Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus provided with the first pair of rollers and the second pair of rollers which are positioned in the same axis perpendicular to a fixed direction, and convey a sheet in the conveying direction by rotating while nipping the sheet, the first drive section which drives the first pair of rollers and the second drive section which drives the second pair of rollers, the first detection section which detects a skew angle of the sheet against the conveying direction and a position of an edge part of the sheet in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction before the sheet is conveyed by the pairs of rollers, and the control section which changes at least one of the rotating speeds based on the detected skew angle, and controls a timing to change the rotating speed based on the detected position of an edge part.

Abstract: An interlock switch is switched according to the movement of a relay reversal unit rather than the movement of a front cover. The relay reversal unit is connected to a driver substrate by a drawer connector. The change-over of the interlock switch according to the movement of the relay reversal unit is turned off when margin time elapses after a cover detection switch is turned off.

Abstract: A medium supplying apparatus is assembled to an image forming apparatus. A medium tray supports a medium thereon, and is pivotal about a first axis and extends from the first axis. The medium tray has a guide path that extends in the first radial direction. A feeder frame has a pickup roller rotatably mounted to the feeder frame, and is pivotal about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis. The medium tray and the feeder frame are drivingly coupled via a link. When the medium tray pivots to its open position or closed position, the link transmits the motion of the medium tray to the feeder frame in such a way that the feeder frame drivingly pivots to its open position or closed position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a paper feed cassette; a paper pickup roller; an image forming portion; a fixing unit; a paper discharge portion for discharging paper P with a developer image fused and fixed thereon; and an inversion roller and a paper discharge drive roller for conveying paper P along a paper conveyance path, and is constructed such that guide ribs are provided for a curved portion in a main conveyance path and the first and second curved portions of a sub conveyance path are provided in shapes that will not cause concentration of stress acting on the paper P in abutment.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which is capable of correctly and accurately detecting a sheet leading edge position and carrying out image formation in appropriate image write timing, includes a detection device disposed at a reference position upstream from the transfer position and detects the recording medium being conveyed. A determining device determines image write timing for forming the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum based on a difference in position between a leading edge position of the recording medium detected by said detection device and the reference position. The detection device respectively include a plurality of light detecting pixels disposed in a recording medium conveying direction, and the leading edge position of the recording medium detected by the respective light detecting pixels.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body having an image forming part that forms an image by scanning a recording head discharging droplets of a recording liquid. A paper eject part is located in an upper portion of the apparatus body for stacking recording papers having the image formed thereon by the image forming part. An image reading part is located above the paper eject part. The apparatus body accommodates a maintenance and recovery mechanism and a waste discharge receiving part therein on both ends of a scanning range of the recording head. An outer covering of the apparatus body has a shape in which a portion corresponding to at least one of the maintenance and recovery mechanism and the waste discharge receiving part is recessed relative to other portions of the outer covering.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a conveyance section which conveys at least one sheet of a second special sheet group so as to be inserted between two special sheets of a first special sheet group on a stacking section. A rest of special sheets which belong to the same set as a special sheet of the second special sheet group having been last supplied is supplied and ejected to a sheet ejection destination other than the stacking section before a special sheet of the second special sheet group is inserted after the latter sheet of the two special sheets of the first special sheet group are supplied.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printer body having a developing portion and a fixing portion therein; a plurality of sheet feeding rollers successively disposed along a sheet discharge path of the printer body and driven to discharge a sheet from fixing portion to an upper portion of the printer body; and a rear cover portion having a rear cover provided on a side of the printer body to open and close, a guide rib member to guide the sheet from the fixing portion, an idle roller to rotate in contact with one of the sheet feeding rollers to feed the sheet, and a supplementary guide member to change a position thereof when the rear cover is open to prevent the sheet being discharged to the guide rib member from running into the idle roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that may prevent wasteful image forming in a state in which the loss or partial loss can occur of an image portion. If the length of the supplied sheet in the transport direction is shorter than a regular size by a predetermined value or more, then the laser exposing operation based on the received image data of the second or subsequent pages is stopped.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit configured to read image information of an original document, an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet according to the image information, a sheet discharge space located between the image reading unit and the image forming unit, into which the sheet is discharged after passing through the image forming unit, a first sheet discharge port disposed facing the sheet discharge space, a second sheet discharge port located beneath the first sheet discharge port, and a sheet handling unit detachably mountable in the sheet discharge space, configured to connect to the first sheet discharge port and block the second sheet discharge port when mounted in the sheet discharge space.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a folding unit that folds a sheet, a sheet storing unit that stores the sheet folded by the folding unit, a post-processing unit that performs a non-fold process on the sheet transported from the folding unit, a path select unit that switches the sheet destination to the sheet storing unit or the post-processing unit, and a control unit that detects whether there is a fold process command and/or a non-fold process command, and controls the path select unit according to the detecting result. The control unit controls the path select unit to switch the sheet destination to the post-processing unit when there is a non-fold process command, regardless of a fold process command.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes an image forming part configured to form an image on a recording medium, a feed part for feeding the recording medium, a manual feed part for manually feeding the recording medium, and a shutter member configured to open and close a manual feed opening from the manual feed part. The shutter member is provided so as to be swingable.

