Abstract: A printer includes a fixing device that fixes a toner image formed on a sheet and a sheet delivery roller pair for delivering the sheet on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing device onto a sheet delivery tray placed outside of a printer main body. The printer includes a supporting member that supports an upstream edge portion of the sheet in a delivery direction delivered from the sheet delivery roller pair so that the upstream edge portion does not fall down on the sheet delivery tray. The printer includes a blower unit that blows air along a lower surface of the sheet supported by the supporting member from the upstream edge portion of the sheet in the delivery direction toward a downstream edge portion of the sheet in the delivery direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an output unit to which a recording medium on which an image has been formed is output, the output unit including an output unit body, and an extension portion that is disposed on the output unit body so as to be extendable from the output unit body in an output direction of the recording medium, the extension portion including a handle portion that is recessed in a direction away from a back surface of the recording sheet so as allow a finger to be hooked in a direction in which the extension portion is extended in the output direction of the recording medium, the back surface being a surface that is in contact with the output unit body, and a protrusion that protrudes toward the back surface of the recording medium from the extension portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of selectively discharging a sheet having an image formed with toner on one surface thereof and a sheet having images formed with toner on both surfaces thereof includes a fixing unit configured to fix a toner image on a sheet, a sheet stacking portion configured to stack sheets each having the toner image fixed thereon, and a control portion configured to control a maximum sheet stacking amount of sheets stacked in the sheet stacking portion. The control portion controls the maximum sheet stacking amount set when sheets, at least one of which has the toner images formed on both surfaces thereof, are stacked to be smaller than the maximum sheet stacking amount set when sheets each having the toner image formed on one surface thereof are stacked.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit forming an image on a sheet transported along a transport path in a printing operation; a sheet stacking unit in which the sheet ejected at the end of the transport path is stacked; a sheet detecting unit detecting the presence or absence of the sheet in the transport path; a counting unit counting number-of-sheet data of the sheet detected by the sheet detecting unit; and a control unit controlling the printing operation in accordance with a first print request from a print instructing unit for a print job and based on a count value obtained by the counting unit. The control unit clears the count value in the absence of a next print request from the print instructing unit within a predetermined time after completion of the printing operation.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive a print instruction for printing a plurality of pages, a determination unit configured to determine whether a type of print paper designated by the print instruction is carbonless copy paper, and an assignment unit configured to assign to each of the plurality of pages, if the determination unit determines that the type of print paper designated by the print instruction is carbonless copy paper, carbonless copy paper with an attribute that corresponds to a position of each page within the plurality of pages.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a first paper output tray, and a second paper output tray. The image forming portion forms toner images and fixes toner images on sheets. The first paper output tray includes a first receiving portion positioned on its upper surface and configured to receive a sheet with a fixed toner image thereon. The second paper output tray is positioned over the first receiving portion. The second paper output tray includes a second receiving portion positioned on its upper surface and configured to receive a sheet thereon. The second paper output tray includes an accommodation space therein. The accommodation space accommodates cooling air for cooling the sheets.

Abstract: A sheet discharge device includes a sheet discharge path, a discharge portion for discharging the sheet, and a pressing member. The pressing member is shiftable between a hanging posture, in which the pressing member hangs from an axis of pivotal movement thereof above the discharge path in such a manner as to block the discharge path, and a retracted posture, in which the pressing member is pivotally moved about the axis of pivotal movement in the sheet discharge direction for opening the discharge path. The pressing member has a side portion protruding into the discharge path in the hanging posture thereof, and a bottom portion continuing to a lower end of the side portion and extending toward downstream in the sheet discharge direction. The bottom portion includes an inclined surface inclined upwardly toward a middle part of the sheet in the sheet width direction in the hanging posture.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a printing unit, a fixing device, a conveying roller, and a control unit. The printing unit is configured to form an image by transferring toner onto a sheet. The fixing device is configured to heat and fix the toner onto the sheet. The fixing device is disposed on the downstream side of the printing unit. The conveying roller is configured to convey the sheet from the fixing device. The conveying roller is disposed on the downstream side of the fixing device. The control unit is configured to control the sheet heated by the fixing device to pass through the conveying roller a plurality of times before the image is formed on the sheet by the printing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a main body, a first guide member coupled to the main body so as to be rotated from a first position to a second position, and a second guide member rotatably coupled to the first guide member. The first guide position defines a first paper discharge path to discharge paper, a printed surface of which is inverted, when it is in the first position. The first guide member defines a second paper discharge path, along which the printed surface of the paper is directly discharged, when it is pivotally rotated from the first position to the second position. The second guide member guides the paper on the first paper discharge path and does not interfere with the paper on the second paper discharge path.

