Abstract: A finisher assembly of a multifunction peripheral includes a vertically oriented stapler and a paper transport motor. When the paper transport motor rotates in the forward direction, printed pages from the print engine of the multifunction peripheral are received via a paper chute and a feed assist roller urges the printed pages into a vertical paper accumulation cache basin. Rotation of the paper transport motor also opens a biasing plate allowing the pages to freely enter the cache basin. Once all of the pages of the print job are in the cache basin, the paper transport motor rotates in the reverse direction causing the biasing plate to bias the printed pages, in the cache basin, against a registration surface of the vertically oriented stapler unit. The pages of the print job are stapled together the stapled print job is moved to the paper tray for collection by a user.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit; a reverse conveying roller; a discharge unit including a reverse conveying path, an openable and closable member, an open/close sensor, a discharge tray, a sheet conveyance unit, and a failure detector; and a controller. If the controller determines that the sheet conveyance unit is in failure based on a detection result of the failure detector and determines that the openable and closable member is closed based on a detection result of the open/close sensor, the controller prohibits discharge of the sheet to the discharge tray and permits conveyance of the sheet to the reverse conveying path, and if the controller determines that the sheet conveyance unit is in failure and determines that the openable and closable member is open, the controller prohibits the conveyance of the sheet to the reverse conveying path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a switchback roller, and a re-conveying device. The re-conveying device includes a guide configured to change a conveying direction of a sheet conveyed by the switchback roller from a vertical direction to a horizontal direction and to guide the sheet in a width direction. The guide has a first guide surface and a second guide surface. The first guide surface and the second guide surface define a conveying path therebetween. The second guide surface is located closer to a center of a curvature of the conveying path than the first guide surface in a radial direction of the curvature. The first guide surface has a first area being planar and a second area downstream of the first area. The first area is configured to be contacted by a leading end of the sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer portion transferring a toner image onto a sheet, a fixing portion fixing the toner image which has been transferred by the transfer portion onto the sheet by using heat, a discharge path guiding the sheet on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing portion to a discharge port, a branch path branched from the discharge path, a rotator pair providing on the branch path and conveying the sheet, and a control portion configured to rotate the rotator pair while consecutively discharging the sheets to the discharge port through the discharge path without passing through the branch path.

Abstract: A sheet conveyer including a body, a conveyer to convey the sheet into a conveyer path formed in the body, a conveyer-supporting frame to support the conveyer, a first placement unit including a lifting plate movable between a separated position and an approximate position, and a lateral guide arranged on the lifting plate to be movable integrally with the lifting plate and slidably along a widthwise direction and configured to restrict a widthwise position of the sheet placed on the lifting plate and, is provided. The conveyer contacts the sheet placed on the first placement unit, when the lifting plate is in the approximate position, and conveys the contacting sheet into the conveyer path. The conveyer-supporting frame is formed to have an interference-avoidable dented section, in which the side guide on the lifting plate placed in the approximate position enters partly to avoid interference with the conveyer-supporting frame.

Abstract: A sheet conveyer including a body, a conveyer to convey the sheet into a conveyer path formed in the body, a conveyer-supporting frame to support the conveyer, a first placement unit including a lifting plate movable between a separated position and an approximate position, and a lateral guide arranged on the lifting plate to be movable integrally with the lifting plate and slidably along a widthwise direction and configured to restrict a widthwise position of the sheet placed on the lifting plate and, is provided. The conveyer contacts the sheet placed on the first placement unit, when the lifting plate is in the approximate position, and conveys the contacting sheet into the conveyer path. The conveyer-supporting frame is formed to have an interference-avoidable dented section, in which the side guide on the lifting plate placed in the approximate position enters partly to avoid interference with the conveyer-supporting frame.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a connection unit configured to connect to a wireless network, a transmitting unit configured to transmit data by establishing communication with an external apparatus after connection to the wireless network, an interruption unit configured to interrupt the transmission of data, a storage unit configured to store interruption information relating to the transmission of data interrupted by the interruption unit, a search unit configured to disconnect the connection with the wireless network in a state in which the transmission of data is interrupted by the interruption unit, and then search for an external apparatus, and a determination unit configured to determine whether the external apparatus is found based on the interruption information stored in the storage unit and a search result from the search unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a transferring unit; a fixing unit; a conveying unit; and a sheet shape detecting unit as defined herein, and a discharge position where the sheet is discharged from the conveying path, a feed position where the sheet is fed to the sheet conveying path and a detection position where the shape of the sheet is detected by the sheet shape detecting unit are arranged in this sequence along a sheet conveying direction to be close to one another, immediately downstream in the sheet conveying direction from a fixing position where the toner image is fixed to the sheet.

