Sheet feeding device and image forming device

Abstract

To provide a sheet feeding device that is configured to process a sheet by spraying air thereto, which can reduce a sheet from skewing.SOLUTION: A sheet feeding device comprises a control part that selectively executes a first mode in which setting for each type of a sheet is executed preliminarily and a second mode in which setting for each type of a sheet can be executed in response to the fact that a sheet support sensing part senses support of the sheet. In a state where the first mode is selected, when the type of sheet is a first type, the control part starts spraying air (S307) in response to the fact that the sheet support sensing part senses supporting of the sheet on a support part (YES in S301). Further, in a state where the second mode is selected, the control part executes setting for each type of a sheet in response to the fact that supporting of sheet on the support part is sensed (S303), and when the type of sheet is the first type, makes a processing part start spraying air (S307).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device including a handling unit that blows air onto a plurality of sheets that are manually fed and supported by a support unit to handle the sheets, and to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, some image forming apparatuses, such as copiers, facsimiles, and printers, are provided with a manual feed tray that enables feeding of various types of sheets as a sheet feeding device that feeds sheets to an image forming section that forms an image on the sheet. In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for forming images on various types of sheets, and sheets with smooth surfaces, such as coated paper, are sometimes used. When a stack of sheets with such smooth surfaces is set on the manual feed tray, there is a risk that the sheets cannot be separated due to the strong adhesion between the sheets, resulting in poor feeding. For this reason, a device that blows air onto the sheet stack set on the manual feed tray to lift the sheets and separate them has been proposed (see Patent Document 1), which performs so-called air separation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-256819 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, as in Patent Document 1, when air is blown onto a sheet stack to float the sheets while feeding the sheets, the ends of the sheets tend to droop and bend. Therefore, even if the widthwise position of the sheets is restricted by a side restriction plate, the sheets tend to turn and become skewed.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus that can reduce skew of sheets while blowing air to separate the sheets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a sheet feeding device comprising: a support section that supports multiple sheets that are manually inserted; a feeding section that feeds the sheets supported by the support section; a sheet support detection section that detects that a sheet is supported on the support section; a handling section that blows air at the multiple sheets supported on the support section to handle the sheets; and a control section that selectively executes a first mode in which the type of sheet supported on the support section is set in advance, and a second mode in which the type of sheet can be set in response to the sheet support detection section detecting support of a sheet on the support section, wherein when the first mode is selected, if the set type of sheet is the first type, the control section starts blowing air by the handling section in response to the sheet support detection section detecting support of a sheet on the support section, and when the second mode is selected, the control section sets the type of sheet in response to the sheet support detection section detecting support of a sheet on the support section, and starts blowing air by the handling section when the set type of sheet is the first type.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a sheet feeding device comprising a support section that supports multiple sheets that are manually inserted, a feeding section that feeds the sheets supported by the support section, a sheet support detection section that detects that a sheet is supported on the support section, a handling section that blows air at the multiple sheets supported on the support section to handle the sheets, and a control section that is capable of setting the type of sheet supported by the support section, wherein when the set type of sheet is a first type of sheet, the control section starts blowing air by the handling section when a set time has elapsed since the sheet support detection section detected that a sheet was supported on the support section. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the sheets are separated by blowing air, and the skew of the sheets can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a manual feed section according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams illustrating a state in which an air blowing operation is performed in the manual feeding section according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a paper information mode setting process according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for setting paper information when the paper information mode according to the embodiment is a fixed mode. [Figure 7] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing a paper feed destination selection screen and an operation unit. (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a manual feed tray function setting screen and an operation unit. (c) is an explanatory diagram showing a paper information mode selection screen and an operation unit. (d) is an explanatory diagram showing a paper size setting screen. (e) is an explanatory diagram showing a paper type selection screen. [Figure 8] 6 is a flowchart showing a process for determining whether or not a sheet is present according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an air blowing operation process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing an air blowing execution flag setting process when the paper information mode according to the present embodiment is a fixed mode. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram showing a table in which the relationship between paper type and whether or not air blowing is required in the present embodiment is recorded. FIG. [Figure 12]10 is a flowchart showing a process for setting paper information when the paper information mode according to the embodiment is a manual mode. [Figure 13] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing a home screen and an operation unit, (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a paper feed tray setting screen, (c) is an explanatory diagram showing a paper size setting screen, and (d) is an explanatory diagram showing a paper type setting screen. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart showing a process of a printing operation in the present embodiment. [Figure 15] 11 is a flowchart showing the process of an air blowing operation and a feeding operation according to a reference example. [Figure 16] 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams showing the state of a sheet when it is fed while air is blown thereto in a reference example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, an image forming apparatus 201 having a manual feed unit 235 as a sheet feeder and an image forming system 600 having a feed deck 800 connected thereto will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the image forming system according to this embodiment.

[0011] [Outline of image forming system] 1, the image forming system 600 includes an image forming apparatus 201 equipped with a manual feed section 235, and a feed deck 800 connected to the image forming apparatus 201. The feed deck 800 is connected to the right side of the image forming apparatus 201 in FIG. 1, and is configured to be able to feed a sheet S to the image forming apparatus 201. The manual feed section 235 is also configured to be able to feed a sheet S to the image forming apparatus 201.

[0012] [General configuration of image forming device] As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 201 has an apparatus body 201A equipped with an image forming section 201B that forms an image on a sheet. An image reading device 202 that is installed substantially horizontally is disposed above the apparatus body 201A. A discharge space V for discharging sheets is formed between the image reading device 202 and the apparatus body 201A. An operation section 700 that is a UI configured with a touch panel or the like capable of displaying a screen is disposed above the apparatus body 201A.

[0013] The image forming section 201B is a four-drum full-color type. The image forming section 201B includes a laser scanner 210 and four process cartridges 211Y, 211M, 211C, and 211K that form toner images of four colors, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Each process cartridge 211 includes a photosensitive drum 212, a charger 213 as a charging means, and a developer 214 as a developing means. The image forming section 201B also includes an intermediate transfer unit 201C disposed above the process cartridge 211, and a fixing section 201E. A toner cartridge 215 for supplying toner to the developer 214 is provided above the intermediate transfer unit 201C.

