Abstract: A conveyance device that conveys paper through a conveyance path along a surface thereof includes: a conveyance guide that has a guide surface to be a wall surface on one side of the conveyance path, an opening being formed in the guide surface; a paper detection unit at least including a detection member, which is arranged in a space that communicates with the conveyance path through the opening, and configured to detect, with the detection member, a leading end of the paper that reaches the opening; and a movable body that brings the detection member into a retracted state, in which a main part thereof is covered from the space, after the leading end of the paper is detected.

Abstract: A conveyance device that conveys paper through a conveyance path along a surface thereof includes: a conveyance guide that has a guide surface to be a wall surface on one side of the conveyance path, an opening being formed in the guide surface; a paper detection unit at least including a detection member, which is arranged in a space that communicates with the conveyance path through the opening, and configured to detect, with the detection member, a leading end of the paper that reaches the opening; and a movable body that brings the detection member into a retracted state, in which a main part thereof is covered from the space, after the leading end of the paper is detected.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing device is mounted in an image forming apparatus that includes an image reading unit and an image forming unit. The image forming unit is located under the image reading unit with a space therebetween. The sheet post-processing device includes: a first tray that is located in the space and houses a sheet ejected from the image forming unit; a post-processing unit that is located in the space and performs post-processing on a sheet in the first tray; a transfer member that, after the post-processing is performed on a sheet in the first tray, transfers the sheet to a front side of the image forming apparatus; and a second tray that is located closer to the front side of the image forming apparatus than the first tray and houses a sheet transferred by the transfer member.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing device is mounted in an image forming apparatus that includes an image reading unit and an image forming unit. The image forming unit is located under the image reading unit with a space therebetween. The sheet post-processing device includes: a first tray that is located in the space and houses a sheet ejected from the image forming unit; a post-processing unit that is located in the space and performs post-processing on a sheet in the first tray; a transfer member that, after the post-processing is performed on a sheet in the first tray, transfers the sheet to a front side of the image forming apparatus; and a second tray that is located closer to the front side of the image forming apparatus than the first tray and houses a sheet transferred by the transfer member.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing device is mounted in an image forming apparatus that includes an image reading unit and an image forming unit. The image forming unit is located under the image reading unit with a space therebetween. The sheet post-processing device includes: a first tray that is located in the space and houses a sheet ejected from the image forming unit; a post-processing unit that is located in the space and performs post-processing on a sheet in the first tray; a transfer member that, after the post-processing is performed on a sheet in the first tray, transfers the sheet to a front side of the image forming apparatus; and a second tray that is located closer to the front side of the image forming apparatus than the first tray and houses a sheet transferred by the transfer member.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus 4 includes an image reading portion 38 which is unmovably arranged at one side with respect to a document transportation path 30, a white reference member 43 for shading correction which is arranged at the other side with respect to the document transportation path 30, a cover member 50 which is capable of being opened and closed so as to expose or cover the document transportation path 30, and a driving unit 55 which changes a posture of the white reference member 43 between an operating posture at the time of the shading correction and a non-operating posture. The white reference member 43 is attached to the cover member 55. Further, the white reference member 43 and the driving unit 55 are related to each other such that the white reference member 43 is not made into the operating posture in conjunction with an opening operation of the cover member 55.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus 4 includes an image reading portion 38 which is unmovably arranged at one side with respect to a document transportation path 30, a white reference member 43 for shading correction which is arranged at the other side with respect to the document transportation path 30, a cover member 50 which is capable of being opened and closed so as to expose or cover the document transportation path 30, and a driving unit 55 which changes a posture of the white reference member 43 between an operating posture at the time of the shading correction and a non-operating posture. The white reference member 43 is attached to the cover member 55. Further, the white reference member 43 and the driving unit 55 are related to each other such that the white reference member 43 is not made into the operating posture in conjunction with an opening operation of the cover member 55.

Abstract: A toner cartridge and a process cartridge, individually, have a shutter which makes sliding movement by opening and closing their toner inlet and toner outlet. When those cartridges are attached to a color printer and fixed together by a fixing lever, the shutters of both cartridges and the fixing lever can move together as one. When they make sliding movement together, both of the shutters are opened and toner supply becomes available. There are thus realized a toner cartridge, a process cartridge, an imaging cartridge, and an image forming apparatus to which those cartridges are attachable, all of which can prevent toner leakage from both a toner housing portion and a process portion and enables even an unaccustomed user to attach each cartridge without making surroundings dirty.

Abstract: A binding member removing apparatus 300 comprises a tray 30 for mounting thereon a bundle D of document sheets bound with a staple S, a removing unit 410 for removing the staple S from the bundle D of document sheets mounted on the tray 30, and a moving unit for moving the staple S removed by the removing unit 410. The removing unit 410 is provided with an inserting member 411 to be passed between the bundle of document sheets and the binding member binding the bundle of document sheets and the inserting member 411 is provided with a plurality of elongated parts 412 formed in the shape of a comb having teeth extended in the direction of insertion thereof. The inserting member optionally comprises a first inserting member 811 to be passed between the obverse face of the bundle D of document sheets and the staple S and a second inserting member 812 to be passed between the reverse face of the bundle D of document sheets and the staple S as a binding member.

Abstract: A binding member removing apparatus 300 comprises a tray 30 for mounting thereon a bundle D of document sheets bound with a staple S, a removing unit 410 for removing the staple S from the bundle D of document sheets mounted on the tray 30, and a moving unit for moving the staple S removed by the removing unit 410. The removing unit 410 is provided with an inserting member 411 to be passed between the bundle of document sheets and the binding member binding the bundle of document sheets and the inserting member 411 is provided with a plurality of elongated parts 412 formed in the shape of a comb having teeth extended in the direction of insertion thereof. The inserting member optionally comprises a first inserting member 811 to be passed between the obverse face of the bundle D of document sheets and the staple S and a second inserting member 812 to be passed between the reverse face of the bundle D of document sheets and the staple S as a binding member.

