Abstract: A second side face opposes to a first face. A first handle is provided on the first side face at a first position and adapted to be used to lift an image forming apparatus. A second handle is provided on the second side face at a second position which is higher than the first position, and adapted to be used to lift the image forming apparatus together with the first handle. A center of gravity for the image forming apparatus is located closer to the first side face than the second side face.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device is operable to feed a sheet medium to an image forming apparatus. A cassette chamber has an inner face. A cassette member is adapted to accommodate the sheet medium therein, and to be withdrawably inserted into the cassette chamber in a first direction. The cassette member has an outer face adapted to oppose the inner face of the cassette chamber when the cassette member is inserted into the cassette chamber. At least one recess is formed on one of the inner face of the cassette chamber and the outer face of the cassette member. At least one protrusion is formed on the other one of the inner face of the cassette chamber and the outer face of the cassette member, and adapted to be fitted with the recess when the cassette member is plenarily inserted into the cassette chamber.

Abstract: A medium is adapted to be transported in a first path. An image former is operable to form an image on at least one face of the medium. A fuser is operable to fix the image on the medium. A discharger is operable to discharge the medium. A duct is arranged between the fuser and the discharger, and is adapted to exhaust air at opposite sides of the first path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion that superposes images on an intermediate transfer member by rotations of the intermediate transfer member to form a color image on the intermediate transfer member, a transfer portion that transfers the image formed on the intermediate transfer member in the image forming portion to a sheet, a fixing portion that fixes the image onto the sheet, and a switchback portion that switches back the sheet so as to return the sheet to the transfer portion for forming the image on a second face of the sheet, after the image has been formed on a first face of the sheet. The sheet is returned through a return path at a return speed equal to or lower than a delivery speed of the sheet in the transfer portion, when the image for the second face of the sheet is the color image.

Abstract: A housing body includes a first part forming a part of a first transporting path in which a medium is transported. An image forming unit is accommodated in the housing body and is adapted to form an image onto at least one face of the medium. A door cover is attached to the housing body, and the door cover includes a second part adapted to face the first part when the door cover is closed, thereby forming the part of the first transporting path together with the first part. A double-sided printing unit is detachably mounted to the second part and includes a second transporting path. The second transporting path is connected to the first transporting path and is adapted to transport the medium while turning inside out, so that the image forming unit forms images on both sides of the medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion that forms an image on a sheet, a fixing portion that fixes the image onto the sheet by passing therethrough, a sheet discharge portion that discharges the sheet that has passed through the fixing portion to a sheet discharge tray, and a pair of switchback rollers that switch back the sheet that has passed through the fixing portion so as to return the sheet to the image forming portion. The switchback rollers are provided between the fixing portion and the sheet discharge portion. The switchback rollers are provided in a sheet discharge path disposed from the fixing portion toward the sheet discharge portion. The switchback rollers are reversely rotated to switch back the sheet when a nip portion between the switchback rollers nips a rear end portion of the sheet that passes toward the sheet discharge portion.

Abstract: A document separating mechanism for an automatic document feeder for separating and feeding the bottommost document of documents laid on document bearing means. A separating roller mechanism has a plurality of rollers provided at spaced locations in an axial direction, and a separating belt mechanism is disposed opposite and above the separating roller mechanism. The separating belt mechanism is composed of a driving roller and a driven roller disposed in parallel at spaced locations, a wide separating belt looped over the driving roller and the driven roller and pressed against the separating roller, and a tension imparting mechanism for exerting tension on the separating belt.

Abstract: A conveying belt mechanism for an automatic document feeder, for conveying a document placed on a document bearing plate to a document exposure position on a transparent platen. The conveying belt mechanism includes a driving roller and a driven roller disposed above the transparent platen, with a predetermined spacing provided between the two rollers in a document feeding direction, an endless conveying belt looped over the driving roller and the driven roller, pressing rollers disposed between the driving roller and the driven roller for pressing the endless conveying belt against the transparent platen, and belt guides mounted at both ends of the driven roller.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder for sending a document from a document setting position on a document bearing plate to a document feeding path and returning the document onto the document bearing plate after feeding of the document along the document feeding path. A document mover includes a moving plate for moving the document that has been returned to the document bearing plate to the document setting position. A document presser presses the document that has been moved by the document mover to the document setting position. A controller controls the operation of the document presser and the document mover. The controller operates the moving plate of the document mover to move the document that has been returned to the document bearing plate to the document setting position, then operates the document presser to press the document that has been moved to the document setting position, and causes the moving plate of the document mover to recede, while maintaining the document in a pressed state.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes first and second registration rollers for abutting the leading end of an original conveyed along a conveying path against their contact positions. The first registration roller is included in a plurality of reversing rollers arranged apart from each other along an axis of a supporting shaft of each of the reversing rollers. The reversing roller turn over the original along a reversing path that bypasses a part of the conveying path. There is provided a reversal guiding member arranged so as to cover a region between the adjacent reversing rollers. The reversal guiding member has guide surfaces curved along the peripheral surfaces of the reversing rollers as viewed along the axis of the supporting shaft. The reversal of the original is guided along the reversing path by the guide surfaces.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder of a type having a document inverting mechanism beside a document sending-in path is disclosed which, when a document located at a document exposure position is to be inverted, operates a conveying belt mechanism in a predetermined direction to convey the document by a predetermined amount in a direction away from a document positioning member, then brings a document positioning member to a retreat position, and then operates the conveying belt mechanism in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction to convey the document to the document inverting mechanism.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder conveys an original along a conveying path to an original reading section in an image processor. First and second registration rollers for abutting the conveyed original against their contact portions, and a guide plate for guiding the conveyance of the original to the registration rollers are arranged in the conveying path. The first registration roller includes a plurality of reversing rollers made of rubber for reversing the original along a reversing path, and the reversing rollers are arranged a predetermined distance away from each other along an axis of their supporting shaft. A side edge in the direction of conveyance of the guide plate is in such a comb shape that projections and non-projections are alternatively formed. Each of the projections is opposite to a region between the adjacent reversing rollers, and extends toward the downstream side of the contact portions in the direction of conveyance.