[0014] The intermediate transfer unit 201C includes an intermediate transfer belt 216 wound around a drive roller 216a and a tension roller 216b. A primary transfer roller 219 is provided on the inner side of the intermediate transfer belt 216, and contacts the intermediate transfer belt 216 at a position facing the photosensitive drum 212. The intermediate transfer belt 216 is rotated in the direction of the arrow by a drive roller 216a driven by a drive unit (not shown).

[0015] Then, the negative color toner images on the photosensitive drums are sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 216 by the primary transfer roller 219. A secondary transfer roller 217 that transfers the color image formed on the intermediate transfer belt onto the sheet S is provided at a position facing the driving roller 216a of the intermediate transfer unit 201C. A secondary transfer section 201D is formed between the intermediate transfer belt 216 and the secondary transfer roller 217. Furthermore, a fixing section 201E having a pressure roller 220a and a heating roller 220b is provided above the secondary transfer roller 217. Moreover, a first discharge roller pair 225a, a second discharge roller pair 225b, and a double-sided reversing section 201F are provided above the fixing section 201E. The double-sided reversing section 201F is provided with a reversible reversing roller pair 222 and a re-conveying passage R that conveys the sheet with an image formed on one side to the image forming section 201B again.

[0016] A plurality of sheet feeding units 230 that feed set sheets S to the image forming section 201B are provided at the bottom of the apparatus main body 201A. Each of the plurality of sheet feeding units 230 includes a feeding cassette 1 that stores a plurality of sheets (a stack of sheets) and a sheet feeding section 6 that serves as a feeding section that feeds the sheets S stored in the feeding cassette 1. The sheet feeding section 6 includes a pickup roller 2, and a feed roller 3 and a retard roller 4 that serve as a separation means that separates the sheets S that have been fed from the pickup roller 2 and fed in a multi-fed state.

[0017] 1 of the apparatus main body 201A, below the manual feed section 235, is provided with a feed deck 800 that feeds the set sheets S to the image forming section 201B. The feed deck 800 has a sheet feed section 806 similar to the sheet feed unit 230. That is, the sheet feed section 806 has a pickup roller 801, and a feed roller 802 and a retard roller 803 as a separation means that separates the sheets S fed from the pickup roller 801 and fed in a multi-ply manner. In addition, a pair of pull-out rollers 804 is provided downstream of the sheet feed section 806 in the sheet conveying direction.

[0018] 1 of the apparatus main body 201A is provided with a manual feed section 235 that feeds sheets S from a plurality of sheets S (sheet stack) set by manual feeding to the image forming section 201B. The manual feed section 235 has a manual feed tray 236 that allows so-called manual feeding of sheets. The manual feed tray 236 can rotate relative to the apparatus main body 201A and move in the opening and closing direction, that is, it is arranged so as to be switchable between an open state in which it is opened relative to the apparatus main body 201A and a closed state in which it is closed relative to the apparatus main body 201A. That is, the manual feed tray 236 is configured to be able to support the sheets S when it is in the open state.

[0019] Similarly to the sheet feeding unit 230, the manual feed section 235 includes a sheet feeding section 506. That is, the sheet feeding section 506 includes a pickup roller 501, and a feed roller 502 and a retard roller 503 as a separation unit for separating the sheets S fed from the pickup roller 501 and fed in a multi-ply manner. Also, a pair of pull-out rollers 504 is provided downstream of the sheet feeding section 506 in the sheet conveying direction.

[0020] [Operation of image forming device] Next, a description will be given of the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 201. First, when image information of an original is read by the image reading device 202, this image information is subjected to image processing, converted into an electrical signal, and transmitted to the laser scanner 210 of the image forming section 201B. Note that this image information may be transmitted from a host device 1500 (see FIG. 2) such as an external computer via a network.

[0021] In the image forming unit 201B, the surface is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity and potential by the charger 213, and the surface of the photosensitive drum 212 is sequentially exposed to laser light. As a result, electrostatic latent images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are sequentially formed on the photosensitive drum of each process cartridge 211, respectively.

[0022] Thereafter, the electrostatic latent images are developed and visualized with toner of each color, and the toner images of each color on each photoconductor drum are transferred in order onto the intermediate transfer belt 216 in a superimposed manner by a primary transfer bias applied to the primary transfer roller 219. As a result, a toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 216.

[0023] Meanwhile, the sheet S fed from the sheet feeding unit 230 (or the manual feeding section 235, or the feeding deck 800) is conveyed to a pair of registration rollers (hereinafter referred to as the registration roller pair) 240 consisting of a drive roller and a driven roller. At this time, the driving of the registration roller pair 240 is stopped, and the leading edge of the sheet S abuts against the registration roller pair 240. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet S is made to follow the registration roller pair 240.

[0024] Thereafter, the sheet S continues to be conveyed by the feed roller 3 (or the feed roller 502, or the feed roller 802) or the like, so that a flexure (loop) is formed in the sheet S. Thereafter, the pair of registration rollers 240 is driven in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 216. As a result, the pair of registration rollers 240 corrects the skew of the sheet S, and the sheet S with the skew corrected is conveyed to the secondary transfer unit 201D by the pair of registration rollers 240.

[0025] Next, in the secondary transfer section 201D, the toner images are transferred all at once onto the sheet S by a secondary transfer bias applied to the secondary transfer roller 217. Then, the sheet S onto which the toner images have been transferred is transported to the fixing section 201E, where the toners of the various colors are melted and mixed by heat and pressure, and are fixed onto the sheet S as a color image.

[0026] Thereafter, the sheet S on which the image has been fixed is discharged to the discharge space V by a first discharge roller pair 225a or a second discharge roller pair 225b provided downstream of the fixing unit 201E, and is stacked on a stacking unit 223 formed on the bottom surface of the discharge space V. When images are formed on both sides of the sheet S, after the images are fixed, the sheet S is transported to a re-conveyance path R by a reversing roller pair 222, and is transported again to the secondary transfer unit 201D.

