Abstract: A sheet alignment apparatus includes: an aligning element for pushing a sheet supported on a sheet supporting face by moving in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the sheet, thereby aligning a position of the sheet; and a driving source for reciprocating the aligning element. An aligning face of the aligning element is arranged to be inclined with respect to the sheet supporting face.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a sheet alignment apparatus that is excellent in alignment properties in the conveyance direction and operates stably without being affected by various conditions, and a sheet post-processing apparatus having therein the sheet alignment apparatus. Alignment members are constructed so that alignment surfaces of the alignment members arranged to be in a form where a distance between the alignment surfaces grows greater toward the downstream side, or the direction of movement of the alignment member is made to be an oblique direction pointing to the stopper.

Abstract: There is described a document feeding apparatus and an image reading apparatus, which are employed for a copier, a facsimile, a scanner, etc. The document feeding apparatus or the image reading apparatus includes: a document feeding tray on which documents are stacked; a paper forwarding device to forward the documents; a document detector to detect the documents; and a controller to control the paper forwarding device. When forwarding a document having a length equal to or greater than a predetermined length in a conveying direction, the controller activates the paper forwarding device so as to forward a next document based on a detected result acquired by the document detector. While, when forwarding a document having a length smaller than the predetermined length, the controller activates the paper forwarding device so as to forward a next document without being based on a detected result acquired by the document detector.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus having a document feeder for taking up a document from a document bundle placed on a document tray, a controller has a normal mode to perform a normal-size conveyance control by taking up each document from a bundle of documents having the same size, a multi-size mode to perform a multi-size conveyance control by taking up each document from a bundle of documents having various sizes. When the normal mode is carried out, the controller controls to stop the document after the first preset time passes after the trailing edge of the document has been detected, and when multi-size mode is carried out, the controller controls in place of using the first preset time by the second preset time which is set to be a longer time than the first preset time.

Abstract: A sheet feed device of this invention includes a sheet feed tray, a sheet feed unit which feeds a sheet placed on the sheet feed tray, a detection sensor which detects the presence/absence of a sheet on the sheet feed tray, and a sensor mounting member which mounts the detection sensor on the sheet feed tray. The sensor mounting member can mount the detection sensor on the sheet feed tray such that the angle of the sensor can be adjusted with respect to the tray.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a platen which is set at an image reading position, a loading guide portion which is arranged upstream in a convey direction of an original to be adjacent to the platen and guides the original to an upper surface of the platen, a scoop-up guide portion which is arranged downstream in the convey direction of the original to be adjacent to the glass platen and guides a leading edge of the original, which has passed through the platen, by scooping up, a convey guide portion which is arranged to oppose the platen and scoop-up guide portion, to form a convey path between the convey guide portion and both of the platen and the scoop-up guide portion, a support portion which supports the convey guide portion to be slidable parallel to the platen, and a regulating portion which is arranged between the convey guide portion and the scoop-up guide portion to hold a constant gap between the convey guide portion and the scoop-up guide portion.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet feed tray on which sheets of a plurality of sizes which differ in length in a sheet widthwise direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction, a conveying unit which conveys a sheet on the sheet feed tray to a predetermined processing position, a sheet position detector which has a plurality of light-emitting units respectively arranged at positions corresponding to different sheet widths and one light-receiving unit capable of moving to positions corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting units, a light reception position detector which detects the position of the light-receiving unit, and a control unit which selects one of the plurality of light-emitting units on the basis of a detection result from the light reception position detector.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus having a document feeder for taking up a document from a document bundle placed on a document tray, a controller has a normal mode to perform a normal-size conveyance control by taking up each document from a bundle of documents having the same size, a multi-size mode to perform a multi-size conveyance control by taking up each document from a bundle of documents having various sizes. When the normal mode is carried out, the controller controls to stop the document after the first preset time passes after the trailing edge of the document has been detected, and when multi-size mode is carried out, the controller controls in place of using the first preset time by the second preset time which is set to be a longer time than the first preset time.

Abstract: A document sheet conveyance device includes a sheet feeding tray on which document sheets are stacked, a stopping member against which leading edges of the stacked document sheets hit, a sheet feeding member for feeding the document sheets in the order from a top thereof, a separation member for separating a sheet from the fed document sheets and feeding, a stopper provided between the sheet feeding member and the separation member, for preventing the document sheet from moving toward the separation member, a switching member provided downstream of the separation member, for switching a conveyance path of the document sheet, a working member for enabling the stopper to move from a sheet stop position to a sheet releasing position, an interlocking member for moving the working member when the switching member is operated, and a drive member for driving the working member.

Abstract: A document reading apparatus and method are provided for outputting an image faithful to a document as possible even if the document is accidentally fed in an oblique fashion on the way of a sheet feeding path. For this purpose, a plurality of document end detecting sensors S1 to S3 are disposed on the way of the sheet feeding path 5, and further, a reading controller 20 calculates a skew quantity ? of the document with respect to the sheet feeding path 5 based on a signal output from the document end detecting sensor, thereby adjusting a document reading timing in accordance with the skew quantity.

