Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Picture signal generator
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-19
2001-01-23
Lee, Cheukfan (Department: 2722)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Picture signal generator
C358S496000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178017
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile, a copying machine and the like, having an improved sheet convey path.
2. Related Background Art
As an example of a conventional image forming apparatus, a facsimile apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
7
.
FIG. 7
shows a facsimile apparatus as an image forming apparatus in which a sheet conveying apparatus L is used in a sheet discharge portion (discharge portion) for discharging a sheet.
In
FIG. 7
, the facsimile apparatus comprises a main body or frame
101
, a cartridge cover
102
also acting as an original stacking plate on which a plurality of originals S can be stacked, an image reading portion
103
for reading image information on the original S, a recording device (laser beam printer)
104
, an original convey portion
105
, an original urging portion
106
, an image sensor
107
of contact type, an original discharge tray
108
, a laser scanner
109
, an image forming portion (image forming means)
110
, a manual insertion sheet supply portion
111
, a face-down recording sheet discharge tray
112
including a sheet discharge tray
156
of the sheet conveying apparatus L, a cassette portion
113
, a recording sheet convey path switching flapper
114
, a face-down guide
115
, an upper original guide
116
, a lower original guide
117
, an operation portion
125
, a display portion
126
, a convey guide
127
, a rear cover
128
, and a convey roller
129
.
In the image reading portion
103
, first of all, the originals (sheets) S stacked on the original stacking plate
102
are separated and supplied one by one by a friction piece
118
and a separation roller
119
urged against the friction piece, and, then, the separated original is conveyed to the image sensor
107
of contact type by means of a sheet supply sub-roller
121
urged by an urging spring
120
and a sheet supply roller
122
urged against the sheet supply sub-roller
121
, and, then, the original is urged against the image sensor
107
of contact type in the original urging portion
106
, so that the image information on the original S is read by the image sensor
107
of contact type. Thereafter, the original S is discharged onto the original discharge tray
108
by means of a sheet discharge sub-roller
123
urged by the urging spring
120
and a sheet discharge roller
124
urged against the sheet discharge sub-roller
123
. Meanwhile, the original S is guided by the upper and lower original guides
116
,
117
.
The original stacking plate
102
is provided with a slider
102
a
slidable in a direction (original width-wise direction) perpendicular to a conveying direction of the original S. Both lateral edges of the originals S stacked on the original stacking plate
102
can be aligned with each other by the slider
102
a.
When the original S is elongated, rear parts of the originals S can be prevented from protruding from and being suspended from the original stacking plate
102
by means of an original tray
102
b.
In the recording device
104
, a modulated signal (modulated beam) is emitted from a laser beam generating device
109
a
of the laser scanner
109
in response to an image signal outputted from a control portion, and the modulated beam is illuminated (as a scan beam) onto a photosensitive drum
110
a
of the image forming portion
110
through a polygon mirror
109
b,
thereby forming the image information on the photosensitive drum
110
a.
After the image information is transferred onto and fixed to a recording paper sheet (sheet) P supplied from the manual insertion sheet supply portion
111
or the cassette portion
113
to the image forming portion
110
, the recording sheet P is discharged onto the recording sheet stacking tray
112
.
The photosensitive drum
110
a
is integrally incorporated into a recording cartridge
110
e
(which is detachably mounted on the main body
101
) together with a first charger
110
b
, a developing roller
110
c
and a cleaning blade (not shown). A surface of the photosensitive drum
110
a
is uniformly charged by the first charger
110
b.
When the scan beam sent from the polygon mirror
109
b
is illuminated onto the charged surface of the photosensitive drum through a reflection mirror
109
c,
a latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum. The latent image is visualized as a toner image by toner supplied from the developing roller
110
c.
A transfer charger
110
f
is disposed around the photosensitive drum
110
a
of the image forming portion
110
. Further, in a recording sheet convey path at a downstream side of the photosensitive drum
110
a,
there are disposed a thermal fixing device
110
g,
a pair of discharge rollers
110
h,
and a rubber roller
152
and a pinch roller
154
(constituting a pair of face-down sheet discharge rollers of the sheet conveying apparatus L).
After the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum
110
a
is transferred to the recording sheet P by the transfer charger
110
f,
the recording sheet is conveyed, along the convey guide
127
, to the thermal fixing device
110
g,
where the toner image is fixed to the recording sheet. Thereafter, the recording sheet is sent to the pair of discharge rollers
110
h.
An operator can select one of two recording sheet output modes (so-called “face-down discharge mode” and “face-up discharge mode”). The face-down discharge mode means a mode in which the recording sheets are discharged with imaged surfaces thereof facing downwardly in a page order or sequence, and the face-up discharge mode means a mode in which the recording sheets are discharged with imaged surfaces thereof facing upwardly so that the outputted contents can be observed or ascertained during the discharging operation. The modes can be switched by switching the convey path by shifting the recording sheet convey path switching flapper
114
.
FIG. 7
shows a condition that the apparatus is in the face-down discharge mode. In this condition, the recording sheet P directed upwardly by the flapper
114
is guided along the face-down guide
115
and then is discharged onto the face-down recording sheet discharge tray
112
by the rubber roller
152
and the pinch roller
154
(constituting the pair of face-down sheet discharge rollers).
When the operator selects the face-up discharge mode, the flapper
114
is switched by a switching lever (not shown) so that the original is discharged toward the original discharge tray
108
. The original discharge tray
108
also acting as the face-up discharge tray is formed from metal wires so that the operator does almost not feel the fact that any obstacle exists at a front side of the apparatus even when the operator stands at the front side of the apparatus.
The cassette portion
113
is disposed at a bottom of the main body
101
. A recording sheet stack P contained in a cassette container
131
is urged against separation roller
160
by rotating an intermediate plate
136
upwardly by means of a lifter arm (supplying force providing means)
138
so that the recording sheets P can be separated one by one by a separation pad
173
(friction piece separating system). The separated recording sheet is conveyed along a separation guide
175
and is reversely rotated by the convey roller
129
, a cover side U-turn guide
128
a
provided on the rear cover
128
and a main body side U-turn guide
128
b
provided on the main body
101
.
During the supplying operation, a tip end of the recording sheet P is detected by a regist sensor
128
c.
After a sheet supplying timing and an image outputting timing are adjusted so that a tip end of the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum
110
a
is aligned with the tip end of the recording sheet P, the recording sheet is conveyed to a nip between the transfer charger
110
f
and the photosensitive drum
110
a.
The image is recorded on a surface of the recording sheet which is a lower surface when the sheet is in the cassette portion
113
.
Lateral e
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Lee Cheukfan
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