Sheet conveying device, automatic document feeder, and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12528660-B2
Application number	US-202318236948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2023
Priority date	Aug 24, 2022
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

A sheet conveying device includes a conveyor, a sound collector, and circuitry. The conveyor conveys a sheet. The sound collector collects an operating sound when the sheet is conveyed. The circuitry is to extract a feature amount of the operating sound collected by the sound collector, select, among multiple sets of index data serving as index to determine whether an abnormal conveyance of the sheet is to be occurred, a set of index data corresponding to a conveyance condition of the sheet, and determine whether the abnormal conveyance of the sheet is to be occurred based on the feature amount and the set of index data selected from the multiple sets of index data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sheet conveying device comprising:
a conveyor to convey a sheet; a sound collector to collect an operating sound when the sheet is conveyed; and circuitry configured to: extract a feature amount of the operating sound collected by the sound collector; select, among multiple sets of index data serving as index to determine whether an abnormal conveyance of the sheet is to be occurred, a set of index data corresponding to a conveyance condition of the sheet; and determine whether the abnormal conveyance of the sheet is to be occurred based on the feature amount and the set of index data selected from the multiple sets of index data, wherein the conveyance condition of the sheet is a number of sheets being conveyed other than an object sheet that is an object to be determined the abnormal conveyance.

2 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the conveyance condition of the sheet is whether there is a sheet being conveyed other than the object sheet.

3 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein;
the circuitry is further configured to stop conveying the sheet in response to a determination of occurrence of the abnormal conveyance.

4 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sheet tray on which the sheet is stacked; and a sheet feed roller to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet tray, wherein the operating sound is an operating sound of the sheet feed roller.

5 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sheet tray on which the sheet is stacked, wherein the operating sound is conveyance sound that occurs when the sheet stacked on the sheet tray is fed.

6 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the sheet conveying device according to claim 1 to automatically convey an original document; a sheet feeder to feed a blank sheet; and an image former to form an image, based on image data of the original document, on the blank sheet fed by the sheet feeder.

7 . An automatic document feeder comprising:
the sheet conveying device according to claim 1 to automatically convey an original document; and an image reader to read image data in the original document conveyed by the sheet conveying device.

8 . A sheet conveying device, comprising:
a conveyor to convey a sheet; a sound collector to collect an operating sound when the sheet is conveyed; and circuitry configured to: extract a feature amount of the operating sound collected by the sound collector; select, among multiple sets of index data serving as index to determine whether an abnormal conveyance of the sheet is to be occurred, a set of index data corresponding to a conveyance condition of the sheet; and determine whether the abnormal conveyance of the sheet is to be occurred based on the feature amount and the set of index data selected from the multiple sets of index data, wherein the conveyance condition of the sheet is an order of conveyance of sheets that are objects to be determined the abnormal conveyance in the conveyance of sheets continuously conveyed.

9 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 8 , wherein:
a conveyance speed of a first sheet of the sheets is faster than a conveyance speed of a second sheet of the sheets in the conveyance of sheets continuously conveyed, and the conveyance condition of the sheets is whether the sheet is the first sheet of the sheets in the conveyance of sheets continuously conveyed.

10 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 8 , wherein:
the circuitry is further configured to stop conveying the sheet in response to a determination of occurrence of the abnormal conveyance.

11 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a sheet tray on which the sheet is stacked; and a sheet feed roller to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet tray, wherein the operating sound is an operating sound of the sheet feed roller.

12 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a sheet tray on which the sheet is stacked, wherein the operating sound is conveyance sound that occurs when the sheet stacked on the sheet tray is fed.

13 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the sheet conveying device according to claim 8 to automatically convey an original document; a sheet feeder to feed a blank sheet; and an image former to form an image, based on image data of the original document, on the blank sheet fed by the sheet feeder.

14 . An automatic document feeder comprising:
the sheet conveying device according to claim 8 to automatically convey an original document; and an image reader to read image data in the original document conveyed by the sheet conveying device.

15 . A sheet conveying device, comprising:
a conveyor to convey a sheet; a sound collector to collect an operating sound when the sheet is conveyed; and circuitry configured to: extract a feature amount of the operating sound collected by the sound collector; select, among multiple sets of index data serving as index to determine whether an abnormal conveyance of the sheet is to be occurred, a set of index data corresponding to a conveyance condition of the sheet; and determine whether the abnormal conveyance of the sheet is to be occurred based on the feature amount and the set of index data selected from the multiple sets of index data, wherein the conveyance condition of the sheet is a conveyance speed of the sheet.

16 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 15 , wherein:
the circuitry is further configured to stop conveying the sheet in response to a determination of occurrence of the abnormal conveyance.

17 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a sheet tray on which the sheet is stacked, wherein the operating sound is conveyance sound that occurs when the sheet stacked on the sheet tray is fed.

18 . The sheet conveying device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a sheet tray on which the sheet is stacked; and a sheet feed roller to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet tray, wherein the operating sound is an operating sound of the sheet feed roller.

19 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the sheet conveying device according to claim 15 to automatically convey an original document; a sheet feeder to feed a blank sheet; and an image former to form an image, based on image data of the original document, on the blank sheet fed by the sheet feeder.

20 . An automatic document feeder comprising:
the sheet conveying device according to claim 15 to automatically convey an original document; and an image reader to read image data in the original document conveyed by the sheet conveying device.

Assignees

• Nakai Yusuke
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakai Yusuke

Classifications

• B65H2601/10

  Ensuring correct operation · CPC title

• B65H2601/255

  Jam · CPC title

• B65H2553/30

  using acoustic or ultrasonic elements · CPC title

• B65H5/062

  between rollers or balls · CPC title

• B65H7/06

  responsive to presence of faulty articles or incorrect separation or feed (B65H7/14 takes precedence) · CPC title