US5722031A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image forming apparatus having stapler for stapling sheets
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1995-08-21
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Granted: 1998-02-24
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Expires: 2015-08-21
Abstract
Abstract An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming images onto sheets in either one of a first mode for sequentially forming the images onto the sheets from a last page and a second mode for sequentially forming the images onto the sheets from a front page. The apparatus also includes a rotation processing unit for rotating the image in the direction of 180° for the direction of the image in the first mode before the image forming unit forms the images in the second mode. The apparatus further includes a tray for stacking the sheets, a reversing path for reversing the sheet in the second mode, a conveying path for conveying the sheets formed with the images by the image forming unit to the tray directly or through the reversing path, and a stapler for performing a stapling on an upstream side in the conveying direction in the sheet and on a left side or a right side in the conveying direction. The stapler performs the stapling on the left side in the conveying direction in the first mode and on the right side in the conveying direction in the second mode.
Inventors
- 👤 Takayuki Fujii
- 👤 Akiyoshi Kimura
- 👤 Yoshiyuki Suzuki
- 👤 Tadashi Suzuki
- 👤 Shinichi Nakamura
- 👤 Yoshihiko Suzuki
- 👤 Minoru Nada
- 👤 Satoru Kutsuwada
- 👤 Kenji Kobayashi
- 👤 Satoshi Kaneko
- 👤 Shokyo Koh
- 👤 Norifumi Miyake
- 👤 Hirohiko Tashiro
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 13:49
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/32; H04N1/32358; H04N1/3248; B; B42; B42C; B42C1/00; B42C1/12; G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/65; G03G15/6538; G03G15/6541; G03G15/6544; H04N1/32459; H04N1/3247; B65; B65H; B65H2301/00; B65H2301/30; B65H2301/33; B65H2511/00; B65H2511/20; B65H2511/40; B65H2511/414; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/00362; G03G2215/00789; G03G2215/00822; G03G2215/00827; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3285; H04N2201/3288
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming images onto sheets in either one of a first mode for sequentially forming the images onto the sheets from a last page and a second mode for sequentially forming the images onto the sheets from a front page; ejection means for ejecting the sheet onto which the image is formed by said image forming means in said first mode, in a face up state, and for ejecting the sheet onto which the image is formed by said image forming means in said second mode, in a face down state; stapler means for stapling the sheets ejected by said ejection means; reversing means for reversing said stapler means so as to staple in a top-to-bottom manner in said first mode, and to staple in a bottom-to-top manner in said second mode; and rotating means for rotating the image in the direction of 180° for the direction of the image in said first mode before said image forming means forms the image in said second mode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
174 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming images onto sheets in either one of a first mode for sequentially forming the images onto the sheets from a last page and a second mode for sequentially forming the images onto the sheets from a front page; ejection means for ejecting the sheet onto which the image is formed by said image forming means in said first mode, in a face up state, and for ejecting the sheet onto which the image is formed by said image forming means in said second mode, in a face down state; stapler means for stapling the sheets ejected by said ejection means; reversing means for reversing said stapler means so as to staple in a top-to-bottom manner in said first mode, and to staple in a bottom-to-top manner in said second mode; and rotating means for rotating the image in the direction of 180° for the direction of the image in said first mode before said image forming means forms the image in said second mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further having: a tray to stack the sheets; and conveying means for conveying the sheets formed with the images by said image forming means to said tray, and wherein said stapler means staples to the sheets stacked on said tray.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
68 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said stapler means performs a stapling on an upstream side in the conveying direction in the sheet and on the left side or right side in the conveying direction, and said stapler means performs the stapling on the left side in the conveying direction in said first mode and on the right side in the conveying direction in said second mode.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
87 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further having: stacking means for stacking originals; feeding means for sequentially feeding the originals stacked on said stacking means from a last page to an exposing position in said first mode and for sequentially feeding the originals from a front page to said exposing position in said second mode; and exposing means for exposing the original fed to said exposing position, and wherein said image forming means forms an image of the original exposed by said exposing means onto the sheet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the originals are stacked to said tray in a face-up state, and said feeding means feeds the original at the bottom position on said stacking means in said first mode and feeds the original at the top position on said stacking means in said second mode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further having receiving means for facsimile receiving, and wherein in said second mode, said image forming means forms the image received by said receiving means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing the images, and wherein in said second mode, said image forming means forms the images stored in said storage means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further having input means for inputting an image from a computer, and wherein in said second mode, said image forming means forms the image inputted by said input means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming means ejects the sheets in a face-up state.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein stapler reversing means reverses said stapler means by rotation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