[0027] [Manual feed section configuration] Next, the manual feed unit 235 as a sheet feeding device will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the manual feed unit according to this embodiment.

[0028] 1 and 3, the manual feed unit 235 includes a manual tray 236 as a support unit, and a sheet feed unit 506 as a feed unit that feeds a sheet and separates overlapped sheets. The sheet feed unit 506 also includes a pickup roller 501 as a feed roller that comes into contact with the top sheet of the sheet stack and feeds the top sheet. The sheet feed unit 506 also includes a feed roller 502 and a retard roller 503 as a separation unit that separates the sheet S fed from the pickup roller 501.

[0029] In the manual feed section 235, a pair of pull-out rollers 504 that pulls out the sheet S from the feed roller 502 and transports it to the image forming apparatus 201 is disposed downstream of the feed roller 502 in the sheet feed direction U. Furthermore, a feed sensor 505 serving as a sheet detection section is disposed between the feed roller 502 and the pair of pull-out rollers 504 in the feed direction U, that is, downstream of the sheet feed section 506 in the feed direction U. The feed sensor 505 detects the passage of the sheet S by outputting a signal depending on the presence or absence of the sheet S.

[0030] 3, the manual feed tray 236 is provided with a manual feed tray base 515 and a lifter plate 514 as a support portion that supports and stacks a sheet bundle made up of a plurality of sheets S. The lifter plate 514 is also provided with a paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 as a sheet support detection portion that detects that the sheets S are supported on the manual feed tray 236. The height position of the lifter plate 514 is controlled by a lifting mechanism (not shown) in accordance with the amount of sheets S stacked.

[0031] 3, the manual feed tray 236 is provided with side end regulating plates 511 and 512 that regulate the position of the sheet S supported on the manual feed tray 236 in the width direction W perpendicular to the feeding direction U. The side end regulating plates 511 and 512 regulate the position of the end (side end of the sheet) in the width direction W of the sheet S set on the lifter plate 514. The side end regulating plates 511 and 512 are provided with air blowing units 511A and 512A, respectively, as a handling unit. The air blowing unit 511A has a fan 511b driven by a fan motor 511M (see FIG. 2) and a duct 511a that guides the air blown from the fan 511b to pass through the inside of the side end regulating plate 511 and blows it from the side of the sheet stack. Similarly, the air blowing section 512A has a fan 512b driven by a fan motor 512M (see FIG. 2), and a duct 512a that guides the air blown from the fan 512b to pass through the inside of the side end regulating plate 512 and blows the air from the side of the sheet stack. In addition, the side end regulating plates 511, 512 are provided with floating suppression plates 511c, 512c near the openings of the ducts 511a, 512a to prevent the sheets S, to which the air is blown, from floating up and climbing over the side end regulating plates 511, 512.

[0032] [Configuration of the control system of the image forming system] Next, the configuration of a control system in the image forming system 600 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the control system of the image forming system according to this embodiment.

[0033] The control unit 100 according to the present embodiment is provided in, for example, the image forming apparatus 201, and is configured to include a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, an EEPROM 104, and the like. The control unit 100 is a control means for controlling the image forming apparatus 201, the feed deck 800, and the manual feed unit 235. The control unit 100 is connected to a host device 1500 and an operation unit 700, and performs signal processing and sequence control for various process devices while exchanging information with them. The host device 1500 is an external device such as a personal computer, an image scanner, or a facsimile. The control unit 100 is also connected to a fan control unit 510 that drives and controls the fan motors 511M and 512M, a feed motor 520 that drives the pickup roller 501, and the feed sensor 505. The control unit 100 is also connected to a conveyance motor 521 that drives the pull-out roller pair 504, and the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401, and the like.

[0034] [Air blowing action] Next, the operation when air is blown from the side of the sheet stack by the air blowing units 511A and 512A will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the air blowing operation is performed by the manual feed unit 235 according to this embodiment.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 4, when the control unit 100 starts the air blowing operation, air is blown toward the side of the sheet stack as indicated by arrows A1 and A2 from fans 511b and 512b of air blowing units 511A and 512A through ducts 511a and 512a. Then, several to several tens of sheets S at the top of the sheet stack are separated and floated, while the topmost sheet S abuts against the float suppression plates 511c and 512c, thereby suppressing the floating of the separated sheets S. This reduces the adhesion between the sheets S, and makes it possible to feed sheets S having a smooth surface such as coated paper by the conveying force of the pickup roller 501.

[0036] [Problems when feeding a sheet while blowing air onto it] Here, the problems that may occur when feeding the sheet S while blowing air thereon will be described with reference to Figs. 15 and 16. Fig. 15 is a flow chart showing the processing of the air blowing operation and the feeding operation according to the reference example. Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the sheet when feeding is performed while blowing air thereon in the reference example.

[0037] First, a general control for feeding the sheets S while blowing air onto a sheet stack consisting of a plurality of sheets S and separating the sheets S will be described with reference to FIG. 15. As shown in FIG. 15, when the control for feeding the sheets is started in response to a command such as the start of a print job (S101), air blowing toward the sheet stack is started (S102). Air blowing is continued until a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) has elapsed since the start of air blowing (No in S103) so that the sheets S are separated and floated. Then, when the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of air blowing (Yes in S103), a feeding operation is performed to feed the sheets S by the pickup roller 501 (S104). Then, based on a command of the print job, the feeding operation is repeated until the required number of sheets to be fed to the image forming unit 201B is reached (No in S105), and when the required number of sheets is reached (Yes in S105), the air blowing is stopped (S106), and this control is terminated (S107).

[0038] However, due to design considerations in relation to other components, the positions of the center C1 of the pickup roller 501 and the center C2 of the feed roller 502 may be shifted by a distance X in the width direction W perpendicular to the feeding direction U, as shown in Fig. 16. In this case, if a transport load occurs near the pickup roller 501 due to a difference in transport speed or the like while the topmost sheet S1 is being transported by the feed roller 502, a rotating force is generated in the sheet S1 in the counterclockwise direction. As a result, the sheet S1 is fed while rotating, causing the sheet S1 to skew.