Abstract: A system to determine the presence and width of a media within a printing system is disclosed which includes a pair of adjustable media guides is provided about a carriage and is axially spaced apart along the length of the carriage. The guides may be manipulated along a horizontal axis in a sliding, synchronized manner and such that the center line of media is maintained along the centerline of the print station. A sensor is provided and affixed to the carriage, the sensor being operable for emitting an optical signal through an aperture located in the carriage. At least one of the guides includes an obstruction which may protrude into the path of the optical signal at defined locations. As the guides move about the horizontal axis, the obstruction may block or otherwise interrupt the optical signal, thereby signaling the sensor and the printer of the media's presence and width.

Abstract: A medium transporting device includes a first roller that inverts a medium supplied from a processing section side, the processing section processing the medium; a second roller that is located closer to the processing section than the first roller, the second roller having a function of inverting the medium supplied from the processing section side and a function of applying a transporting force to the medium using an outer peripheral surface of the second roller that faces both a pre-inversion medium transporting pathway for transporting a medium that has not been inverted by the first roller and a post-inversion medium transporting pathway for transporting a medium that has been inverted by the first roller; a medium transporting pathway that causes the medium supplied from the processing section side to be inverted along the second roller and causes the medium thus inverted to be supplied to the processing section side.

Abstract: An imaging device, including one or more imaging units for use in transferring toner to media sheets, one of the imaging units being a black imaging unit for transferring black toner; a media transport path having a duplex path, the duplex path having at least one set of rollers for independently moving media sheets through the duplex path; and a controller operatively coupled to the one or more imaging units and the media transport path, for staging one or more media sheets in the duplex path for a period of time. The period of time results in an increase in the interpage gap which may be utilized while the imaging device interrupts a printing operation to perform any of a number of operations.

Abstract: A device includes a winding rotary member having a cylindrical shape; a holder having a rotating member, which is provided in the vicinity of a cylindrical surface of the winding rotary member, capable of nipping and conveying the sheet; a first driving mechanism configured to rotate the winding rotary member; and a second driving mechanism configured to rotate the rotating member. The winding rotary member rotates with the sheet is nipped with the rotatable holder, whereby the sheet is wound around the winding rotary member.

Abstract: A receiver supply media cassette adapted to hold cut sheet media and for permitting an imaging apparatus to form images on both sides of the cut sheet media, comprising a media tray including a cut sheet receiving well having at least two side walls, and a ramp disposed between the two side walls and a removable media receptacle adapted to fit inside the cut sheet receiving well of the media tray including a first compartment adapted to hold cut sheet media to be fed to the imaging apparatus, a second compartment adapted to receive cut sheet media from the imaging apparatus, wherein the removable media receptacle is flipped inside the cut sheet receiving well of the media tray after images have been formed on a first side of the cut sheet media so that images can be formed on a second side of the cut sheet media.

Abstract: A decurling unit regulates a decurling force so as to be smaller when a sheet is returned from a printing unit to a sheet feeding unit than when the sheet is fed from the sheet feeding unit to the printing unit.

Abstract: A method for handling cut sheet media in a receiver supply media cassette comprising providing a media tray with a removable media receptacle in the receiver supply media cassette. The media tray is attached to the imaging apparatus to feed the cut sheet media from a first compartment of the removable media receptacle to the imaging apparatus to print a first image on a first side of the fed cut sheet media and receive the printed cut sheet media from the imaging apparatus into a second compartment of the removable media receptacle. The removable media receptacle is flipped the cut sheet media is fed to the imaging apparatus to print a second image on a second side of the fed cut sheet media. The method further includes receiving the printed cut sheet media from the imaging apparatus into the first compartment of the removable media receptacle.

Abstract: Print commands are saved in increments of pages, based on usable storage capacity, at the time of printing processing of a first copy, so that page spacing to save the print commands is as uniform as possible. At the time of printing processing of the second copy, the stored print commands are reused and transferred to a printer, and the print commands not stored are generated again. The transferring and generating of the print commands are performed in parallel.