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 print-medium storing unit, a print-medium storing apparatus including the same, and an image forming apparatus including the same which are provided in a power transmission mechanism, print-medium storing apparatus which is installed on a discharge path of a print-medium in an image forming apparatus, includes a plurality of storing units which is arranged with multi-layers, and a controller which controls to drive a feeding unit of another storing unit arranged between the storing unit through which the print-medium is to be discharged and the image forming apparatus, by a driving source of the storing unit through which the print-medium is to be discharged.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: a pair of first sheet ejecting rollers and a pair of second sheet ejecting rollers that eject a sheet on which an image is formed; a guide member that guides the sheet to the pair of first sheet ejecting rollers or the pair of second sheet ejecting rollers; a controller that performs control so that, while a sheet that is to be ejected by the pair of first sheet ejecting rollers onto an ejected-sheet tray is being held by the pair of first sheet ejecting rollers in a stopped state, the pair of second sheet ejecting rollers is in a stopped state and hold an immediately subsequent sheet above the ejected-sheet tray; and a fan that moves air toward the sheet held by the pair of first sheet ejecting rollers and the immediately subsequent sheet held by the pair of second sheet ejecting rollers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a first sheet stack portion, a sheet output section, and a post processing unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet. The first sheet stack portion is provided at an upper face of the image forming unit. The sheet output section outputs the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming unit from one side of the image forming apparatus to the first sheet stack portion. The post processing unit is provided adjacent to a lateral side of the image forming unit at an upstream side of the sheet output section to execute post processing on the sheet. A sheet subjected to post-processing by the post-processing unit is output to the first sheet stack portion from the same direction as a sheet not subjected to post-processing by the post-processing unit.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device that conveys a sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus. The sheet conveying device includes an air intake fan that takes in external air; an air exhaust fan that discharges internal air; a plurality of branched conveying paths which are branched from a conveying path within a range from a sheet entrance to a sheet exit and for which a passing time of the sheet is approximately the same; a conveyance motor that independently conveys the sheet to each one of the branched conveying paths; a conveying path switching unit that switches among the branched conveying paths; and a conveying path control unit that causes the conveying path switching unit to sequentially switch among the branched conveying paths every time the sheet is input from the image forming apparatus.

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 for conveying the recording sheet 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.

Abstract: A medium ejection apparatus is provided which may be part of an image forming apparatus. The medium ejection apparatus may include an ejection roller configured to eject a recording medium and a pinch roller disposed opposite to the ejection roller. The pinch roller is configured to move toward and away from the ejection roller and to press a recording medium toward the ejection roller. Also, the medium ejection apparatus may include an elastic member configured to press the pinch roller toward the ejection roller and a lever disposed downstream of the pinch roller in a recording medium transport direction. The lever is configured to be moved between a first position and a second position. When the lever is in the second position, the lever contacts the pinch roller, which causes a force to be applied against the elastic member, and the pinch roller is spaced away from the ejection roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image reading unit disposed in an upper portion of the image forming apparatus, an image forming unit disposed below the image reading unit to form an image on a sheet fed from a sheet roll, a pair of flange members attached to both lateral ends of the sheet roll in a width direction of the sheet roll, a sheet roll supporter disposed below the image reading unit in a rear portion of the image forming apparatus to support the sheet roll, an opening through which the sheet roll is set to the sheet roll supporter, and a guide assembly provided at upper and lower parts of the opening to position at least one of the pair of flange members attached to the sheet roll in the width direction to guide the sheet roll to the sheet roll supporter.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to cool a sheet discharged onto an output sheet stacking surface while keeping the sheet from floating up.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first and second ejection portions, a first and second conveying paths, a branch portion connecting the first conveying path with the second conveying path, a switching member movable between a first and second positions, a drive unit that moves the switching member from the first position to the second position or vice versa, a reference position setting unit setting the reference position of the switching member in an initial state, and a control unit controlling the drive unit such that the switching member in the initial state is positioned at the reference position set by the unit.

Abstract: A printing apparatus comprises: an acquisition unit configured to analyze an input print job and acquires information of a sheet to be used in printing; and a printing unit configured to print the input print job by performing paper feed from an inserter controlled by another connected printing apparatus, if the information acquired by the acquisition unit indicates that a sheet to be used in printing is stored in a manual insertion paper feed unit.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a recording medium is fed by being switched between a first conveying path feeding a recording medium to a first image forming portion and a second conveying path feeding the recording medium to a second image forming portion without being enabled to pass through the first image forming portion.

