Sheet transport device

Abstract

To provide a configuration that can correct positional deviation of a sheet in a width direction while suppressing increase in size of a device.SOLUTION: A sheet conveyance device includes a pair of regulation guides 14A, 14B capable of guiding both end edges in a sheet width direction Y of a sheet S1 which is conveyed while being nipped by a conveyor belt 12 and a spherical body 20. The pair of regulation guides 14A, 14B can move to both of the guide position of guiding both end edges of a sheet and a retreat position of retreating from both end edges of the sheet as compared to the guide position. A guide moving part for moving the pair of regulation guides 14A, 14B causes the pair of regulation guides 14A, 14B to reach the guide position from the retreat position after a trailing end of the sheet S1 which is passed to the conveyor belt 12 from an upstream conveyance roller pair 401 passes through the conveyance roller pair 401.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device for conveying a sheet.

Background Art

[0002] In a sheet conveying device for conveying a sheet, there is a risk that the sheet may be displaced due to various factors during the conveyance of the sheet. And if the sheet is conveyed to, for example, an image forming device that forms an image on the sheet while the displacement has occurred, problems such as the image being displaced with respect to the sheet will occur. For this reason, a sheet conveying device that corrects the displacement of the sheet during conveyance is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration having a fixed reference guide provided on one side in the width direction intersecting the sheet conveying direction, a conveying belt provided inclined with respect to the reference guide, and a sphere. In the case of the sheet conveying device described in Patent Document 1, the sheet is conveyed while being sandwiched between the conveying belt and the sphere, so that the edge in the width direction of the sheet abuts against the reference guide. And the side registration (displacement of the edge in the sheet width direction) and side skew (tilt of the edge in the sheet width direction with respect to the sheet conveying direction) of the sheet are corrected simultaneously.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the sheet conveying device described in Patent Document 1, the sheet is conveyed by an inclined conveying belt while the widthwise edge of the sheet abuts against a reference guide. In other words, the sheet is conveyed at an angle to correct for misalignment. For this reason, the sheet needs to be conveyed until it abuts against the reference guide, and furthermore, it needs to be conveyed to a certain extent even after it abuts against the guide. Consequently, there is a risk that the device will become large in order to secure the length necessary for conveying the sheet in this way.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a configuration that can correct misalignment of the sheet in the width direction while suppressing an increase in the size of the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device for receiving and conveying sheets conveyed by a conveying member that conveys sheets in a predetermined conveying direction, comprising: an endless conveying belt provided downstream of the conveying member in the predetermined conveying direction and having a conveying surface extending in the predetermined conveying direction, which conveys sheets handed over to the conveying surface in the predetermined conveying direction; a plurality of spheres arranged in the conveying direction at positions opposite to the conveying surface, which are rotatable in any direction while sandwiching a sheet between themselves and the conveying surface; and arranged on both sides of the conveying belt with respect to the sheet width direction intersecting the conveying direction. The device comprises a pair of restrictive guides capable of guiding both edges in the sheet width direction of a sheet being transported while being held between the transport belt and the sphere, and a guide moving means capable of moving the pair of restrictive guides between a guide position that guides both edges in the sheet width direction of the sheet and a retracted position that is set back from the guide position relative to both edges in the sheet width direction of the sheet, wherein the guide moving means moves the pair of restrictive guides from the retracted position to the guide position after the rear end of the sheet, which has been handed from the transport member to the transport belt, has passed the transport member.

[0008] The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device for receiving and conveying a sheet conveyed by a conveying member that conveys a sheet in a predetermined conveying direction, comprising: an endless conveying belt provided on the downstream side of the conveying member in the predetermined conveying direction and having a conveying surface extending in the predetermined conveying direction, which conveys the sheet received on the conveying surface in the predetermined conveying direction; a plurality of spheres arranged in the conveying direction at a position opposite to the conveying surface, which are rotatable in any direction while sandwiching the sheet between themselves and the conveying surface; a pair of regulating guides arranged on both sides of the conveying belt with respect to the sheet width direction intersecting the conveying direction, which are capable of guiding both edges in the sheet width direction of the sheet that is conveyed while being sandwiched between the conveying belt and the spheres; and one of the pair of regulating guides being positioned in the sheet width direction of the sheet The system includes a guide moving means that is movable between a first guide position that guides one edge of the sheet and a first retracted position that is set back from the first edge of the sheet compared to the first guide position, and the other regulating guide of the pair of regulating guides is movable between a second guide position that guides the other edge of the sheet in the sheet width direction and a second retracted position that is set back from the second edge of the sheet compared to the second guide position, wherein the guide moving means moves one regulating guide to the first guide position and the other regulating guide to the second retracted position after the rear end of the sheet, which has been transferred from the conveying member to the conveying belt, has passed the conveying member, and thereafter moves the other regulating guide to the second guide position and the one regulating guide to the first retracted position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to correct the positional misalignment of the sheet in the width direction while suppressing an increase in the size of the device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A perspective view of a relay transport device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] A plan view of the relay conveying device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] A side view of a relay transport device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] A cross-sectional view of the support structure of the conveyor belt of the relay conveying device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] A cross-sectional view of a relay conveying device according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] (a) an oblique view of the regulatory guide according to the embodiment, (b) a view of (a) from the left side, (c) a cross-sectional view cut in the direction along the sheet transport direction, and (d) a cross-sectional view cut in the direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction. [Figure 8] A perspective view showing the contact and separation mechanism of a transport roller according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] A side view showing (a) the nip state of the conveyor roller and (b) the nip release state of the conveyor roller, respectively, of the conveyor roller contact / separation mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] The diagram illustrates the operation of the regulatory guide according to the embodiment, showing (a) the state in which the sheet is received, (b) the state in which the rear end of the sheet has passed the conveyor roller, (c) the state in which the sheet's misalignment has been corrected, and (d) the state in which the second sheet is received. [Figure 11] This figure illustrates how, in an embodiment, the subsequent sheet does not come into contact with the regulatory guide when the misalignment of the preceding sheet is corrected. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates the operation of the guide when the sheet is made of cardboard, showing (a) the sheet being transported on the conveyor belt, (b) one edge of the sheet being abutted, and (c) the other edge of the sheet being abutted. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the timing of nip release on the conveyor rollers when the sheet is long, showing (a) the state where the sheet is being conveyed on the conveyor belt, and (b) the state where the nip on the downstream conveyor roller has been released. [Figure 14] A cross-sectional view of a relay conveying device in which opposing members according to an embodiment are in opposing positions. [Figure 15] A cross-sectional view of a relay conveying device in which the opposing member according to the embodiment is in the removal position. [Figure 16]Cross-sectional view of a relay conveyance device showing a state in which a sheet is being pressed by a rear regulation guide with the opening / closing guide according to the embodiment open.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 16. First, the image forming system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0012] [Image Forming System] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of an image forming system including a multi-stage feeding device and an image forming device according to the present embodiment. In the following description, as an image forming device having an image forming unit, a laser printer system using an electrophotographic method (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) will be described as an example. Note that the image forming device constituting the image forming system may be a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a multifunction machine, or the like in addition to the printer. Further, the image forming device may have a configuration of another method such as an inkjet method regardless of the electrophotographic method.

[0013] The image forming system 1000 of the present embodiment includes an image forming device 100, a multi-stage feeding device 200 as a sheet feeding device connected to the image forming device 100, and a feeding deck 500. The multi-stage feeding device 200 has a plurality of storage bins each capable of storing a plurality of sheets, and can feed sheets from each storage bin to the image forming device 100, as will be described in detail later. The feeding deck 500 also has a storage bin capable of storing a plurality of sheets, and is disposed upstream of the multi-stage feeding device 200 in the sheet conveyance direction. Further, the sheets fed from the feeding deck 500 are conveyed to the image forming device 100 via a relay conveyance device 400 provided in the multi-stage feeding device 200. Examples of the sheet include paper such as plain paper, thin paper, and thick paper, and plastic sheets.

[0014] The image forming apparatus 100 forms a toner image (image) on a sheet in response to an image signal from a document reader 102 connected to the main body of the image forming apparatus 101, or from a host device such as a personal computer that is communicatively connected to the main body of the image forming apparatus 101. In this embodiment, the document reader 102 is located above the main body of the image forming apparatus 101.

[0015] The document scanner 102 reads a document by irradiating the document placed on the platen glass 103 with light from a scanning optical system light source and inputting the reflected light to a CCD. The document scanner 102 is also equipped with an automatic document feeder (ADF) 104, which can automatically transport the document placed on the tray 105 to the scanning unit of the document scanner 102 and read the document image. The scanned document image is then converted into an electrical signal and transmitted to the laser scanner 113 of the image forming unit 110, which will be described later. The laser scanner 113 may also receive image data transmitted from a personal computer or the like, as mentioned above.

[0016] The image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming unit 110, multiple sheet feeding devices 120, a sheet transport device 130, and the like. Each part of the image forming apparatus 100 is controlled by a control unit 140. The control unit 140 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU controls each part while reading programs corresponding to control procedures stored in ROM. In addition, working data and input data are stored in RAM, and the CPU controls the apparatus by referring to the data stored in RAM based on the aforementioned programs, etc.

[0017] Each of the multiple sheet feeding devices 120 includes a cassette 121 for storing sheets S, a pickup roller 122, and a pair of separation and conveying rollers 125 consisting of a feed roller 123 and a retard roller 124. The sheets S stored in the cassette 121 are separated one by one and fed by the pickup roller 122 and the pair of separation and conveying rollers 125, which move up and down and rotate at predetermined timings.