[0039] Here, even if a turning force is generated on the sheet S1, the side edge of the sheet S1 abuts against the side edge regulating plates 511, 512, and the stiffness of the sheet S1 suppresses the skew. However, since the sheet S1 is raised by the air blowing from the air blowing units 511A, 512A, the sheet S1 is likely to bend as shown in FIG. 16. This causes a problem that the effect of the side edge regulating plates 511, 512 in suppressing the skew of the sheet S1 is reduced, and the amount of skew of the sheet S1 may increase. On the other hand, if the air blowing is not started at an appropriate timing, the time until printing starts is delayed, which affects the so-called FCOT (First Copy Out Time). Therefore, in this embodiment, the air blowing operation is not performed while the sheet is being fed, and the air blowing operation is started at an appropriate timing when the sheet is set in the manual feed unit, as described below. The control of this embodiment for solving such problems will be described in detail below.

[0040] [Paper information mode settings] First, in the image forming apparatus 201 according to the present embodiment, there are two paper information modes, a fixed mode as a first mode and a manual mode as a second mode, for setting information (sheet type) of a sheet set and supported on the manual feed tray 236. The control unit 100 is configured to be able to selectively execute the fixed mode and the manual mode by selecting them in the paper information mode setting process.

[0041] The process for setting this paper information mode will be described below with reference to Figs. 5 and 7. Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the process for setting the paper information mode according to this embodiment. Fig. 7(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the paper feed destination selection screen and the operation unit. Fig. 7(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the manual feed tray function setting screen and the operation unit. Fig. 7(c) is an explanatory diagram showing the paper information mode selection screen and the operation unit. Fig. 7(d) is an explanatory diagram showing the paper size setting screen. Fig. 7(e) is an explanatory diagram showing the paper type selection screen.

[0042] The fixed mode is a mode in which the setting of paper information (i.e., sheet type) is executed in advance regardless of whether a sheet is set on the manual feed tray 236, that is, regardless of the presence or absence of a sheet on the manual feed tray 236. The manual mode is a mode in which the user can set the paper information (sheet type) every time a sheet is set on the manual feed tray 236, that is, every time the paper presence detection sensor 401 detects the presence of paper (sheet). The paper information set in this manner is used for various processes such as sheet feeding, conveyance, and image formation, and in particular in this embodiment, it is used to determine whether or not air handling can be executed.

[0043] 7(a), the operation unit 700 is provided with a start key 702 for starting an image forming operation, a stop key 703 for interrupting the image forming operation, and numeric keys 704 to 712, 714 for setting numbers and the like. The operation unit 700 is further provided with an ID key 713, a clear key 715, a reset key 716, a function setting key 730, and the like. A display unit 720 with a touch panel formed on the upper portion is also provided, and soft keys can be created on the screen.

[0044] The paper information mode is set from the operation unit 700. As shown in FIG. 7(a), when the function setting key 730 of the operation unit 700 is pressed, a function setting menu is displayed on the display unit 720. When the manual feed tray button 815 is pressed here, a manual feed tray function setting screen is displayed on the display unit 720 as shown in FIG. 7(b), and a paper information mode setting button 821 is displayed. When the paper information mode setting button 821 displayed on the display unit 720 is subsequently pressed, a paper information mode screen is displayed on the display unit 720 as shown in FIG. 7(c), and a manual mode button 831 and a fixed mode button 832 are displayed. When the back button 816 is pressed while the function setting menu is displayed on the display unit 720, the screen returns to the home screen. When the cancel button 822 is pressed while the manual feed tray function setting screen is displayed on the display unit 720, the screen returns to the function setting menu. Moreover, when the cancel button 834 is pressed while the paper information mode screen is displayed on the display unit 720, the screen returns to the manual feed tray function setting screen.

[0045] Here, the setting process of the paper information mode executed by the control unit 100 shown in FIG. 5 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, when the control unit 100 starts the setting process of the paper information mode, it judges whether the mode selection is completed or not (S131). That is, as shown in FIG. 7(c), it monitors whether either the manual mode button 831 or the fixed mode button 832 displayed on the display unit 720 is pressed. When either the manual mode button 831 or the fixed mode button 832 is pressed (Yes in S131), it judges whether the selected mode (selected mode) is the manual mode or not (S132). When the manual mode button 831 shown in FIG. 7(c) is selected and the OK button 833 is pressed (Yes in S132), it sets the paper information mode to the manual mode (S133), saves the value in the EEPROM 104 (S136), and ends the setting process of the paper information mode. 7(c) is selected and the OK button 833 is pressed (No in S132), a process for setting fixed paper information (described later) is performed (S134). Then, the paper information mode is set to the fixed mode (S135), the value is saved in the EEPROM 104 (S136), and the process for setting the paper information mode is completed.

[0046] [Media information settings when fixed mode is selected] Next, the paper information setting executed by the control unit 100 when the fixed mode is selected will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing the paper information setting process when the paper information mode according to this embodiment is the fixed mode. The paper information setting when the manual mode is selected will be described in detail in the explanation of the air blowing operation process described later.

[0047] In setting the paper information mode, when the fixed mode button 832 is selected and the OK button 833 is pressed, the fixed mode is selected as the paper information mode (No in S132), and the control unit 100 starts the setting process (S134) of the fixed paper information shown in FIG. 6. Then, the control unit 100 executes the paper size setting process (S141), and transitions the screen of the display unit 720 to the paper size setting screen shown in FIG. 7(d). Next, the control unit 100 waits until the paper size setting is completed (No in S142), that is, the control unit waits until the user selects a button indicating the paper size on the paper size setting screen and presses the next button. Note that FIG. 7(d) shows that, for example, "A3 size" has been selected.

[0048] When the paper size is selected as described above and the paper size setting is completed (Yes in S142), the control unit 100 executes a paper type setting process (S143) and transitions the screen of the display unit 720 to the paper type setting screen shown in Fig. 7(e). Next, the control unit 100 waits until the paper type setting is completed (No in S144), that is, waits until the user selects a button indicating the paper type on the paper type setting screen and presses the OK button. Note that Fig. 7(e) shows that, for example, coated paper "1" has been selected.

