Patent Publication Number: US-9897968-B2

Title: Image forming apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to, and claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0096736, filed on Aug. 14, 2013 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     Embodiments relate to an image forming apparatus including a printed medium post-processing unit configured to receive and post-process printed media on which an image forming process is completed. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In general, image forming apparatuses are apparatuses for forming an image on a print medium, and correspond to a printer, a copy machine, a facsimile machine, a multi-function machine implemented by integrating at least two of these functions, or the like. 
     Some image forming apparatuses include a printed medium post-processing unit configured to receive, and then post-process, printed media on which an image forming process is completed. 
     The printed medium post-processing unit receives and aligns the printed media on which the image forming process is completed, and then performs a stapling process using a stapler and a bookbinding process in which the printed media are bound in a book form. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment an image forming apparatus is provided including a printed medium post-processing unit which may selectively change a loading amount of printed media. 
     According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a printed medium post-processing unit that may perform post-processing on printed media to respond to an image forming apparatus having various printing speeds. 
     Additional aspects are forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
     In accordance with an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a print medium, and a printed medium post-processing unit configured to receive and post-process printed media on which an image forming process is completed from the image forming unit, wherein the printed medium post-processing unit selectively comprises one of a first stacker module in which a first amount of post-processed printed media is able to be loaded, and a second stacker module in which a second amount of post-processed printed media is able to be loaded. 
     The first stacker module may include a first tray in which the post-processed printed media are loaded, and a first support part configured to support the first tray. 
     The second stacker module may include a second tray in which the post-processed printed media are loaded, and a second support part configured to support the second tray to be movable up and down. 
     The printed medium post-processing unit may be disposed at an upper side of the image forming unit, and the second support part may extend up and down so that an upper portion of the second support part is disposed at one side of the post-processing module and a lower portion of the second support part is disposed at one side of the image forming unit. 
     The printed medium post-processing unit may selectively include one of a buffer module in which the plurality of printed media, on which the image forming process is completed in the image forming unit, temporarily stay, and a transfer module which transfers the printed media, on which the image forming process is completed in the image forming unit, to the post-processing module. 
     The buffer module may include a first buffer passage in which a first printed medium, on which the image forming process is completed, temporarily stays, a second buffer passage in which a second printed medium, on which the image forming process is completed, temporarily stays, and one transfer passage connected with the first and second buffer passages to transfer the printed medium transferred from the first and second buffer passages to the post-processing module. 
     The image forming unit may include a first paper discharging passage connected with the first buffer passage to guide discharging of the first printed medium, and a second paper discharging passage connected with the second buffer passage to guide discharging of the second printed medium. 
     The image forming unit may include a duplex passage for double-sided printing, the first paper discharging passage may be a passage through which the printed medium, on which the image forming process is completed, is discharged, and the second paper discharging passage may be a passage in which part of the printed medium, which the image forming process is completed on one surface thereof, is temporarily discharged, such that the printed medium, which the image forming process is completed on one surface thereof, is able to enter the duplex passage. 
     In accordance with an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a print medium, and a printed medium post-processing unit configured to receive and post-process printed media on which an image forming process is completed from the image forming unit, wherein the printed medium post-processing unit selectively comprises one of a buffer module in which the printed media, on which the image forming process is completed in the image forming unit, temporarily stay, and a transfer module which transfers the printed media, on which the image forming process is completed in the image forming unit, to the printed medium post-processing unit. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment, wherein a printed medium post-processing unit to which a first stacker module and a buffer module are applied is illustrated; 
         FIGS. 2 to 4  are schematic views illustrating an operation of the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment, wherein a printed medium post-processing unit to which a second stacker module and a transfer module are applied is illustrated. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , an image forming apparatus  1  according to an embodiment includes an image forming unit  10  configured to form an image on a print medium, an image scanning unit  30  disposed at an upper side of the image forming unit  10  to scan a document, an automatic document feeding unit  40  disposed at an upper side of the image scanning unit  30  to automatically feed the document to be scanned by the image scanning unit  30 , and a printed medium post-processing unit  20  configured to receive and post-process printed media on which an image forming process is completed from the image forming unit  10 . 
     The image forming unit  10  includes a paper feeding part  11  disposed at a lower portion thereof to feed the print medium on which an image will be formed, an image forming part  12  disposed at an upper side of the paper feeding part  11  to form the image on the print medium fed from the paper feeding part  11 , and a paper discharging part  13  disposed at an upper portion of one side of the image forming part  12  to discharge the printed medium on which the image forming process is completed. 
     The paper discharging part  13  includes a first paper discharging passage  13   a , a second paper discharging passage  13   b  and a duplex passage  13   c  that are provided to discharge the printed medium on which the image forming process is completed. The first paper discharging passage  13   a  is a passage for discharging the printed medium on which the image forming process is completed, and the second paper discharging passage  13   b  is a passage for temporarily discharging part of the printed medium which the image forming process is completed on one surface thereof, such that the printed medium may enter the duplex passage  13   c  upon a double-sided printing process. 
     The printed medium post-processing unit  20  may be disposed at the upper side of the image forming part  12  to be parallel with the paper feeding part  11 . According to an embodiment, the printed medium post-processing unit  20  receives and aligns the printed media discharged from the image forming unit  10  and performs a stapling, for example, in which one sides of the printed media are stapled. 
     The printed medium post-processing unit  20  includes a post-processing module  21  in which a post-processing process of the printed media, e.g., the aligning and stapling process of the printed media is performed, and a stacker module in which the printed media post-processed in the post-processing module  21  are loaded. 
