Image-forming apparatus having upright construction

• US 6,496,670 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2000
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oki Data Corporation (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Oki Data Corporation (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Inventors: Ishikita, Akira, Michitsuji, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): BEATTY, ROBERT B
• Application Number:
  US09/677,388
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 399/107, 399/110, 399/124, 399/108, 399/393, 399/405, 399/407, 399/23, 399/16
• US Class Current: 399/107
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/46 Applications of alarms, e.g. responsive to approach of end of line
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/321 Standing on edge
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/42146 by introducing articles from above
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/42372 by extracting articles upwards from the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/3322 discharge tray superposed to feed tray
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/00 Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern G03G16/00, G03G17/00 take precedence ; xerographic printers for data processors per se G06K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6552 Means for discharging uncollated sheet copy material, e.g. discharging rollers, exit trays
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00911 Detection of copy amount or presence in discharge tray
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0119 Linear arrangement adjacent plural transfer points

Abstract

An image-forming apparatus is of upright construction and includes a medium-feeding section, an image-forming section, and stacker. The medium-feeding section accommodates a stack of print medium in an upright origatation. The image-forming section is disposed in vertical alignment with the medium-feeding section, and prints information on a page of the print medium fed from the medium-feeding section. The stacker is disposed in vertical alignment with the image forming section, and receives the printed page of the print medium and accommodates the page of the print medium in an upright orientation. The image-forming section is above the medium feeding section and the stacker is above the image-forming section. The stacker may have a sensor that generates a detection signal of the print medium when the print medium is received therein. The detection signal is used to provide a visible indication, i.e., an alarm that informs the user of the presence and absence of the print medium.

Claims

1. An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a medium-feeding section, accommodating a stack of print media in a substantially upright orientation;

an image-forming section disposed in vertical alignment with said medium-feeding section, said image-forming section printing information on a page of print medium fed from said medium-feeding section; and

a stacker disposed in vertical alignment with said image-forming section, said stacker receiving the page of the print medium that has been printed and accommodating the page of the print medium in a substantially upright orientation, said stacker holding said print medium in stacked relation between a front side wall member of the stacker and a backside wall member of the stacker;

wherein said image-forming apparatus is a board type in which said image-forming section is disposed over said medium-feeding section and said stacker is disposed over said image-forming section.

2. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image-forming section is a tandem type electrophotographic apparatus with a plurality of image drum cartridges disposed in vertical alignment with one another.

3. An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a medium-feeding section;

an image-forming section disposed in vertical alignment with said medium-feeding section, said image-forming section printing information on a page of print media fed from said medium-feeding section; and

a stacker disposed in vertical alignment with said image-forming section, said stacker receiving the page of the print medium that has been printed and accommodating the page of the print medium in a substantially upright orientation, wherein said stacker has a visible indicator that indicates to a user the presence and absence of the print medium.

4. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said stacker has a sensor that generates a detection signal of the print medium when the print medium is received therein, and said visible indicator indicates to-the user of the presence and absence of the print medium according to the detection signal.

5. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said stacker has a transparent portion that serves as said visible indicator.

6. An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a medium-feeding section having an at least partly curved portion to which a stack of print media is correspondingly configured so that a stack of print media is held in a substantially upright orientation;

an image-forming section disposed in vertical alignment with said medium feeding section, said image-forming section printing information on a page of the print medium fed from said medium-feeding section; and

a stacker disposed in vertical alignment with said image-forming section, said stacker receiving the page of the print medium that has been printed and accommodating the page of the print medium in a substantially upright orientation.

7. An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a medium-feeding section, accommodating a stack of print media in a substantially upright orientation;

an image-forming section disposed in vertical alignment with said medium-feeding section, said image-forming section printing information on a page of print media fed from said medium-feeding section; and

a stacker disposed in vertical alignment with said image-forming section, said stacker receiving a printed page of the print media such that the printed page of the print medium is accommodated in a substantially upright orientation;

wherein the image-forming apparatus is a board type in which the body is generally box-shaped and has a depth, a width greater than the depth, and a height greater than the width, the body having substantially flat outer surfaces such that the body, said stacker and the print medium feeding section being included within the body during a printing operation.