Image forming apparatus and sheet accommodation unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016378045-A1
Application number	US-201615192559-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 24, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

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 an 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 the sheet, with the sheet moving unit, accommodated in the accommodation portion 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 in where 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 , wherein the stack portion is disposed at a position where the sheet that has passed the opening portion and has been discharged external to the main body of the image forming apparatus is stacked, and
wherein in the second mode, the sheet moving unit moves the sheet in a same direction as a direction in which the sheet is moved in the first mode and discharges the sheet to the stack portion.

7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the second mode, the sheet moving unit moves the sheet 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.

8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a first opening portion and a second opening portion are formed in the main body of the image forming apparatus, the sheet moving unit includes a first sheet moving portion and a second sheet moving portion the stack portion is disposed at a position where the sheet that has passed the second opening portion and has been discharged external to the main body of the image forming apparatus is stacked, wherein in the first mode, the first sheet moving portion moves the sheet in a predetermined direction and stops the sheet when a part of the sheet is exposed external to the main body of the image forming apparatus from the first opening portion, and wherein in the second mode, the second sheet moving portion moves the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction and discharges the sheet to the stack portion.

9 . 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 an 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 the sheet, with the sheet moving unit, accommodated in the accommodation portion and discharges the sheet to the stack portion.

10 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body of the image forming apparatus including a plurality of surfaces including a first surface with a first opening portion and a second surface with a second 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 an image has been formed with the image forming unit; a first sheet moving unit that moves the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion in a predetermined direction until at least a part of the sheet is exposed external to the main body of the image forming apparatus from the first opening portion without passing the sheet through the image forming unit; and a second sheet moving unit that moves the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction until at least a part of the sheet is exposed external to the main body of the image forming apparatus from the second opening portion without passing the sheet through the image forming unit.

11 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a tray on which the sheet accommodated in the accommodation portion is stacked, a first claw that comes in contact with a first rear edge of the sheet in the predetermined direction and a second claw that comes in contact with a second rear edge of the sheet in the direction intersecting the predetermined direction being formed in the tray, wherein
the first sheet moving unit moves the tray in the predetermined direction and the first claw pushes the first rear edge of the sheet such that the sheet is moved in the predetermined direction, and the second sheet moving unit moves the tray in the direction intersecting the predetermined direction and the second claw pushes the second rear edge of the sheet such that the sheet is moved in the direction intersecting the predetermined direction.

12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
an operation display unit to which information is input; a cassette in which the sheet fed to the image forming unit is stacked; and a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined screen is displayed on the operation display unit or whether the cassette is dismounted fro

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tsuji Hiroharu
• Fukatsu Masayoshi
• Suzuki Yohei

Classifications

• B65H29/22

  and introducing into a pile · CPC title

• B65H29/58

  Article switches or diverters · CPC title

• G03G15/6529 Primary

  Transporting (G03G15/6555 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H43/00

  Use of control, checking, or safety devices, e.g. automatic devices comprising an element for sensing a variable · CPC title

• B65H31/24 Primary

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