Patent ID: 9448522
Filing Date: 2016-09-20
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a housing having a first end and a second end, the first end being opposite to the second end; an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, the image forming unit including a photosensitive drum; a forward convey guide configured to guide the sheet having the image formed thereon; a switchback roller configured to change a rotation direction thereof and convey the sheet guided by the forward convey guide selectively in a forward direction and in a reverse direction; a switchback guide configured to guide the sheet being conveyed by the switchback roller, the switchback guide having, at an end thereof, an ejection opening through which the sheet being conveyed by the switchback roller in the forward direction is partially ejected out of the housing; a reverse convey guide configured to guide, toward the image forming unit, the sheet being conveyed by the switchback roller in the reverse direction; a discharge roller disposed below an upper surface of the image forming apparatus and configured to discharge, out of the housing and in a direction toward the second end of the housing, the sheet having the image formed thereon; and a discharge tray configured to receive the sheet discharged by the discharge roller, wherein the ejection opening of the switchback guide is positioned above the upper surface of the image forming apparatus and open toward the second end of the housing, such that the sheet partially ejected through the ejection opening is conveyed horizontally along the upper surface of the image forming apparatus toward the second end, and wherein the switchback guide includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion disposed closer to the second end of the housing than the first guide portion, the first guide portion and the photosensitive drum being positioned on different sides of a forward convey path and the first guide portion and the photosensitive drum being positioned on a same side of a reverse feed path, and the forward convey path extending from the photosensitive drum to the ejection opening and the reverse feed path extending from the ejection opening to the photosensitive drum.