Abstract: A recording medium feeding device includes: a delivery roller provided so as to abut on a surface of recording media and for delivering the recording media to a downstream side in a direction of conveyance of the recording media in accordance with the rotation of the delivery roller; a separation member provided on the downstream side with respect of the delivery roller; and a feed roller provided opposite to the separation member to sandwich the recording media delivered by the delivery roller with the separation member, the feed roller rotating for separating and conveying the recording media one by one, wherein a diameter of the feed roller is larger than a diameter of the delivery roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided and includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording sheet at an image forming position; a regulating roller that conveys the recording sheet; a supply path from the regulating roller to the image forming position; an inversion path that is configured to merge with a position on the supply path between the regulating roller and the image forming position and bends and inverts the sheet; a return path that is configured on an opposite side of the regulating roller from the supply path to return the recording sheet to the supply path; and a control unit which rotates the regulating roller in a return rotational direction to convey the inverted recording sheet into the return path, and in a feed rotational direction to convey the recording sheet to the image forming position.

Abstract: In an image forming device comprising an image forming part forming an image on a recording sheet, a sheet ejection part provided above the image forming part and stacking the recording sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming part, and an image reading part provided above the sheet ejection part and reading an image of an original document, the sheet ejection part is provided with a cover which is capable of being opened or closed to the sheet ejection part.

Abstract: Plural conveying paths including guide plates are arranged on both sides of a sheet in its thickness direction, being linked from an upstream side to a downstream side in a conveying direction of the sheet. A stopper is arranged in at least one of the conveying paths to make contact with a leading edge of the sheet conveyed through the conveying paths thereby stopping the sheet and forming a bending portion at the sheet. A pair of folding rollers is arranged between the conveying paths to nip the bending portion of the sheet to form a folding line at the sheet. An adjusting member is provided on the guide plates to adjust a space between the guide plates.

Abstract: A main body control part of an image forming device switches select signals to a unicast mode by a communication mode switching part at least when stopping a recording paper that is being transported on a paper feeding path or when transporting a recording paper stopped on the paper feeding path, and switches the select signals to the broadcast mode after transmitting control data. Each of the paper feeding control parts executes a paper feeding control based on the control data received with the unicast mode, upon detecting the broadcast mode.

Abstract: In a recording medium output apparatus that is assembled to an image forming apparatus and outputs a sheet-like recording medium being transported onto a stack tray on which recording media are stacked, the recording medium output apparatus includes an output unit and a drive unit. The output unit is free to move in a recording medium width direction intersecting the transport direction of the recording medium being transported and outputs the recording medium toward the stack tray at a position higher than that of the stack tray, and the drive unit moves the output unit in the recording medium width direction before and after the trail edge of the recording medium to be output from the output unit leaves the output unit.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine comprising at least one print engine, an input media path delivering a print media to the print engine, an output media path removing the print media from the print engine, and a media handling transport disposed in at least one of the media paths. The media handling transport includes first and second device halves. Each of the device halves includes first, second and third body members, with the first end portion of the second body member disposed adjacent the first end portion of the first body member, the first end portion of the third body member disposed adjacent the second end portion of the first body member, and the second end portion of the third body member disposed adjacent the second end portion of the second body member. An inner body member defines a first media transport passageway with the second body member define, a second media transport passageway with the third body member, and a third media transport passageway with the first body member.