[0018] The sheet transport device 130 includes a transport roller pair 131 and a registration roller pair 133. The sheet S, fed from the sheet feeding device 120, is passed through the sheet transport path 134 by the transport roller pair 131 and then guided to the registration roller pair 133. After this, the sheet S is fed to the image forming unit 110 by the registration roller pair 133 at a predetermined timing.

[0019] The sheets transported from the multi-stage feeding device 200 or feeding deck 500 via the transport roller pair 201 are then transported into the image forming apparatus 100 via the connection path 202. The sheets transported into the image forming apparatus 100 from the multi-stage feeding device 200 or feeding deck 500 are then fed into the image forming unit 110 at a predetermined timing via the registration roller pair 133, similar to the sheets transported from the sheet feeding device 120 within the image forming apparatus 100.

[0020] The image forming unit 110 includes a photosensitive drum 111, a charger 112, a laser scanner 113, a developer 114, a transfer device 115, a cleaner 117, and the like. During image formation, the photosensitive drum 111 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and first, the surface of the photosensitive drum 111 is uniformly charged by the charger 112. Then, laser light from the laser scanner 113, which emits light in response to an image signal, is irradiated onto the charged photosensitive drum 111, forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 111. Furthermore, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 111 in this way is then revealed as a toner image by the developer 114.

[0021] Next, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 111 is transferred to the sheet S by the transfer device 115 in the transfer unit 116. Furthermore, the sheet S on which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fuser unit 150 where the toner image is fixed, and then discharged to the discharge tray 152 outside the machine by the discharge roller 151.

[0022] When forming a toner image on the back side of sheet S, sheet S discharged from the fuser 150 is transported to the inversion transport path 160. Then, with its front and back sides reversed by the inversion transport path 160, sheet S is transported again to the transfer section 116 of the image forming section 110. Sheet S with the toner image transferred to the back side is transported to the fuser 150, and after the toner image is fixed, it is discharged to the discharge tray 152 by the discharge roller 151. Any remaining toner on the photosensitive drum 111 after transfer is removed by the cleaner 117.

[0023] [Multi-stage feeding device] Next, we will describe the overview of the multi-stage feeding device 200 using Figure 1. The multi-stage feeding device 200 includes multiple storage compartments 210a to 210c, a relay conveying device 400, etc. In this embodiment, three storage compartments 210a to 210c are arranged in three tiers vertically, and the relay conveying device 400 is placed between the bottom storage compartment 210c and the second storage compartment 210b from the top.

[0024] Sheets fed from the top storage compartment 210a are transported to transport path 212, sheets fed from the second top storage compartment 210b are transported to transport path 213, and sheets fed from the bottom storage compartment 210c are transported to transport path 214. Sheets transported from the relay transport device 400 are transported to transport path 215. Transport path 213 merges with transport path 212 along the way. Transport paths 212, 214, and 215 merge at the merging point 216, are transported through transport path 217 to the transport roller pair 201, and are then transported to the image forming apparatus 100 via the connecting path 202.

[0025] Furthermore, double-feed detection sensors are provided in the transport path 212 after it merges with the transport path 213, the relay transport device 400, and the transport path 214, respectively, to detect double-feeding of sheets. Sheets in which double-feeding is detected by the double-feed detection sensors are transported to the transport path 217. Below the transport path 217, a double-feed sheet storage section (escape tray) 218 ​​is provided to accommodate sheets in which double-feeding has been detected. Sheets in which double-feeding has been detected and transported to the transport path 217 are transported to the double-feed sheet storage section when the transport path is switched by a switching member 219 provided in the transport path 217.

[0026] Furthermore, each part of the multi-stage feeding device 200 is controlled by the control unit 203. The control unit 203 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit 203 can also communicate with the control unit 140 of the image forming apparatus 100, and controls the sheet feeding timing and other functions by communicating with the control unit 140.

[0027] Sheets fed from the upstream feeding deck 500 are transported to the relay conveying device 400 via the transport path 512. The multi-stage feeding device 200 can also feed sheets manually. Sheets fed manually are transported to the transport path 510, which merges with the transport path 512, and are then transported to the relay conveying device 400 via the transport path 512 by the transport roller pair 511.

[0028] The relay conveying device 400 includes a misalignment correction unit 410 equipped with a conveyor belt 12, as will be described in detail below. A conveyor roller pair 401 is positioned upstream of the misalignment correction unit 410 in the sheet conveying direction, and a conveyor roller pair 402 is positioned downstream of the misalignment correction unit 410 in the sheet conveying direction. Sheets being conveyed along the conveying path 512 are sent to the misalignment correction unit 410 by the conveyor roller pair 401. After the side register (misalignment of the sheet's edge in the sheet's width direction) and side skew (inclination of the sheet's edge in the sheet's width direction relative to the sheet conveying direction) are corrected in the misalignment correction unit 410, the sheets are handed over to the downstream conveyor roller pair 402. Then, the sheets are conveyed to the conveying path 215 by the conveyor roller pairs 402 and 403. In this way, the relay conveying device 400 corrects misalignments of sheets conveyed from the upstream supply deck 500, etc., and hands them over to the downstream image forming apparatus 100.

[0029] [Transfer and Conveyor System] Next, the relay conveying device 400, which functions as a sheet conveying device, will be described. First, the general configuration of the relay conveying device 400 will be explained using Figures 2 to 6. The relay conveying device 400 receives and conveys sheets conveyed by the conveying roller pair 401, which is a conveying member that conveys sheets in the conveying direction (a predetermined conveying direction) X. That is, the sheets are passed from the upstream conveying roller pair 401 to the positional misalignment correction unit 410, and after the positional misalignment of the sheets is corrected, the sheets are passed from the positional misalignment correction unit 410 to the downstream conveying roller pair 402. As shown in Figure 3, the conveying roller pairs 401 and 402 are composed of two roller sections, one a drive roller and the other a driven roller, which are spaced apart in the direction of the rotation axis. In particular, the width of the downstream conveying roller pair 402 (length in the width direction Y, the distance between the upper end of the upper roller section and the lower end of the lower roller section of the two roller sections aligned in the direction of the rotation axis of the conveying roller pair 402, as shown in Figure 3) is greater than the width of the conveying belt 12 (length in the width direction Y). The misalignment correction unit 410 includes a conveyor belt 12, a plurality of spheres 20, a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B, a guide movement unit 420, and the like.

[0030] The conveyor belt 12 is positioned downstream of the conveyor roller pair 401 in the conveyor direction X (downstream side in the conveyor direction), which are conveying members that convey sheets in the conveyor direction X. The conveyor belt 12 is an endless belt stretched over pulleys 11A and 11B, and has a conveying surface 12A that extends in the conveyor direction X. A motor M1 is connected to one of the pulleys 11A as a drive source, and the conveyor belt 12 rotates due to the drive of the motor M1. Such a conveyor belt 12 conveys the sheets that have been passed from the conveyor roller pair 401 on the upstream side in the conveyor direction X to the conveying surface 12A toward the conveyor direction X.

[0031] Multiple spheres 20 are arranged in the conveying direction X at positions facing the conveying surface 12A of the conveying belt 12. The spheres 20 are arranged so that their center positions are the central reference positions of the sheet. That is, the position where the centers of the spheres 20 are aligned is the central reference position of the sheet. Here, the central reference position is the position in the sheet width direction where both the first sheet and the second sheet (i.e., regardless of the sheet size), which have different sheet widths, are in the center. Furthermore, the spheres 20 are arranged at the center of the distance between a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B. Note that one of the regulating guides 14A and 14B may be fixed.

[0032] Furthermore, the direction in which the multiple spheres 20 are aligned coincides with the direction in which the sheet is guided by the guide surfaces 15A (Figure 6) of the regulatory guides 14A and 14B, which will be described later. Note that the guide directions of the regulatory guides 14A and 14B and the conveying direction X of the conveyor belt 12 are approximately the same.

[0033] In this embodiment, the multiple spheres 20 are positioned above the conveyor belt 12. The multiple spheres 20 are rotatable in any direction while sandwiching the sheet between themselves and the conveyor surface 12A. For this purpose, each of the multiple spheres 20 is rotatably held in any direction by a holding plate 18 provided above the conveyor belt 12. That is, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the holding plate 18 is a long plate positioned above the conveyor belt 12 at a predetermined distance from the conveyor surface 12A along the conveyor direction X, and has multiple holding holes 18A spaced apart from each other in the conveyor direction X. The spheres 20 are rotatably held in each of the holding holes 18A.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the spheres 20 are exposed from the holding holes 18A, placed on the conveying surface 12A of the conveying belt 12, and are rotatable in any direction. Each sphere 20 is in contact with the conveying surface 12A due to its own weight. The number of spheres 20 can be set according to the required pressing force on the sheet being conveyed on the conveying belt 12. Furthermore, since the sheet is conveyed while slipping on the conveying belt 12 as described later, it is preferable that the spheres 20 be made of a material with a relatively low coefficient of friction, such as glass or plastic. In this embodiment, a configuration in which multiple spheres 20 are arranged in a single row along the conveying direction X has been described, but multiple spheres 20 may also be arranged in multiple rows, such as two rows, each along the conveying direction X.

[0035] This will be explained in more detail using Figure 5. The relay conveying device 400 has a holding plate 18 that rotatably holds a plurality of spheres 20, and a conveying belt support member 481 positioned below it. The conveying belt support member 481, like the holding plate 18, consists of a long plate member that extends along the conveying direction X. As shown in Figure 5, the central portion 482 in the sheet width direction of the conveying belt support member 481 protrudes upward, forming a relatively narrow, flat conveying belt support surface 483 that extends over substantially the entire length in the conveying direction X. The conveying belt support member 481 is positioned vertically opposite the holding plate 18 such that the spheres 20 are located at the center of the conveying belt support surface 483 in the sheet width direction.