Abstract: With front face printing, the sheet fed from a sheet feeding unit is led into a nipped position between a first pinch roller and a decurling roller from a first direction, and is discharged by decurling force being applied thereto at the decurling roller. On the other hand, the sheet fed from a reverse unit is led into the nipped position from a second direction opposite to the first direction, and is discharged by decurling force being applied thereto at the decurling roller.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming device that includes a conveyor section, an image forming section, an accessing section and a control unit. The conveyor section conveys recording media in a conveying path, the recording media including a recording medium having a data storage unit attached thereto and a recording medium with no data storage unit attached thereto, the data storage unit storing data or being capable of storing data. The image forming section forms an image on the recording medium. The accessing section is disposed at an access position along the conveying path and accesses the data storage unit to execute an access operation to write data into or read data from the data storage unit.

Abstract: In case of both sides printing, the sheet S having an image formed on the obverse surface is conveyed to the first reversal section of the reversal device 50 disposed in a reversal path R3. In the first reversal section, the sheet S is conveyed to a U-turn reversal path by the reversal roller 56 with the first side section of the sheet S as the leading edge section. In the U-turn reversal path, a position of the first side surface section and a position of the second side surface section of the sheet S are exchanged and the sheet S is conveyed to the second reversal section. In the second reversal section, the sheet having been turned over is fed again to the register rollers 16 with a leading edge section at image forming on the obverse surface as the leading edge side. Whereby the same edge of the sheet S contacts with the register rollers 16 when the image is formed on the obverse side and when the image is formed on the reverse side.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing formed with a discharge port, a printing device mounted in the housing, a discharge reverse unit to reversely move paper passing through the printing device, and a discharge unit to convey the paper, moving reversely by the discharge reverse unit, to the discharge port. The discharge reverse unit includes a guide member to guide the paper passing through the printing device to the discharge unit, and a lifting part to lift the guide member up and down. The image forming apparatus can prevent jams in a paper discharge device even when increasing a discharge speed in a discharge path, through which a printed printing medium is discharged in such a state that a printed surface of the printing medium is directed in a down direction.

Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus includes a main conveyance path configured to convey a recording medium from a paper feeding unit to a sheet discharge unit; a double-side reversing conveyance path configured to switch back a recording medium, one side of which has an image formed, so as to reverse the sides of the recording medium for double-sided image formation; a sheet resending conveyance path configured to resend the recording medium reversed in the double-side reversing conveyance path to the main conveyance path; and a double-side reversing open-space unit configured to provide a space for switching back the recording medium on the double-side reversing conveyance path. The double-side reversing open-space unit also serves as a temporary tray for storing misfed recording media and remaining recording media left inside the image forming apparatus when a jam occurs.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus with a double-face printing function is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a sheet feeding path including a regular feeding path and a return-feeding path and capable of accommodating a plurality of recording sheets, a sheet-ejection controller to eject the recording sheet out of the sheet feeding path through a sheet outlet. The sheet-ejection controller controls a recording sheet closer to the sheet outlet in the direction of sheet-conveyance along the sheet feeding path to be ejected prior to a recording sheet further from the sheet outlet when cancellation of the print job is entered during a double-face printing operation, in which the images are formed on one side of N pieces of recording sheets continuously and the other side of M pieces of recording sheets thereafter, whilst M is smaller than or equal to N.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus of the present invention, when performing one-side printing during a predetermined period after two-side printing, a change in a carrying velocity of a post-process apparatus is prevented and thus recording paper having passed through a fixing section is carried and output at a velocity that is lower than a velocity for normal one-side printing and that is identical with a velocity for two-side printing. Consequently, it is possible to prevent dropping of productivity of the image forming system due to a time necessary for changing the carrying velocity of the post-process apparatus and to increase an operating ratio of the image forming system, even if the post-process apparatus is designed to completely stop the carrying roller etc. when changing the carrying velocity.