Abstract: In an electrophotographic printing apparatus for printing an image to an image transfer sheet medium by producing a latent image on a photosensitive unit and transferring the latent image to the image transfer sheet medium, a width-directional position of the image transfer sheet medium is detected before the latent image is produced and the same after the latent image is produced on the photosensitive unit by the width-directional positional sensor, and the detection results are compared with one another; and it is determined from the comparison result whether or not printing operation is continued.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a recording medium transport path along which a recording medium is transported; a pair of first rollers that are provided at an upstream side in a recording medium transporting direction with respect to the recording medium transport path and that feed the recording medium into the recording medium transport path; a pair of second rollers that are provided at a downstream side in the recording medium transporting direction with respect to the recording medium transport path and that receive the recording medium transported by the recording medium transport path; a recording medium transport stopping section that stops transporting of the recording medium on the recording medium transport path; and a path opening and closing member that opens the recording medium transport path is provided.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus capable of realizing a trial printing function that minimizes unnecessary consumption of time and supplies. Images that are inputted are accumulated in a memory. An output mode is set and a setting is made as to whether trial printing is to be carried out in the output mode or not. A CPU provides control to read out a corresponding image from the memory according to the set output mode and form the readout image on a sheet. When it is determined that the trial printing is to be carried out during image formation according to the set output mode, the CPU provides control to set the number of trial print pages according to predetermined conditions and carry out the trial printing for the set number of trial print pages.

Abstract: An exit tray of an image forming apparatus having printing and scanning functions is adapted to stackably receive sheets of printed paper and scanned documents exiting from the body. The exit tray is insertable in and removable from the body of the image forming apparatus. The exit tray includes a first plate that is insertable in the body. A second plate is separable from the first plate by a predetermined distance, and may approach the first plate. Printed sheets of paper exiting from the body are stacked on either the first plate or the second plate. Scanned documents exiting from the body are stacked on the plate not receiving the printed sheets of paper.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of improving operability while suppressing an increase in apparatus size. In a front cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a front cover is inserted into a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed, and in a rear cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a rear cover is inserted into the bundle of sheets. Insertion sheets for the front cover and insertion sheets for the rear cover are set with the same orientation in a manual feed tray 105. An insertion sheet for the front cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to a finisher 500 in one of a face-down state and a face-up state. An insertion sheet for the rear cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to the finisher 500 in the other of the face-down state and the face-up state. The insertion sheets for the front cover and for the rear cover conveyed from the manual feed tray 105 and the sheets on which images have been formed are stacked on the finisher 500.

Abstract: An intergrated printing system is provided that includes at least two substantially horizontially aligned printing modules including an entrance media path and an exit media path; and at least one interface media transport including at least two substantially horizontal media transport paths, wherein the horizontal media transport paths are positioned vertically relative to each other to provide upper and lower horizontal media transport paths and the horizontal media transport paths transport paths are positioned vertically relative to each other to provide upper and lower horizontal media transport paths and the horizontal media transport paths transport media to the horizontally aligned printing module. The integrated printing system also provides for a horizontal media transport path to transport media to the horizontally aligned printing module in a direction that passes the exit path of one of the horizontally aligned printing modules before passing the entrance media path of the other printing module.

