Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9873585-B2
Application number	US-201615386715-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Apr 17, 2012
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a main body having an opening, an image forming unit, storage portions, each to store a sheet inside the main body, and a moving unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet. The moving unit moves the sheet stored in each of the storage portions, and stop the sheet in an exposure state where a trailing edge of the sheet is inside the main body and a leading edge of the sheet is exposed outside the main body through the opening. The moving unit moves a first sheet stored in a first storage portion and a second sheet stored in a second storage portion, and stops the first sheet and the second sheet in the exposure state, wherein the leading edge of the first sheet and the leading edge of the second sheet are exposed outside the main body through the opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main body formed with an opening;
an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
a plurality of storage portions, each configured to store, inside the main body, the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit; and
a sheet moving unit configured to move the sheet stored in each of the plurality of storage portions, and stop the sheet in an exposure state where a trailing edge of the sheet in a movement direction is inside the main body and a leading edge of the sheet in the movement direction is exposed outside the main body through the opening,
wherein the sheet moving unit moves a first sheet stored in a first storage portion and a second sheet stored in a second storage portion, and stops the first sheet and the second sheet in the exposure state, wherein the leading edge of the first sheet and the leading edge of the second sheet are exposed outside the main body through the same opening.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet moving unit includes a first pushing member configured to push the trailing edge of the first sheet along the movement direction to move the first sheet stored in the first storage portion, and a second pushing member configured to push the trailing edge of the second sheet along the movement direction to move the second sheet stored in the second storage portion.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet moving unit includes a first rotating member configured to contact with a surface of the first sheet and rotate to move the first sheet stored in the first storage portion, and a second rotating member configured to contact with a surface of the second sheet and rotate to move the second sheet stored in the second storage portion.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory unit configured to memorize a first user who issued a print instruction for the first sheet stored in the first storage portion and a second user who issued a print instruction for the second sheet stored in the second storage portion,
wherein, in a case where the first user and the second user are the same, the sheet moving unit moves the first sheet and the second sheet, and stops the first sheet and the second sheet in the exposure state, wherein the leading edge of the first sheet and the leading edge of the second sheet are exposed outside the main body through the same opening.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising an authentication unit configured to authenticate a user,
wherein, in a case where the authentication unit authenticates the first user or the second user, the sheet moving unit moves the first sheet and the second sheet, and stops the first sheet and the second sheet in the exposure state, wherein the leading edge of the first sheet and the leading edge of the second sheet are exposed outside the main body through the same opening.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a reading unit provided on the main body,
wherein the authentication of a user by the authentication unit is performed when the user causes the reading unit to read an identification card.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising an operation unit provided on the main body,
wherein the authentication of a user by the authentication unit is performed when the user inputs user information into the operation unit.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a stacker portion configured to stack the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit, and which has been conveyed outside of the main body,
wherein the plurality of storage portions are provided above the image forming unit and below the stacker portion in a vertical direction.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the stacker portion is provided on an upper surface of the main body in the vertical direction.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the sheet stacked on the stacker portion and a part of the sheet exposed from the opening to the outside of the main body do not overlap with each other in the vertical direction.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of storage portions are configured to integrally rotate about one fulcrum of rotation.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the image forming unit includes a process cartridge configured to be pulled out from the main body after the plurality of storage portions rotate about the one fulcrum of rotation.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a length of each of the plurality of storage portions in the movement direction is set to a length in which the leading edge of the sheet is not exposed outside the main body through the opening so that the sheet is not able to be taken out of a storage portion from the outside of the main body, even when the longest sheet that can be stored in each of the plurality of storage portions is stored in the storage portion.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet moving unit moves the sheet in such a way that the center of gravity of the sheet does not go beyond the opening.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tsuji Hiroharu
• Fukatsu Masayoshi
• Suzuki Yohei
• Kaneko Daisuke

Classifications

• B65H2408/1143

  performing extraction of the sheets from the bin · CPC title

• B65H43/06

  detecting, or responding to, completion of pile (B65H43/08 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

• B65H85/00

  Recirculating articles, i.e. feeding each article to, and delivering it from, the same machine work-station more than once · CPC title

• B65H2601/324

  Removability or inter-changeability of machine parts, e.g. for maintenance · CPC title