Abstract: A power transmission, which transmits a driving force from a driving roller to a driven roller by using a friction roller. The power transmission includes a driving roller, a driven roller spaced apart from the driving roller, and a friction roller to transmit a driving force from the driving roller to the driven roller. The friction roller is disposed above a line connecting between centers of the driving roller and the driven roller. With this construction, the friction roller transmits the driving force in a state of being interposed between the driving rollers and the driven rollers by rotation thereof, thereby allowing the power transmission to have a simplified structure, which does not require a separate pressing spring, and at the same time, to generate a minimum amount of power loss.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus (50) at least includes a paper output tray (80), an actuator (16) and a photo sensor (15). The actuator (16) is supported in such a manner as to be swingable above a paper loading surface of the paper output tray (80). The actuator (16) includes a fullness detection section (164) and a rear edge curling detection section (162). The fullness detection section (164) is disposed at a tip portion of the actuator (16), being configured so as to contact the uppermost paper on the paper output tray (80). The rear edge curling detection section (162) is formed so as to extend from the fullness detection section (164) toward a direction that gets further away from the paper loading surface of the paper output tray (80) toward a direction generally parallel to the paper loading surface of the paper output tray (80) and opposite to a paper conveying direction.

Abstract: A job separator includes a conveyance port communicating with a paper conveyance path in a main body of an image forming apparatus, an exit port open toward a second exit tray, and a reversing port configured to switch back paper in forming images on both surfaces of the paper. A branch guide, which is configured to switch a paper conveyance direction between toward the exit port and toward the reversing port, is arranged upstream of the exit port and the reversing port in a paper ejection direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing device configured to fix the toner image to the sheet by heat; a discharge tray onto which the sheet to which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing device is discharged; a discharge device configured to convey the sheet so as to discharge the sheet onto the discharge tray; and a controller configured to temporarily stop the discharge device conveying the sheet while the sheet is being discharged by the discharge device and to resume the discharge device conveying the sheet after a predetermined stop time has elapsed, the controller controls the discharge device such that the conveyance torque of the discharge device at a time of resuming the discharge device conveying the sheet is larger than the conveyance torque of the discharge device before temporarily stopping the discharge device conveying the sheet.

Abstract: A transportation guide mechanism and a recording device having the transportation guide mechanism can smoothly and stably discharge sheet media without impairing the ease of maintenance. The transportation guide mechanism 61 is disposed between the paper exit 4 of a paper feed mechanism 3 that can open and close to the printing unit 2 and a ticket transportation path 12 through which recording paper P discharged from the paper feed mechanism 3 passes, and guides the recording paper P discharged from the paper exit 4 to the ticket transportation path 12. The transportation guide mechanism 61 has a bottom guide panel 63 that renders the guide path 64 through which the recording paper P can pass. The bottom guide panel 63 is supported so that it is pushed by the paper feed mechanism 3 opening and closing to the printing unit 2 and can be displaced to a position outside the path of paper feed mechanism 3 movement.