Abstract: A drawer mechanism includes a plate-shaped frame, a first roller and a second roller disposed in a rotatable manner on a surface of the frame at a specific interval, and a rail movable between a first state where the rail is mounted on the surface of the frame and a second state where the rail is pulled out from the frame in a predetermined pull-out direction. Each roller includes a guide peripheral surface formed in an outer peripheral portion in a radial direction and a lower surface opposing the surface of the frame at a specific interval. The rail includes a first pinched portion and a second pinched portion extending linearly in the pull-out direction and pinched between the surface of the frame and one of the lower surfaces and the guide peripheral surfaces of the first roller and the second roller, respectively.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a feeding tray; a side end guide provided on the feeding tray along a recording medium feeding direction and being capable of shifting in a direction orthogonal to the recording medium feeding direction; an arm member capable of swinging about a support shaft extending in an apparatus body in the direction orthogonal to the recording medium feeding direction; a feeding roller disposed on a swinging end side of the arm member; a cam portion provided on the side end guide and having a height from a bottom surface of the feeding tray which varies along the recording medium feeding direction; and a driven portion provided on the arm member which is brought into slide contact with the cam portion and displaced when the feeding tray is pulled out from or inserted into the apparatus body to cause a swing movement of the arm member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording sheet storage unit for storing recording sheets substantially in an upright position, an image forming unit which forms an image on a recording sheet conveyed from the recording sheet storage unit, and a recording sheet receiving unit for storing the recording sheet conveyed from the image forming unit substantially in an upright position. In this image forming apparatus, a paper conveyance passage extends upward from a lower portion of the recording sheet storage unit toward the recording sheet receiving unit. The image forming unit positioned on the paper conveyance passage comprises a fixing device and a developer unit at least including a developer carrier, and the fixing device is arranged above the developer unit. Further, a developer receptacle for storing developer that is supplied to the image forming unit is arranged adjacent to one longitudinal end of the developer carrier.

Abstract: Techniques for scanning and generating fingerprints for articles prior to the use of the articles. The fingerprinting of the articles is performed such that it is decoupled from the process of using the articles. As a result, the fingerprinting process does not act as a bottleneck to the use of the articles. In one embodiment, a printer is provided that is configured to generate fingerprints for paper sheets loaded into the printer prior to the paper sheets being available for printing. The pre-fingerprinted sheets are then made available for printing. In this manner, the process of fingerprinting of the paper sheets is decoupled from the printing operations performed by the printer. As a result, the fingerprinting process does not act as a bottleneck to the printing process.

Abstract: Parallel printing systems and methods incorporate inverter assemblies for not only inverting media during transport through the system but also to register the media or provide a velocity buffer transports with different drive velocities. The inverter assemblies can include the capability to optionally deskew the media and provide lateral registration corrections. The inverter assembly nip rollers are sufficiently spaced from process drive nip rollers to decouple a document in the inverter assembly from the highway paths. The method comprises combining the inverting function selectively with either the registering or the velocity buffering functions.

Abstract: A fuser allows a sheet medium on which a toner image has formed to path through while heating the sheet medium, thereby fusing the toner image on the sheet medium. A plurality of first rollers are arrayed in a first direction. A plurality of second rollers are arrayed in the first direction and respectively coming in contact with the first rollers with a first pressure. The second rollers are adapted to eject the sheet medium nipped between the first rollers and the second rollers to the outside of the apparatus in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A plurality of third rollers are arrayed in the first direction so that each of the third rollers is disposed between adjacent ones of the first rollers, the third roller adapted to be brought into contact with the sheet medium with a second pressure which is smaller than the first pressure.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus which synchronously conveys a conveyed object includes a first conveyance roller disposed at a downstream side of a conveyance path for conveyance of the conveyed object and a second conveyance roller disposed at an upstream side of the conveyance path, a first driving unit and a second driving unit for independently driving the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller, respectively, and a control unit for performing feedback control of the first driving unit and the second driving unit on the basis of amounts of rotation of the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller, respectively. The control unit defines a setting of driving control for the second conveyance roller different from driving of the first conveyance roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, to which a paper-output device for processing a sheet after image formation is attached, includes a paper-feed unit for feeding a sheet for image formation; a detection unit for detecting a type of the sheet fed from the paper-feed unit; an image forming section for forming an image on the sheet fed from the paper-feed unit; and a control unit for determining a sheet-feed timing based on a sheet-processing time used by the paper-output device corresponding to a preset sheet type. If the preset sheet type matches the sheet type detected by the detection unit, the control unit determines the sheet-feed timing based on the sheet-processing time corresponding to the preset sheet type. If not, the control unit determines the sheet-feed timing based on the sheet-processing time corresponding to the sheet type detected by the detection unit.

