Patent ID: 7866774
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a recording device for printing a recording medium; a conveyance unit arranged below the recording device to face the recording device and configured for conveying the recording medium; and an elevator for moving the conveyance unit upward and downward, wherein: the elevator includes an eccentric cam having an eccentrically located rotation axis line, the eccentric cam has peripheral edges whose curvature change as the eccentric cam is rotated about the rotation axis line, and a plurality of rotatable members projecting at least partly outward from the peripheral edges of the eccentric cam to come into contact with a contact surface of the conveyance unit, and the conveyance unit has the contact surface to be held in contact with the peripheral edges of the plurality of the rotatable members of the eccentric cam and is moved upward and downward by the rotation of the eccentric cam, the plurality of the rotatable members include a farthest rotatable member disposed at a farthest position from respect to the rotation axis line of the eccentric cam, a nearest rotatable member disposed at a nearest position from respect to the rotation axis line of the eccentric cam, and an intermediate rotatable member disposed between the farthest rotatable member and the nearest rotatable member, only the farthest rotatable member comes into contact with the contact surface of the conveyance unit when the conveyance unit is moved to an uppermost position, only the nearest rotatable member comes into contact with the contact surface of the conveyance unit when the conveyance unit is moved to a lowermost position, and only the intermediate rotatable member comes into contact with the contact surface of the conveyance unit for a certain period while the conveyance unit is being moved upward and downward.