Sheet transport device and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9946210-B2
Application number	US-201514829794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A sheet transport device includes a sheet transport path along which a sheet is transported in one direction, plural abutting portions on which a leading end of the sheet transported along the sheet transport path abuts, the plural abutting portions being arranged in a direction intersecting the one direction, and a moving unit that moves the plural abutting portions and/or moves the sheet in the direction intersecting the one direction so that a preceding corner portion of two corner portions located at the leading end of the transported sheet abuts on any of the plural abutting portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet transport device comprising:
a sheet transport path along which a sheet is transported in first direction;
a plurality of abutting portions on which a leading end of the sheet transported along the sheet transport path abuts, the plurality of abutting portions being arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the second direction being a widthwise direction of the sheet;
a moving unit configured to move the plurality of abutting portions or to move the sheet in the second direction intersecting the first direction; and
a controller configured to control the moving unit to move the plurality of abutting portions or to move the sheet in the second direction intersecting the first direction so that a preceding corner portion of two corner portions located at the leading end of the transported sheet abuts on any of the plurality of abutting portions; and
a detector configure to detect which of the two corner portions located at the leading end of the sheet is the preceding corner portion,
wherein the preceding corner portion is defined as a point where two peripheral edges of the sheet intersect.

2. The sheet transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sheet container in which the sheet to be supplied to the sheet transport path is stored,
wherein the moving unit is configured to move the sheet in the direction intersecting the first direction by moving the sheet container in the direction intersecting the first direction.

3. The sheet transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an image bearing member located on a downstream side of the plurality of abutting portions in a transport direction of the sheet to bear an image to be formed on the sheet;
an image forming mechanism configured to form the image on the image bearing member; and
a sheet holding member configure to move together with the plurality of abutting portions and moves in the direction intersecting the first direction while holding the sheet whose leading end abuts on the plurality of abutting portions,
wherein the moving unit is configured to move the plurality of abutting portions in the direction intersecting the first direction and moves the plurality of abutting portions toward one side of the one side and the other side of the sheet transport path, and
wherein the image forming mechanism is configured to form the image at a predetermined position on the image bearing member and shifts a forming position of the image toward the other side from the predetermined position when the plurality of abutting portions are moved toward the one side by the moving unit.

4. A sheet transport device comprising:
a sheet transport path along which a sheet is transported in a first direction;
a plurality of abutting portions on which a leading end of the sheet transported along the sheet transport path abuts, the plurality of abutting portions being arranged in a second direction corresponding to a widthwise direction of the sheet;
a plurality of transport members disposed between the adjacent abutting portions of the plurality of abutting portions to transport the sheet to a downstream side;
a retracting unit configured to retract the plurality of abutting portions from the sheet transport path; and
a controller configured to control the retracting unit to retract the plurality of abutting portions from the sheet transport path when the sheet transported along the sheet transport path has a first size, and to not retract the plurality of abutting portions from the sheet transport path when the sheet transported along the sheet transport path has a second size, the first size being smaller than the second size.

5. A sheet transport device comprising:
a sheet transport path along which a sheet is transported in a first direction;
a plurality of abutting portions on which a leading end of the sheet transported along the sheet transport path abuts, the plurality of abutting portions being arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the second direction extending along a width direction of the sheet;
a sheet container in which the sheet to be supplied to the sheet transport path is stored; and
a controller configured to control a motor to change the position of the sheet container,
wherein the plurality of abutting portions are distributed in a right-left direction with reference to a predetermined reference extending in the one direction and are arranged in the width direction of the sheet,
wherein the sheet is stored in the sheet container so that a center portion of the sheet in the width direction coincides with the predetermined reference, and when the sheet has a predetermined size, the controller is configured to control the motor to change the position of the sheet container such that the sheet is stored at a storage position shifted in the width direction from the predetermined reference so that a preceding corner portion of the sheet abuts on any of the plurality of abutting portions, and
wherein the preceding corner portion is defined as a point where two peripheral edges of the sheet intersect.

6. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the sheet transport device according to claim 1 , the sheet transport device transporting a sheet; and
an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet transported by the sheet transport device.

7. The sheet transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the moving unit is configured to move the plurality of abutting portions in the second direction intersecting the first direction.

8. The sheet transport device according to claim 7 , wherein the first and the second directions are perpendicular to a thickness direction of the sheet.

Assignees

• Fuji Xerox Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamakawa Yoichi
• Kobori Shuhei
• NOZAWA Shumpei
• Goto Yasunobu

Classifications

• B65H2701/1311

  leading edge · CPC title

• B65H9/004

  Deskewing sheet by abutting against a stop, i.e. producing a buckling of the sheet · CPC title

• G03G15/6529 Primary

  Transporting (G03G15/6555 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H5/38

  immovable in operation · CPC title

• B65H7/02

  by feelers or detectors · CPC title