Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548748-B2
Application number	US-202117197083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2021
Priority date	Mar 11, 2020
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a sheet conveyor, a sheet stacker, and circuitry. The sheet conveyor is configured to convey a sheet on which liquid is applied. The sheet stacker is configured to stack the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyor. The circuitry is configured to control conveyance of the sheet. The circuitry is configured to cause the sheet conveyor to expose the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to an outside of the housing, and convey the sheet to the sheet stacker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a liquid applicator to apply liquid on a sheet;
a sheet conveyor configured to convey the sheet on which the liquid has been applied;
a sheet stacker configured to stack the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyor; and
circuitry configured to control conveyance of the sheet, the circuitry being configured to cause the sheet conveyor to:
move the sheet on which the liquid is applied in a first direction which is a same direction the sheet is moving when the sheet passes the liquid applicator;
move the sheet on which the liquid is applied in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction, after the sheet is moved in the first direction to expose the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to an outside of the housing; and
convey the sheet on which the liquid is applied in the first direction to the sheet stacker, after the sheet is moved in the second direction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to detect an amount of liquid applied to the sheet; and
circuitry configured to, based on the determined amount of the liquid applied to the sheet, cause the sheet conveyor to perform one of:
exposing the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to the outside of the housing and conveying the sheet back into the housing; and
conveying the sheet on which the liquid is applied, in the housing without exposing the sheet to the outside of the housing.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the housing comprises:
an opening configured to expose the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to the outside of the housing; and
a cover configured to open and substantially close the opening.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover configured to cover the sheet in all directions in a state in which the sheet is exposed to the outside of the housing.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the cover includes an air hole through which air passes.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an air blower configured to blow air to the sheet on which the liquid is applied.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to detect an amount of liquid applied to the sheet; and
circuitry configured to determine whether to drive the air blower based on the detected amount of the liquid applied to the sheet.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a projecting rotator configured to contact a liquid applied face of the sheet.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a liquid applicator to apply liquid on a sheet;
a sheet conveyor configured to convey the sheet on which the liquid has been applied;
a post-processor configured to perform a post-processing operation to the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyor; and
circuitry configured to control conveyance of the sheet, the circuitry being configured to cause the sheet conveyor to:
move the sheet on which the liquid is applied in a first direction which is a same direction the sheet is moving when the sheet passes the liquid applicator;
move the sheet on which the liquid is applied in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction, after the sheet is moved in the first direction to expose the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to an outside of the housing; and
convey the sheet on which the liquid is applied in the first direction to the post-processor, after the sheet is moved in the second direction.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to detect an amount of liquid applied to the sheet; and
circuitry configured to, based on the determined amount of the liquid applied to the sheet, cause the sheet conveyor to perform one of:
exposing the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to the outside of the housing and conveying the sheet back into the housing; and
conveying the sheet on which the liquid is applied, in the housing without exposing the sheet to the outside of the housing.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the housing comprises:
an opening configured to expose the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to the outside of the housing; and
a cover configured to open and substantially close the opening.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a cover configured to cover the sheet in all directions in a state in which the sheet is exposed to the outside of the housing.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein the cover includes an air hole through which air passes.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising an air blower configured to blow air to the sheet on which the liquid is applied.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to detect an amount of liquid applied to the sheet; and
circuitry configured to determine whether to drive the air blower based on the detected amount of the liquid applied to the sheet.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a projecting rotator configured to contact a liquid applied face of the sheet.

17. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a cover configured to cover a sheet in a state in which the sheet is exposed to an outside of the housing, the cover including an air hole through which air passes;
a first sheet conveyor configured to convey the sheet on which liquid is applied;
a second sheet conveyor configured to convey the sheet to a post-processor configured to perform a post-processing operation to the sheet conveyed by the first sheet conveyor; and
circuitry configured to control conveyance of the sheet,
the circuitry being configured to cause the first sheet conveyor to:
expose the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to the outside of the housing; and
convey the sheet to the second sheet conveyor.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the first sheet conveyor to:
rotate in one direction to perform the expose the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to an outside of the housing; and
rotate in another direction opposite the one direction to convey the sheet.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17 ,
wherein the second sheet conveyor includes:
a sheet conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet to the post-processor; and
a sheet stacker configured to stack the sheet, and
wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the first sheet conveyor to:
convey the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to the sheet stacker;
change a sheet conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed, to a first direction to expose the sheet to the outside of the housing; and
change the sheet conveyance direction to a second direction opposite the first direction, to convey the sheet to the sheet stacker.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17 ,
wherein the second sheet conveyor includes a sheet conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet to the post-processor, and
wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the first sheet conveyor to:
convey the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to the sheet conveyance passage;
change a sheet conveyance direction in whi

Assignees

• Aoyama Jumpei
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Aoyama Jumpei

Classifications

• B65H2801/27

  Devices located downstream of office-type machines · CPC title

• B65H2801/15

  Digital printing machines · CPC title

• B41J11/0022

  using convection means, e.g. by using a fan for blowing or sucking air · CPC title

• B41J13/106

  for the sheet output section · CPC title

• B65H29/14

  and introducing into a pile · CPC title