Abstract: A waiting tray comprises left and right lower face support members for supporting both sides of a sheet and a distal end lower face support member for supporting a distal end lower face, wherein, even if a sheet is easily bent, the sheet is reliably retained on the waiting tray, and when a standby state of the sheet is released, release of the support of the left and right lower face support members and release of the support of the distal end lower face support member are carried out.

Abstract: A sheet feeding unit according to the invention includes a sheet stacking tray on which the sheet is stacked, a sheet feeding device which feeds the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking tray, and a unit frame which supports the sheet stacking tray and the sheet feeding portion and is attached to a apparatus main body. In the sheet feeding unit, the sheet feeding device is pivotable on the unit frame to change a sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: A sheet package which can be loaded in a sheet storage chamber (6) of a printer (1) comprises a stack of sheets (7) as print media for the printer and a package member (8) covering the exterior of the stack of sheets. The package member includes a first portion (53) covering one of upper and lower faces of the stack of sheets, a second portion (52) connecting with the first portion and covering a side face of the stack of sheets, and a third portion (51) connecting with the second portion and covering the other of the upper and lower faces of the stack of sheets. The first portion of the package member includes a first exposing portion exposing part of the stack of sheets to allow the entrance of a sheet feed roller (12) of the printer.

Abstract: A toner image formed on a photosensitive drum 12a in an image forming unit 12 is transferred to an intermediate transfer belt 11. The toner image of the intermediate transfer belt is transferred onto recording paper by a transfer roller 15, and a paper transport path 18 is defined by an image forming device main body and a lateral cover 20 turnably mounted on the image forming device main body 20. When in a protected position, a cover member 19 protects the intermediate transfer belt at a position corresponding to a nip between the intermediate transfer belt and a transfer unit, while when in a withdrawn position, the cover member 19 guides the recording paper. An interlocking mechanism, moving in response to the turning of the lateral cover, places the cover member at the protected position when the lateral cover is open, and places the cover member at the withdrawn position when the lateral cover is closed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image holder; an exposure member that has an exposure portion exposing the image holder; a first positioning unit that determines a distance in a first direction, which is a direction of an optical axis of the exposure member, between the exposure member and the image holder; and a second positioning unit that determines a position of the exposure member with respect to the image holder in a second direction being a direction of an axis line of the image holder, and a position of the exposure member with respect to the image holder in a third direction being perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction, and that determines the distance between the exposure member and the image holder at a position substantially closer to the exposure member than the position of the first positioning unit.

Abstract: An image forming device comprises an image-processing unit which performs a predetermined image processing of an input image data. An output unit prints an image on a copy sheet based on the image data after the image processing. A Z-folding device is connected to the output unit and performs a Z folding of the copy sheet. A control unit controls the image-processing unit and the Z-folding device so that the image data is rotated in a direction conforming to a Z-folding direction specified by a user, and the Z folding of the copy sheet is controlled with the rotated image data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit to form an image using a developing agent on one side of a printing medium transported along a simplex printing path, a fixing unit to fix the developing agent on the printing medium, a discharging roller to discharge the printing medium that passes the fixing unit, and a first driving source to drive the developing unit, the fixing unit and the discharging roller.

Abstract: Mechanism unit(s) 6 functioning as automatic-feed cassette(s) and mechanism unit(s) 7 functioning as manual-feed tray(s) together form a single integral module, constituting hybrid paper supply module 5. Manual-feed mechanism unit(s) 7 is or are arranged below transport paths 36, 37, which extend toward printing unit(s) 3. Furthermore, path(s) along which recording paper P taken up from automatic-feed cassette mechanism unit(s) 6 is transported and path(s) along which recording paper P taken up from manual-feed mechanism unit(s) 7 is transported are made to intersect within the module, decreasing length(s) of respective path(s).

Abstract: A paper guide which does not make stripes on an image on a printing paper. The paper guide of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a guiding member for guiding the printing paper into a fusing unit, a plurality of guiding ribs formed on the guiding member to prevent direct contact of the printing paper with the guiding member, and a blocking bar formed on a leading end near the fusing unit of the guiding member in order that the spaces between the plurality of guiding ribs are blocked from the fusing unit. The blocking bar is formed at the same height as the guiding ribs and has a triangular section with a slope steeper than the section of the guiding ribs.