Abstract: A document feeder which picks up documents from a tray, separates/feeds a document with a feed roller and a separation roller and transports the document on a reading position with read rollers. The speed of feeding a document by the feed roller is higher than the speed of transporting a document by the read rollers. The reading position is at a distance from the nip portion between the feed roller and the separation roller, the distance being longer than the length in the document feeding direction of the document.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with an automatic document feeder 20 having an original tray 2101, image reading sections 11 and 12 and a printer section P. The apparatus is provided with an insertion sheet detector for discriminating, when a composite original sheet group obtained by inserting between arbitrary pages of a first original sheet group comprised of original sheets of an identical size an insertion sheet of a size identical to that of the original sheets is set on the original tray 2101, whether the sheet fed to the image reading position is the original sheet of the first original sheet group or the insertion sheet. Through the process of forming the print group corresponding to the above composite original sheet group, the image of a second original prepared separately from the composite original sheet group is formed instead of the image of the insertion sheet.

Abstract: According to a document transport device of a preferred embodiment, when reading images of a plurality of one-sided documents, these one-sided documents are accommodated in a first accommodating portion with the document surface facing upward. The held documents are fed sequentially from the uppermost document to the first document transport path, inverted front-to-back, and transported with the document surface facing downward to the predetermined position, i.e., the document reading position. When the reading of the document is completed at the document reading position, the read document is transported to a second document transport path, inverted front-to-back, and accommodated in a second accommodating portion with the document surface facing upward. Thereafter, the document is transported to a third document transport path, inverted front-to-back, and accommodated in a third document accommodating portion with the document surface facing downward.

Abstract: A document feeder which has a feed roller for feeding a document picked up from a tray toward a reading position, a first pair of rollers which is located immediately before the reading position, a second pair of rollers which is located immediately after the reading position, and a document sensor. After the leading edge of the document transported by the feed roller comes to the first pair of rollers, the feed roller keeps rotating for a specified time, whereby, registration of the document is carried out. In response to a signal which is generated when the document sensor detects the trailing edge of the document, feeding of a next document is started.

Abstract: A document transport device provided with a document tray comprising a main tray and a foldable auxiliary tray disposed above a discharge tray. A document transport device provided with a projection and a projection on an auxiliary tray to guide ejected sheets to a discharge tray without buckling or bending at the gap and height differential at the order between a main tray and an auxiliary tray, and to allow both large size document and small size documents to be easily removed from a document tray.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet in recirculation. The apparatus comprises a feed tray, a feed mechanism, a recirculation conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet fed by the feed mechanism to return it to the feed tray. The recirculation conveying mechanism includes a discharge tray on which the plurality of sheets are temporally discharged and accumulated and a moving mechanism for moving the sheets accumulated on the discharge tray to the feed tray. The apparatus further comprises a feed sensor detecting whether or not any sheets present on the feed tray. The sheets discharged on the discharge tray are moved to the feed tray by the moving mechanism when all sheets on the feed tray are fed and the feed sensor detects none of the sheet.

Abstract: A copying machine having a two-in-one copying mode comprises a document feeder means 65, 75 and three conveying means 90, 95, 101. The feeder means 65, 75 feeds a document toward a glass platen 29 one by one to stop the document at a first-out position. The first conveying means 90 conveys the document fed by the feeder means 65, 75 onto the glass platen. The second conveying means 95 conveys the document conveyed by the first conveying means 90 along the glass platen 29 until the rear end of the document reaches at a predetermined switch-back position, then conveys the document to the opposite direction to retreat a predetermined distance, and then conveys the document as well as a succeeding document stopped at the first-out position such that the front end of the document situated on a downstream side of the document conveying direction may be aligned with a exposure reference SP, and then discharging the documents to the downstream side of the document conveying direction after exposure.

Abstract: A copying machine having a two-in-one copying mode has a pickup roller 65, a separating roller 75, a register roller 90, a conveyor belt 95 and a pinch roller 101. The pickup roller 65 and the separating roller 75 feed a document toward a glass platen 29 one by one to stop the document at a first-out position. The register roller 90 conveys the document fed by the pickup roller 65 and the separating roller 75 onto the glass platen.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder (ADF) for feeding a document across a platen is attachable to different types of copying machines which have different copying speeds. The ADF has a detector for detecting the copying speed of the copy machine and a controller for adjusting the document feeding speed of the ADF to the copying speed of the copy machine. The controller also controls the feeding speed of the document at a standard speed in a condition which does not lower copying efficiency and at a higher speed in a condition which lowers copying efficiency. A condition which does not lower copying efficiency is feeding documents other than the last document from the platen. A condition which lowers copying efficiency is feeding the first document to the platen and ejection of the last document from the platen.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder having a pick-up roller for feeding a document out of a tray, a conveyer belt for conveying and stopping the document on a platen and ejecting the document from the platen, and a register roller for stopping the document fed by the pick-up roller once and feeding the document onto the platen. A driving mechanism for driving the belt and the register roller is connected with the belt and the register roller with no clutches in-between. The driving mechanism is driven by pulses, and the document conveying amount is controlled by detecting the number of pulses. In the automatic document feeder, if two successive documents are of a size smaller than a half of the platen, the two documents are set on the platen side by side, and a next document is fed out of the tray. If a latter document of two successive documents is of a size larger than a half of the platen, feeding of a next document is inhibited.