Electrophotography – Document handling – Copy
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-24
2002-04-30
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Document handling
Copy
C270S058080, C399S107000, C399S407000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06381442
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus which is a composite apparatus having functions, such as a copying function, a facsimile function and a printing function, in which a paper post-treatment device is installed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As illustrated in
FIG. 59
, a conventionally-known composite apparatus, which has functions such as a copying function, a facsimile function and a printing function, is provided with a document reading section
1010
for reading a document, an image-forming apparatus main body
1020
serving as a printing means for printing an image on a sheet of paper, and a paper-feed and cassette means
1030
for housing and feeding sheets of paper.
In the composite apparatus having the above-mentioned arrangement, a space is formed below the document reading section
1010
in a manner so as to form a U-letter shape when viewed from the operation face side, an image-forming section
1021
of the image-forming apparatus main body
1020
is formed vertically, and a paper-discharge means
1040
for discharging sheets of paper transported from a paper transport path
1022
of the image-forming apparatus main body
1020
is installed in the above-mentioned space section.
In this manner, since the sheets of printed paper are discharged within the installation plane of the apparatus, it is possible to make the installation area of the apparatus smaller as compared with a case in which the sheets of printed paper are discharged outside of the apparatus main body. In the image-forming apparatus of this type, even when a post-treatment device for carrying out post-treatments such as a stapling process, etc. on sheets of printed paper is attached to the outside of the apparatus main body, it is possible to make the installation area smaller as compared with a case in which the post-treatment device is attached to a conventional image-forming apparatus.
With respect to the image-forming apparatus in which sheets of printed paper are discharged within the installation plane of the apparatus, examples thereof include “image-forming apparatus” disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 324444/1998 (Tokukaihei 10-324444 (published on Dec. 8, 1998), hereinafter, referred to as reference 1) and “image-forming apparatus” disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 157725/1999 (Tokukaihei 11-157725 (published on Jun. 15, 1999), hereinafter, referred to as reference 2).
As illustrated in
FIG. 60
, the image-forming apparatus disclosed in reference 1 has an arrangement in which a paper post-treatment device
1050
is placed on the side face of the image-forming apparatus main body
1020
. To this paper post-treatment device
1050
, sheets of paper from the image-forming apparatus main body
1020
are transported by a relay transporting means
1060
installed in the paper-discharge means
1040
(space section) formed below the document-reading section
1010
.
Moreover, as illustrated in
FIG. 61
, the image-forming apparatus disclosed in reference 2 also has the same arrangement in which to the paper post-treatment device
1050
placed on the side face of the image-forming apparatus main body
1020
, sheets of paper from the image-forming apparatus main body
1020
are transported by a relay transporting means
1060
installed in the paper-discharge means
1040
(space section) formed below the document-reading section
1010
.
In both of the above-mentioned image-forming apparatuses disclosed by reference 1 and reference 2, in the case when the paper post-treatment device
1050
is not used, sheets of paper are discharged onto the top surface
1060
a
of the relay transport means
1060
. Here, in the case of reference 1, as illustrated in
FIG. 60
, sheets of paper can be discharged not only to the top surface
1060
a
of the relay transport means
1060
, but also to a space section formed below the relay transport means
1060
, by shifting the relay transport means
1060
in an up and down direction.
However, in the image-forming apparatuses disclosed in reference 1 and reference 2, in the event of a paper jam inside the relay transport means
1060
when the paper post-treatment device
1050
is being used, if there is any sheet of paper on the relay transport means
1060
, the sheet of paper is removed, and after opening the top face
1060
a
of the relay transport means
1060
, the sheet of paper causing the jam has to be removed.
In this manner, in the image-forming apparatuses disclosed in reference 1 and reference 2, in the event of a paper jam inside the relay transport means
1060
, if any sheet of paper has been discharged on the top face
1060
a
of the relay transport means
1060
, the sheet of paper needs to be removed so as to clear the top face of the relay transport means
1060
, and the surface is then opened, and the sheet of paper causing the jam has to be removed. The resulting problems are that time consuming tasks are required to carry out the jam treatment and that there is subsequent degradation in the maintenance property of the apparatus.
Referring to
FIG. 62
showing a cross-sectional structure in the vicinity of a position where a stapling process is carried out, an explanation will be given of an operational example of the paper post-treatment device having the above-mentioned structure, also by reference to a flow chart in FIG.
63
. In
FIG. 63
, first, when a request for printing is given at step S
101
, a judgment is made as to whether or not the stapling process is selected at step S
102
. If the. stapling process is not selected, then a printing process is carried out at step S
113
, and the sheet of paper is discharged through an escape transport path at S
114
, thereby completing the operation.
In contrast, if the stapling process is selected at step S
102
, then the sequence proceeds to step S
103
. In
FIG. 62
, a stopper
1102
for adjusting the leading edge of a sheet of paper is rotatably attached to the top of an adjustment tray
1101
on the downstream side, and at step S
103
, a judgment is made as to whether or not the stopper
1102
is in the home position. Here, it is supposed that the home position of the stopper
1102
is set to its up-right state, that is, a state capable of paper-leading edge adjustment. If it is not in the home position, then the sequence proceeds to step S
104
where the stopper
1102
is allowed to pivot to the up-right state, that is, to the home position. When the stopper
1102
is in the home position, the sequence proceeds to step S
105
, thereby carrying out a printing process.
When the sheet of printed paper has been transported to the adjustment tray
1101
, the feed roller, not shown, transports the sheet of printed paper until it has come into contact with the stopper
1102
so that the leading edge of the sheet of paper is adjusted. Then, the adjustment of the sheet of paper in the width direction is carried out by using the width adjustment guide, not shown, while the sheet of paper is seized by paper leading-edge seize levers
1106
from above so as to correct the curl of the sheet. The processes of steps S
105
and S
106
are repeated with respect to sheets of paper corresponding to the number of sheets that has been requested for the stapling process, and upon completion of the adjustment of the predetermined number of sheets at step S
107
, a staple unit
1103
carries out the stapling process on the set of sheets of paper at step S
108
.
Next, at step S
109
, as illustrated in
FIG. 62
, the transport path is opened by rotating the stopper
1102
so as to fall in the horizontal direction. Then, at step S
110
, after a driven roller
1105
placed above a semi-circular send-out roller
1104
has been made in contact with the set of sheets of paper, the send-out roller
1104
is driven to rotate at step S
111
so that the set of sheets of paper is discharged while being sandwiched between the send-out roller
1104
and the driven roller
1105
.
At step S
112
, a judgment is made as to whether or not the next stapling proce
Aoki Kouji
Hiraoka Shinichiro
Ibuchi Yoshiaki
Izumi Hideshi
Kawano Tadaaki
Chen Sophia S.
Renner, Otto, Boiselle & Sklar
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisa
LandOfFree
Image forming apparatus with paper post-treatment device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Image forming apparatus with paper post-treatment device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Image forming apparatus with paper post-treatment device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2906633