Abstract: A recording medium discharging device includes a discharging unit configured to discharge a recording medium from a discharge port; a tray unit on which the recording medium discharged from the discharging unit is stacked; and an air blower configured to blow air in a direction substantially parallel to a direction in which the recording medium is discharged.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a frame forming a transport path; a heating member disposed on the transport path; first and second transport rollers which are disposed so as to face the heating member in the transport direction and hold the recording sheet between the first and second transport rollers to transport the recording sheet, the first transport roller including a rotation shaft; and a spring which includes a holding portion holding the rotation shaft of the first transport roller, a support portion supported by the frame and an arm part between the holding portion and the support portion, and is configured to bias the transport roller to the second transport roller; and a restriction portion which contacts a part of the spring between the holding portion and the support portion and restricts the first transport roller from being moved in a direction separated from the second transport roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming section that adheres toner to a sheet to form a toner image, a discharge unit into which the sheet is discharged, a conveying unit that conveys the sheet on which the toner is adhered by the toner image forming section and discharges the sheet to the discharge unit, a cooling section that cools the sheet conveyed by the conveying unit, a sheet type instructing section that instructs the type of the sheet, and a controller that controls, in accordance with the type instructed by the sheet type instructing section, the conveyance speed when the conveying unit conveys the sheet.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a particular tray, a sheet feeder configured to feed a sheet from the particular tray to a first conveying path in a feed direction, a recording unit positioned along the first conveying path, and a driving roller positioned along a second conveying path and configured to convey the sheet, after the sheet passes the recording unit, along the second conveying path and back to the first conveying path. The particular tray includes a side guide configured to position the sheets in a widthwise direction perpendicular to the feeding direction. The side guide includes a guide member that defines at least a portion of the second conveying path and is configured to guide the sheet along the second conveying path, and a driven roller rotatably supported on the guide member and configured to pinch the sheet against the driving roller as the sheet is conveyed along the second conveying path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus to form an image on a recording medium is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a housing, an image forming unit, an image reader unit, an ejecting space to catch the recording medium, a pickup opening to expose the ejecting space, and a frame assembly to hold the image forming unit and the image reader unit. The housing includes an operation unit, which is configured to form an upper edge of the pickup opening. An enhancement member extending along a widthwise direction to bridge over the ejecting space is arranged in a lower position in the operation unit. The frame assembly includes a first support member and a second support member, which are arranged in widthwise ends of the ejecting space. The enhancement member is connected to the first support member and to the second support member at the widthwise ends thereof.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an ejection tray including a support portion, a plurality of ejection rollers having a nip portion, and a tray cover having a first surface and a second surface and being configured to move between an extended position where the first surface faces upward and a covering position where the tray cover is supported by the support portion to cover an upper surface of the ejection tray and the second surface faces upward. When the tray cover is in the covering position, an upstream end portion of the second surface of the tray cover in a sheet ejection direction is disposed in a position closer to the nip portion than the upper surface of the ejection tray and lower than the nip portion such that a leading end of the recording sheet ejected from the nip portion passes on or over the second surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, comprising: a main body, at least one photosensitive drum, a transfer belt provided in the main body to form a conveying surface; a fixing unit; and an antistatic member configured to suppress detachment discharge caused when a sheet-like medium is detached from the transfer belt, wherein the antistatic member is situated in the main body at a position on a downstream side of the at least one photosensitive drum and on an upstream side of the fixing unit along the conveying path, wherein the at least one photosensitive drum is held on a photosensitive drum holding body configured to be detachably attachable to the main body; and the antistatic member is provided for the at least one photosensitive drum holding body on a downstream side with respect to a contact position between the at least one photosensitive drum and the sheet-like medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body and a sheet container. The main body includes an image forming device to form the image on a sheet. The sheet container is removably installable in the main body, accommodates a stack of sheets, and is movable between a first state that the sheet container is installed in the main body and a second state that the sheet container is removed from a first side surface of the image forming apparatus. The planar member includes a cutout opening in an upper end of the planar member, a lower edge of the opening forms a pull-out handle on the first side surface to assist in removal of the sheet container form the image forming apparatus, and an upper edge of the opening forms a lift-up handle to assist in lifting the image forming apparatus with the sheet container installed therein.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a housing having a discharge port, a plurality of photosensitive bodies mounted in the housing, a transfer unit to transfer visible images formed on the plurality of photosensitive bodies onto a printing medium, a fusing unit to fuse transferred visible images to the printing medium, and a reverse unit to reverse a moving direction of the printing medium, after the printing medium has passed through the fusing unit. As the moving direction of the printed printing medium is reversed by the reverse unit, the printing medium may be discharged while a printed surface of the printing medium is directed downward, allowing a user to easily draw out the printing medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image based on image data onto a recording medium, a fixing device configured to thermally fix the toner image transferred onto the recording medium, a stack tray configured to stack a recording medium conveyed from the fixing device, and a controller configured to calculate based on the image data an amount of a toner on a top surface of the recording media stacked on the stack tray and an amount of a toner on a bottom surface of the recording media to be subsequently conveyed and discharged onto the stack tray and to control a recording medium discharge interval based on a result of calculating the amounts of the toners.

Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a cover unit rotatably attached to one side of a main body of an image forming apparatus to cover a part of a sheet conveyance path, a first feeding member located in a main body of the apparatus, a second feeding member located in the cover unit in a displaceable manner and facing the first feeding member when the cover unit is closed and sandwiching and conveying a recording medium along the sheet conveyance path with the first feeding member, and a guide member disposed in the main body to guide the second feeding member. The guide member guides the second feeding member to move in a first direction that approaches the first feeding member when closing the cover unit and in a second direction that separates from the first feeding member when opening the cover unit.

