Sheet feeding apparatus, image forming apparatus, and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065817-B2
Application number	US-201615345815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2016
Priority date	Dec 3, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A sheet feeding apparatus includes: a transfer medium loading tray that is movable vertically; a hardware processor configured to control vertical movement of the transfer medium loading tray; an overload detector configured to detect transfer media of a maximum loading amount prescribed for each type of the transfer media; and an intermediate tray position detector configured to detect the transfer medium loading tray being at an intermediate tray position prescribed for each type of the transfer media, wherein the hardware processor is configured to control the vertical movement of the transfer medium loading tray in accordance with a type of the transfer media and on a basis of a vertical position of the transfer medium loading tray, results of detection by the overload detector, and results of detection by the intermediate tray position detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
a transfer medium loading tray that is movable vertically;
a hardware processor configured to control vertical movement of the transfer medium loading tray;
an overload detector configured to detect transfer media of a maximum loading amount prescribed for each type of the transfer media;
a tray lower-end detector configured to detect the transfer medium loading tray being at a lower end position; and
an intermediate tray position detector configured to detect the transfer medium loading tray being at an intermediate tray position prescribed for each type of the transfer media, wherein
the hardware processor is configured to control the vertical movement of the transfer medium loading tray in accordance with a type of the transfer media and on a basis of a vertical position of the transfer medium loading tray, results of detection by the overload detector, and results of detection by the intermediate tray position detector, and
the hardware processor is configured to determine that the transfer medium is overloaded by detecting, using the intermediate tray position detector, that the vertical position of the transfer medium loading tray is not above the intermediate tray position, then lowering the transfer medium loading tray toward the lower end position, and detecting, by the overload detector, the transfer media of the maximum loading amount when the transfer medium loading tray reaches the lower end position.

2. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the overload detector is configured to detect whether or not the transfer media exceed the maximum loading amount prescribed for the type of the transfer media via a mass or a loading height when the transfer medium loading tray is at a lower end position.

3. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the overload detector is configured to detect a transfer medium being at an upper limit height position corresponding to a maximum loading height prescribed for the type of the transfer media when the transfer medium loading tray is at a lower end position.

4. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the hardware processor is configured to allow lifting of the transfer medium loading tray in a case where the transfer medium loading tray is at the lower end position and a loading height of the transfer media does not exceed the upper limit height position prescribed for the type of the transfer media.

5. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the hardware processor is configured to prohibit lifting of the transfer medium loading tray in a case where the transfer medium loading tray is at the lower end position and a loading height of the transfer media exceeds the upper limit height position prescribed for the type of the transfer media.

6. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the hardware processor makes a warning when prohibiting the lifting of the transfer medium loading tray.

7. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the intermediate tray position detector is configured to detect, as the transfer medium loading tray being at the intermediate tray position, the transfer medium tray being at a height position equal to or higher than a maximum height position at which a transfer medium loaded on the transfer medium loading tray is capable of being fed in a case where the transfer media are loaded to a maximum loading height corresponding to the type of the transfer media.

8. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the hardware processor is configured to allow lifting of the transfer medium loading tray after stopping descent of the transfer medium loading tray in a case where the overload detector detects that the transfer medium loading tray is not overloaded while the transfer medium loading tray is being lowered in accordance with a descent instruction.

9. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the hardware processor is configured to stop the transfer medium loading tray at the intermediate tray position in the lifting.

10. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the hardware processor is configured to restrict a descent position to the intermediate tray position in a case where the transfer medium loading tray is positioned above the intermediate tray position and is lowered in accordance with a descent instruction.

11. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the hardware processor is configured to stop the movement of the transfer medium loading tray and make a warning in a case where the transfer medium loading tray has reached the intermediate tray position.

12. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the hardware processor is configured to control the vertical movement of the transfer medium loading tray on a basis of a descent instruction and in accordance with the transfer media.

13. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the hardware processor is configured to perform a lifting operation of the transfer medium loading tray after lowering the transfer medium loading tray and confirming that the transfer medium loading tray is not overloaded in a case where a lifting instruction of the transfer medium loading tray has been made.

14. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the hardware processor is configured to obtain type information of the transfer media on the transfer medium loading tray via detection of the type of the transfer media or from a type setting in a tray setting.

15. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the hardware processor is configured to make the warning via at least one of display and a sound.

16. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the type of the transfer media is at least one of a size, a basis weight, and a kind of medium of the transfer media.

17. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to determine that the transfer medium is not overloaded and allow lifting of the transfer medium loading tray when the intermediate tray position detector detects that the vertical position of the transfer medium loading tray is not above the intermediate tray position and the overload detector does not detect, while the transfer medium loading tray is stationary at the position not above the intermediate tray position or while the transfer medium loading tray is being lowered from the position not above the intermediate tray position, the transfer media of the maximum loading amount.

18. An information processing apparatus configured to control a sheet feeding apparatus of an image forming apparatus configured to control vertical movement of a transfer medium loading tray that is movable vertically, the information processing apparatus comprising:
a receiver configured to receive results of detection by an overload detector configured to detect transfer media of a maximum loading amount prescribed for each type of the transfer media, results of detection by an intermediate tray position detector configured to detect the transfer medium loading tray being at an intermediate tray position prescribed for each type of the transfer media, and results of detection by a tray lower-end detector configured to detect the transfer medium loading tray being at a lower end position; and
a hardware processor configured to control the vertical movement of the transf

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Kurohata Takao
• Yamauchi Yuki

Classifications

• B65H1/04

  adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile · CPC title

• B65H1/14 Primary

  comprising positively-acting mechanical devices {(B65H1/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65H7/02

  by feelers or detectors · CPC title

• B65H2511/414

  of mode of operation · CPC title

• G03G15/6511

  Feeding devices for picking up or separation of copy sheets · CPC title