[0049] Then, when the paper type is selected and the OK button is pressed (Yes in S144), the control unit 100 saves the values ​​set for the manual feed tray 236 as fixed information in the EEPROM 104 (S145). Here, the values ​​saved in the EEPROM 104 are values ​​related to the settings for the fixed paper size and fixed paper type selected as described above. Then, the control unit 100 transitions the screen on the display unit 720 to a paper feed destination selection screen shown in Fig. 7(a), for example, and ends the paper information setting process when the fixed mode is selected.

[0050] [Sheet presence / absence determination process] Next, the sheet presence / absence determination process according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the sheet presence / absence determination process according to this embodiment. This sheet presence / absence determination process is a process in which the control unit 100 determines whether or not there is a sheet stacked on the lifter plate 514 of the manual feed tray 236, and is a flow that is always executed by the control unit 100 while the image forming apparatus 201 is running.

[0051] In detail, the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 in the manual feed tray 236 detects whether or not a sheet is stacked on the manual feed tray 236 to monitor (S801). For example, the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 is ON when a sheet is present and OFF when no sheet is present. If the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 is OFF, the process is repeated (No in S801) until the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 is ON (paper present), that is, the process waits until a sheet is stacked on the manual feed tray 236.

[0052] Thereafter, when a sheet is loaded onto the manual feed tray 236, the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 turns ON (Yes in S801). Then, in order to refer to the paper information mode set as described above, the paper information mode stored in the EEPROM 104 is read into the RAM 103 (S802).

[0053] Next, the paper information mode is determined (S803) using the value of the paper information mode loaded into RAM 103. If the paper information mode is the manual mode (Yes in S803), the paper information held in RAM 103 is cleared (S804). On the other hand, if the paper information mode is the fixed mode (No in S803), the fixed paper information is held in RAM 103, so the paper information is not cleared.

[0054] Next, in response to the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 changing from OFF to ON, the air blowing execution flag is temporarily set to OFF (initialized) (S805), and the air blowing execution flag information is stored in RAM 103. In addition, the manual feed paper presence / absence flag in RAM 103 is set to ON (S806), and the manual feed tray paper presence / absence flag information is stored in RAM 103.

[0055] The above steps S801 to S806 are the process of setting various flags and the like when sheets are loaded on the manual feed tray 236. In this state, the air blowing operation process (FIG. 9), the air blowing execution flag setting process (FIG. 10), the paper information setting process when the paper information mode is the manual mode (FIG. 12), the overall printing operation process (FIG. 14), and the like, which will be described later, are executed.

[0056] Next, the control unit 100 waits until the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 turns OFF (No in S807), that is, repeats checking the state of the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 until a sheet is removed from the manual feed tray 236. Then, when the state of the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 turns OFF (no paper) (Yes in S807), the control unit 100 changes the manual feed tray paper presence / absence flag in the RAM 103 to OFF (S808), and stores the information of the manual feed tray paper presence / absence flag in the RAM 103.

[0057] Next, the paper information mode is determined using the value of the paper information mode held in RAM 103 (S809). If the paper information mode is the manual mode (Yes in S809), the paper information held in RAM 103 is cleared (S810). On the other hand, if the paper information mode is the fixed mode (No in S809), the paper information held in RAM 103 is not cleared but remains held. Then, the air blowing execution flag in RAM 103 is set to OFF (initialized) (S811), the information of the air blowing execution flag is saved in RAM 103, and thereafter this sheet presence / absence determination process is repeated.

[0058] [Air blowing operation processing] Next, the air blowing operation process according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the air blowing operation process according to this embodiment. This air blowing operation process is a process in which control unit 100 determines whether or not a sheet is loaded on manual feed tray 236 by the above-mentioned sheet presence / absence determination process, and controls whether or not to execute the air blowing operation. This air blowing operation process is a flow that is always executed by control unit 100 while image forming apparatus 201 is running.

[0059] In detail, the control unit 100 first determines whether or not a sheet is set on the manual feed tray 236 by using the manual feed tray paper presence flag held in the RAM 103 in the sheet presence determination process (S301). If the manual feed tray paper presence flag is OFF (No in S301), it determines that a sheet is not set (supported) on the manual feed tray 236, and continues to monitor until the manual feed tray paper presence flag is ON.

[0060] If the manual feed tray paper presence / absence flag is ON (Yes in S301), it is determined that a sheet is set on the manual feed tray 236, and it is determined whether the paper information mode stored in the RAM 103 is the manual mode (S302).

[0061] (When the paper information mode is fixed mode) Here, the process when the paper information mode is the fixed mode (No in S302) will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the air blowing execution flag setting process when the paper information mode is the fixed mode according to this embodiment. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a table in which the relationship between the paper type and the necessity of air blowing according to this embodiment is recorded.

[0062] If the paper information mode is the fixed mode (No in S302), the above-mentioned fixed paper information (sheet type, size, etc.) is already set for the sheet set in the manual feed tray 236. Therefore, the information of the air blowing execution flag is updated from the fixed paper information stored in the EEPROM 104 without performing paper setting (S320).

[0063] In detail, as shown in FIG. 10, when the control unit 100 proceeds to step S320, it imports the fixing paper information stored in the EEPROM 104 into the RAM 103 (S901). Next, the control unit 100 judges whether the paper type (paper type) set in the fixing paper information is coated paper or not (S902). That is, as shown in FIG. 11, in the table in which the relationship between the paper type and the air blowing stored in the ROM 102 is recorded, the necessity of air blowing is recorded corresponding to the paper type. In this embodiment, in this table, it is set that air blowing is necessary when the sheet type (paper type) is the first type, which is coated paper "1-3". In addition, in this table, it is set that air blowing is unnecessary when the sheet type is the second type (thin paper "1-2", plain paper "1-2", thick paper "1-4") different from the first type. Therefore, if the paper type (paper type) is coated paper (first type) (Yes in S902), the air blowing execution flag is set to ON (S903). If the paper type (paper type) is not coated paper (second type) (No in S902), the air blowing execution flag is set to OFF (S904). When the air blowing execution flag is set in this manner, the value (flag) is saved in RAM 103, and the process proceeds to step 304 shown in Figure 9. Note that the relationship between paper type and whether or not air blowing is required shown in Figure 11 is merely an example, and is not limited to this relationship.

