Sheet feeding or delivering – Delivering – Multiple discharge
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-11
2002-01-22
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Delivering
Multiple discharge
C271S186000, C271S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06340157
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus with a feeding mechanism that inverts a sheet of recording paper with an image formed on one side thereof to form an image on the reverse side thereof (hereinafter referred to as both-side feeding path).
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently there is a recording apparatus capable of recording images on both sides of recording paper. The recording apparatus is provided with a both-side feeding path that inverts recording paper with an image recorded on one side thereof to return to a recording unit.
For example, a recording apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI3-13463 is provided with a both-side feeding path branched from a one-side path in the periphery of the one-side feeding path. Thus providing the both-side path in the vicinity of the one-side path makes the total path length relatively short.
However the structure of the conventional recording apparatus as described above causes a problem that operability performed when paper jam occurs is poor.
That is, to provide for the case where the paper jam occurs, the feeding paths are provided with paper jam removing mechanisms. When the both-side path is arranged in the periphery of the one-side path, in the case where the jam occurs on the one-side path, an outer cover that is the jam removing mechanism of the both-side path is first opened to expose the both-side path, an inner cover that is the jam removing mechanism of the one-side path is next opened to expose the one-side path, and then the jammed paper is removed. In this case, when the one-side path is only provided, it is enough to open only the jam removing mechanism of the one-side path. However when the both-side path is provided in addition to the one-side path, it is necessary to open also the removing mechanism of the both-side path to remove the jam of the one-side path, and therefore the paper jam removing operation has been exceedingly complicated.
Further in the paper jam removing operation, the cover should be opened again to check when it is found out that the jam is not removed completely after removing the jammed paper once, shutting the cover, and watching for a while. Thus the opening and shutting of the removing mechanism is usually repeated frequently, accordingly resulting in the problem that the paper jam removing operation is seriously complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is carried out in view of the foregoing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus enabling improved paper jam removing operability while being provided with a both-side path for both-side recording.
In the recording apparatus of the present invention, the both-side path is formed along an outer edge of an housing not to overlap with an area of a one-side path, and recording paper is inverted in the both-side path to be returned to the one-side path. The both-side path is provided with paper jam removing mechanisms in respective areas corresponding to a bottom, top and rear of the housing. It is thereby possible to construct the removing mechanisms of the both-side path which is not superposed by the one-side path, and consequently improve the paper jam removing operability.
A recording apparatus of a first aspect of the present invention has an housing composing an appearance of a main body of the apparatus, a recording section provided inside the housing, a one-side path, formed inside the housing, which feeds recording paper to the recording section, while discharging the recording paper with an image recorded thereon outside the housing, and a both-side path that circulates the recording paper along an outer edge of the housing where the one-side path is not present, and inverts the recording paper at a location on the both-side path to return to the one-side path.
According to this constitution, the both-side path is not provided peripherally adjacent the one-side path, but can be formed in an area without the one-side path, whereby it is possible to construct a removing mechanism of the both-side path in an area that does not interfere with the one-side path, and consequently to improve the paper jam removing operability.
A second aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the first aspect, a constitution where the both-side path inverts the recording paper in a bottom area of the housing to return to the one-side path inside the housing.
According to this constitution, since the recording paper is inverted at the final area of the both-side path that is the closest to the area where the recording paper is returned to the one-side path, it is possible to provide the inversion section, where the paper jam and position shift tend to occur, in the vicinity of the one-side path. Therefore even in the case where the removing mechanisms for the one-side path and the removing mechanisms for the both-side path are provided separately, it is possible to remove the paper jam in the section of the both-side path where the paper jam and position shift tend to occur, in an area which is not away from the removing mechanism of the one-side path, and thus to prevent the removing mechanisms from being present in different areas of the apparatus, as possible.
A third aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of any of the first and second aspects, the both-side path which is a path circulating along outer edges of a top, rear and bottom of the housing to return to the one-side path inside the housing.
According to this constitution, circulating the both-side path along the outer edge of the housing increases straight portions of the path, while reducing sharp angle bend areas of the path, and thereby it is possible to form a structure with a paper jam hardly occurring. In particular, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the paper jam even if the paper has a paper curl after being passed through the fixing unit once. Further since it is possible to form the both-side path utilizing spaces available outside the apparatus effectively, it is possible to improve the installation characteristic of the both-side path when the path is an option.
A 4th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the third aspect, the both-side path that has removing mechanisms for paper jam, each of which is independent of the housing, and present in one of respective areas corresponding to the top, rear and bottom of the housing.
When the both-side path is formed by being circulated along the outer edge of the housing, the total length of the both-side path becomes long. However according to this constitution, in order not to expose at one time all the areas of the both-side path, the removing mechanisms are present separately corresponding to straight areas of the both-side path, whereby when the paper jam occurs on the both-side path, it is possible to expose only a required portion of the straight areas each with a relatively simplified structure comprised of only rollers and guides without complicated metal plates, facilitating the paper jam removing operation.
A 5th aspect of the present invention adopts, in the recording apparatus of the third aspect, a constitution where the both-side path is formed inside a plurality of units located on the top, on the rear and under the bottom of the housing while being connected, each unit has a removing mechanism for paper jam independent of the housing, and a top unit is attached to the housing circularly movably.
When the recording paper is not fed smoothly from a discharge section of the one-side path to a take-in section of the both-side path, and the paper jam occurs, opening a cover mechanism of the top path finds out no recording paper to be removed because the paper is not fed to the top unit yet. However according to this constitution, by attaching the top unit to the housing circularly movably, the portion between the discharge section of the one-side path and the take-in section of
Inoue Toshiyasu
Okamuro Toshihiko
Watanabe Kazuo
Yoshida Hiroshi
Bollinger David H.
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems Inc.
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