Sheet conveying device, sheet feeder, and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938099-B2
Application number	US-201615258342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2016
Priority date	Oct 8, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A sheet conveying device includes a conveyer to convey a sheet and a primary sheet guide, disposed downstream from the conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction, to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyer in the sheet conveyance direction. A secondary sheet guide is disposed opposite the primary sheet guide and includes a bending portion to bend the sheet while the sheet slides over the bending portion to change the sheet conveyance direction. A sheet conveyance path is defined by the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide. The primary sheet guide includes a cavity disposed opposite the sheet conveyance path and a communication through-hole communicating with the cavity and the sheet conveyance path. The communication through-hole is disposed opposite the bending portion in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet conveying device comprising:
a conveyer to convey a sheet;
a primary sheet guide, disposed downstream from the conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction, to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyer in the sheet conveyance direction;
a secondary sheet guide being disposed opposite the primary sheet guide and including a bending portion to bend the sheet while the sheet slides over the bending portion to change the sheet conveyance direction; and
a sheet conveyance path defined by the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide,
the primary sheet guide including:
a cavity disposed opposite the sheet conveyance path;
a communication through-hole communicating with the cavity and the sheet conveyance path, the communication through-hole disposed opposite the bending portion in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction;
a seal sealing the cavity;
a perimeter wall defining an outer perimeter of the primary sheet guide; and
an interior wall disposed inside the perimeter wall and stepped down from the perimeter wall, the interior wall mounting the seal.

2. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication through-hole is disposed in proximity to the bending portion.

3. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication through-hole is disposed opposite the bending portion directly in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction.

4. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 , further comprising a tertiary sheet guide spaced apart from the bending portion of the secondary sheet guide in the sheet conveyance direction,
wherein the bending portion of the secondary sheet guide and the tertiary sheet guide define a transfer portion where the sheet is transferred from the secondary sheet guide to the tertiary sheet guide.

5. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bending portion includes a downstream end of the secondary sheet guide in the sheet conveyance direction.

6. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the primary sheet guide further includes a porous member disposed inside the cavity and disposed opposite the sheet conveyance path via the communication through-hole, and
wherein the porous member has an open cell structure.

7. The sheet conveying device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the primary sheet guide further includes a skin layer mounted on the porous member and disposed opposite the sheet conveyance path via the porous member, and
wherein the skin layer is formed by molding of the porous member and seals the cavity.

8. The sheet conveying device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the porous member is made of polyurethane foam.

9. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least a part of the primary sheet guide is made of porous plastic having an open cell structure.

10. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication through-hole includes:
an upstream portion that is semicircular; and
a downstream portion that is an acute angled triangle and disposed downstream from the upstream portion in the sheet conveyance direction, the downstream portion adjoining the upstream portion to define a drop.

11. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication through-hole includes a slit elongated in the sheet conveyance direction.

12. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication through-hole is disposed opposite the bending portion with an interval not greater than 10 mm between the communication through-hole and the bending portion.

13. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the primary sheet guide further includes a reinforcing rib being disposed inside the perimeter wall and having a height equivalent to a height of the interior wall.

14. The sheet conveying device according to claim 13 ,
wherein the primary sheet guide further includes:
a through-hole penetrating through the seal;
a screw bearing mounted on the reinforcing rib; and
a screw inserted into the screw bearing through the through-hole penetrating through the seal to fasten the seal to the perimeter wall.

15. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bending portion includes an edge disposed at a downstream end of the bending portion in the sheet conveyance direction.

16. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the conveyer includes a belt and a roller pair.

17. A sheet feeder comprising:
a roller pair to feed a sheet; and
a sheet conveying device to convey the sheet fed by the roller pair,
the sheet conveying device including:
a conveyer to convey the sheet;
a primary sheet guide, disposed downstream from the conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction, to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyer in the sheet conveyance direction;
a secondary sheet guide being disposed opposite the primary sheet guide and including a bending portion to bend the sheet while the sheet slides over the bending portion to change the sheet conveyance direction; and
a sheet conveyance path defined by the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide,
the primary sheet guide including:
a cavity disposed opposite the sheet conveyance path;
a communication through-hole communicating with the cavity and the sheet conveyance path, the communication through-hole disposed opposite the bending portion in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction;
a seal sealing the cavity;
a perimeter wall defining an outer perimeter of the primary sheet guide; and
an interior wall disposed inside the perimeter wall and stepped down from the perimeter wall, the interior wall mounting the seal.

18. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image scanner to read an image on a sheet; and
a sheet conveying device to convey the sheet to the image scanner,
the sheet conveying device including:
a conveyer to convey the sheet;
a primary sheet guide, disposed downstream from the conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction, to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyer in the sheet conveyance direction;
a secondary sheet guide being disposed opposite the primary sheet guide and including a bending portion to bend the sheet while the sheet slides over the bending portion to change the sheet conveyance direction; and
a sheet conveyance path defined by the primary sheet guide and the secondary sheet guide,
the primary sheet guide including:
a cavity disposed opposite the sheet conveyance path;
a communication through-hole communicating with the cavity and the sheet conveyance path, the communication through-hole disposed opposite the bending portion in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction;
a seal sealing the cavity;
a perimeter wall defining an outer perimeter of the primary sheet guide; and
an interior wall disposed inside the perimeter wall and stepped down from the perimeter wall, the interior wall mounting the seal.

Assignees

• Akai Takeshi
• Okamoto Ikuhisa
• Shimazu Takehisa
• Niitsuma Youhei
• Ochiai Takaya
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Akai Takeshi
• Okamoto Ikuhisa
• Shimazu Takehisa
• Niitsuma Youhei
• Ochiai Takaya

Classifications

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title

• H04N1/0032

  with a medium handling apparatus, e.g. a sheet sorter (handling thin or filamentary material, e.g. sheets B65H) · CPC title

• H04N1/00615

  Guiding elements, e.g. plates · CPC title

• H04N1/00602

  Feed rollers · CPC title

• B65H2515/82

  Sound; Noise · CPC title