Abstract: Image forming methods and apparatuses capable of performing stable and fast sheet transfer operations are provided. In a continuous feed mode, a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet are successively fed from a sheet tray through first and second transfer rollers to an image forming position. When it is determined that a trailing edge of the preceding sheet has passed the first transfer roller, the driving of the first transfer roller is stopped for a predetermined time period. As a result, the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet are transferred with a desired sheet interval while suppressing sheet interval variations.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes at least one paper feeding section, a plurality of image forming sections, a plurality of paper output sections, a main transport path, and a plurality of paper output paths. The paper feeding section stores a recording medium therein. Any one of the image forming sections selectively forms an image on a recording medium fed from the paper feeding section and being transported on the main transport path. Each of the paper output sections receives a recording medium bearing an image formed in any one of the image forming sections. The main transport path leads from the paper feeding section and runs through the image forming sections. The paper output paths branch from an end of the main transport path into the respective paper output sections.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first and a second image forming sections, a paper feeding section, and a paper output section. The image forming sections form an image on paper independently. The apparatus is laterally dividable into a first and a second portions where the first and second image forming sections are respectively positioned. The feeding section is arranged below the first image forming section in the first portion. The output section is arranged above the second image forming section in the second portion. The apparatus has two simple transport paths that run vertically through the image forming sections, respectively, without intersecting each other and detouring around the second or first image forming section.

Abstract: A sheet guide sheet guide for guiding a recording sheet includes an outermost surface layer brought into contact with a recording sheet, which is formed of a material having a water contact angle of approximately 50° or less and one of a pencil hardness of 9H or more and a Mohs hardness of 4 or more.

Abstract: An image forming system has an image forming apparatus which has a printing unit which can perform a printing process of data of a storage unit which can store data of a plurality of jobs and which has a conveying unit which can convey a sheet from the print unit to a sheet processing device which can perform sheet processing, including at least a gluing process, for sheets from the printing unit, the system comprising: a controller adapted to permit a predetermined process related to the gluing process when the job to be processed is a job which meets a predetermined condition, and to inhibit the predetermined process related to the gluing process when the job to be processed is not a job which meets the predetermined condition, thereby overcoming obstacles to realization of an image forming system capable of a gluing process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, such as a printer, having a frame member, wherein there is provided, inside the frame member and on the upstream side of a sheet discharging portion with respect to the sheet conveying direction, a buffering device equipped with a rotary member capable of forward and reverse rotation, and wherein there are formed, along the peripheral surface of the rotary member, a buffering path for causing sheets to stay temporarily, a part of a sheet processing path for conveying sheets to a sheet processing apparatus, and a part of a re-conveying path for re-conveying sheets to an image forming portion.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is capable of reducing the operations to be executed by a user in a case of employing a thick recording sheet for a recording operation, thereby improving the operability of the recording apparatus. A thick sheet guide, which is mountable on the recording apparatus, is capable of assuming a first state for guiding a recording sheet in a case of supply of the recording sheet to a recording portion from a downstream side in a normal conveying direction, and a second state retracted from a conveying path in a case of conveying of the recording sheet in the normal direction. In the recording apparatus, a pinch roller is separated from a sheet conveying roller when a sensor detects that the thick sheet guide is shifted from the second state to the first state.

Abstract: To suppress generation of scratches and dirt on a printed face and to intend to reduce in size, a switchback device (1) provided in a conveyance path (12) for a printed medium (3), for reversing the direction of movement of the medium (3) sent from an upstream part (4) of the conveyance path (12) and then delivering the medium (3) to a downstream part (5) of the conveyance path (12), comprises a pair of operation rollers (15) including a drive roller (13) for conveying the medium (3) and a slave roller (14) cooperating with the drive roller (13) to pinch the medium (3); and a changeover mechanism (16) for changing a direction of the pair of operation rollers (15) including the drive roller (13) and the slave roller (14).