Patent · US Expired

Sheet feeding/discharging device designed for image forming apparatus

US5725207A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
6References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 2, 1995
Grant dateMar 10, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 2, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S271/902
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A feeding/discharging device designed for an image forming apparatus includes an inner tray and an outer tray which also serves as a feed tray, for receiving sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus. In the main body of the image forming apparatus, a transportation system is formed above a feed cassette, and an inner tray is provided in a sheet discharge section formed above the transportation system. The outer tray is mounted to an external section of the main body so as to be freely rotatable. The outer tray is formed at a different level from the inner tray, and there is a gap defined betwen the inner tray and the outer tray. The outer tray is positioned below the inner tray, and in such a manner that the outer tray is positioned below the inner tray at the gap between the inner tray and the outer tray, thereby forming an opening in the gap, which leads to a transportation roller of the transportation system. In the both-sided copy mode, sheets placed over the inner tray and the outer tray are displaced in a sheet discharge direction so as to be inserted into the opening for feeding the sheets. The described sheet feeding/discharging device offers an easy handling of s…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.