Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9540206-B2
Application number	US-201615068765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 25, 2015
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An image forming apparatus, having a housing, a flapper swingable relatively to the housing between a first position and a second position; a pressure link swingable relatively to the housing and the flapper, a first contact surface arranged on the housing, a first urging member to urge the flapper to swing relatively to the pressure link toward the first contact surface, a second urging member to urge the pressure link to act on the flapper to tend toward staying in the first position, and a flapper switcher having a pressure applier movable between a pressing position and a separated position, is provided. The flapper is swingable relatively to the pressure link against an urging force from the first urging member, after the pressure applier presses the pressure link to move the flapper from the first position to the second position and when the flapper contacts the first contact surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
a flapper configured to be swingable with respect to the housing on a swing track and movable between a first position and a second position on the swing track;
a pressure link configured to be swingable with respect to the housing and the flapper, the pressure link being coupled to the flapper;
a first contact surface arranged on the housing, the first contact surface being configured to contact the flapper and restrict the flapper from moving beyond the second position;
a first urging member arranged between the pressure link and the flapper, the first urging member being configured to urge the flapper to swing with respect to the pressure link toward the first contact surface;
a second urging member arranged between the housing and the pressure link, the second urging member being configured to urge the pressure link to act on the flapper to tend toward staying in the first position; and
a flapper switcher comprising a pressure applier, the pressure applier being configured to move between a pressing position, in which the pressure applier presses the pressure link, and a separated position, in which the pressure applier is separated from the pressure link,
wherein the flapper is swingable with respect to the pressure link against an urging force from the first urging member, after the pressure applier presses the pressure link to move the flapper from the first position to the second position against an urging force from the second urging member and when the flapper being moved contacts the first contact surface.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flapper comprises a projection, the projection projecting toward the pressure link;
wherein the pressure link is formed to have an opening, through which the projection is inserted, the opening being in a shape spreading along an urging direction of the urging force from the first urging member; and
wherein the pressure link comprises a wall part, the wall part being configured to contact the projection and restrict the flapper from moving with respect to the pressure link in the urging direction of the urging force from the first urging member by contacting the projection.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the projection is urged by the first urging member toward the wall part.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the projection is formed to project in a direction of a swing axis of the flapper.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a swing axis of the flapper and a swing axis of the pressure link coincide with each other on a same line.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressure link comprises a support shaft; and
wherein the flapper is swingably supported by the support shaft of the pressure link.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second contact surface arranged in the housing, the second contact surface being configured to contact the flapper to restrict the flapper from moving beyond the first position in an urging direction of the urging force from the second urging member.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first urging member and the second urging member is a torsion coil spring; and
wherein the pressure link comprises a first supporting part configured to support a coil in the first urging member and a second supporting part configured to support a coil in the second urging member.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the flapper switcher is in the separated position, an intensity of torque generated by the first urging member is smaller than an intensity of torque generated by the second urging member.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a main body and a sheet-exit unit attachable to the main body, the main body comprising a first outlet tray and the housing, the sheet-exit unit comprising a second outlet tray;
wherein the flapper switcher is arranged in the sheet-exit unit; and
wherein the flapper and the pressure link are arranged in the main body.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Masuda Takehiro
• Inoue Masafumi

Classifications

• B65H2404/632

  Wedge member · CPC title

• B65H31/24

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

• B65H29/60 Primary

  diverting the stream into alternative paths (B65H29/62 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H2404/7414

  pivotable · CPC title

• B65H29/14

  and introducing into a pile · CPC title