[0064] (If in manual mode) Next, the process when the paper information mode is the manual mode (Yes in S302) will be described with reference to Figs. 12 and 13. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the paper information setting process when the paper information mode according to this embodiment is the manual mode. Fig. 13(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the home screen and the operation unit. Fig. 13(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the paper feed tray setting screen. Fig. 13(c) is an explanatory diagram showing the paper size setting screen. Fig. 13(d) is an explanatory diagram showing the paper type setting screen.

[0065] When the paper information mode is the manual mode (Yes in S302), the control unit 100 can execute the paper setting in the manual mode every time a sheet is set as described above (S303). The paper setting in the manual mode is executed by the user operating the operation unit 700.

[0066] For example, when the user presses the paper selection button on the display unit 720 shown in Fig. 13(a), the control unit 100 transitions to a paper feed tray selection screen shown in Fig. 13(b), that is, transitions to the paper feed tray setting shown in Fig. 12 (S601). That is, the user selects which paper feed tray (sheet storage unit) to set sheet information for. The control unit 100 waits until the paper feed tray setting is completed (No in S602), and here, for example, when the manual feed tray button is selected and the Next button is pressed, the paper feed tray setting is completed (Yes in S602).

[0067] When these buttons are pressed, the control unit 100 transitions to the paper size setting screen shown in Fig. 13(c), that is, transitions to the paper size setting shown in Fig. 12 (S603), and sets the paper size. The control unit 100 waits until the paper size setting is completed (No in S604), and here, for example, the A3 size set in the manual feed tray 236 is selected, and when the Next button is pressed, the paper size setting is completed (Yes in S602).

[0068] When these buttons are pressed, the control unit 100 transitions to a paper type setting screen shown in Fig. 13(d), that is, transitions to the paper type setting shown in Fig. 12 (S605), and sets the paper type. The control unit 100 waits until the paper type setting is completed (No in S606), and when, for example, coated paper "1" is selected as the paper type (paper type) set in the manual feed tray 236 and the OK button is pressed, the paper type setting is completed (Yes in S606). Note that by pressing the OK button here, the screen transitions to the initial screen shown in Fig. 13(a), and the sheet information registration work in the manual mode is completed.

[0069] Furthermore, the control unit 100 judges whether the paper type (paper type) set in the above paper information is coated paper or not (S607). That is, as described above, the control unit 100 refers to the table in which the relationship between paper type and air blowing shown in FIG. 11 is recorded, and if the paper type (paper type) is coated paper (first type) (Yes in S607), the air blowing execution flag is set to ON (S608). Also, if the paper type (paper type) is not coated paper (second type) (No in S902), the air blowing execution flag is set to OFF (S609). When the air blowing execution flag is set in this way, the value (flag) is saved in the RAM 103, and the process proceeds to step 304 shown in FIG. 9.

[0070] In the manual mode described above, after the paper setting has been performed once, the paper information is saved in RAM 103, so it is not necessary to set it every time before starting a job. For example, if you want to execute a job to feed plain A3 paper from manual tray 236 again after loading plain A3 paper in manual tray 236 and executing a job, you can simply press start key 702 (Yes in S1501 in FIG. 14).

[0071] (Air blowing operation) Next, the control unit 100 judges whether or not the air blowing execution flag determined from the fixed paper information or the paper information set in the manual mode is ON (S304). That is, it judges whether or not to execute the air blowing operation on the sheet set on the manual feed tray 236. If the air blowing execution flag is OFF (No in S304), it is judged that the air blowing operation is not necessary on the sheet set on the manual feed tray 236, and the process proceeds to step S310 without executing the air blowing operation.

[0072] On the other hand, if the air blowing execution flag is ON (Yes in S304), the air blowing execution flag is turned ON (S305), which indicates that the air blowing operation is to be started, in order to perform the air blowing operation on the sheet set on the manual feed tray 236. Then, information on the air blowing execution flag is saved in the RAM 103.

[0073] Incidentally, it is possible for the control unit 100 to immediately start the air blowing operation. However, if the air blowing operation is started immediately, there is a risk that the air blowing operation will start while the user is setting the sheet to be used for printing on the manual feed tray 236. Therefore, in this embodiment, the system waits for the sheet set waiting time, which is a set time required for the user to set the sheet to be used for printing on the manual feed tray 236 (No in S306). This sheet set waiting time is set to, for example, 10 seconds. Then, when the sheet set waiting time has elapsed (Yes in S306), the control unit 100 instructs the fan control unit 510 (see FIG. 2) to perform the air blowing operation, and starts the air blowing operation (S307).

[0074] In this embodiment, the sheet setting waiting time is set to 10 seconds as an example, but is not limited to this. In particular, in this embodiment, the sheet setting waiting time is configured to be changeable by operating the operation unit 700, for example. If the setting is changed to shorten the sheet setting waiting time, the time until the printing operation described below can be shortened, and the FCOT can be shortened. Also, if the setting is changed to lengthen the sheet setting waiting time, the user can set the sheet with plenty of time, and the sheet can be set correctly, which reduces sheet skew and improves printing accuracy (quality).

[0075] When the control unit 100 instructs the fan control unit 510 (see FIG. 2) to perform an air blowing operation, the fan motors 511M, 512M (see FIG. 2) of the air blowing units 511A, 512A are driven to start the air blowing operation of blowing air onto the sides of the sheet stack. As a result, several to several tens of sheets S above the sheet stack are separated and floated, while the floating suppression plates 511c, 512c suppress the floating of the sheets S (see FIG. 4), reducing the adhesion between the sheets.