181 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming images onto sheets in either one of a first mode for sequentially forming the images onto the sheets from a last page and a second mode for sequentially forming the images onto the sheets from a front page; rotating means for rotating the image in response to said first mode or said second mode; ejection means for ejecting the sheet onto which the image is formed by said image forming means in said first mode, in a face up state, and for ejecting the sheet onto which the image is formed by said image forming means in said second mode, in a face down state; stapler means for stapling the sheets ejected by said ejection means; moving means for moving said stapler means in a vertical direction with respect to an ejecting direction of said ejection means; and control means for moving said stapler means to a first position in said first mode and for moving said stapler means to a second position in said second mode, by said moving means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
181 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming images onto sheets in either one of a first mode for sequentially forming the images onto the sheets from a last page and a second mode for sequentially forming the images onto the sheets from a front page; rotating means for rotating the image in response to said first mode or said second mode; ejection means for ejecting the sheet onto which the image is formed by said image forming means in said first mode, in a face up state, and for ejecting the sheet onto which the image is formed by said image forming means in said second mode, in a face down state; stapler means for stapling the sheets ejected by said ejection means; moving means for moving said stapler means in a vertical direction with respect to an ejecting direction of said ejection means; and control means for moving said stapler means to a first position in said first mode and for moving said stapler means to a second position in said second mode, by said moving means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said stapler means performs the stapling to the sheets stacked on a tray.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
87 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, further having: stacking means for stacking originals; feeding means for sequentially feeding the originals stacked on said stacking means from a last page to an exposing position in said first mode and for sequentially feeding the originals from a front page to said exposing position in said second mode; and exposing means for exposing the original fed to said exposing position, and wherein said image forming means forms the image of the original exposed by said exposing means onto the sheet.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the originals are stacked on a tray in a face-up state, and said feeding means feeds the original at the bottom position on said stacking means in said first mode and feeds the original at the top position on said stacking means in said second mode.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising receiving means for facsimile receiving, and wherein in said second mode, said image forming means forms the image received by said receiving means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, further having storage means for storing the images, and wherein in said second mode, said image forming means forms the images stored in said storage means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, further having input means for inputting an image from a computer, and wherein in said second mode, said image forming means forms the image inputted by said input means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said image forming means ejects the sheets in a face-up state.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said first position is a position on a left side with respect to the ejecting direction of the sheet, and said second position is a position on a right side with respect to the ejecting direction of the sheet.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said rotating means rotates the image by 180° upon said second mode.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
100 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming an image onto a sheet; ejection means for ejecting the sheet onto which the image is formed in either one of a face up state and a face down state; binding means for binding the sheets ejected by said ejection means; and rotating means for rotating the image so that an orientation of the image which is formed by said image forming means onto the sheet ejected in the face up state is different by 180° from that of the image onto the sheet ejected in the face down state.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
100 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming an image onto a sheet; ejection means for ejecting the sheet onto which the image is formed in either one of a face up state and a face down state; binding means for binding the sheets ejected by said ejection means; and rotating means for rotating the image so that an orientation of the image which is formed by said image forming means onto the sheet ejected in the face up state is different by 180° from that of the image onto the sheet ejected in the face down state.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said rotating means does not perform rotation processing of the image when the sheet is ejected by said ejection means in said face up state, and said rotating means performs 180° rotation processing of the image when the sheet is ejected by said ejection means in the face down state.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-02-23 | 2001-08-25 | 2002-02-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-02-23 | 2005-08-25 | 2006-02-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-02-23 | 2009-08-25 | 2010-02-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |