The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet.
In the image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic type or the like, a constitution in which different images are formed on a first surface (front surface) and a second surface (black surface), respectively, of the sheet is employed. In such an image forming apparatus, the image is formed on a first surface, and thereafter, and leading and trailing ends of the sheet are reversed, and the image is formed on the second surface. By this sheet reversing operation, the trailing end of the sheet becomes the leading end of the sheet. That is, in the case where the image is formed on the first surface of the sheet, the image is formed on the sheet by being aligned with a sheet leading end position on the first surface of the sheet. On the other hand, in the case where the image is formed on the sheet, the image is formed on the second surface of the sheet, the image is formed on the sheet by being aligned with a sheet leading end position (sheet trailing end position on the first surface of the sheet) on the second surface of the sheet.
In order to accurately align an image forming position of the first surface of the sheet with an image forming position of the second surface of the sheet, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2018-72538, a technique such that a plurality of reference images for adjusting the positions are formed on the sheet and are read by a scanner, and then the positions where the images are formed are adjusted depending on a difference between the positions of these reference images is disclosed.
However, for example, in the case where the sheet fed is a thin sheet and a leading end of the sheet is curled, even when the reference image positions are adjusted in the above, there is a liability that a distance from the leading end to the image position varies by an amount of the curl. For that reason, in order to suppress the amount of the curl, when a thickness (distance between guiding members) of a sheet feeding passage is set at a small value, a thick sheet causes a jam, and therefore, there is a problem that such setting cannot meet the thick sheet. On the other hand, in order to prevent the occurrence of the jam of the thick sheet, when the thickness of the sheet feeding passage is set at a large value in conformity to the thick sheet, there arises a problem that accuracy of the positional alignment of the thin sheet becomes unsatisfactory.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of detecting a position of a thin sheet with accuracy while enabling even a thick sheet to be subjected to image formation.
According to an aspect of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet; a sheet feeding portion configured to feed the sheet toward the image forming portion; a first guiding member provided between the sheet feeding portion and the image forming portion and including a first guiding surface for guiding the sheet; a second guiding member configured to form a sheet feeding passage in which the sheet passes, by being provided opposed to the first guiding member and including a second guiding surface for guiding the sheet; a driving portion configured to movably drive the first guiding portion so that a distance in the sheet feeding passage with respect to a thickness direction of the sheet changes; a detecting portion provided downstream of the sheet feeding portion with respect to the feeding direction and configured to detect a leading end of the sheet at a detecting position; and a controller configured to control a time until the leading end of the sheet reaches from the detecting position of the detecting portion to the image forming portion by controlling the sheet feeding portion on the basis of a detection result of the leading end of the sheet by the detecting portion, wherein when the leading end of the sheet is detected by the detecting portion, in a case that information on a thickness of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion is a first thickness, the controller controls the driving portion so that the distance in the sheet feeding passage with respect to the thickness direction is a first distance, and in a case that the information on the thickness of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion is a second thickness thinner than the first thickness, the controller controls the driving portion so that the distance in the sheet feeding passage with respect to the thickness direction is a second distance shorter than the first distance.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
In the following, an image reading apparatus and an image forming system according to respective embodiments will be described while making reference to the drawings. As regards dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of constituent elements described in the following embodiments, an application range of the present invention is not intended to be limited only thereto unless otherwise specified.
[General Structure of Image Forming System]
In a casing 101 of the image forming apparatus 100, an image forming engine 102, a controller 900 for controlling an operation of the image forming system 100S, and a control board accommodating portion for accommodating a storing portion 901 (see
The optical processing mechanism 10 includes stations 120, 121, 122 and 123 for forming toner images of colors of yellow, magenta, cyan and black, respectively, and an intermediary transfer belt 106. In each of the stations 120-123, a surface of a photosensitive member 105 which is a drum-shaped photosensitive member is electrically charged by a primary charger 111. A laser scanner portion 107 performs an exposure processing of the photosensitive member 105 on the basis of an instruction signal which is generated based on image data and which is sent to the laser scanner portion 107. The laser scanner portion 107 includes a laser driver for turning on and off laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser. The laser scanner portion 107 guides the laser light from the semiconductor laser toward the photosensitive member 105 via a reflecting mirror 109 while dividing the laser light (beams) in a main scan direction (widthwise direction of the sheet) by a rotatable polygonal mirror. By this, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data is formed on the surface of the photosensitive member 105.
A depending device 112 accommodates there is a developer containing toner and supplies charged toner particles to the photosensitive member 105. The toner particles are deposited on the drum surface depending on a surface potential distribution, so that the electrostatic latent image carried on the photosensitive member 105 is visualized as a toner image. The toner image carried on the photosensitive member 105 is transferred (primary-transferred) onto the intermediary transfer belt 106 to which a voltage of a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity of the toner is applied. In the case where a color image is formed, the toner images formed by the four stations 120-123 are multiple-transferred so as to be superposed on each other on the intermediary transfer belt 106, so that a full-color toner image is formed on the belt.
On the other hand, the feeding processing mechanism 30 feeds sheets 110 one by one from a sheet accommodating portion 113, inserted into the casing 101 of the image forming apparatus 100 so as to be capable of being pulled out of the casing, toward a transfer portion 330 formed by a transfer roller 114 and an inner transfer roller 331. As described later specifically, a leading end of the sheet 110 fed is detected by a timing sensor 116 as a detecting portion. The controller 900 controls a timing when a feeding (conveying) speed of the sheet 110 by a registration roller pair 301 on the basis of detection of a leading end of the sheet 110 as a detection result of the timing sensor 116 is lowered, and thus adjusts a timing when the leading end of the sheet 110 reaches the transfer portion 330. Then, the toner image carried on the intermediary transfer belt 106 which is an intermediary transfer member is transferred (secondary-transferred) onto the sheet 110.
Around the intermediary transfer belt 106, an image formation start position detecting sensor 115 for determining a print start position when image formation is performed, the timing sensor 116 for establishing a timing when the sheet 110 is fed, and a density sensor 117 are provided. The density sensor 117 measures a density of a patch image for a test carried on the intermediary transfer belt 106. The controller 900 adjusts an operation condition (for example, setting of a target charging potential of the primary charger 111 and a bias voltage of the developing device 112) of the optical processing mechanism 10 on the basis of a detection result of the density sensor 117.
The fixing processing mechanism 20 as a fixing portion in this embodiment is constituted by a first fixing device 150 and a second fixing device 160. The first fixing device 150 includes a fixing roller 151, a pressing belt 152 for causing the sheet 110 to press-contact the fixing roller 151, and a first post-fixing sensor 153 for detecting completion of fixing processing by the first fixing device 150. The fixing roller 151 is a hollow roller and includes a heater therein. The first fixing provided 150 applies heat and pressure to the toner image on the sheet 110 while nipping and feeding the sheet 110 by the fixing roller 151 and the pressing belt 152 which are a rotatable member pair. By this, the toner particles are melted and then are fixed, so that the image is fixed on the sheet 110.
The second fixing device 160 is disposed on a side downstream of the first fixing device 150 with respect to a feeding passage of the sheet 110. The second fixing device 160 has a function of enhancing glossiness of the image subjected to the fixing processing by the first fixing device 150 and of ensuring a fixing property of the image on the sheet 110. The second fixing device 160 includes a fixing roller 161 and a pressing roller 162 which are a rotatable member pair for heating and pressing the sheet 110 while feeding the sheet 110 similarly as the first fixing device 150, and a second post-fixing sensor 163 for detecting completion of fixing processing by the second fixing device 160.
Incidentally, there is a case that there is no need to pass the sheet 110 through the second fixing device 160 depending on a kind of the sheet 110. In such a case, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a detour feeding passage 130 for discharging the sheet 110 without via the second fixing device 160 for the purpose of reducing energy consumption. The sheet 110 sent from the first fixing device 150 is derived to either one of the second fixing device 160 and the detour feeding passage 130 by a first switching flapper 131.
The sheet 110 passed through the second fixing device 160 or the detour feeding passage 130 is derived to either one of a discharging feeding passage 139 and a reverse sheet 135 by a second switching flapper 132. The sheet 110 conveyed to the reverse feeding passage 135 is subjected to detection of a position of the sheet 110 by a reversing sensor 137, so that a downstream end (leading end) and an upstream end (trailing end) of the sheet 110 with respect to a sub-scan direction (sheet feeding direction) are switched to each other by a switch-back operation performed by a reversing portion 136. In the case of double-side printing, the sheet 110 on which the image is formed on the front surface is conveyed again toward the transfer roller 114 via a re-feeding (conveying) passage 138 by a third switching flap 133 in a state in which leading end trailing ends of the sheet 110 are changed to each other by the reversing portion 136, so that an image is formed on a back surface of the sheet 110 opposite from the front surface of the sheet 110.
The sheet 110 on which the image formation in one-side printing is ended or the sheet 110 on which the image formation on the back surface in the double-side printing is ended is discharged to an outside of the image forming apparatus 100 by a discharging roller 139a provided in a discharging feeding passage 139 and then is fed to the finisher 200. Between the reversing feeding passage 135 and the discharging feeding passage 139, a fourth flapper 134 capable of deriving the sheet 110, switched back by the reversing portion 136, toward the discharging feeding passage 139 is provided. That is, by this fourth flapper 134, the front and back surfaces (sides) of the sheet 110 when the sheet 110 is discharged from the image forming apparatus 100 is made selectable. Incidentally, at an upper portion of the image forming apparatus 100, an image reading device 190 for reading image information from an original is provided. Further, the finisher 200 carries out processing such that a plurality of the sheets 110 which are fed successively from the image forming apparatus 100 are discharged while being aligned and stored in bundles or are discharged after being subjected to stapling processing. Then, the sheets 110 are discharged to the outside of the finisher 200, so that the sheet discharging as the image forming system 100S is completed.
[General Structure of Feeding Passage from Registration Roller Pair to Transfer Portion]
General structures of sheet feeding passages P1, P2 and P3 of the sheets, from the registration roller pair 301 to the transfer portion 330, in which the timing sensor 116 is disposed will be described using
The feeding passage P2 is constituted by a fixed feeding guide 303 including a guide surface 303a constituting a second guiding surface and a moving feeding guide 304 including a guide surface 304a constituting a first guiding surface. That is, the feeding passage P2 is formed as a space in which the sheet 110 is capable of passing through between the guide surface 303a and the guide surface 304a disposed opposed to each other, and the fixed feeding guide 303 is disposed below the feeding passage P2 and the moving feeding guide 304 is disposed above the feeding passage P2. In the first embodiment, each of the guide surfaces 303a and 304a is larger in distance with respect to the widthwise direction than a maximum width size of the sheet with respect to the widthwise direction in which the image is capable of being formed in the image forming apparatus 100, in other words, in which the sheet is capable of being fed by the respective rollers. Accordingly, a constitution in which even when the maximum width size sheet is fed, the sheet falls within a range with respect to the widthwise direction, without projecting in the widthwise direction of the feeding passage P2, between the guide surface 303a and the guide surface 304a is employed.
The timing sensor 116 is constituted by including a sensor main body 116a as an element for emitting and receiving light and a prism 116b as a reflecting member for reflecting the light from the sensor main body 116a and for returning the light to the fixed feeding guide 303. The sensor main body 116a is fixed and supported by the fixed feeding guide 303. The prism 116b is fixed and supported by the moving feeding guide 304. Further, in the first embodiment, the fixed feeding guide 303 is fixed to a frame fixed to the casing 101, and the moving feeding guide 304 is supported movably by the frame.
Further, on a side downstream, with respect to the sheet feeding direction, of the feeding passage P2 formed by the fixed feeding guide 303 and the moving feeding guide 304, the feeding passage P3 is disposed. The feeding passage P3 is formed by a feeding guide 321 including a guide surface 321a and a feeding guide 322 including a guide surface 322a. That is, the feeding passage P3 is formed between the guide surface 321a and the guide surface 322a, and the feeding guide 321 is disposed below the feeding passage P3 and the feeding guide 322 is disposed above the feeding passage P3. This feeding passage P3 is disposed between the feeding passage P2 and the transfer portion 330 and is constituted so that the sheet 110 fed by the registration roller pair 301 is guided to the transfer portion 330. For that reason, the feeding passage P3 is formed so as to be curved as viewed in the widthwise direction of the sheet so that the sheet 110 is guided upward and is caused to approach the intermediary transfer belt 106 and then so that an angle between the intermediary transfer belt 106 and an advancing direction of the leading end of the sheet 110 is made small and then the sheet 110 reaches the transfer portion 330.
Incidentally, the widthwise direction of the sheet refers to a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction and a sheet thickness direction, and refers to a direction parallel to axial directions of the various rollers.
Next, a cause of an occurrence of an error of a timing (sheet feeding distance) when the leading end of the sheet 110 is detected by the timing sensor 116, and an error reducing constitution will be described using
As shown in
A tangential line T passing through the nip 301N and contacting the driving roller 301a or the follower roller 301b is referred to as a phantom line. On the other hand, the guide surface 303a of the above-described fixed feeding guide 303 includes an upstream-side end portion 303b and a downstream-side end portion 303c with respect to the feeding direction. In the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the transfer portion 330 is disposed on one side (upper side) relative to the tangential line T (see
A state shown in
A state shown in
Therefore, in the first embodiment, as shown in
Then, a constitution of a control system of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described using
As shown in
The operating portion 180 is provided with a display as a displaying means for displaying information to a user. Further, the operating portion 180 is provided with, as a receiving potion capable of receiving instructions and data from the user to the image forming system 100S, for example, physical keys such as numerical keys and a print execution button and a touch panel function of the display. By an operation of the operating portion 180. The user is capable of inputting, to the storing portion 901 via the controller 900, information indicating sheet attributes such as a name, a basis weight execution or non-execution of surface treatment of the sheets set in a certain sheet accommodating portion 113.
Further, the controller 900 is connected to an external wired or wireless communication network via the interface (I/F) 189 as the receiving portion, and is capable of communicating with an external computer. That is, instead of the information inputted through the above-described operating portion 180, input of information from the external computer can be received by the controller 900. Further, the controller 900 is also connected to a control circuit for an apparatus (the finisher 200 in this embodiment) which is connected to the image forming apparatus 100 and which constitutes the image forming system 100S. The controller 900 establishes communication with these devices (apparatus) and causes the image forming apparatus 100 and the respective devices to be in cooperation with each other.
The sheet thickness sensor 118 as a thickness detecting portion is disposed on a sheet feeding passage connecting the sheet accommodating portion 113 or the reversing portion 136 with the registration roller pair 301 as shown in
Incidentally, the timing sensor 116 is a sensor for detecting that the leading end of the sheet 110 reaches the timing sensor 116 between the registration roller pair 301 and the transfer portion 330 with respect to the sheet feeding direction. Further, the registration motor 301M is a motor for driving the driving roller 301a of the registration roller pair 301. The controller 900 is capable of changing a feeding speed of the sheet 110 by controlling this registration motor 301M.
The driving mechanism 400 as a driving portion is a mechanism for moving the moving feeding guide 304 toward and away from the fixed feeding guide 303, i.e., for enabling drive of the moving feeding guide 304 so as to move in the widthwise direction of the sheet. The driving mechanism 400 is provided with a driving motor 400M (see
Next, control of the feeding passage thickness which is executed by the controller 900 and which is set by changing the thickness of the feeding passage P2 will be described along
When the feeding passage thickness control according to the first embodiment is started, first, the controller 900 acquires sheet thickness information which is information on the thickness of the sheet 110 (S1). This sheet thickness information is acquired by detecting the thickness of the sheet 110 when the sheet 110 passes through a detecting position of the above-described sheet thickness sensor 118.
Next, the controller 900 determines the thickness of the feeding passage P2 (target position of the moving feeding guide 304) which is a target, depending on the sheet thickness information (S2). Then, the controller 900 drives the driving motor 400M of the driving mechanism 400, and thus moves the moving feeding guide 304 to the target position (S3). Thus, if the sheet 110 is, for example, thin paper of 0.1 mm in thickness, the thickness of the feeding passage P2 is set at 1.5 mm corresponding to an initial position as shown in
At this time, even when the sheet 110 is, for example, the thin paper and is curled, an error between a length of the sheet 110 fed until the leading end of the sheet 110 reaches from the nip 301N of the registration roller pair 301 to the detecting position 116p of the timing sensor 116 and the distance L between the nip 301N and the detecting position 116p is suppressed to a small value. The controller 900 controls the registration motor 301M on the basis of a detection timing of this sheet 110, and adjusts a timing when the feeding speed of the sheet 110 by the registration roller pair 301 is lowered. That is, a timing when the leading end (image formation start position) of the sheet 110 reaches the transfer portion 330 is conformed to a timing when the toner image formed on the intermediary transfer belt 106 reaches the transfer portion 330.
Thereafter, the controller 900 discriminates whether or not the sheet 110 of which leading end is detected by the timing sensor 116 is final sheet of a job (S5), and when the sheet 110 is not the final sheet (No of S5), the sequence is returned to the step S1, and the above-described control is repeated. Further, when the sheet 110 of which leading end is detected by the timing sensor 116 is the final sheet (Yes of S5), the feeding passage thickness control is ended.
As described above, in the case where the sheet input information is a thickness (first thickness) of the thick paper, the path interval (distance with respect to the thickness direction) of the feeding passage P2 is made a large distance (first distance). On the other hand, in the case where the sheet input information is a thickness (second thickness) of the thin paper thinner than the thickness (first thickness) of the thick paper, the path interval of the feeding passage P2 is made a small distance (second distance). By this, although even when the sheet is a thick sheet, a jam is not readily caused to occur and the image formation is enabled, even when the sheet is a thin sheet, the position of the leading end of the sheet can be detected with accuracy.
Incidentally, in the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, there is a place where the sheet feeding passage is curved, and in order to reduce a feeding resistance when the thick sheet such as the thick paper high in rigidity is fed, basis setting of the path interval is made not less than 1.5 mm which is sufficiently larger than the sheet thickness. Thereafter, in order to increase the number of kinds of sheets which can be met by the image forming apparatus 100, in the case where a sheet which is further thick and which is further high in rigidity is fed, there is a need to further increase the path interval. Further, when the path interval is made larger than 1.5 mm even in the feeding passage P2 between the detecting position 116p of the timing sensor 116 and the nip 301N of the registration roller pair 301, the influence of flexure and curl of the thin sheet becomes large. For that reason, there is a liability that a positional deviation between the toner image and the sheet becomes large. However, as in the first embodiment, in the case where the path interval of the feeding passage P2 is changed depending on the thickness of the sheet, the path interval is made small particularly when the sheet is the thin sheet, whereby the above-described positional deviation can be made small. Further, particularly when the sheet is the thick sheet, by increasing the path interval, a degree of the occurrence of the jam is reduced, so that feeding of the sheet is enabled. In summary, the image forming apparatus 100 is capable of meeting either of the thick sheet and the thin sheet.
Further, in the first embodiment, continuous and accurate positioning is enabled by supporting the moving feeding guide 304 by the direct-acting mechanisms 401 and 402 which are the ball screw mechanisms and then by stopping the moving feeding guide 304 at the target position by driving the moving feeding guide 304 with the driving motor 400M. Enabling of the continuous positioning means that an optimum path interval is always set continuously when the thickness of the sheets can be detected one by one. For example, in this case, a variation in detection accuracy of the position of the leading end of the sheet can be further reduced than in the case where the path interval is set stepwise on the basis of a sheet basis weight range of print setting set by the image forming apparatus 100. Incidentally, the use of the ball screw mechanisms requires many accurate component parts, and therefore is liable to become expensive, but allows positioning with accuracy. In the first embodiment, the direct-acting mechanisms 401 and 402 which are the ball spring mechanisms are provided at two positions, but a single direct-acting mechanism is provided, or direct-acting mechanisms may also be disposed at three or more positions.
Incidentally, a method in which the path interval is narrowed by using a thin member (flexible member) made of a resin material or in which a variation in attitude of paper would be considered as an alternate technique. However, in general, compared with a zinc-plated steel plate or a stainless plate which form a feeding surface, the resin member is low in durability and is not suitable particularly for a purpose of commercial printing in which the number of sheets printed is large. Further, the flexible member can only rectify the sheet only at a part of the path interval, and thus is not suitable for the case where the sheet is intended to be widely rectified in a region on a side upstream of the detecting position 116p of the timing sensor 116 with respect to the sheet feeding direction. In the first embodiment, on the side upstream of the detecting position 116p with respect to the feeding direction, the sheet can be rectified long particularly with respect to the feeding direction, so that accuracy when the timing sensor 116 detects the leading end of the sheet 110 can be made satisfactory.
Further, in the first embodiment, the sheet thickness information is acquired by the sheet thickness sensor 118, and the path interval is adjusted by using the information, but a thickness detecting method is not limited to the detection with the use of the sheet thickness sensor 118. That is, the sheet thickness information may also be acquired on the basis of input of information on the kind of the sheet by the user through the operating portion 180 or on the basis of input of information on the kind of the sheet by the user in the external computer via the external interface (I/F) 189. Specifically, for example, a set value of the sheet basis weight range set during printing may also be utilized.
In this case, a relationship between the thickness and the basis weight of the sheet is set in advance, and then the path interval is set depending on the inputted basis weight.
Then, a second embodiment in which the first embodiment is partially changed will be described using
In the second embodiment, compared with the above-described first embodiment, the driving mechanism for the moving feeding guide 304 is changed. Specifically, as shown in
In summary, the driving motor 400M and the cams 501 and 501 move and drive the guide surface 304a relative to the guide surface 303a, so that the guide surface 304a is driven in a direction away from the guide surface 303a.
The controller 900 designates a rotation angle of the cams 501 and 501 by controlling the driving motor 400M. Then, in conformity to a diameter of the cams 501 and 501, the position of the guide surface 304a of the moving feeding guide 304 relative to the guide surface 303a of the guide surface 303a, i.e., the path interval is set so as to be freely changed. The cams 501 and 501 are processed with accuracy, so that the path interval can be positioned with accuracy. Incidentally, compared with the driving mechanism 400 according to the first embodiment, there is a limit to formation of the cams 501 and 501 in a for stably positioning the cams 501 and 501 in height, and further, there is a liability that the cam shafts and the moving feeding guide 304 themselves are flexed by the springs 502 and 502 or the like. However, a constitution which is more inexpensive than in the case where the mechanism such as the ball screws is used.
Incidentally, constitutions, actions, and effects other than this in the second embodiment are similar to those in the above-described first embodiment, and therefore, will be omitted from description.
Then, a third embodiment in which the second embodiment is partially changed will be described using
In the third embodiment, compared with the above-described second embodiment, as shown in
In summary, the driving motor 400M and the cams 501 and 501 move and drive the guide surface 304a relative to the guide surface 303a, so that the guide surface 304a is driven in a direction away from the guide surface 303a, so that the path interval is set so as to be freely changed.
For example, in the first and second embodiments, the path interval is set in an entire area with respect to the widthwise direction of the sheet. For this reason, for example, in the case where a narrow path interval such as 0.3 mm is set in conformity to the thin paper, the feeding resistance of the sheet 110 is increased. Further, there is a possibility that the path interval is easily changed by the influence of flatness, distortion during installation, and the like of component parts constituting the guide surfaces 303a and 304a and the path interval becomes excessively narrow, and thus non-feeding of the sheet, scars on the sheet, and the like occur.
In the third embodiment, an attitude of a portion of the sheet 110 overlapping with the detecting position 116p of the timing sensor 116 with respect to the widthwise direction of the sheet as viewed in the sheet feeding direction may only be required to be rectified (regulated). In other words, the attitude of the portion of the sheet 110 along the sheet feeding direction may only be required to be rectified. For that reason, there is no need to move the guide surface 304a in the entire area with respect to the widthwise direction, and as shown in
Incidentally, constitutions, actions, and effects other than this in the third embodiment are similar to those in the above-described first and second embodiments, and therefore, will be omitted from description.
Incidentally, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the constitutions in which the detection accuracy of the timing sensor 116 for detecting the timing when the leading end of the sheet 110 reaches the transfer portion 330 is improved were described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and if a place where there is a need to accurately detect the position of the leading end of the sheet exists inside the image forming apparatus, the moving feeding guide may also be provided in any place. For example, a constitution in which oblique movement correction is made by abutting the sheet against the registration roller pair and thus by forming flexure of the sheet and in which the timing sensor is disposed upstream of the registration roller pair with respect to the sheet feeding direction for detecting the rotation start timing of the registration roller pair may also be employed.
In this case, a structure for adjusting the path interval of the feeding passage by the moving feeding guide may only be required to be disposed on a side upstream of the timing sensor with respect to the sheet feeding direction.
Further, in the detecting first to third embodiments, the constitutions in which the structure for adjusting the path interval of the feeding passage by the moving feeding guide is disposed on the side upstream of the timing sensor with respect to the sheet feeding direction and accurately detects the leading end of the sheet were described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the structure for adjusting the path interval of the feeding passage by the moving feeding guide is disposed on a side downstream of the timing sensor with respect to the sheet feeding direction and may also accurately detect the trailing end of the sheet. In this case, an accuracy-improving effect is achieved for the sheet which causes the curl at the trailing end of the sheet.
Further, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the constitutions in which the image forming apparatus is the so-called laser printer in which the image forming portion forms the image in the electrophotographic type were described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the image forming apparatus may also be an ink jet printer or the like, in which the image forming portion forms the image in any manner.
Further, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the constitutions in which in order to adjust the path interval of the feeding passage P2, the moving feeding guide is moved in the sheet thickness direction relative to the fixed feeding guide 303 were described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a constitution in which both feeding guides are movable may also be employed. Further, the direction of the movable feeding guide is not required to be a direction perpendicular to the guide surface, and for example, a constitution in which the path interval is adjusted by linearly moving the feeding guide in a direction inclined relative to the guide surface or by moving the feeding guide along an arcuate portion may also be employed.
Further, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the constitutions in which the timing sensor 116 detects the leading end of the sheet 110 fed by the registration roller pair 301 were described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the sheet feeding portion may also be any sheet feeding portion for feeding the sheet, such as a conveying roller, a feeding roller, a transfer roller, and a fixing roller.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-005876 filed on Jan. 18, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2021-005876 | Jan 2021 | JP | national |