Abstract: A recycle document feeder according to the present invention includes a pair of document width regulating guides (9a, 9b) for guiding opposite edges of document originals (D) fed back onto a document placing plate (8) for alignment thereof with respect to the width thereof. With this construction, if the document width regulating guides (9a, 9b) each had a small length (A) as measured along a document transportation direction, the document originals (D) fed back onto the document placing plate (8) could not properly be aligned by the document width regulating guides (9a, 9b) thereby to be randomly stacked on the skew with respect to the document transportation direction.

Abstract: A document feeder which includes a separator mechanism having a first separator member and a second separator member for separating and feeding document originals one by one into a document transportation path. The first separator member is provided in a main body, and the second separator member is provided in a cover which covers a portion of the main body and is adapted to be pivotally opened. With the cover being closed, the second separator member is positioned with respect to the first separator member by a positioning mechanism.

Abstract: A document feeder which has a document transportation path curved with a curvature radius such that a document original is reversed and fed therethrough to a document setting surface. The document feeder further includes a pair of rollers respectively disposed inside and outside of the curvature of the document transportation path in an opposed relation and adapted to hold the document original therebetween for guiding the document original to the document setting surface. The rollers abut against each other in a position upstream of the vertex of the curvature of the document transportation path with respect to a document transportation direction.

Abstract: A recycle document feeder according to the present invention includes a cover (251) covering a document discharge portion (30). The cover (251) is openably supported by a pivot shaft (256) between a pair of frames (255). A feed-back path (32) for guiding a document original onto a document placing plate is defined by a pair of guide members (257, 258) provided in an opposed relation. The upper guide member (258) is attached to the interior face of the cover (251). A switch claw (253) for switching the document traveling direction is attached to the pivot shaft (256) which supports the cover (251). Thus, there is no need for additionally providing a shaft for supporting the switch claw (253), thereby simplifying the construction of the document discharge portion (30).

Abstract: This invention relates to a document transport device for use in an image forming apparatus. The document transport device has a first belt roller disposed above a document positioning member. A second belt roller is disposed away from the first belt roller in the document transport direction. An endless belt is wound around the first and second belt rollers. Plural presser rollers are arranged on a specified position between the first and second belt rollers to press the belt against a contact glass. The document transport device has a tension roller between the first belt roller and the presser roller closest thereto to apply a tension force to the belt so as to set the belt at the lowermost position of the tension roller below a common tangential line to the circumferences of the first belt roller and the presser roller and apart from the contact glass.

Abstract: A document feeder having a cover covering a portion of a main body and adapted to be pivotally opened, and a pair of document transportation rollers provided in an abutting relation in the midst of a document transportation path for transportation of a document original. A document guiding member for guiding the document original to an abutment position of the pair of rollers is attached to the cover.

Abstract: In an automatic document feeder, an original tray has an original platen on its upper surface. Originals put on the original platen are fed along a conveying path by conveying rollers and conveyance auxiliary rollers. The originals fed are separated one at a time by separating belts and separating rollers which are arranged above and below a conveying path. When a conveyance guide plate constituting a part of the original platen is removed upward, the separating rollers, the conveying rollers, and the conveyance auxiliary rollers and a portion for supporting the rollers are exposed upward, so that maintenance such as replacement of components such as the separating rollers, the conveying rollers and the conveyance auxiliary rollers can be performed.

Abstract: A document feeder having a main document setting plate for holding thereon a stack of document originals to be processed, an auxiliary document setting plate for holding thereon a stack of document originals to be processed after the processing of the document originals set on the main document setting plate, a transfer mechanism for transferring the document originals set on the auxiliary document setting plate to the main document setting plate, and a feeding mechanism for feeding the document originals set on the main document setting plate one by one to a processing position. The document originals are transferred from the auxiliary document setting plate to the main document setting plate in synchronization with the one-by-one document feeding from the main document setting plate to the processing position by the feeding mechanism.