Abstract: A document sheet conveyance device includes a sheet feeding tray on which document sheets are stacked, a stopping member against which leading edges of the stacked document sheets hit, a sheet feeding member for feeding the document sheets in the order from a top thereof, a separation member for separating a sheet from the fed document sheets and feeding, a stopper provided between the sheet feeding member and the separation member, for preventing the document sheet from moving toward the separation member, a switching member provided downstream of the separation member, for switching a conveyance path of the document sheet, a working member for enabling the stopper to move from a sheet stop position to a sheet releasing position, an interlocking member for moving the working member when the switching member is operated, and a drive member for driving the working member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit, document convey unit, display/operating portion, and hinge. The image reading unit has a slit glass plate for conveying and scanning a document, and a platen glass plate for fixing and scanning the document. The document convey unit is set above glass surfaces of the slit glass plate and platen glass plate. The display/operating portion is provided to one side of the glass surfaces. The hinge is provided to the other side of the glass plates and serves to attach the document convey unit to be openable and closeable with respect to the glass surfaces. The hinge has an angle stopper with which the document convey unit can be opened at one desired open angle selected from at least two different open angles with respect to the glass surfaces.

Abstract: A document feeder reads a document at a reading section while conveying the document. The document feeder has a flexible member which is set in a convey path formed in a document feeding section such that the document is always conveyed along the convey path, and which flexes by a passing force of the document, to allow conveyance of the document. The flexible member is formed of a PET sheet, and is adhered to a reading guide member provided to the document feeding section, to close the convey path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit, document convey unit, display/operating portion, and hinge. The image reading unit has a slit glass plate for conveying and scanning a document, and a platen glass plate for fixing and scanning the document. The document convey unit is set above glass surfaces of the slit glass plate and platen glass plate. The display/operating portion is provided to one side of the glass surfaces. The hinge is provided to the other side of the glass plates and serves to attach the document convey unit to be openable and closeable with respect to the glass surfaces. The hinge has an angle stopper with which the document convey unit can be opened at one desired open angle selected from at least two different open angles with respect to the glass surfaces.

Abstract: A document feeding apparatus includes a paper feeding tray, on which a document is placed, a transfer unit that transfers the document placed on the paper feeding tray to a platen glass, a paper delivery tray for receiving the document transferred to the platen glass, and a platen cover for the platen glass. A first paper delivery port is provided for delivering to a short size tray a document whose length in the transfer direction of the document is shorter than a predetermined value, and a second paper delivery port is provided for delivering to said paper delivery tray a document whose length in the transfer direction of the document is longer than the predetermined value. In addition, an image input portion, the second paper delivery port, and the first paper delivery port are arranged in order with a space therebetween in the transfer direction of the document.

Abstract: An automatic document conveyance apparatus includes: a document feeding section on which a plurality of documents can be placed, for feeding documents one by one therefrom; a zigzag reversal path through which the document fed from the document feeding section is reversed with respect to front and back sides of each of the documents; a reading position forming device for forming an image reading position of the document fed zigzag from and conveyed to the zigzag reversal path; and a document ejection tray on which the document passed through the reading position forming device and ejected through an ejection path is placed.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder for use with an image forming apparatus, for conveying a document on a platen of the apparatus, includes a rotating conveyance belt for pressing the document to the platen thereby conveying the document along the platen; a pressing roller for applying pressure to the rotating conveyance belt and subsequently onto the document. The pressing roller includes a plurality of rows of rollers in a conveying direction of the document, and each of the plurality of rows is provided with a plurality of the pressing rollers. Tracks in an axis direction of the plurality of pressing rollers followed by at least two rows are different from each other, so that the tracks pass over different portions of the conveyance belt with respect to the conveying direction.

Abstract: A recording sheet feeding device for use in an image forming machine, in which a plurality of sheets on which a first image has been recorded are successively fed from a sheet stacker for a second image to be formed, provided with a sheet pressing mechanism above the stacker which takes a pressing or a non-pressing position with respect to sheets on the stacker. While sheets are being conveyed to the stacker, a pressing operation on the sheets is conducted by driving the mechanism at least twice. Sheet feeding from the stacker is started after the first pressing operation of the mechanism. A feeding timing of the first sheet to be fed after a second pressing operation is delayed compared with a feeding timing of other sheets.

Abstract: A sheet conveyer for conveying a sheet so that an image of a document is duplicated on both sides of the sheet by an image forming machine such as a photocopy machine. The sheet conveyer has; a first conveyance path for conveying the sheet to an image forming section of the image forming machine; a second conveyance path for conveying the sheet from the image forming section to a tray; the tray for holding the sheet; a third conveyance path for conveying the sheet from the tray to the image forming section; and, a pair of nip rollers, located at the vicinity of the tray, for holding the sheet conveyed through the second conveyance path, and forwarding the sheet into the third conveyance path; in which the sheet conveyance apparatus has a first mode that the sheet is forwarded into the third conveyance path by the nip rollers without being placed on the tray, and a second mode that the sheet is once placed on the tray and forwarded into the third conveyance path by the nip rollers.

Abstract: A sheet alignment device to align the edges of recording sheets stacked on a sheet stacker of a duplex unit in a two-sided copying apparatus, in which a document image has been copied onto the first surface of the recording sheet and the recording sheet is reversed so that another document image can be copied onto the second surface of the recording sheet. The device has an edge pushing member which can be driven in the range from the maximum width to the minimum width of the recording sheets used in the apparatus in order to align the edges of the recording sheets, a driver which moves the edge pushing member in the width direction of the recording sheet, a detector which detects the width of the edge pushing member located in a home position, and a controller which controls the movement of the edge pushing member to the home position being narrower than the maximum size of recording sheet and wider than the minimum size, based on the result of the detection.