     According to an embodiment, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , one of a first stacker module  22 A in which a first amount of the printed media is loaded, and a second stacker module  22 B in which a second amount of the printed media, which may different in amount than the first amount, for example, larger than the first amount, is loaded, may be selectively employed, and included in the printed medium post-processing unit  20 . 
     The first stacker module  22 A includes a first tray  22 A- 1  in which the printed media, which have been treated through the post-processing process, are loaded, and a first support part  22 A- 2  that fixes and supports the first tray  22 A- 1 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the second stacker module  22 B includes a second tray  22 B- 1  in which the printed media, which have been treated through the post-processing process are loaded, and a second support part  22 B- 2  which supports the second tray  22 B- 1  to be movable, for example, in an up and down direction. 
     The second stacker module  22 B extends, for example, in a vertical direction, to guide, for example, an up and down movement of the second tray  22 B- 1 . An upper portion of the second stacker module  22 B may be disposed at one side of the post-processing module, and a lower portion thereof may be disposed at one side of the image forming unit  10 . 
     Therefore, the printed medium post-processing unit  20  includes one of the first stacker module  22 A and the second stacker module  22 B, and thus it may be possible to flexibly respond to a loading amount of the printed media necessary for the image forming apparatus  1 . That is, in a case in which only a small loading amount is sufficient, the image forming apparatus  1  includes the printed medium post-processing unit  20  to which the first stacker module  22 A is applied, and in a case in which a large loading amount is required, the image forming apparatus  1  includes the printed medium post-processing unit  20  to which the second stacker module  22 B is applied. Therefore, the loading amount of the printed media necessary for the printed medium post-processing unit  20  may be selectively changed. 
     The printed medium post-processing unit  20  selectively includes one of a buffer module  23 A in which a plurality of printed media transferred from the image forming unit  10  temporarily stay, and a transfer module  23 B to directly transfer the printed media transferred from the image forming unit  10  to the post-processing module  21 . 
     The buffer module  23 A may be applied to the image forming apparatus  1  which performs a printing process at a high speed, such that the image forming process in the image forming unit  10  may be continuously performed even while the post-processing module  21  performs the post-processing process of the printed media. The buffer module  23 A allows a plurality of printed media discharged from the image forming unit  10  to stay while the post-processing process of the printed media is performed in the post-processing module  21 , and to transfer the plurality of printed media to the post-processing module  21  after the post-processing process of the printed media in the post-processing module  21  is completed. That is, the buffer module  23 A assures a period of time for post-processing the plurality of printed media in the post-processing module  21  is available. 
     According to an embodiment, the buffer module  23 A includes a first buffer passage  23 A- 1  that may be connected with the first paper discharging passage  13   a  to receive a first printed medium P 1  discharged through the first paper discharging passage  13   a  and thus to allow the first printed medium P 1  to temporarily stay in the buffer module  23 A, a second buffer passage  23 A- 2  that is connected with the second paper discharging passage  13   b  to receive a second printed medium P 2  discharged through the second paper discharging passage  13   b  and to allow the second printed medium P 2  to temporarily stay in the buffer module  23 A, and a transfer passage  23 A- 3  that is connected with the first buffer passage  23 A- 1  and the second buffer passage  23 A- 2  to collect and transfer the first printed medium P 1  transferred through the first buffer passage  23 A- 1  and the second printed medium P 2  to the post-processing module  21 . 
     Therefore, while the post-processing process is performed in the post-processing module  21 , the image forming unit  10  discharges the first printed medium P 1  through the first paper discharging passage  13   a . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the buffer module  23 A receives the first printed medium P 1  through the first buffer passage  23 A- 1  and allows the first printed medium P 1  to stay in the first buffer passage  23 A- 1 . 
     The image forming unit  10  discharges the second printed medium P 2  through the second paper discharging passage  13   b . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the buffer module  23 A receives the second printed medium P 2  through the second buffer passage  23 A- 2  and allows the second printed medium P 2  to stay in the first buffer passage  23 A- 1 . Therefore, a period of time for the post-processing process corresponding to a period of time when the images are formed on the first printed medium P 1  and the second printed medium P 2  may be assured. 
     When the post-processing process is completed in the post-processing module  21 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the buffer module  23 A collects the first printed medium P 1  and the second printed medium P 2  through the transfer passage  23 A- 3  and transfers both the first printed medium P 1  and the second printed medium P 2  to the post-processing module  21 . Therefore, the image forming process in the image forming unit  10  may be continuously performed by the buffer module  23 A. 
     The transfer module  23 B illustrated in  FIG. 5  may be applied to a image forming apparatus  1  that performs the printing process at a low speed. In a case of the image forming apparatus  1  that performs the printing process at the low speed, the post-processing process of the printed media in the post-processing module  21  may be completed within a period of time when the image is formed on a print medium and then the printed medium is discharged. Therefore, the buffer module  23 A may not be required, and thus the printed medium transferred from the image forming unit  10  may be directly transferred to the post-processing module  21 . According to an embodiment, the transfer module  23 B includes a transfer passage  23 B- 1  configured to directly transfer the printed medium discharged from the first paper discharging passage  13   a  to the post-processing module  21 . 
     Since the printed medium post-processing unit  20  may selectively include one of the buffer module  23 A and the transfer module  23 B according to the printing speed of the image forming apparatus, the printed medium post-processing unit  20  may perform the post-processing process according to the printing speed of the image forming apparatus  1 . 
     Since the printed medium post-processing unit may selectively include one of the first stacker module and the second stacker module, it may be possible to flexibly respond to a loading amount of the printed media necessary in the printed medium post-processing unit. 
     Further, since the printed medium post-processing unit may selectively include one of the buffer module and the transfer module, the printed medium post-processing unit may perform the post-processing process in response to the printing speed of the image forming apparatus. 
     Although a few embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.