Image forming apparatus and paper ejection method of image forming apparatus

• US 20080310872A1
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Yoshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Yoshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Shishikura, Kenichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/68
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6573 Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00426 Post-treatment device adding qualities to the copy medium product G03G2215/00421 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00827 Stapler

Abstract

A drive unit for changing the driving rate of paper ejection rollers for ejecting sheets of paper after fixing is installed, and an image forming apparatus has an option, and when ejecting the sheets of paper to an intra-body paper ejection unit, after the sheets of paper pass a fixing device, the paper ejection rate of paper ejection rollers 24 is increased, and the ejection force of the sheets of paper P is increased, and paper jamming at the time of paper ejection to the intra-body paper ejection unit is prevented.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming portion to form a toner image on a recording media;

a fixing unit to clamp and convey said recording media and fixing said toner image;

an ejection unit installed on a downstream side of said fixing unit to eject said recording media;

a first stack unit to stack said recording media ejected from said ejection unit;

a second stack unit to stack said recording media ejected from said ejection unit;

a convey unit to convey said recording media ejected from said ejection unit to said second stack unit; and

a drive unit to drive said ejection unit at a first speed when said ejection unit ejects said recording media to said second stack unit and to drive said ejection unit at a second speed faster than said first speed when said ejection unit ejects said recording media to said first stack unit, after said recording media passes said fixing unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive unit drives said ejection unit at said second speed when a height of said recording media stacked in said first stack unit is equivalent to a nip position of said ejection unit or higher.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive unit drives said ejection unit at said second speed when a length of said recording media is a fixed length or longer.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first speed is the same as a clamping and conveying rate of said recording media by said fixing unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an optional device, wherein said optional device is connected to said convey unit, said drive unit drives said ejection unit at said first speed when said recording media is ejected toward said convey unit and drives said ejection unit at said second speed faster than said first speed when said recording media passes said fixing unit and said recording media is ejected toward said first unit.

6. A paper ejection method of an image forming apparatus comprising:

detecting whether a convey unit is mounted to convey recording media in a direction toward to a second stack unit after said recording media is fixed,

first mode setting a paper ejection mode to a paper ejection mode for ejecting said recording media to a first stack unit at a first speed when non-mounting of said convey unit is detected at said detecting, and

second mode setting a paper ejection mode to an option mode for ejecting said recording media at said first speed when mounting of said convey unit is detected at said detecting and said recording media is ejected toward said convey unit, and for ejecting said recording media at a second speed faster than said first speed when mounting of said convey unit is detected at said detecting, said recording media pass a fixing unit and said recording media is ejected toward said first stack unit.

7. The method of an image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said option mode ejects said recording media at said second speed when a height of said recording media stacked in said first stack unit is equivalent to a nip position of said ejection unit or higher.

8. The method of an image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said option mode drives said recording media at said second speed when a length of said recording media is a fixed length or longer.

9. The method of an image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first speed is almost similar to a fixing rate of said recording media.