction, and
wherein the first reel and the second reel are configured to be drawn out in the frontward direction through the opening.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a support member supporting the first reel and the second reel, and configured to be drawn out from the casing in the frontward direction.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the foil transfer unit comprises:
the foil transfer portion;
a sheet inlet passage configured to guide the sheet fed out of the housing to the foil transfer portion and extending upward in the vertical direction; and
a sheet outlet passage configured to guide the sheet fed out of the foil transfer portion to the first discharge portion, the sheet outlet passage extending from the foil transfer portion upward in the vertical direction and extending in the frontward direction to the first discharge roller,
wherein the foil transfer portion is configured to convey the sheet upward in the vertical direction.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the foil transfer unit is positioned above the second discharge roller.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first discharge tray configured to receive the sheet discharged from the casing by the first discharge roller; and
a support member supporting the first reel and the second reel, and configured to be drawn out from the casing,
wherein the first discharge tray is positioned above the support member.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the first discharge tray is pivotally movable relative to the casing about a pivot shaft, and
wherein the pivot shaft is positioned above the support member.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the foil transfer portion comprises a first foil transfer roller and a second foil transfer roller configured to transfer the foil over the toner image in cooperation with the first foil transfer roller, the second foil transfer roller being arranged at an opposite side of the opening of the casing with respect to the first foil transfer roller in the frontward direction,
wherein the first foil transfer roller is supported by the support member and detachable together with the first reel and the second reel from the casing through the opening of the casing in the frontward direction, and
wherein the second foil transfer roller remains in the casing when the first foil transfer roller is detached from the casing.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the front portion of the casing formed with the opening faces forward.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first reel, the second reel, and the foil transfer portion are positioned between the first discharge roller and the second discharge roller in the vertical direction, and are positioned further rearward of the first discharge roller and the second discharge roller in the rearward direction.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing comprising a front wall and a rear wall spaced away from the front wall in a frontward direction;
a toner image forming portion provided in the housing and configured to form a toner image on a sheet;
a foil transfer unit configured to superpose a foil with a surface of the sheet on which the toner image is formed, the foil transfer unit comprising a first reel on which a foil prior to the transferring is wound, a foil transfer portion configured to transfer the foil over the toner image, a second reel configured to take-up a foil after transferring, and a casing formed with an opening, the opening being provided at a front portion of the casing, the casing being configured to accommodate the first reel, the second reel, and the foil transfer portion therein, the foil transfer unit being provided on a rear portion of the housing;
a first discharge portion including a first discharge roller configured to discharge a sheet, which has passed through the toner image forming portion and the foil transfer portion, to outside of the casing;
a second discharge portion including a second discharge roller configured to discharge a sheet, which has passed through the toner image forming portion, but has not passed through the foil transfer unit, to outside of the housing, the second discharge roller being positioned below the first discharge roller and being positioned at a same relative position as the first discharge roller in the frontward direction; and
wherein the foil transfer unit is positioned above the second discharge ro

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Sakai Ryosuke
• Nishiyama Hideshi
• Masuda Takehiro
• Ikegami Yusuke
• Yamaguchi Wataru
• Ikeno Yuichi

Classifications

• G03G15/6552 Primary

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

• G03G15/6582

  Special processing for irreversibly adding or changing the sheet copy material characteristics or its appearance, e.g. stamping, annotation printing, punching · CPC title

• B65H2801/27

  Devices located downstream of office-type machines · CPC title

• G03G21/1695

  for paper transport · CPC title

• G03G21/16

  Mechanical means for facilitating the maintenance of the apparatus, e.g. modular arrangements · CPC title