Abstract: A cleaning device including a cleaning blade configured to clean a surface of a cleaning target that is moving. A leading edge which is formed between lower and leading surfaces of the cleaning blade is obtuse-angled with respect to the lower surface and is in contact with the surface of the cleaning target during use. The leading surface of the cleaning blade is curved outward when the cleaning blade is not in contact with the cleaning target.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus/method transports a sheet to an image forming unit that can form images on both sheet sides. The sheet is fed to the image forming unit at a predetermined image formation start timing for the first side image formation, thereafter is reversed, and re-fed to the image forming unit for the second side image formation while the first side image-formed sheet waits at least one of sheet waiting positions. A full state, where all the sheet waiting positions are full of the first side image-formed sheets, is detected. The number of sheets transported is controlled so that it is greater than the number of the sheet waiting positions. When the full state is detected, the sheet re-feeding is controlled so that a head sheet among the first side image-formed sheets waiting at the sheet waiting positions is fed in advance of the predetermined image formation start timing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs a single-side image formation such that, when a delay is needed, a stacked sheet discharge control section controls a sheet carrying mechanism so that: a first sheet (for a second imaging job) to be discharged after passing a first sheet-discharging roller via a first sheet-carrying path is directed to another carrying path without being discharged, and is stood by therein. The first sheet and a second sheet (for the second imaging job) which is carried to the first sheet-discharging roller via the first sheet-carrying path after the first sheet, then are concurrently discharged overlappingly. This eliminates needs for delaying image formation for the second imaging job, and for securing time for post-process for the first imaging job. Even if a delay is inevitable, this reduces the delay time greatly and improves the productivity of the image forming apparatus, without reducing its performance wastefully.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a conveyor unit, a printing unit, a data acquiring unit, and a control unit. The image forming unit forms an image based on image data. The conveyor unit conveys a transfer medium onto which the image is to be transferred. The printing unit prints the image onto the transfer medium. The data acquiring unit acquires the image data. The control unit controls the conveyor unit, the printing unit, and the data acquiring unit. The control unit controls the conveyor unit not to feed a transfer medium from a feed tray to the printing unit when a command for printing a second side by double-sided printing is not detected within a predetermined time after detecting a command for printing a first side by double-sided printing.

Abstract: A recording medium conveying device including a body portion capable of being mounted to and removed from a body of an apparatus, the body portion being provided with a conveying roller; a knob member disposed at a side at which the body portion is removed, the knob member allowing manual rotation of the conveying roller; and a handle member for mounting the body portion to and removing the body portion from the body of the apparatus. The handle member is rotatably supported so as to move between a first position and a second position, The knob member is connected to a rotating shaft of the conveying roller so as to move along a direction in which the body portion is removed. The handle member moves between the first position and the second position in response to an accommodation operation and a draw-out operation of the knob member.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a recording medium is temporarily stopped at an upstream of a fixing unit when the recording medium needs to be stopped for a longer time between the fixing unit and a curved path.

Abstract: A sheet finisher having a post-processing section that conducts post-processing on a sheet on which an image has been formed by an image forming apparatus, the sheet finisher comprising: an intermediate storing section in which a plurality of sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus are superposed to be stored temporarily; a pair of conveyance rollers that convey the plurality of sheets stored in the intermediate storing section to the post-processing section while the plurality of sheets are superposed; each of two drive motors which drives one of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with one sheet of the plurality of sheets and the other of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with the other sheet of the plurality of sheets, separately; and a correction controller that controls a rotation speed of at least one of the two drive motors.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing control unit that performs, between printing on a first printing side of a paper sheet and printing on a second printing side thereof, to print on the first printing side of a next paper sheet; a determination unit that determines, when the printing on the first printing side of the paper sheet is finished, whether a process of processing print data for the next paper sheet has been completed; and a standby control unit that causes a printing unit to delay a printing process on the second printing side of the paper sheet until printing on the first printing side of the next paper sheet is finished if it is determined that the process of processing the print data for the next paper sheet has not been completed.

Abstract: A technique that can contribute to improvement of analysis accuracy in analysis processing concerning an image forming apparatus is provided. An image forming apparatus that forms, on a sheet, a test pattern formed by a color obtained by mixing toners of plural colors, scans a test pattern image formed on the sheet with a color sensor, and performs predetermined image quality control processing on the basis of information scanned, the image forming apparatus including an analysis-information forming unit that forms predetermined information used for an analysis concerning the image forming apparatus on a sheet.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus, including: a booklet making section for making a booklet by covering a sheet bundle comprised of a plurality of sheets with a cover in a U-shape; a folding section for forming a fold-line on a coversheet, which covers the booklet made by the book making section; cover sheet conveyance section for conveying the coversheet; a measurement section for measuring a thickness of the sheet bundle; and a control section for controlling operations of the cover sheet conveyance section and the folding section to determine a folding position on the coversheet and form a fold-line on the folding position; wherein the folding position has been determined based on size information of the coversheet, size information of a sheet of the sheet bundle and thickness information of the sheet bundle measured by the measurement section.

Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus wherein, when forming an image on transfer sheet, the transfer sheet is shifted across the width immediately before transfer of the image onto transfer sheet based on the position of a toner image formed on an intermediate transfer member as an image carrier, and the misalignment across the width is adjusted, thereby ensuring high-speed and high-precision adjustment of the position of the image formed on a single side or both sides.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of reducing a part of a sheet exposed outside the apparatus on standby after finishing printing a first side in both-sided printing. A transfer material P having an image formed on its first side is fed until a part thereof gets exposed outside a full-color printer 1 and is fed to a refeeding path in the full-color printer 1. The transfer material P inverted by a flapper 44 is fed to a standby position to form an image on a second side thereof and is stopped there. In the case where a preparation for forming the image on the second side is not completed, the standby position for having the transfer material P stopped is changed corresponding to length of the inverted transfer material P in a feeding direction.

Abstract: An image forming device comprises: an image forming unit adapted to execute image formation on a recording medium; and a writing unit adapted to be able to execute at least an information writing operation in a non-contact manner to a non-contact IC added to the recording medium. It is controlled whether or not the image forming unit should execute the image formation on the recording medium, according to a result of the information writing operation executed by the writing unit to the non-contact IC added to the recording medium.

Abstract: A non-gated print media crossover for a printing system includes crossover pathways which intersect at a crossover junction. A control system controls arrival of sheets of print media at the crossover junction whereby a sheet conveyed on the first crossover pathway traverses the junction in an intersheet gap between sheets traversing the junction on the second crossover pathway. The printing system includes print media processing units, such as marking engines, paper sources, and output destinations, which are connected by a conveyor system incorporating the crossover.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a reverse-feeding unit. The reverse-feeding unit includes a frame which forms a first feeding path along which a printing medium is fed and a second feeding path which is branched off from the first feeding path, a guide plate which rotates between a first position in which the printing medium fed along the first feeding path is supported and a second position in which the supported printing medium is directed towards the second feeding path, and a plate driving unit which comprises an actuator which actuates the guide plate, a driving source which drives the actuator, and an electronic clutch which selectively transmits a driving force of the driving source to the actuator.

Abstract: A liquid droplet discharge apparatus includes a conveyor belt that retains and conveys a recording medium, a liquid droplet discharge head that discharges liquid droplets onto the recording medium retained on the conveyor belt, a discharge belt that moves to a recording medium feeding position of the conveyor belt, receives the recording medium, and retains and conveys the recording medium to a discharge port; and an inversion belt that moves to the recording medium feeding position, receives and retains the recording medium, and feeds the recording medium to an inversion path. By disposing the inversion belt, the conveyance direction of the recording medium can be switched without contacting the recording surface of the recording medium, and even when two-sided printing is to be conducted at a high speed, the inversion belt does not become soiled by the liquid droplets adhering to the recording surface of the recording medium.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments are directed to the printing of mixed output jobs automatically as a single integrated job. More particularly, a merging module connects two print systems, for example, at approximately 90 degrees to one another, although other configurations are possible. The merging module includes at least one sheet rotator in a plane that is common to both the paper paths of both print engines. It also includes at least two bypass paths (one above and one below the rotator) to route the two paper paths around the rotator and enable both print engines to deliver their output to the appropriate finishing device.

Abstract: A printing device includes an image receptor adapted to have formed thereon an inked image layer, a transfer roller, and a transfer roller biasing system. The biasing system is structured to displace the transfer roller toward the image receptor upon actuation of a motor, exerting a backing pressure.

