Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802774-B2
Application number	US-201615075966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2016
Priority date	May 22, 2015
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a plurality of feeding and delivering paths through which a printing medium is delivered to the developing device, a feeding roller unit which forms a developing and delivering path in which the plurality of feeding and delivering paths are joined and delivers the printing medium to the developing device, and a guide unit which guides the printing medium passing through the plurality of feeding and delivering paths to the feeding roller unit and is rotatably provided to expose the plurality of feeding and delivering paths to the outside. In the above configuration, the printing medium jam problems inside the image forming apparatus are easily cleared.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main body;
a printing medium supply device configured to supply a printing medium to a first delivery path or a second delivery path;
a feeding roller device provided inside the main body to convey the printing medium upon receiving the printing medium supplied by the printing medium supply device via the first delivery path or the second delivery path; and
a guide unit including:
a first guide member defining part of a boundary of the first delivery path to thereby guide the printing medium to the feeding roller device when the printing medium is supplied to the first delivery path, and rotatable in a first direction to open the first delivery path to thereby provide access to the printing medium when the printing medium is jammed in the first delivery path, and
a second guide member defining part of a boundary of the second delivery path to thereby guide the printing medium to the feeding roller device when the printing medium is supplied to the second delivery path, and rotatable, along the first direction, together with the first guide member to open the second delivery path.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second guide member is fixed to the first guide member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the guide unit further includes:
a first coupling member attached to the first guide member; and
a second coupling member attached to the second guide member and coupled with the first coupling member.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first guide member is rotatable relative to the second guide member.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the guide unit further includes:
a first rotating part rotatably coupling the first guide member to a first center of rotation about which the first guide member is rotated with respect to the second guide member; and
a second rotating part rotatably coupling the second guide member to a second center of rotation about which the first guide member is rotated together with the second guide member.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second guide member is configured to be rotated along with the first guide member upon the first guide member having been rotated through a predetermined angle.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the guide unit further includes a movement limiting part by which an external force that is rotating the first guide member, having rotated through the predetermined angle, also rotate the second guide member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the movement limiting part includes:
a movement rail provided at one of the first guide member and the second guide member; and
a movement protrusion provided at the other of the first guide member and the second guide member, the movement protrusion being on the movement rail such that the movement rail defines a movement range of the movement protrusion relative to the movement rail.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the printing medium includes a first printing medium and a second printing medium,
the printing medium supply device includes
a first printing medium supply device to supply the first printing medium to the first delivery path, and
a second printing medium supply device to supply the second printing medium to the second delivery path, the first and second printing medium supply devices being at different positions in the main body,

the first guide member is disposed to guide the printing medium supplied by the first printing medium supply device to the feeding roller device to the first delivery path, and
the second guide member is disposed to guide the printing medium supplied by the second printing medium supply device to the feeding roller device to the second delivery path.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein
the first guide member and the second guide member are disposed so that the printing medium supplied by the first printing medium supply device passes between the first guide member and the second guide member, and
the printing medium supplied by the second printing medium supply device passes under the second guide member.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main body;
a printing medium supply device configured to supply a printing medium;
a feeding roller device provided inside the main body to convey the printing medium upon receiving the printing medium supplied by the printing medium supply device, the feeding roller device including a first feeding roller having a rotating shaft; and
a guide unit disposed to guide the printing medium supplied by the printing medium supply device to the feeding roller device, the guide unit including:
a first guide member rotatable in a first direction to provide access to the printing medium when the printing medium is jammed inside the main body, and
a second guide member provided to be rotatable, along the first direction, together with the first guide member,
wherein the first guide member and the second guide member are configured to be rotated about the rotating shaft.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein
the feeding roller device further includes a second feeding roller facing the first feeding roller, and
the first feeding roller is movable between a first position where the first feeding roller is in contact with the second feeding roller and a second position where the first feeding roller is separated from the second feeding roller so that the printing medium is delivered.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first feeding roller is configured to move to the second position in association with the rotation of the first guide member and the second guide member.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the feeding roller device further includes a lifting guide part which is in contact with the guide unit while the guide unit is rotated, and guides the movement of the first feeding roller.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main body;
a first printing medium supply device and a second printing medium supply device, which respectively supply a first printing medium to a first delivery path inside the main body and a second printing medium to a second delivery path inside the main body;
a feeding roller device disposed inside the main body to convey the first printing medium upon receiving the first printing medium supplied by the first printing medium supply device via the first delivery path, and to convey the second printing medium upon receiving the second printing medium supplied by the second printing medium supply device via the second delivery path; and
a guide unit including
a first guide member defining part of a boundary of the first delivery path to thereby guide the first printing medium to the feeding roller device, and rotatable in a first direction to open the first delivery path to thereby provide access to the first printing medium when the first printing medium is jammed in the first delivery path, and
a second guide member defining part of a boundary of the second delivery path to thereby guide the second printing medium to the feeding roller device, the second guide member being rotatable, independently of the second guide member, to open the second delivery path to thereby provide access to the second printing medium when the second printing medium is jammed in the second delivery path.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second guide member is configured to be rotated along with the first guide member upon the first guide member having rotated through a predetermined angle with respect to the second guide member.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• S Printing Solution Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Seung Sup
• Won Jung Yun

Classifications

• G03G21/1695

  for paper transport · CPC title

• G03G21/1638

  directed to paper handling or jam treatment · CPC title

• B65H2407/20

  for manual intervention of operator · CPC title

• B65H2404/14

  Roller pairs · CPC title

• B65H5/062 Primary

  between rollers or balls · CPC title