[0036] Ideally, the sphere 20 should be positioned at the center of the distance between the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B, and at the center of the sheet width direction of the conveyor belt support surface 483. However, some deviation is acceptable as long as it is in a position opposite the conveyor belt support surface 483.

[0037] The conveyor belt support member 481 has side portions 484 on both sides in the sheet width direction of its central portion 482 that extend somewhat outward from the ends of the conveyor belt 12 in the sheet width direction, and these outer ends are bent downward and fixed to the lower frame 485 of the relay conveying device 400. The lower frame 485 has mounting end wall pieces 485a and 485b at both ends in the conveying direction X, respectively, which extend outward in the sheet width direction, and these mounting end wall pieces 485a and 485b are fixed to the relay conveying device 400 side (for example, the housing 470 (Figure 14 described later)) with appropriate fastening means such as set screws. By supporting the conveyor belt 12 with such a conveyor belt support member 481, the central portion 12B of the conveyor belt 12 is pushed up by the central portion 482 of the conveyor belt support member 481, so that the distance between the central portions of the endless conveyor belt 12 facing each other in the vertical direction is longer than the distance between the ends of the conveyor belt 12.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, the holding plate 18 is fixed on the upper frame 486 of the relay conveying device 400. The upper frame 486 has mounting end wall pieces 486a, 468b, 486c, and 486d at both ends in the conveying direction X, respectively, which extend outward in the sheet width direction. These mounting end wall pieces 486a to 486d are fixed to the relay conveying device 400 side (for example, the housing 470) by appropriate fastening means such as set screws. As a result, the holding plate 18 and the conveying belt support member 481 maintain a positional relationship in which the multiple spheres 20 are rotatably held on the conveying surface 12A of the conveying belt 12 at the center of the sheet width direction of the conveying belt support surface 483.

[0039] Multiple blocking members 490 are arranged on the side portions 484 on both sides in the sheet width direction of the conveyor belt support member 481, along the conveyor direction X. The outer ends of the blocking members 490 in the sheet width direction extend outward by a predetermined width beyond the ends of the conveyor belt 12 in the sheet width direction. An outward-facing blocking surface 491 is provided at the outer ends of the blocking members 490 in the sheet width direction, preventing the flap portion of an envelope from getting caught on the conveyor belt 12 by engaging with the blocking surface 491, for example, when jamming an envelope.

[0040] A pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are positioned on both sides of the conveyor belt 12 with respect to the sheet width direction Y, which intersects the conveying direction X (in this embodiment, the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction). The pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B can guide both edges in the sheet width direction Y of the sheet being conveyed while being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20. The regulating guide 14B positioned on one side with respect to the sheet width direction Y can guide one edge in the sheet width direction of the sheet being conveyed while being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20. The regulating guide 14A positioned on the other side with respect to the sheet width direction Y can guide the other edge in the sheet width direction of the sheet being conveyed while being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6, a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B each have a side plate portion 15, a lower plate portion 16, and an upper plate portion 17, and the end of the sheet S being transported by the conveyor belt 12 can enter the space enclosed by these plate portions 15, 16, and 17. The pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are supported on support shafts 421A and 421B (see Figure 3) so as to be movable between a guide position and a retracted position by a guide movement portion 420, which will be described later. The support shafts 421A and 421B are each arranged approximately parallel to the sheet width direction Y and support the end side of the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B in the transport direction X. The pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are movable along the support shafts 421A and 421B in the sheet width direction Y.

[0042] The side plate portion 15 has a guide surface 15A that, at the guide position, faces the edge in the sheet width direction Y of the sheet S being transported while being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20. The guide surface 15A is arranged parallel to the conveying direction X. Furthermore, the guide surface 15A is a surface perpendicular to the conveying direction X and the sheet width direction Y, respectively, and in this embodiment, it is a surface aligned substantially vertically.

[0043] The lower plate portion 16 is positioned perpendicular to the side plate portion 15 and has a support surface 16A that supports the edge of the sheet S in the sheet width direction Y, which is conveyed while being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20 at the guide position. The support surface 16A extends substantially horizontally from the lower vertical end of the guide surface 15A. Furthermore, the support surface 16A is located vertically below the conveying surface 12A of the conveyor belt 12.

[0044] Now, let's consider the case where the support surface 16A and the transport surface 12A are at the same height, or where the support surface 16A is positioned vertically above the transport surface 12A. In this case, if a sheet S with high rigidity, such as cardboard, is transported between the transport belt 12 and the sphere 20 in a curled state (both edges in the width direction Y are lower than the center) as shown in Figure 6, both edges in the width direction Y of the sheet S will be supported by the support surface 16A. At this time, the center of the sheet S in the width direction Y will be lifted (bridged), pushing up the sphere 20. As a result, the transport belt 12 and the sphere 20 will be separated, and the transport force of the transport belt 12 will not be transmitted to the sheet S, which may cause transport failure. For this reason, in this embodiment, the support surface 16A is positioned vertically below the transport surface 12A of the transport belt 12.

[0045] The upper plate portion 17 has an opposing surface 17A that is positioned opposite the support surface 16A. The opposing surface 17A is located above the edge in the sheet width direction Y of the sheet S, which is being conveyed while being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20 at the guide position. The opposing surface 17A is also formed substantially parallel to the support surface 16A.

[0046] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the guide moving unit 420 has a first moving unit 420A that moves one of the pair of restrictive guides 14A and 14B, the restrictive guide 14A, and a second moving unit 420B that moves the other restrictive guide 14B. The guide moving unit 420 also has a motor M2 that generates the driving force to move the restrictive guide 14A, and a motor M3 that generates the driving force to move the other restrictive guide 14B.

[0047] The first moving section 420A has a pair of pulleys 422A and 423A, an endless belt 424A stretched between both pulleys 422A and 423A, and a connecting section 425A that connects the belt 424A to the regulating guide 14A. Similarly, the second moving section 420B has a pair of pulleys 422B and 423B, an endless belt 424B stretched between both pulleys 422B and 423B, and a connecting section 425B that connects the belt 424B to the regulating guide 14B on the other side.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the first moving part 420A is driven by motor M2 as a drive source, and the second moving part 420B is driven by motor M3 as a drive source. In other words, in this embodiment, the motors that drive the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are separate, and the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B can move independently. For this purpose, the pulley 422A of the first moving part 420A is connected to pulley 427A via connecting shaft 426A, and a belt 428A is stretched between pulley 427A and pulley 427A, which is rotationally driven by motor M2. The rotational drive of motor M2 is then transmitted to belt 424A via belt 428A, pulley 427A, connecting shaft 426A, and pulley 422A. As described above, since the regulating guide 14A is connected to the belt 424A via the connecting part 425A, the regulating guide 14A moves in the sheet width direction Y along the support shafts 421A and 421B when driven by the motor M2.

[0049] Similarly, the pulley 422B of the second moving section 420B is connected to the pulley 427B via the connecting shaft 426B, and the belt 428B is stretched between the pulley 427B and the pulley that is rotationally driven by the motor M3. The rotational drive of the motor M3 is then transmitted to the belt 424B via the belt 428B, pulley 427B, connecting shaft 426B, and pulley 422B. As described above, the other regulating guide 14B is connected to the belt 424B via the connecting section 425B, so the other regulating guide 14B moves in the sheet width direction Y along the support shafts 421A and 421B when driven by the motor M3.

[0050] In this manner, motors M2 and M3 are driven to move the regulating guides 14A and 14B to the guide position and the retracted position, respectively. In this embodiment, motors M2 and M3 are pulse motors (stepping motors), and the positions of the regulating guides 14A and 14B are controlled by the number of pulses sent to the motors. Furthermore, the regulating guides 14A and 14B each have a home position, and sensors are provided at the home positions to detect the regulating guides 14A and 14B, respectively. Therefore, the positions of the regulating guides 14A and 14B are detected at the home position, and thereafter, the regulating guides 14A and 14B are moved to the guide position and the retracted position by the number of pulses sent to the motors.

[0051] In this embodiment, the home position and the sheet receiving position for the maximum width size of the regulating guides 14A and 14B are the same. That is, the regulating guides 14A and 14B are basically movable between the home position, the standby position (sheet receiving position), and the guide position. The guide position is, for example, 0.5 mm from the edge of the sheet in the sheet width direction Y, but this varies depending on the sheet. Normally, the distance between the regulating guides 14A and 14B decreases in the order of home position, standby position, and guide position. However, in this embodiment, for sheets with the maximum sheet width (for example, a sheet width (length in the sheet width direction Y) of 330.2 mm), the home position and the standby position are in the same position. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the device.

[0052] In other words, when accepting a sheet with the maximum sheet width, the regulating guides 14A and 14B operate as follows: First, based on the detection result of the sensor that detects the home position, the regulating guides 14A and 14B are positioned at the home position. The sheet is then accepted in this state. That is, the home position and the standby position are the same. Next, the regulating guides 14A and 14B are positioned at the guide position to regulate the sheet. Furthermore, they are positioned at the standby position (= home position) to accept the next sheet, but the output of the home position sensor is ignored at this time. In other words, after initially passing the home position sensor, the position of the regulating guides 14A and 14B is managed by pulse counting. When all jobs are finished and sheets of different widths are to be transported, the output of the home position sensor is checked again, and the regulating guides 14A and 14B are positioned at the appropriate standby position.