[0076] In addition, since the fan motors 511M and 512M start rotating from a stopped state, it takes time to reach a desired number of rotations (rotation speed), and furthermore, it takes time for the floating of the sheet S to stabilize. Therefore, the control unit 100 waits until, for example, 10 seconds have elapsed since the start of the air blowing operation (S308), that is, a predetermined time is set as the air blowing operation time. Then, the air blowing operation is performed until the predetermined time has elapsed (No in S308), and when the predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S308), the air blowing operation is stopped (S309), that is, the driving of the fan motors 511M and 512M is turned OFF. Furthermore, since the air blowing operation has ended, the control unit 100 sets the air blowing in progress flag to OFF (S310), and stores the information of the air blowing in progress flag in the RAM 103.

[0077] As a result, the sheets S that were in a floated state try to return to the state of the sheet stack before floating as the air between the sheets is released, but it takes time for them to completely return to the state of the sheet stack. Therefore, since the adhesion between the sheets remains reduced for a while, it becomes possible to separate and feed the sheets one by one without causing double feeding, even in the case of a sheet stack of paper types with high adhesion.

[0078] Thereafter, the control unit 100 judges whether or not there are no more sheets on the manual feed tray 236 by using the manual feed tray paper presence / absence flag described above (S311). If the manual feed tray paper presence / absence flag is ON (No in S311), it can be determined that there are sheets remaining on the manual feed tray 236 whose inter-sheet adhesion has been reduced by the air blowing operation. Therefore, it is determined that there is no need to perform the air blowing operation again, and the control unit 100 continues to monitor whether the manual feed tray paper presence / absence flag is OFF. Then, when the manual feed tray paper presence / absence flag turns OFF (Yes in S311), it can be determined that there are no more sheets on the manual feed tray 236, and the process returns to step S301 to monitor whether a sheet will be set on the manual feed tray 236 next.

[0079] [Printing behavior] Next, the printing operation after the above air blowing operation (including the case where no air blowing operation is performed) will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the processing of the printing operation in this embodiment.

[0080] When the control unit 100 starts the printing operation process, it first monitors whether there is a print request from the host device 1500 or a print start request by pressing the start key on the operation unit 700 (No in S1501). Note that this monitoring is always performed by the control unit 100 while the image forming apparatus 201 is running.

[0081] When a print start request is received (Yes in S1501), the control unit 100 determines the status of the air blowing operation on the sheet stack on the manual feed tray 236 using the information of the air blowing in progress flag stored in the RAM 103 (S1502). That is, it determines whether or not the air blowing operation is in progress.

[0082] If the air blowing in progress flag is ON (No in S1502), the air blowing operation required for the paper type (e.g., coated paper) is currently being performed, so the system waits until the air blowing in progress flag is OFF. If the air blowing in progress flag is OFF (Yes in S1502), it is determined that the air blowing operation to the sheet stack on the manual feed tray 236 has ended (or air blowing operation is not being performed), and the printing operation is started (S1503).

[0083] When the control unit 100 starts the printing operation, it performs a preparatory operation for printing in each unit of the image forming apparatus 201. Thereafter, in order to feed, for example, 15 sheets as the number of sheets required for printing in the image forming apparatus 201, the control unit 100 starts a sheet feeding operation (feed control) (S1504).

[0084] The sheet feeding operation means that the pickup roller 501, in contact with the topmost sheet S in the sheet stack, rotates by being driven by the feeding motor 520 to feed the sheet S. After that, if multiple sheets S are fed at a separation section consisting of a feed roller 502 and a retard roller 503, they are separated, and a series of operations are performed in which the passage of the sheets S is detected by a feeding sensor 505.

[0085] When the paper feed operation starts, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality such as a paper jam during the printing operation (S1505). If there is no abnormality such as a paper jam (Yes in S1505), it is determined whether or not printing of the required number of sheets has been completed (S1509). In this case, for example, 15 sheets S are fed as the required number of sheets, and the printing operation and paper feed operation are repeated until printing is completed (No in S1509). When sheet feeding and printing of the required number of sheets is completed (Yes in S1509), the paper feed operation and the operation of each part of the image forming apparatus 201 are stopped, and the printing operation is terminated (S1510).

[0086] Furthermore, for example, if an abnormality such as a paper jam is detected during printing or paper feeding (No in S1505), an emergency stop operation is performed on each part of the image forming apparatus. Next, it is determined whether the operation stop has been completed by the emergency stop (S1506), and if the operation stop has not been completed (No in S1506), the apparatus waits until the operation stop is completed. Then, when the operation stop is completed (Yes in S1506), it is determined whether to cancel the print job (S1507).

[0087] If the print job is cancelled (Yes in S1507), the printing operation is terminated (S1510). On the other hand, if the print job is not cancelled (No in S1507), the process waits until the state in which printing can be resumed is reached (No in S1508). Then, when the state in which printing can be resumed is reached (Yes in S1508), the process returns to step 1503 and resumes the printing operation. After the resumption, the process determines whether the required number of sheets have been fed and printing has been completed (S1509), and if the required number of sheets have been fed and printing has not been completed, the paper feeding operation and printing operation are repeated for the required number of sheets (No in S1509). Then, when the required number of sheets have been fed and printed (Yes in S1509), the paper feeding operation and the operation of each unit of the image forming apparatus 201 are stopped, and the printing operation is terminated (S1510).

[0088] [Summary of this embodiment] As described above, in this embodiment, when the fixed mode is selected, the set sheet type (paper type) is the first type that requires air blowing, such as coated paper. Then, when the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 detects that a sheet is supported on the manual feed tray 236, the air blowing units 511A and 512A start blowing air. On the other hand, when the manual mode is selected, when the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 detects that a sheet is supported on the manual feed tray 236, the sheet type is set. Then, when the set sheet type is the first type, the air blowing units 511A and 512A start blowing air.

