SHEET CONVEYANCE APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE READING APPARATUS

• US 20070296141A1
• Filed: 06/18/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Hiroshige
• Granted Patent: US 7,753,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 271/226
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/04 adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/04 for distinguishing adjusting from controlling, i.e. manual adjustments
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/09 indicating that several of an entity are present
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/11 indicating that the input or output entities exclusively relate to machine elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/363 of material in pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/54 Springs, e.g. helical or leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/114 Side, i.e. portion parallel to the feeding / delivering direction
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/12 Width
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/22 Distance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 9/04 Fixed or adjustable stops or gauges gauge pins B65H9/02

Abstract

A sheet conveyance apparatus provides skew correction roller pairs which rotate a sheet while conveying the sheet to correct skew of the sheet, and lateral registration roller pairs which moves the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction to correct the lateral registration. When the lateral registration is corrected, assist roller pairs arranged downstream is moved in the same direction as the lateral registration roller pairs in synchronization with the lateral registration roller pairs.

Claims

1. A sheet conveyance apparatus comprising:

an skew correction unit configured to rotate a sheet while conveying the sheet to correct skew of the sheet;

a lateral registration correction unit which is arranged downstream from the skew correction unit, the lateral registration correction unit configured to move the conveyed sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction to correct a sheet position; and

a sheet conveyance assist unit which is arranged upstream from the skew correction unit, the sheet conveyance assist unit configured to move the conveyed sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction,

wherein after skew correction of the sheet is performed by the skew correction unit, the lateral registration correction unit moves the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, and the sheet conveyance assist unit moves the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction in synchronization with movement operation of the sheet by the lateral registration correction unit.

2. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an amount of movement of the lateral registration correction unit in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction which corrects the sheet position, is equal to an amount of synchronized movement of the sheet conveyance assist unit.

3. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet conveyance assist unit moves in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction so as to follow the rotated sheet when the skew correction unit rotates the sheet to correct the skew of the sheet.

4. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the skew correction unit includes two sheet conveyance rolling pairs independently arranged in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, the skew of the sheet is corrected according to a difference in a sheet conveyance speed between the sheet conveyance rolling pairs, and the sheet conveyance rolling pairs are released from nip after the skew correction of the sheet is performed.

5. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sheet conveyance rolling pairs include a drive roller having a cut portion, and a driven roller which can be brought into the nip with the drive roller, and the sheet conveyance rolling pairs are released from the nip while the cut portion of the drive roller faces the driven roller.

6. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a bending conveyance guide unit is arranged upstream in a conveyance direction from the skew correction unit, and the sheet conveyance assist unit is arranged in the bending conveyance guide unit.

7. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein movement of the sheet conveyance assist unit in a direction of the lateral registration correction unit is stopped and the sheet conveyance assist unit is returned to an initial state when a rear edge of the sheet passes through the sheet conveyance assist unit during a correction operation of lateral displacement of the sheet performed by the lateral registration correction unit.

8. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet conveyance assist unit moves in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction so as to move along a rotating direction of the sheet when the skew correction unit rotates the sheet to correct the skew of the sheet.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a sheet conveyance apparatus including,

a skew correction unit configured to rotate a sheet while conveying the sheet to correct skew of the sheet;

a lateral registration correction unit which is movable and arranged downstream from the skew correction unit in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction, the lateral registration correction unit configured to move in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction while holding the conveyed sheet to correct a sheet position; and

a sheet conveyance assist unit which is arranged upstream from the skew correction unit, the sheet conveyance assist unit configured to move in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction while holding the conveyed sheet,

wherein after skew correction of the sheet is performed by the skew correction unit, the lateral registration correction unit moves in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction while holding the sheet, and the sheet conveyance assist unit moves in a direction of the lateral registration correction unit in synchronization with movement of the lateral registration correction unit while holding the sheet; and

an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance apparatus.

10. An image reading apparatus comprising:

a sheet conveyance apparatus including,

a skew correction unit configured to rotate a sheet while conveying the sheet to correct skew of the sheet;

a lateral registration correction unit which is movable and arranged downstream from the skew correction unit in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction, the lateral registration correction unit configured to move in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction while holding the conveyed sheet to correct a sheet position; and

a sheet conveyance assist unit which is arranged upstream from the skew correction unit, the sheet conveyance assist unit configured to move in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction while holding the conveyed sheet,

wherein after skew correction of the sheet is performed by the skew correction unit, the lateral registration correction unit moves in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction while holding the sheet, and the sheet conveyance assist unit moves in a direction of the lateral registration correction unit in synchronization with movement of the lateral registration correction unit while holding the sheet; and

an image reading unit configured to read an image of a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance apparatus.