[0053] In this embodiment, the motor M1 that drives the conveyor belt 12, the motors M2 and M3 that move the regulating guides 14A and 14B, and the motors M5, M7, and M8 described later are located on the other regulating guide 14B side. In particular, with respect to the conveying direction X, it is preferable to place the motors within the sheet conveying range of the misalignment correction unit 410 behind the conveyor belt 12 (rear side, one regulating guide 14B side). This is because, as will be described in more detail later, jammed sheets are removed from the front side (front side, the other regulating guide 14A side).

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a double-feed detection sensor 430 is placed between the upstream conveyor roller pair 401 and the conveyor belt 12 to detect double-feeding of sheets. The double-feed detection sensor 430 is a sensor that detects, for example, when two or more sheets are conveyed on top of each other using ultrasonic waves. When the control unit 203 (Figure 1) of the multi-stage feeding device 200 detects double-feeding of sheets using the double-feed detection sensor 430, it conveys the double-feeded sheets to the double-feeded sheet storage unit 218 via the relay conveyor device 400 and the conveyor paths 215 and 217.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 14 (described later), in the sheet width direction Y, opposing members 450 and 460 are positioned between the conveyor belt 12 and a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B, facing the underside of the sheet being conveyed by the conveyor belt 12. The opposing members 450 and 460 support the end of the sheet if it is conveyed without being supported by either of the regulating guides 14A or 14B. The detailed configuration of the opposing members 450 and 460 will be described later.

[0056] In the relay conveying device 400 configured in this way, the sheet, which has been passed from the upstream conveying roller pair 401 in the conveying direction X to the conveying belt 12, is gripped between the conveying belt 12 and the sphere 20. The sheet is then conveyed by the rotation of the conveying belt 12. At this time, as will be described in detail later, both ends of the sheet in the width direction Y of the sheet being conveyed on the conveying belt 12 are brought into contact with the guide surfaces 15A of a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B. When the sheet comes into contact with the guide surface 15A, it is conveyed in a direction parallel to the guide surface 15A, while slipping between the sheet and the conveying belt 12 with both ends along the guide surface 15A. At this time, the sheet is gripped between the sheet and the conveying belt 12 by the sphere 20, and since the sphere 20 can rotate in any direction, the sheet can move on the conveying belt 12 while slipping in any direction. This corrects the side register and side skew of the sheet.

[0057] [Regulatory Guide] Next, the detailed configuration of the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B will be explained using Figures 7(a) to (d). Although only regulating guide 14A is shown in Figures 7(a) to (d), the other regulating guide 14B has a similar configuration. As shown in Figure 6, regulating guide 14A has a side plate portion 15 having a guide surface 15A, a lower plate portion 16 having a support surface 16A, and an upper plate portion 17 having an opposing surface 17A.

[0058] As shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the lower plate portion 16 and the upper plate portion 17 are continuously provided over almost the entire longitudinal area of ​​the regulating guide 14A. As shown in Figure 2 and other figures, the regulating guide 14A is arranged substantially parallel to the transport direction X, so the area in which the lower plate portion 16 and the upper plate portion 17 are continuous with respect to the transport direction X is defined as the predetermined area A. Therefore, in this embodiment, the support surface 16A of the lower plate portion 16 and the opposing surface 17A of the upper plate portion 17 are continuously provided over the predetermined area A with respect to the transport direction X. The predetermined area A is almost the entire area in which the sheet is transported by the misalignment correction unit 410.

[0059] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 7(a) to 7(c), the side plate portion 15 is continuously provided across a guide region B, which is a shorter region than the predetermined region A. In this embodiment, the upstream end B1 of the side plate portion 15 in the transport direction X is located downstream of the upstream end A1 of the predetermined region A in the transport direction X. That is, the upstream end B1 of the guide surface 15A of the side plate portion 15 in the transport direction X is located downstream of the upstream end A1 of the predetermined region A. Furthermore, the guide surface 15A is continuously provided up to the downstream end A2 of the predetermined region A with respect to the transport direction X. Therefore, the position of the downstream end B2 of the side plate portion 15 in the transport direction X and the position of the downstream end A2 of the predetermined region A in the transport direction X are approximately the same with respect to the transport direction X.

[0060] In this embodiment, a notch 19C is provided upstream of the upstream end B1 of the side plate portion 15. An outer plate portion 19 is positioned in a part of this notch 19C, which is located outside the side plate portion 15 in the sheet width direction Y. Outside the sheet width direction Y means the side that is further away from the conveyor belt 12 with respect to the sheet width direction Y. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7(c), the inner surface 19A of the outer plate portion 19 is located outside the sheet width direction Y than the guide surface 15A, which is the inner surface of the side plate portion 15. Furthermore, with respect to the conveying direction X, an inclined plate portion 19B is provided between the outer plate portion 19 and the side plate portion 15, which is inclined so that it approaches the side plate portion 15 as it goes downstream.

[0061] The pair of guide guides 14A and 14B are configured as described above, so that the distance in the width direction Y between the inner surfaces 19A of the outer plate portion 19 on the upstream side in the conveying direction X is wider than the distance in the width direction Y between the guide surfaces 15A of the side plate portion 15. For this reason, as will be described in more detail later, both edges in the width direction Y of the sheet that has been passed from the upstream conveying roller pair 401 to the conveying belt 12 are located between the inner surfaces 19A on the upstream side in the conveying direction X, and are located between the guide surfaces 15A when conveyed downstream.

[0062] Note that the outer plate portion 19 and the inclined plate portion 19B may be omitted. However, if the end of the sheet in the width direction Y, which has been passed from the upstream conveyor roller pair 401 to the conveyor belt 12, is located within the notch 19C, there is a risk that the end of the sheet may get caught on the upstream end B1 of the side plate portion 15 when the sheet is conveyed further. For this reason, in this embodiment, the outer plate portion 19 and the inclined plate portion 19B are provided so that even if the sheet is conveyed shifted in the width direction Y from its normal position, the outer plate portion 19 will regulate its position, and the inclined plate portion 19B will guide the end of the sheet to the guide surface 15A of the side plate portion 15.

[0063] [Contact and separation configuration of the conveyor roller pair] Next, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the contact and separation configuration of the conveyor roller pairs 401 to 403 will be described using Figures 8, 9(a), and 9(b). As described above, conveyor roller pairs 401 to 403 are arranged upstream and downstream of the conveying direction X of the conveyor belt 12, respectively. Each of the conveyor roller pairs 401 to 403 has a drive roller 32 and a driven roller 33 as a pair of conveyor rollers. The drive roller 32 is an elastic roller with an elastic body such as rubber around the rotating shaft 32a. The driven roller 33 contacts the drive roller 32 to form a nip portion that grips and conveys the sheet. The drive roller 32 of conveyor roller pair 401 can be rotated independently by motor M4, the drive roller 32 of conveyor roller pair 402 can be rotated independently by motor M5, and the drive roller 32 of conveyor roller pair 403 can be rotated independently by motor M6.

[0064] In this embodiment, the transport roller pairs 402 and 403, positioned downstream of the transport direction X of the transport belt 12, have a configuration that allows them to contact and separate the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33. The transport roller pair 402 can independently contact and separate the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33 using motor M7, and the transport roller pair 403 can independently contact and separate the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33 using motor M8. Since the configurations of the transport roller pairs 402 and 403 are the same, the contact and separation configuration will be explained below using the transport roller pair 402 as an example, with reference to Figures 8, 9(a), and (b).

[0065] The contact / separation mechanism 31, which brings the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33 into contact and separates them, includes a compression spring 34 as a biasing means, a support member 35, a motor M7, a separation cam 36, and a link member 37. The contact / separation mechanism 31 corresponds to a roller moving means that can move at least one of the pair of transport rollers, i.e., the driven roller 33, between a nip position in which it can grip and transport a sheet and a nip release position in which the pair of transport rollers are separated from the nip position.

[0066] The compression spring 34 is a spring that biases the driven roller 33 toward the drive roller 32. The support member 35 supports the rotation axis 33a of the driven roller 33 and is also supported so as to be able to swing around the pivot axis 37a. The support member 35 is also biased by the compression spring 34 in a direction that presses the driven roller 33 toward the drive roller 32 toward the drive roller 32 toward the pivot axis 37a. The support member 35 is fixed to the pivot axis 37a and rotates together with the pivot axis 37a, moving the driven roller 33 toward the drive roller 32 and toward away from the drive roller 32.

[0067] Motor M7 rotates the separation cam 36 via pulleys 38a, 38b, and belt 38c. Pulley 38a is fixed to the drive shaft of motor M7, and pulley 38b is fixed to the rotation shaft 36a of the separation cam 36. Belt 38c is an endless belt stretched over pulleys 38a and 38b. The separation cam 36 is an eccentric cam whose outer surface center is eccentric from the center of the rotation shaft 36a, and rotates together with the rotation shaft 36a when driven by motor M7.

[0068] The link member 37 is fixed to the pivot shaft 37a and is provided to pivot together with the pivot shaft 37a. Therefore, the link member 37 rotates synchronously with the support member 35 via the pivot shaft 37a. The link member 37 is positioned to contact the separation cam 36 when the support member 35 is biased by the compression spring 34.

[0069] When the separation cam 36 is in the phase shown in Figure 9(a), the driven roller 33 is pressed against the drive roller 32 by the biasing force of the compression spring 34. The state in Figure 9(a) is the nip position. When the separation cam 36 is rotated by, for example, 180° by the motor M7 from this state, the link member 37 is pushed by the separation cam 36 and swings counterclockwise around the pivot axis 37a, as shown in Figure 9(b). As a result, the support member 35, which is connected to the link member 37 via the pivot axis 37a, swings in the same direction around the pivot axis 37a. Since the driven roller 33 is supported by the support member 35 via the rotation axis 33a, the swing of the support member 35 causes it to separate from the drive roller 32. That is, the driven roller 33 is moved to the nip release position.