[0089] That is, in the fixed mode, the air blowing units 511A and 512A do not start blowing air in response to a print start request (see S1501 in FIG. 14), but in response to a sheet being set in the manual feed tray 236. In the manual mode, air blowing is started in response to the execution of the setting of the sheet type. As a result, for sheets having a smooth surface such as coated paper, air is blown to separate the sheets, but the air blowing operation is not started in accordance with the start of the printing operation, and the skew of the sheet can be reduced. Therefore, when the registration roller pair 240 corrects the skew of the sheet, the necessary skew correction amount is reduced, and the variation in the position of the sheet conveyed to the secondary transfer unit 201D can be reduced, and the printing accuracy (quality) can be improved. Furthermore, since the air blowing operation can be started before a print start request is made, the effect on FCOT, which is the time from receiving a print start request to discharging the first sheet outside the machine, can be reduced.

[0090] Furthermore, in this embodiment, particularly when the fixed mode is selected, air blowing starts when the sheet set waiting time has elapsed since the paper presence / absence detection sensor 401 detected that a sheet was supported on the manual feed tray 236. This prevents the air blowing operation from starting while the user is setting a sheet on the manual feed tray 236. Also, as described above, by configuring the setting of this sheet set waiting time to be executable, it is possible to shorten the FCOT or, conversely, reduce skew of the sheet.

[0091] In particular, when the fixed mode is selected, there is no need to set the sheet type when setting a sheet on the manual feed tray 236, so providing the sheet set waiting time can prevent the air blowing operation from starting immediately. However, this is not the only option, and it is also possible that the user quickly finishes setting the sheet type in the manual mode, or that the sheet type setting set in the previous manual mode is used as is. Therefore, even when the manual mode is selected, providing the sheet set waiting time can prevent the air blowing operation from starting while the user is setting a sheet on the manual feed tray 236.

[0092] [Possible alternative embodiments] In the present embodiment described above, the printing operation (see S1503) is started after the air blowing operation is completed (see Yes in S1502 in FIG. 14), that is, the air blowing operation and the printing operation are not performed simultaneously. However, this is not the only option, and this does not exclude cases where the air blowing operation and the printing operation do not completely overlap. In other words, the printing operation may start just before the air blowing operation is completed.

[0093] In the present embodiment, the air blowing operation is started after the sheet set waiting time has elapsed whether the paper information mode is the fixed mode or the manual mode. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the air blowing operation may be started after the sheet set waiting time has elapsed only in either the fixed mode or the manual mode. In particular, in the manual mode, it takes time for the user to set the paper information, whereas in the fixed mode, there is no time to set the paper information, and the fixed paper information is simply read from the EEPROM 104. Therefore, the air blowing operation may be started after the sheet set waiting time has elapsed only in the fixed mode. Furthermore, without providing the sheet set waiting time, the air volume of the air blowing operation may be reduced for the time it takes the user to set the sheet on the manual feed tray 236, for example.

[0094] In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 201 is described as being equipped with the control unit 100, the manual feed unit 235, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured such that, for example, a sheet feeder such as a scanner having a structure in which a sheet is manually supported and the support unit moves to open and close relative to the apparatus body is equipped with a control unit, etc. In addition, the image forming apparatus is not limited to the image forming apparatus 201 of the present embodiment, and may refer to an image forming system equipped with a feed deck.

[0095] The present disclosure can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 100...control section / 201...image forming apparatus / 201B...image forming section / 235...manual feed section (sheet feeder) / 236...manual feed tray (support section) / 401...paper presence / absence detection sensor (sheet support detection section) / 506...sheet feed section (feed section) / 511...side edge regulating plate / 511A...air blowing section (separating section) / 511a...duct / 511b...fan / 512A...air blowing section (separating section) / 512...side edge regulating plate / 512a...duct / 512b...fan / U...feeding direction / W...width direction

Claims

1. a support section for supporting a plurality of manually fed sheets; a feeding section that feeds the sheet supported by the supporting section; a sheet support detection unit that detects that a sheet is supported on the support unit; a handling unit that blows air onto the plurality of sheets supported by the support unit to handle the sheets; a control unit that selectively executes a first mode in which a setting of a type of a sheet to be supported by the support unit is executed in advance, and a second mode in which a setting of a type of a sheet can be executed in response to the sheet support detection unit detecting that a sheet is supported by the support unit, The control unit is When the first mode is selected and the set type of the sheet is a first type, the sheet handling unit starts blowing air in response to the sheet support detection unit detecting that the sheet is supported on the support unit, When the second mode is selected, the sheet support detection unit executes setting of the type of the sheet in response to detection of support of the sheet on the support unit, and when the set type of the sheet is the first type, starts blowing air by the separation unit. A sheet feeding device comprising:

2. The control unit is When the first mode is selected and the set type of the sheet is a first type, the separation unit starts blowing air when a set time has elapsed since the sheet support detection unit detected the support of the sheet on the support unit.

2. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding apparatus comprises:

3. The control unit is capable of changing the setting time.

3. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sheet feeding apparatus comprises:

4. the control unit starts feeding the sheet by the feeding unit after the blowing of air by the separation unit is completed.

2. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding apparatus comprises:

5. The control unit is when the first mode is selected and the set type of the sheet is a second type different from the first type, the sheet feeding unit starts feeding the sheet in response to the sheet support detection unit detecting support of the sheet on the support unit; in a state where the second mode is selected, the sheet type is set in response to the sheet support detection unit detecting the support of the sheet on the support unit, and when the set sheet type is the second type, the sheet feeding unit starts feeding the sheet.

2. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding apparatus comprises:

6. a side end regulating plate that is movable in a width direction perpendicular to a feeding direction and that regulates a position of the sheet supported by the supporting portion in the width direction; The separation unit has a fan and a duct that guides air blown from the fan to pass through the inside of the side end regulating plate and blows the air against the side of the sheet.

2. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding apparatus comprises:

7. a support section for supporting a plurality of manually fed sheets; a feeding section that feeds the sheet supported by the supporting section; a sheet support detection unit that detects that a sheet is supported on the support unit; a handling unit that blows air onto the plurality of sheets supported by the support unit to handle the sheets; A control unit capable of setting a type of sheet to be supported by the support unit, The control unit is When the set type of the sheet is a first type of sheet, when a set time has elapsed since the sheet support detection unit detected the support of the sheet on the support unit, the separation unit starts blowing air. A sheet feeding device comprising:

8. A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeding device, 1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images