Abstract: An image forming device having a printing unit, an intermediate tray, and a stapler fixed at a predetermined position, which stacks printed paper printed by the printing unit in the intermediate tray after either a face-down process or a face-up process when performing a normal operation and staples the printed paper when a number of sheets thereof reaches a predetermined number, the image forming device includes: an input unit allowing input of a choice of the face-down process or the face-up process and a choice of one-side printing or two-side printing; and a control unit controlling the image forming device so as to stack the printed paper in the intermediate tray after the printing unit performs two-side printing if a process selected using the input unit is different from one which is performed in the normal operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having therein an image forming apparatus body and at least one post-processing apparatus, wherein there is provided an intermediate conveyance unit which is connected with and located between the image forming apparatus body and the post-processing apparatus and which has a sheet feed-in section that feeds in sheets ejected from the image forming apparatus body one by one at the same speed as the sheet ejection linear speed of the image forming apparatus body, a sheet storing section that stores two or more sheets which are fed in by the sheet feed-in section and a sheet feed-out section that feeds out the two or more sheets stored in the sheet-storing section with the two or more sheets superposed on each other, at the same speed as the receiving linear speed of the post-processing apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including an image forming part which forms an image on a printing medium, a main feeding part which accommodates the printing medium and supplies the printing medium to the image forming part, and a reversing part which transfers the printing medium, on which an image is formed on a first surface thereof in the image forming part, to the main feeding part, wherein the main feeding part includes a feeding roller part which re-feeds the printing medium, having been transferred through the reversing part, to the image forming part.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus that uses a stackless ADU and executes image formation on both sides of a paper sheet in a facedown mode, a CPU confirms, when double-side image formation is to be executed with two paper sheets, image formation on reverse surfaces of which is finished, being stayed in the ADU, whether monochromatic image formation or color image formation is to be executed on an obverse surface of a first paper sheet that is stayed in the ADU and has a reverse surface on which image formation is finished. When the color image formation is to be executed, the CPU controls the image formation on the obverse surface of the first paper sheet that is stayed in the ADU and has the reverse surface on which image formation is finished. When the monochromatic image formation is to be executed, the CPU controls the image formation on a reverse surface of a second paper sheet that is stayed in the ADU.

Abstract: A controller outputs a PRE CPF-N signal and a CPF-N signal following the PRE CPF-N signal to an electrophotographic printer. The electrophotographic printer 1 starts a predetermined preparation process in response to the PRE CPF-N signal, and starts irradiation in response to the CPF-N signal. The preparation process completes by the time of when a toner image for a first page formed on a photosensitive drum reaches a transfer point where the toner image is transferred onto a recording medium.

Abstract: The invention provides a copying system that can perform copying processing for a color original document within a short time. In a color copying system, images on a color original document are read by a scanner of a multi-function center (MFC), as analog RGB data. The analog RGB data is converted into digital binary CMYK data by an ASIC. The converted digital binary CMYK data is transmitted to a PC. The binary CMYK data is image data that can be printed by a printer of the MFC, so that the binary CMYK data does not have to be converted in the PC. Therefore, when the binary CMYK data for all pages of the original documents is received by a color copying application of the PC, the binary CMYK data is then sequentially transmitted to the MFC in the order of printing by the printer of the MFC, according to the copying designation by an operator. The color copying system can accurately perform the copying processing for the color original document within a short time.

Abstract: A sheet which is again conveyed to an image forming section passes through a re-feeding passage. A reference member is provided on one end of the re-feeding passage which is perpendicular to a sheet-conveying direction, and is provided with a plurality of reference surfaces in a stepwise manner. Side ends of sheets having different sizes and passing through the re-feeding passage abut against the reference surfaces to adjust positions of the sheets in widthwise direction. The re-feeding passage is provided with obliquely conveying means which obliquely conveys the sheets having different sizes while pushing the sheets against the reference surfaces. A support member which is provided upstream of the obliquely conveying means supports the sheet such that one end of the sheet supported by the support surface extending from lower ends of the reference surfaces substantially horizontally and the other end of the sheet have substantially the same heights.

Abstract: A printer device has first and second print media paths to carry paper from a sheet pickup mechanism to the printer device and then to a sheet exit opening. A third print media path carries the sheet from the sheet exit opening back to the printer device for duplex printing. A sheet diverter has first and second operating positions for allowing the sheet to pass in the first flow direction and for diverting the sheet in a second flow direction toward the printer device. A sheet pickup mechanism has a first operating position for the mechanism to pick up the sheet from a sheet dispensing tray and a second operating position in which the mechanism is part of a duplex printing path when the sheet travels in the second flow direction toward the printer device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medium supplying apparatus that enables a user to easily remove medium and prevents medium from slanting or transferring improperly. The medium supplying apparatus comprises a first frame and a second frame that rotates freely with respect to the first frame. The first frame includes a first rotating section that rotates freely, a first fulcrum coupling section constructing a rotating fulcrum and a first lock coupling section. The second frame includes a pressing member, a second fulcrum coupling section constructing the rotating fulcrum by being coupled with the first fulcrum coupling section, and a second lock coupling section coupled selectively with the first lock coupling section. Because the first and second lock coupling sections are coupled selectively by relative movement, the second frame is locked or unlocked with respect to the first frame.