[0070] To move the driven roller 33 from the nip release position to the nip position, the separation cam 36 can be rotated another 180° by the motor M7 from the state shown in Figure 9(b). The contact and separation mechanism that brings the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33 into contact and separates them may also be configured to move both the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33. In the above example, the contact and separation mechanism was driven by a motor, but the contact and separation of the pair of conveying rollers may also be performed by other drive sources such as solenoids.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above example, the transport roller pair 402 and 403 on the downstream side of the transport direction X of the transport belt 12 were made capable of contacting and separating from each other, but it is also possible to make only the transport roller pair 402 capable of contacting and separating from each other. Moreover, it is also possible to make the transport roller pair 401 on the upstream side of the transport direction X of the transport belt 12 capable of contacting and separating from each other. In this case, it is possible to make only the upstream transport roller pair 401 capable of contacting and separating from each other, or the downstream transport roller pair 402, and even the transport roller pair 403, capable of contacting and separating from each other.

[0072] [Sheet transport operation] Next, the sheet reaction operation in the relay transport device 400 of this embodiment will be explained using Figures 10(a) to (d) and 11, with reference to Figures 2 and 3. In this embodiment, the control unit 203 (Figure 1) controls motors M2 and M3 (Figure 2) according to the sheet transport state to change the position of a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B in the sheet width direction Y. As described above, by controlling motors M2 and M3, the guide movement unit 420 (Figure 2) can be driven to move the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B to the guide position and the retracted position.

[0073] Here, the guide position is a position where the guide surfaces 15A of a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B can guide the edge of the sheet in the width direction Y while it is being conveyed while being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20. In this embodiment, the guide position is a position where the distance between the guide surfaces 15A of the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B (between guide surfaces) is longer than the length of the sheet in the width direction Y while it is being conveyed while being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20.

[0074] Specifically, the guide position is the position where, when the sheet is transported with the center of the sheet in the width direction Y coinciding with the center of the guide surfaces 15A on both sides, and with the edge of the sheet in the width direction Y parallel to the guide surface 15A (center reference), the edge of the sheet in the width direction Y and the guide surface 15A are at a predetermined distance apart. This predetermined distance can be set as appropriate by the device, but it is a distance that allows for a misalignment between the sheet and the image formed on the sheet even if the sheet shifts within this distance. This predetermined distance is, for example, 0.5 mm. That is, at the guide position, the guide surfaces 15A of a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are each 0.5 mm away from the edge of the sheet in the width direction Y. This guide position can be changed as appropriate by the control unit 203 according to the sheet size.

[0075] In this way, the pair of restrictive guides 14A and 14B are positioned so that the distance between their guide surfaces 15A at the guide position is greater than the length of the sheet in the sheet width direction Y. This suppresses the transport load on the sheet being transported by the conveyor belt 12. For example, if the distance between the guide surfaces were the same as the length of the sheet in the sheet width direction Y, the edges of the sheet would rub against the guide surfaces as the sheet was transported, resulting in increased transport resistance. In particular, in this embodiment, the sheet is transported while being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20, so the nip pressure between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20 is small. Therefore, if the transport resistance of the sheet is large, there is a risk of delays in sheet transport or transport defects such as the sheet stopping. For this reason, in this embodiment, the transport resistance of the sheet is suppressed by positioning the pair of restrictive guides 14A and 14B at the guide position as described above.

[0076] Furthermore, as described above, it is preferable to transport the sheet with the center as the reference point and to correct the side register and side skew of the sheet (perform alignment operation) as described later. This is because, in this embodiment, the sheet is made to slip between the transport belt 12 and the sphere 20, and the side skew is corrected while the sheet is rotating. In other words, by starting the alignment operation at a position (center reference) where the center of gravity of the sheet S and the center of the regulating guides 14A and 14B are approximately coincident, damage to the sheet during the alignment operation can be reduced.

[0077] On the other hand, the retracted position is the position where the guide surfaces 15A of the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are retracted from the edge of the sheet in the width direction Y compared to the guide position. In other words, the distance in the width direction Y between the guide surfaces 15A of the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B at the retracted position is wider than the distance in the width direction Y between the guide surfaces 15A of the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B at the guide position. In this embodiment, the retracted position is defined as the position where the distance from the edge of the sheet being conveyed with respect to the central reference described above is 5 mm. The sheet S is handed over to the conveyor belt 12 with the regulating guides 14A and 14B in the retracted position, and in this state, the vertical movement of the sheet S is restricted by the support surface 16A and the opposing surface 17A. As a result, even if the sheet S is curled, the edges of both ends of the sheet S can be contained within the area enclosed by the guide surface 15A, the support surface 16A, and the opposing surface 17A when the regulating guides 14A and 14B move from the retracted position to the guide position.

[0078] The operation of a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B when two sheets S1 and S2 are transported consecutively to the relay transport device 400 will be explained using Figures 10(a) to (d) and Figure 11. First, as shown in Figure 10(a), when the first sheet S1 is transported from the upstream transport roller pair 401 to the transport belt 12, the control unit 203 moves the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B to a retracted position. This is because if the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are in the guide position when the sheet S1 is handed over to the transport belt 12, and the sheet S1 is skewed or misaligned in the width direction Y, the edge of the sheet S1 may interfere with either of the regulating guides 14A or 14B, potentially causing a transport failure of the sheet S1.

[0079] Next, as shown in Figure 10(b), the control unit 203 moves a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B from the retracted position to the guide position, in other words, to the guide position, after the rear end (upstream end) of the first sheet S1, which has been transferred from the transport roller pair 401 to the transport belt 12, has passed the transport roller pair 401. In this embodiment, the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are moved from the retracted position to the guide position while the sheet S1 transferred to the transport belt 12 is within a predetermined area A (Figure 7(b), within the predetermined area). This corrects (aligns) the side register and side skew of the sheet S1.

[0080] Specifically, when the sheet S1 is upstream in the conveying direction X, the regulating guides 14A and 14B are in a retracted position, and both edges of the sheet S1 are spaced away from the guide surface 15A. Then, as the sheet S1 is conveyed further downstream and the rear end of the sheet S1 passes the conveying roller pair 401, the regulating guides 14A and 14B move to the guide position. Then, the guide surface 15A is brought into contact with both edges of the sheet S1 in the width direction Y. When the sheet S1 abuts against the guide surface 15A, it is conveyed in a direction parallel to the guide surface 15A, while slipping between the sheet and the conveying belt 12 with its edges along the guide surface 15A. This corrects the side register and side skew of the sheet S1.

[0081] In this embodiment, the control unit 203 moves a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B from their retracted position to their guide position while the sheet is being transported while being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20. This allows for correction of side registers and side skew of the sheet without stopping the sheet's transport, thereby increasing productivity. However, it is also possible to stop the sheet's transport temporarily before performing the alignment operation to move the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B from their retracted position to their guide position. In this case, productivity will decrease, but positional correction can be performed more reliably.

[0082] Next, as shown in Figure 10(c), when the leading edge of the second sheet S2, which has been transferred from the transport roller pair 401 to the transport belt 12, enters the predetermined area A, the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are kept in their guide positions. At this time, the first sheet S1 is being guided by the guide surface 15A in the guide area B (Figure 7(b)). In other words, in this embodiment, the entry of the second sheet S2 into the predetermined area A begins while the first sheet S1 is being guided by the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B.

[0083] Here, as shown in Figure 11, upstream of the upstream end B1 (Figure 7(b)) of the guide surface 15A in the transport direction X, there is an inner surface 19A of the outer plate portion 19 that is spaced wider than the guide surfaces 15A themselves. In Figure 11, the inner surface 19A is inclined toward the guide surface 15A as it moves downstream, but the inner surface 19A may also be a surface parallel to the transport direction X. In any case, since the inner surface 19A is located outside the sheet width direction Y compared to the guide surface 15A, even when the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are in their guide positions, the spacing between the inner surfaces 19A is wider than the spacing between the guide surfaces 15A. For this reason, even if the second sheet S2 enters the predetermined area A while moving diagonally or shifting position in the width direction Y, the edges of the sheet S2 are less likely to interfere with the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the second sheet S2 is transported at the timing described above, sheet transport defects are less likely to occur, and productivity can be increased.

[0084] Then, as shown in Figure 10(d), the control unit 203 moves the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B from their guide positions to their retracted positions before the leading edge of the second sheet S2 reaches the upstream end B1 of the guide surface 15A in the transport direction X. At this time, the alignment operation of the first sheet S1 is completed, and the sheet S1 has been handed over to the downstream transport roller pair 402. Therefore, moving the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B to their retracted positions does not affect the posture of the sheet S1. In addition, because the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are moved to their retracted positions before the second sheet S2 reaches the guide surface 15A, interference between the end of the second sheet S2 and the upstream end B1 of the guide surface 15A when the end of the second sheet S2 exceeds the inner surface 19A of the outer plate portion 19 can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the occurrence of sheet transport defects.

[0085] Subsequently, as explained in Figure 10(b) and later, the control unit 203 moves a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B from the retracted position to the guide position after the rear end of the second sheet S2 has passed the transport roller pair 401. In this embodiment, the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B move from the retracted position to the guide position after the front end of the second sheet S2 has passed the upstream end B1 in the transport direction X of the guide surface 15A. Then, the alignment operation of the second sheet S2 is performed. If there are third and subsequent sheets, the operations in Figures 10(c), (d), and (b) are performed, and if it is the last sheet, it is handed over to the transport roller pair 402 to complete the sheet alignment operation.