Abstract: A document scanner (10) includes an input tray (30) for holding documents (20) prior to imaging; an output tray (150) for holding documents after the documents exit the scanner; an output image capture device (140) for capturing images of the output tray; an image processor for determining characteristics of the output tray or characteristic of the documents after the documents exit the scanner; and scanner functions are modified based on the output tray characteristics or the document characteristics.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit; a first sheet discharging path having a first dischargeable minimum sheet length; a second sheet discharging path having a second dischargeable minimum sheet length that is shorter than the first dischargeable minimum sheet length; a measuring unit that measures a length of the sheet; and a control unit. When the length of the sheet is shorter than the first dischargeable minimum sheet length in a state in which the first sheet discharging path is selected, the control unit is configured to: control the image forming unit to form the image on the measured sheet; convey the measured sheet downstream in a sheet conveying direction from the image forming unit; and stop conveyance of a sheet subsequent to the measured sheet at a position upstream in the sheet conveying direction from the measured sheet.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a print system is provided comprising a plurality of networked print engines in communication with one another, a presence detector, and a controller to communicate with the presence detector to determine a user presence and to access usage data of each of the plurality of print engines. The controller combines and shares the user presence and the usage data to adjust operations of the plurality of print engines enabling quick entry to, and quick exit from, power saving mode of at least two of the plurality of print engines.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet of recording media, an image reading unit to read image data of an original document, disposed above the image forming unit, a sheet discharge space defined by the image reading unit and the image forming unit and disposed therebetween, a discharge port formed in a first inner side wall of a main body of the image forming apparatus, through which the sheet is discharged into the sheet discharge space, a positioning member to position and detachably mount a positioning member to position and detachably mount an auxiliary unit adjacent to the discharge port in the sheet discharge space.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a first roller and a second roller. The second roller is urged to the first roller by an elastic member. In the sheet conveyance apparatus, sheet guide rib is provided which can project into a sheet conveyance path formed by a sheet guide plate. The sheet conveyance apparatus further includes an interlock portion which is mechanically interlocking with a changing position of the second roller, and changes the projecting amount of the sheet guide rib into the sheet conveyance path such that the more the thickness of a sheet increases, the smaller the projecting amount becomes.

Abstract: In a post-processing apparatus in which sheets are stacked in a stacker section and arranged to be subject to post-processing, the stacker section is provided with a sheet ejection section which subsequently ejects the sheets one by one or two or more sheets overlapped with each other, wherein the sheet ejection section is provided with a corrugation application member to apply corrugation onto the sheet to be ejected and to change extent of the corrugation to be applied.

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: In a production, fax or printing system, collection stations are sometimes obscure to the user. This invention provides a first sensor connected to a light source that illuminates this collection station when a product or copy is present so that the presence of the product or copies to be collected is apparent to a user. A second sensor turns off the light source after a preset period of time so that the light doesn't stay on indefinitely.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an apparatus body; an image carrier unit that includes: a support member; and an image carrier that is rotatably supported by the support member and directly or indirectly carries images; a positioning part that is provided at the apparatus body and positions the image carrier unit by being abutted against the support member; a plurality of rotating bodies which are provided in the apparatus body; and a control unit that controls driving states of the plurality of rotating bodies, wherein the control unit controls the rotating bodies so that a resultant force of forces applied to the image carrier unit from the plurality of rotating bodies is always applied in a normal direction where the support member is abutted against the positioning part, in a period where the plurality of rotating bodies moves to a normal rotation state from a stopped state.

Abstract: In a printer, a scanner unit is formed into a taper shape having a thinner thickness on a side of a pick-up roller in a removing direction of a process unit, to allow the process unit to be removed from the printer. A part of a sheet feeding path is formed in an area between the process unit and a sheet cassette. An image forming position on the sheet feed path is set lower than an upper end of the pick-up roller. Thus, removal of the process unit can be readily performed. Further, the height of the printer at a position of the pick-up roller can be reduced as compared with a case where the scanner unit is not formed into a taper shape.

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: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a housing having a discharge port, a plurality of photosensitive bodies mounted in the housing, a transfer unit to transfer visible images formed on the plurality of photosensitive bodies onto a printing medium, a fusing unit to fuse transferred visible images to the printing medium, and a reverse unit to reverse a moving direction of the printing medium, after the printing medium has passed through the fusing unit. As the moving direction of the printed printing medium is reversed by the reverse unit, the printing medium may be discharged while a printed surface of the printing medium is directed downward, allowing a user to easily draw out the printing medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic imaging unit, a fixing unit, a conveyance unit, and a guide assembly. The electrophotographic imaging unit forms a toner image on a recording medium for forwarding to a media conveyance path. The fixing unit is disposed in the conveyance path to fix the toner image in place on the recording medium through a fixing nip. The conveyance unit is disposed downstream of the fixing unit along the conveyance path to forward the recording medium from the fixing nip. The guide assembly is disposed between the fixing unit and the conveyance unit along the conveyance path to guide the recording medium therethrough. The guide assembly includes a pair of first and second media guide members to form a tapered passageway therebetween to pass the recording medium from the fixing nip into the conveyance unit.