Image forming apparatus including plural sheet conveying path

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an ADF provided in an upper part of a main body of the image forming apparatus, a printer unit that prints image data, plural conveying paths that are provided in parallel in the main body and convey sheets having images formed thereon by the printer unit in the same direction, a first discharge port configured to discharge a sheet conveyed via a first conveying path, a second discharge port configured to discharge a sheet conveyed via a second conveying path to a finisher, and a first storage tray that receives the sheet discharged from the first discharge port, and the image forming apparatus performs control to discharge a sheet of a nonstandard size to the first storage tray via the first conveying path.

1 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an automatic document feeder (ADF) that is provided in an upper part of a main body of the image forming apparatus and conveys a document;   a printer unit that is provided in the main body and prints image data;   a sheet conveying path including plural conveying paths that are provided in parallel in the main body and convey sheets having images formed thereon by the printer unit in the same direction;   a first discharge port configured to discharge a sheet conveyed via a first conveying path in the sheet conveying path;   a second discharge port configured to discharge a sheet conveyed via a second conveying path in the sheet conveying path;   a first storage tray that receives the sheet discharged from the first discharge port; and   a control unit that performs control to discharge a sheet of a nonstandard size among the sheets to the first storage tray via the first conveying path.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first and second conveying paths are provided in parallel in a height direction in the main body, and   the first conveying path is in a position higher than the second conveying path.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 a finisher can be connected to the main body, and   a sheet of a standard size is conveyed to the finisher via the second conveying path and the second discharge port.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first storage tray is provided adjacent to the ADF and in an upper part of the main body. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the first storage tray is adapted to allow a user to take out the discharged sheet from a position beside the ADF. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 a second storage tray that receives the sheet discharged from the second discharge port is provided, and   a sheet of a standard size among the sheets is discharged to the second storage tray via the second conveying path.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second conveying paths discharge the sheets having the images formed thereon from the first and second discharge ports without switching back the sheets. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the main body further includes an operation unit, and   the control unit performs control to select the first conveying path and convey the sheets to the first storage tray when the sheet of the nonstandard size is designated by the operation unit or when discharge to the first storage tray is designated.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet of the nonstandard size is a sheet of a size longer or smaller than a sheet of a standard size. 
     
     
         10 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an automatic document feeder (ADF) that is provided in an upper part of a main body of the image forming apparatus and conveys a document;   a scanning unit that scans a document conveyed by the ADF or a document placed on a document table;   a printer unit that prints image data including information scanned by the scanning unit;   a sheet conveying path that includes plural conveying paths provided in parallel in a height direction in the main body and convey sheets having images formed thereon by the printer unit in the same direction;   a first discharge port configured to discharge a sheet conveyed via a first conveying path in a high position in the sheet conveying path, the first discharge port being provided adjacent to the ADF and in an upper part of the main body;   a first storage tray that receives the sheet discharged from the first discharge port;   a second discharge port configured to discharge a sheet conveyed via a second conveying path in a position lower than the first storage tray;   a gate configured to switch the sheets having the images formed thereon to any one of the plural conveying paths and conveying the sheets; and   a control unit that controls the gate to select a conveying path for the sheets and performs control to discharge a sheet of a nonstandard size among the sheets to the first storage tray via the first conveying path.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein
 a finisher can be connected to the main body, and   a sheet of a standard size is conveyed to the finisher via the second conveying path and the second discharge port.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second conveying paths discharge the sheets having the images formed thereon from the first and second discharge ports without switching back the sheets. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the control unit controls the gate to convey the sheet of the nonstandard size to the first storage tray via the first conveying path when an image is formed on the sheet of the nonstandard size. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein
 the main body further includes an operation unit, and   the control unit controls the gate to convey the sheet of the nonstandard size to the first storage tray via the first conveying path when the sheet of the nonstandard size is designated by the operation unit.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the control unit controls the gate to convey the sheets to the first storage tray via the first conveying path when discharge to the first storage tray is designated by the operation unit. 
     
     
         16 . A control method for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
 providing an automatic document feeder (ADF) in an upper part of a main body of the image forming apparatus and providing a printer unit that prints image data in the main body;   arranging plural conveying paths including first and second conveying paths in parallel in the main body to convey sheets having images formed thereon by the printer unit in the same direction; and   performing control to distribute the sheets having the images formed thereon to any one of the plural conveying paths, convey a sheet of a nonstandard size among the sheets to a storage tray via the first conveying path, and discharge the sheet.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second conveying paths are arranged to guide the sheets having the images formed thereon to first and second discharge ports without switching back the sheets. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein
 the main body further includes an operation unit, and   the method further includes performing control to select the first conveying path and convey the sheets to the storage tray when the sheet of the nonstandard size is designated by the operation unit or when discharge to the storage tray is designated.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the sheet of the nonstandard size is a sheet of a size longer or smaller than a sheet of a standard size. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 arranging the plural conveying paths in parallel in a height direction in the main body;   further providing a gate configured to switch the sheets having the images formed thereon to any one of the plural conveying paths and conveying the sheet; and   controlling the gate to select a conveying path for the sheets and conveying a sheet of a nonstandard size among the sheets via the first conveying path in a high position among the plural conveying paths.