[0086] The control unit 203 can determine the position of the sheet in the transport direction X, for example, based on the sheet size, the sheet detection timing of a sensor that detects any sheet along the sheet transport path, and the sheet transport speed.

[0087] In this embodiment, the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are moved from their retracted position to their guide position after the rear end of the sheet, which has been passed onto the conveyor belt 12, has passed the upstream conveyor roller pair 401. Therefore, when the sheet is passed onto the conveyor belt 12, the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are less likely to interfere with the sheet. Furthermore, since the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are not positioned in their guide positions while the sheet is being conveyed by the upstream conveyor roller pair 401, it is possible to prevent the sheet from bending or creasing due to contact with either of the regulating guides while being conveyed by the conveyor roller pair 401.

[0088] Furthermore, since the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are moved to their guide positions after the rear end of the sheet has passed the transport roller pair 401, misalignment of the sheet can be corrected even without, for example, transporting the sheet diagonally and making it abut against the regulating guides. As a result, misalignment of the sheet can be corrected without increasing the length of the sheet transport, thus suppressing the increase in the size of the device. In other words, misalignment of the sheet in the width direction Y can be corrected while suppressing the increase in the size of the device.

[0089] [Cardboard transport operation] Next, the transport operation for sheets S3 (e.g., cardboard) with a basis weight of a predetermined value or higher will be explained using Figures 12(a) to (c). The predetermined value is, for example, 100 g / m². 2 This is the case. However, if the rigidity is high, such as in a sheet with a basis weight above a predetermined value, then, as described above, when the edges of both ends of the sheet are clamped with a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B, or when the sheet is guided with a small gap between it and the guide surface 15A, there is a risk that the transport resistance will increase. If the transport resistance increases, delays in sheet transport will occur. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the case of sheets such as cardboard, the regulating guides 14A and 14B are brought into contact with the edges of the sheet one by one to correct for side reg and side skew. This will be explained in detail below.

[0090] First, in this embodiment, the guide movement unit 420 (Figure 2) is capable of independently moving the restricting guides 14A and 14B, as described above. That is, the first movement unit 420A (Figure 2) of the guide movement unit 420 is capable of moving one of the pair of restricting guides 14A and 14B, the restricting guide 14A, between a first guide position that guides one edge of the sheet in the width direction Y, and a first retracted position that is set back from the first guide position. Similarly, the second movement unit 420B (Figure 2) of the guide movement unit 420 is capable of moving the other of the pair of restricting guides 14A and 14B, the restricting guide 14B, between a second guide position that guides the other edge of the sheet in the width direction Y, and a second retracted position that is set back from the second guide position.

[0091] As shown in Figure 12(a), when a sheet S3 such as cardboard is transferred to the conveyor belt 12, the pair of guide guides 14A and 14B are positioned in the retracted position. That is, one guide guide 14A is positioned in the first retracted position, and the other guide guide 14B is positioned in the second retracted position.

[0092] Next, as shown in Figure 12(b), after the rear end of the sheet S3 has passed the transport roller pair 401 (Figure 3, etc.), the control unit 203 moves one of the restricting guides 14A to the first guide position, that is, to reach the first guide position, and positions the other restricting guide 14B to the second retracted position. That is, the guide surface 15A of one restricting guide 14A abuts against one edge of the sheet S3, while keeping the other restricting guide 14B in the second retracted position, and retracting the guide surface 15A of the restricting guide 14B from the other edge of the sheet S3.

[0093] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 12(c), the control unit 203 moves the other restrictor guide 14B to the second guide position, that is, to reach the second guide position, and moves one of the restrictor guides 14A to the first retracted position. That is, it abuts the guide surface 15A of the other restrictor guide 14B against the other edge of the sheet S3, and moves one of the restrictor guides 14A to the first retracted position, retracting the guide surface 15A of the restrictor guide 14A from one edge of the sheet S3.

[0094] In this embodiment, the restrictive guides 14A and 14B are abutted against the edge of the sheet S3 one side at a time, and while abutting is taking place, the restrictive guide on the opposite side is retracted from the edge of the sheet S3. This suppresses an increase in the transport resistance of the sheet S3. Note that the order in which the restrictive guides 14A and 14B are abutted is not limited to the above; the restrictive guide 14B may be abutted first, followed by the restrictive guide 14A.

[0095] Furthermore, if the basis weight of the sheet transferred from the transport roller pair 401 to the transport belt 12 is less than a predetermined value (for example, plain paper), as explained in Figures 10(a) to (d) above, after the rear end of the sheet has passed the transport roller pair 401, a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are moved from the retracted position to the guide position.

[0096] [Transportation operation of long sheets] Next, the transport operation for sheets S4 of a predetermined size or larger (such as long sheets) will be explained using Figures 13(a) and (b), with reference to Figures 4, 7, and 8. In the case of a sheet S4 whose length in the transport direction X is greater than a predetermined length, such as a long sheet, there is a possibility that the sheet may be nipped by the transport roller pair on either the downstream or upstream side in the transport direction while the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are correcting for side registers and side skew. When the sheet is nipped by the transport roller pair, even if the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are brought against the edge of the sheet, it may not be possible to adequately correct side registers and other issues (alignment operation), or the sheet may bend or fold. The "predetermined length" of the sheet is a length longer than the distance between the nip point of the upstream transport roller pair 401 and the nip point of the downstream transport roller pair 402 in the sheet transport direction.

[0097] On the other hand, in order to ensure that even long sheets are aligned without being nipped by the transport roller pair, it is conceivable to increase the distance in the transport direction X guided by a pair of restrictive guides 14A and 14B. However, in this case, the device becomes larger. Therefore, in this embodiment, when performing alignment operations on sheets S4 of a predetermined size or larger, the nipping of the downstream transport roller pair 402 is released.

[0098] As described above, the transport roller pair 402 and 403 downstream of the transport belt 12 can bring the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33 into contact with or separate from each other (see, for example, Figure 4). The contact / separation mechanism 31 that brings the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33 into contact with or separates them has motors M7 and M8 controlled by the control unit 203. Therefore, the control unit 203 can control the contact / separation mechanism 31 to bring the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33 into contact with or separate from each other.

[0099] In this embodiment, the control unit 203 can perform a nip release operation to move the transport roller pair 402 and 403 to the nip release position when the guide moving unit 420 moves a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B from the retracted position to the guide position. This will be explained in detail below with reference to Figures 13(a) and (b).

[0100] As shown in Figure 13(a), when the sheet S4 is transferred from the upstream transport roller pair 401 to the transport belt 12, the pair of restrictive guides 14A and 14B are in the retracted position. Then, as shown in Figure 13(b), when the sheet S4 is transported further downstream and the rear end of the sheet S4 has passed the upstream transport roller pair 401, the control unit 203 sets the downstream transport roller pair 402 and 403 to the nip release position. At the same time, the pair of restrictive guides 14A and 14B are moved from the retracted position to the guide position. That is, the pair of restrictive guides 14A and 14B are moved to the guide position after the rear end of the sheet S4 has passed the upstream transport roller pair 401. Thus, in this embodiment, the nip release operation is performed simultaneously with the guide moving unit 420 moving the pair of restrictive guides 14A and 14B from the retracted position to the guide position.

[0101] Note that the timing of the alignment operation, which moves the pair of guide guides 14A and 14B from the retracted position to the guide position, and the nip release operation do not have to be simultaneous. For example, if the rear end of the sheet has passed the upstream conveyor roller pair 401 but the front end (downstream end) of the sheet has not yet reached the downstream conveyor roller pair 402, the alignment operation may be started first, and the nip release operation may be performed before the front end of the sheet reaches the downstream conveyor roller pair 402. Also, in the case of a long sheet in which the front end of the sheet reaches the conveyor roller pair 402 before the rear end of the sheet has passed the conveyor roller pair 401, the nip release operation of the conveyor roller pair 402 may be performed before the front end of the sheet reaches the conveyor roller pair 402.

[0102] After the alignment operation of the sheet S4 is complete, the downstream conveyor roller pair 402 and 403 are returned from the nip release position to the nip position, and the sheet S4 is further conveyed downstream by the conveyor roller pair 402 and 403. The timing for returning the downstream conveyor roller pair 402 and 403 to the nip position is at the latest before the rear end of the sheet S4 passes the downstream end of the conveyor belt 12.

[0103] Furthermore, the control unit 203 moves the transport roller pair 402 and 403 from the nip release position to the nip position using the contact / separation mechanism 31, and then moves the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B from the guide position to the retracted position. If the sheet were nipped by the transport roller pair 402 after the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B had been moved to the retracted position, there is a risk that the sheet would be misaligned due to the nipping action. In contrast, since the sheet is nipped by the transport roller pair 402 first and then the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B are moved to the retracted position, the sheet is guided by the regulating guides 14A and 14B when the sheet is nipped, and unintentional misalignment of the sheet can be suppressed.

[0104] Furthermore, by moving the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B to the retracted position after the sheet has been nipped by the conveyor roller pair 402, interference between the next sheet and the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B when the next sheet is conveyed can be suppressed, thereby increasing productivity. The timing of the start of the movement of the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B to the retracted position may be simultaneous with the start of the movement of the conveyor roller pair 402 and 403 from the nip release position to the nip position. By moving the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B to the retracted position earlier, the next sheet can be handed over to the conveyor belt 12 as quickly as possible, thereby further increasing productivity.

[0105] In this embodiment, by performing the nip release operation in this manner, even if the downstream side of the sheet S4 reaches the transport roller pair 402 and further to the transport roller pair 403, alignment operation by the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B becomes possible. Therefore, alignment operation can be performed even for sheets of a predetermined length or longer without increasing the size of the device.

