Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a stacking unit, a pickup roller, a motor having a winding, a rotor, and a phase, an image forming unit, an operation unit, and a receiving unit. The motor drives the pickup roller to feed a recording medium stacked on the stacking unit. The image forming unit forms an image on the fed medium. A user operates the operation unit to set an image forming condition. When, in a state where the winding is not excited, the operation unit is operated before the receiving unit receives an instruction to start forming the image, an initial operation is executed in a rotor stop state that supplies current to the winding and determines the motor phase based on the current flowing through the winding. When the instruction is received after the initial operation, the winding receives current such that the rotor rotates based on the determined phase.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a stacking unit, a pickup roller, a motor having a winding, a rotor, and a phase, an image forming unit, an operation unit, and a receiving unit. The motor drives the pickup roller to feed a recording medium stacked on the stacking unit. The image forming unit forms an image on the fed medium. A user operates the operation unit to set an image forming condition. When, in a state where the winding is not excited, the operation unit is operated before the receiving unit receives an instruction to start forming the image, an initial operation is executed in a rotor stop state that supplies current to the winding and determines the motor phase based on the current flowing through the winding. When the instruction is received after the initial operation, the winding receives current such that the rotor rotates based on the determined phase.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a stacking unit, a feeding unit, a conveying path, a first conveying roller, a second conveying roller, a controller configured to execute first driving for executing a driving of the first conveying roller and a driving of the second conveying roller, a discriminator configured to determine a position of the sheet based on a value of a parameter corresponding to a load torque applied to a motor for driving a conveying roller driven during the first driving, and a storage unit configured to store information regarding the position.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a stacking unit having a sheet, a feeding unit, a conveyance roller to convey a sheet fed by the feeding unit, a motor to drive the conveyance roller, a phase determiner, first and second controllers, and a discriminator. The feeding unit feeds the sheet. The phase determiner determines a motor rotor rotational phase. The first controller controls a drive current flowing in a motor winding to reduce a deviation between an instructed phase of the motor rotor and the determined rotational phase. The second controller controls to perform a first drive for driving the conveyance roller for a predetermined time before a feeding unit feed operation is started. The discriminator discriminates presence or absence of the sheet at a nip portion of the conveyance roller based on a value of a parameter corresponding to load torque applied to the rotor during the first drive.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a stacking unit having a sheet, a feeding unit, a conveyance roller to convey a sheet fed by the feeding unit, a motor to drive the conveyance roller, a phase determiner, first and second controllers, and a discriminator. The feeding unit feeds the sheet. The phase determiner determines a motor rotor rotational phase. The first controller controls a drive current flowing in a motor winding to reduce a deviation between an instructed phase of the motor rotor and the determined rotational phase. The second controller controls to perform a first drive for driving the conveyance roller for a predetermined time before a feeding unit feed operation is started. The discriminator discriminates presence or absence of the sheet at a nip portion of the conveyance roller based on a value of a parameter corresponding to load torque applied to the rotor during the first drive.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes an abutment member against which a leading end of a sheet conveyed by a conveying roller abuts, a phase determiner that determines a rotation phase of a rotor of a motor driving the conveying roller, a controller that controls the motor by controlling the value of a torque current component and the value of an excitation current component so that a difference between an instruction phase and the rotation phase is decreased, and a torque determiner that determines load torque exerted on the rotor. The controller continues driving of the motor if the load torque is lower than predetermined torque in a state in which the leading end of the sheet abuts against the abutment member to deflect the sheet and stops the driving of the motor if the load torque is higher than or equal to the predetermined torque.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes an abutment member against which a leading end of a sheet conveyed by a conveying roller abuts, a phase determiner that determines a rotation phase of a rotor of a motor driving the conveying roller, a controller that controls the motor by controlling the value of a torque current component and the value of an excitation current component so that a difference between an instruction phase and the rotation phase is decreased, and a torque determiner that determines load torque exerted on the rotor. The controller continues driving of the motor if the load torque is lower than predetermined torque in a state in which the leading end of the sheet abuts against the abutment member to deflect the sheet and stops the driving of the motor if the load torque is higher than or equal to the predetermined torque.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a binding unit configured to perform binding processing by pressing a sheet bundle, a motor configured to drive the binding unit to press the sheet bundle, and a motor control unit configured to set a driving current of the motor and an upper limit value of the driving current, the motor control unit being configured to set the driving current when starting activating the motor in a state where the binding unit is not pressing the sheet bundle to a first value, and set the upper limit value of the driving current in a period in which the binding unit is pressing the sheet bundle to a second value less than or equal to the first value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that reduces density irregularity caused by SD gap variation. A developing bias voltage for forming a developing electric field between a photosensitive drum and a developing sleeve is applied to the developing sleeve. A rotational period of the photosensitive drum is divided into a plurality of blocks, and current values are acquired for each block. An average value of the acquired current values for each block is stored until the photosensitive drum is rotated a predetermined number of times, for each of the predetermined number of times of rotation. A moving average value of the average values in each block is calculated, and a correction table for correcting the developing bias voltage to be applied in each block is created using the calculated moving average values, and the developing bias voltage is controlled based on the created correction table.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a binding unit configured to perform binding processing by pressing a sheet bundle, a motor configured to drive the binding unit to press the sheet bundle, and a motor control unit configured to set a driving current of the motor and an upper limit value of the driving current, the motor control unit being configured to set the driving current when starting activating the motor in a state where the binding unit is not pressing the sheet bundle to a first value, and set the upper limit value of the driving current in a period in which the binding unit is pressing the sheet bundle to a second value less than or equal to the first value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that reduces density irregularity caused by SD gap variation. A developing bias voltage for forming a developing electric field between a photosensitive drum and a developing sleeve is applied to the developing sleeve. A rotational period of the photosensitive drum is divided into a plurality of blocks, and current values are acquired for each block. An average value of the acquired current values for each block is stored until the photosensitive drum is rotated a predetermined number of times, for each of the predetermined number of times of rotation. A moving average value of the average values in each block is calculated, and a correction table for correcting the developing bias voltage to be applied in each block is created using the calculated moving average values, and the developing bias voltage is controlled based on the created correction table.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus accumulates the number of input print jobs when a control circuit of the image forming apparatus recognizes that, during the execution of the first print job having a sheet post-processing setting, a subsequent new print job having no sheet post-processing settings is input. If the accumulated number of input print jobs is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the image forming apparatus allows the interruption of the first print job by the subsequent new job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus accumulates the number of input print jobs when a control circuit of the image forming apparatus recognizes that, during the execution of the first print job having a sheet post-processing setting, a subsequent new print job having no sheet post-processing settings is input. If the accumulated number of input print jobs is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the image forming apparatus allows the interruption of the first print job by the subsequent new job.