[0106] Furthermore, if the sheet length is less than a predetermined length, the nip release operation of the transport roller pair is not performed during alignment, thus reducing the number of times the transport roller pair moves in and out of contact. When the moving in and out operation is performed, the components of the moving in and out mechanism 31 wear out and noise is generated. Therefore, by minimizing the moving in and out operation, wear of components and noise generation can be suppressed.

[0107] Furthermore, the nip release operation of the transport roller pair may be performed during the alignment operation, not only when the sheet length is greater than or equal to a predetermined length, as described above. This allows the length of the misalignment correction unit 410 that performs the sheet alignment operation in the transport direction X to be further shortened, thereby enabling miniaturization of the device.

[0108] Here, in the case of a sheet with a basis weight of a predetermined value or more, the alignment operation is performed by abutting a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B against the sheet one side at a time, as explained in Figures 12(a) to (c). In the case of a sheet with a basis weight of a predetermined value or more, and if the sheet is also long, the transport roller pair 402 and 403 are set to the nip release position while this alignment operation is being performed. That is, as the trailing end of the sheet passes the upstream transport roller pair 401 and the alignment operation begins, one of the regulating guides 14A and 14B moves to the guide position, and at the same time, the transport roller pair 402 and 403 are set to the nip release position. After the alignment operation is completed, the transport roller pair 402 and 403 are returned to the nip position. As in the case described above, the timing of the start of the alignment operation and the nip release operation may be different.

[0109] In the above description, the nip release operation was performed on the transport roller pair 402 and 403, but the nip release operation may be performed only on the transport roller pair 402. Also, if the drive roller 32 and driven roller 33 of the transport roller pair 401 on the upstream side of the transport belt 12 are in contact with or separated from each other, the nip release operation may be performed on the transport roller pair 401 as well. That is, the control unit 203 may be able to perform a nip release operation to set the upstream transport roller pair 401 to the nip release position when the guide moving unit 420 moves a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B from the retracted position to the guide position. For example, in the state shown in Figure 13(a), the transport roller pair 401 may be set to the nip release position and the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B may be moved to the guide position.

[0110] The process of releasing the nip on the upstream conveyor roller pair 401 will be explained in more detail. The sheet is conveyed by the conveyor roller pair 511 (see Figure 4, etc.) further upstream of the conveyor roller pair 401, and after the leading edge of the sheet is nipped between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20, the nip on the conveyor roller pair 401 is released. After that, the regulating guides 14A and 14B are brought to their guide positions after the rear end of the sheet has passed the conveyor roller pair 511. Then, when the leading edge of the sheet is nipped by the downstream conveyor roller pair 402, the regulating guides 14A and 14B are moved to their retracted positions, and after the rear end of the sheet has passed the upstream conveyor roller pair 401, they are returned from the nip release position to the nip position.

[0111] Furthermore, all of the upstream and downstream conveyor roller pairs 401, 402, and 403 may be configured to be able to move toward and away from each other. In this case, the nip release operation of all conveyor roller pairs 401 to 403 may be performed simultaneously with the start of the alignment operation. Alternatively, the timing of the nip release operation of the conveyor roller pairs may be varied depending on the length of the sheet and the conveying conditions. For example, if the sheet spans multiple conveyor roller pairs during the alignment operation, all of those multiple conveyor roller pairs may be set to the nip release position during the alignment operation. Alternatively, the nip release operation may be performed sequentially from the upstream conveyor roller pair according to the conveying of the sheet, so that the sheet is not nipped by any of the conveyor roller pairs during the alignment operation.

[0112] Furthermore, the number of conveyor roller pairs that perform the nip release operation may be changed depending on the sheet size. For example, conveyor roller pair 402 may be one pair of first conveyor rollers, and conveyor roller pair 403 may be one pair of second conveyor rollers. Conveyor roller pair 403 is positioned further away from the conveyor belt 12 than conveyor roller pair 402. In addition, a contact / separation mechanism 31 that can move conveyor roller pair 403 between the nip position and the nip release position is used as the second roller moving means.

[0113] In this case, the control unit 203 controls the roller moving means and the contact / separation mechanism 31 as the second roller moving means to operate the transport roller pair 402 and 403 as follows. First, when the length of the sheet in the transport direction is greater than or equal to a second predetermined length which is longer than the predetermined length, the transport roller pair 402 and 403 are set to the nip release position when moving the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B from the retracted position to the guide position. On the other hand, when the length of the sheet is less than the second predetermined length but greater than or equal to the predetermined length, only the transport roller pair 402 is set to the nip release position when moving the pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B from the retracted position to the guide position, while the transport roller pair 403 remains in the nip position.

[0114] The operation of the transport roller pairs 402 and 403 described above may also be performed by the upstream transport roller pair 401 and the downstream transport roller pair 402. Furthermore, if all transport roller pairs 401 to 403 are configured to be able to move toward and away from each other, and the length of the sheet is a third predetermined length which is longer than a second predetermined length, all transport roller pairs 401 to 403 may be set to the nip release position during alignment operation.

[0115] The basis weight and size of the sheets mentioned above are based on information entered via an input unit (e.g., an operation panel) 1001 (Figure 1) provided by the image forming system 1000. For example, a user inputs information such as the basis weight and size of sheets stored in the feed deck 500 via the input unit 1001. The control unit 203 determines the basis weight and size of the sheets to be transported to the relay transport device 400 from this input information. The input unit 1001 may be an operation panel provided on the image forming apparatus 100, the multi-stage feed device 200, or the feed deck 500, or it may be an external terminal such as a personal computer connected to the image forming system 1000.

[0116] Alternatively, the basis weight and size of the sheet may be detected by installing sensors that detect the basis weight and size of the sheet in the transport path from the supply deck 500 to the relay transport device 400, or within the supply deck 500 itself.

[0117] [Action taken when sheet jam occurs] Next, the operation of the relay conveying device 400 when a jam occurs and the sheet stops on the conveyor belt 12 will be explained with reference to Figures 2 and 3, and using Figures 14 to 16. As shown in Figures 3 and 14, with respect to the sheet width direction Y, opposing members 450 and 460 are positioned between the conveyor belt 12 and a pair of regulating guides 14A and 14B, facing the underside of the sheet being conveyed by the conveyor belt 12. Of the opposing members 450 and 460, the opposing member 450 on the regulating guide 14A side is movable between the opposing position and a removal position that is retracted below the opposing position, as will be described later. The opposing position is the position that faces the underside of the sheet being conveyed by the conveyor belt 12. On the other hand, the opposing member 460 on the regulating guide 14B side is fixed in the opposing position.

[0118] The opposing members 450 and 460 each have opposing surfaces 450A and 460A that face the lower surface of the sheet at their respective opposing positions. The opposing surfaces 450A and 460A support the end of the sheet if the sheet is transported by the conveyor belt 12 without being supported by either of the regulating guides 14A and 14B.

[0119] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, the relay conveying device 400 has a housing 470 that houses the positional misalignment correction unit 410 described above. The housing 470 has an opening 471 formed at the front of the device, that is, on one side with respect to the sheet width direction Y, for removing sheets from inside the housing 470. The opening 471 is provided on the side of the regulating guide 14A (the first regulating guide side) with respect to the sheet width direction Y, and is mainly an opening for removing sheets that have stopped on the conveying belt 12.

[0120] Furthermore, the outlet 471 is located below the conveyor belt 12, as shown in Figure 14. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, the first moving part 420A and the second moving part 420B, which constitute the guide moving part 420, are positioned above the conveyor belt 12. As described above, the first moving part 420A and the second moving part 420B have pulleys 422A, 423A, 422B, 423B, belts 424A, 424B, and connecting parts 425A, 425B.

[0121] Here, if the dispensing opening 471 were located on the same side as the first moving part 420A and the second moving part 420B relative to the conveyor belt 12, these parts could get in the way when dispensing a sheet. For this reason, in this embodiment, the dispensing opening 471 is provided on the opposite side of the conveyor belt 12 from the first moving part 420A and the second moving part 420B. That is, the first moving part 420A and the second moving part 420B are positioned above the conveyor belt 12, and the dispensing opening 471 is positioned below the conveyor belt 12.

[0122] While the sheet is being conveyed by being held between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20, jams may occur where the sheet stops on the conveyor belt 12. In this embodiment, jammed sheets can be removed from the removal opening 471. To this end, the opposing member 450 on the removal opening 471 side is made movable between the opposing position shown in Figure 14 and the removal position shown in Figure 15. The removal position is a position where the opposing member 450 is retracted below the opposing position, allowing access to the sheet that has stopped on the conveyor belt 12 from the removal opening 471.

[0123] As described above, the opposing member 450 is supported by a link mechanism 454 so that it can move between the opposing position and the removal position. The link mechanism 454 is a parallel link mechanism having two link members 451 and 452 and pins 451A, 451B, 452A, and 452B that support both ends of each link member 451 and 452. Pins 451A and 451B are supported by the housing 470, and pins 451B and 452B are supported by the opposing member 450. Both ends of link member 451 are rotatably supported by pins 451A and 451B, and both ends of link member 452 are rotatably supported by pins 452A and 452B. Link members 451 and 452 are of the same length. As a result, the opposing member 450 can move between the opposing position and the removal position while maintaining the opposing surface 450A substantially parallel to the transport direction X (substantially parallel to the horizontal direction in this embodiment).

[0124] In this way, by making it possible to move the opposing member 450 to the removal position while maintaining the opposing surface 450A in a substantially horizontal direction, it becomes easier for the user to remove the sheet when the opposing member 450 is in the removal position. For example, if the opposing member 450 is in the removal position with the opposing surface 450A tilted with respect to the horizontal direction, the space for inserting a hand or the like into the interior beyond the opposing member 450 from the removal opening 471 (access space) may become narrower due to the tilt of the opposing surface 450A. In contrast, in this embodiment, for example, when a user inserts a hand or the like into the interior beyond the opposing member 450 from the removal opening 471, this insertion space can be widened, making it easier to remove the sheet.

[0125] Furthermore, the front end (left side in Figure 14) of the opposing member 450 is provided with a gripping portion 453 for a user to grasp by hand and move the opposing member 450 between the opposing position and the retrieval position. When a sheet stops on the conveyor belt 12, the user opens the door of at least the section of the multi-stage feeding device 200 where the relay conveying device 400 is located, grasps the gripping portion 453, and moves the opposing member 450 from the opposing position to the retrieval position, as shown in Figures 14 and 15. This allows the user to access the sheet that has stopped on the conveyor belt 12 through the retrieval opening 471 and the space above the opposing surface 450A of the opposing member 450 at the retrieval position.

[0126] In this case, the user may touch the sheet and push it towards the back, that is, towards the regulating guide 14B (the second regulating guide). If the regulating guide 14B on the back side is also movable further back, the sheet being pushed will also push the regulating guide 14B on the back side, potentially causing the sheet to move even further back. If the sheet moves further back, it will become difficult to remove.

[0127] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 203 that controls the guide movement unit 420 holds the rear regulating guide 14B in the position it was in when the sheet stopped on the conveyor belt. Specifically, it applies a holding current to the motor M3 that generates the driving force to move the rear regulating guide 14B. In this embodiment, motors M2 and M3 are pulse motors, and the stopped state is maintained when energized.

[0128] Therefore, when the control unit 203 determines that a sheet jam has occurred on the conveyor belt 12, it energizes the motor M3 to maintain the position of the regulating guide 14B. As a result, even if the user pushes the sheet when accessing it, the regulating guide 14B on the far side is held in place, preventing the sheet from going any further back. Consequently, it becomes easier to remove sheets that have stopped on the conveyor belt 12.

[0129] The control for maintaining the position of the regulating guide 14B may be started when the control unit 203 determines that the sheet has stopped on the conveyor belt 12, or it may be started after a predetermined time has elapsed from the time of determination. For example, the control unit 203 determines that the conveyance of the sheet has stopped on the conveyor belt 12 if a sensor that detects the sheet downstream of the conveyor belt 12 does not detect the sheet for a predetermined time. Alternatively, a sensor that detects sheet jams may be provided in the sheet conveyance path of the position misalignment correction unit 410, and the control unit 203 may determine to stop the conveyance of the sheet based on the detection result of this sensor.

[0130] Alternatively, the holding of the position of the regulating guide 14B may begin when the opposing member 450 moves to the removal position, or after it has moved. In this case, a sensor is provided to detect when the opposing member 450 has moved to the removal position, and the position of the regulating guide 14B may be held at the time the sensor detects that the opposing member 450 has moved to the removal position, or after a predetermined time has elapsed from that time.

[0131] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when a sheet stops on the conveyor belt 12, the front regulating guide 14A (the other regulating guide) is moved in a direction away from the conveyor belt 12 than the position just before the sheet stopped being conveyed. Specifically, the regulating guide 14A on the side of the outlet 471 is moved further forward, as shown by arrow α in Figure 15. For example, if the regulating guide 14A can move to a home position that is even further away from the conveyor belt 12 than the retracted position, in addition to the guide position and the retracted position, the control unit 203 moves the regulating guide 14A to the home position when it detects a jam of a sheet on the conveyor belt 12.

[0132] By moving the front restrictor guide 14A away from the conveyor belt 12 when the sheet stops being transported, it becomes easier for the user to access the sheet that has stopped on the conveyor belt 12. For example, the increased distance between the conveyor belt 12 and the front restrictor guide 14A makes it easier for the user to reach in between. Also, if the edge of the stopped sheet is caught on the restrictor guide 14A, moving the restrictor guide 14A away from the conveyor belt 12 makes it easier to release the sheet from the obstruction, making it easier for the user to remove the sheet.

[0133] Furthermore, when sheet transport stops, the power supply to the motor M2 that drives the front restrictor guide 14A may be cut off, allowing the front restrictor guide 14A to be moved manually. In this case, the user can move the restrictor guide 14A by hand, which widens the space for removing the sheet and makes it easier to remove the sheet.

[0134] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the sheet stops on the conveyor belt 12, the control unit 203 moves the rear regulating guide 14B toward the outlet 471 (outlet side, front side) in the sheet width direction Y, as shown in Figure 16. That is, the control unit 203 drives the motor M3 to move the regulating guide 14B toward the front, as indicated by the arrow β in Figure 16. As a result, the sheet is pushed toward the outlet 14 by the regulating guide 14B, making it easier for the user to remove the sheet. The sheet is nipped between the conveyor belt 12 and the sphere 20, but since this nipping pressure is small, the sheet moves toward the front when pushed by the regulating guide 14B.

[0135] Here, the timing for moving the regulating guide 14B forward may be when the control unit 203 determines that the sheet has stopped on the conveyor belt 12, or it may be after a predetermined time has elapsed since the determination. When the control unit 203 moves the regulating guide 14B in this way because it has determined that the sheet has stopped, as described above, no control is performed to maintain the position of the regulating guide 14B.

[0136] Furthermore, the timing for moving the regulating guide 14B forward may be when the opposing member 450 moves to the removal position, or after it has moved. In this case, a sensor may be provided to detect when the opposing member 450 has moved to the removal position, and the regulating guide 14B may be moved forward at the time the sensor detects that the opposing member 450 has moved to the removal position, or after a predetermined time has elapsed from that time. In this case, control may or may not be performed to maintain the position of the regulating guide 14B at the position when the sheet transport stops.

[0137] Alternatively, the device may be equipped with a user-operable button or the like, and the restrictor guide 14B may be moved forward by operating this button or the input unit 1001. The position of the restrictor guide 14B may be controlled to be held at the position when the sheet transport stops, and the restrictor guide 14B may be moved by user operation.

[0138] Furthermore, the operation of moving the regulating guide 14B forward when sheet transport stops is not performed if the stopped sheet straddles the transport belt 12 and the upstream transport roller pair 401 (a pair of upstream transport rollers) or the downstream transport roller pair 402 (a pair of downstream transport rollers). In other words, the control unit 203 does not move the regulating guide 14B if the sheet stops while straddling the transport belt 12 and the transport roller pair 401 or the transport roller pair 402. This is because moving the regulating guide 14B while the sheet is nipped by the transport roller pair 401 or the transport roller pair 402 could damage or tear the sheet.

[0139] However, if the sheet stops on the conveyor belt 12, the conveyor roller pairs 401 and 402 may be moved to the nip release position, thereby moving the regulating guide 14B forward. Whether the sheet straddles the conveyor belt 12 and the conveyor roller pair 401 or the conveyor roller pair 402 may be detected, for example, by providing sensors that detect the sheet between the conveyor belt 12 and the conveyor roller pair 401, and between the conveyor belt 12 and the conveyor roller pair 402. That is, if the control unit 203 determines that the sheet has stopped on the conveyor belt 12, and if any of the sensors detect the sheet, it can determine that the sheet has stopped straddling the conveyor belt 12 and the conveyor roller pair 401 or the conveyor roller pair 402.

[0140] <Other Embodiments> In the above embodiment, the control unit 203 for controlling the relay conveying device 400 is provided on the multi-stage feeding device 200, but these controls may also be performed by the control unit 140 of the image forming apparatus 100. Alternatively, the relay conveying device 400 may be provided with a control unit to control each part of the relay conveying device 400. Furthermore, the sheet conveying device may have any other configuration as long as it is a sheet conveying device capable of shifting the position of the sheet, regardless of the above-described relay conveying device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0141] 12···Conveyor belt / 12A···Conveyor surface / 14A···Regulating guide (first regulating guide, other regulating guides) / 14B···Regulating guide (second regulating guide) / 15A···Guide surface / 16A···Support surface / 17A··Opposite surface / 20···Sphere / 31···Contact / separation mechanism (roller moving means) / 100···Image forming apparatus / 200···Multi-stage feeding device / 203···Control unit / 400···Relay conveying device (sheet conveying device) / 401 ...Conveyor roller pair (conveyor member, one pair of conveyor rollers, one pair of upstream conveyor rollers) / 402...Conveyor roller pair (one pair of conveyor rollers, one pair of downstream conveyor rollers) / 403...Conveyor roller pair (one pair of conveyor rollers, one pair of second conveyor rollers) / 420...Guide moving part (guide moving means) / 420A...First moving part / 420B...Second moving part / 450...Opposite member / 471...Outlet / M2, M3...Motor (drive source)

Claims

[Claim 1] A sheet conveying device that receives and conveys sheets conveyed by a conveying member that conveys sheets in a predetermined conveying direction, An endless conveying belt is provided on the downstream side of the conveying member in the predetermined conveying direction, having a conveying surface that extends in the predetermined conveying direction, and conveying the sheet placed on the conveying surface in the predetermined conveying direction. Multiple spheres are arranged in the transport direction at a position opposite to the transport surface, and are rotatable in any direction while sandwiching the sheet between them and the transport surface. A pair of regulating guides are provided, which are positioned on both sides of the conveyor belt with respect to the sheet width direction intersecting the conveying direction, and which are capable of guiding both edges in the sheet width direction of the sheet being conveyed while being held between the conveyor belt and the sphere, The pair of regulating guides are provided with guide moving means that can move between a guide position that guides both edges of the sheet in the sheet width direction and a retracted position that is set back from the guide position and away from both edges of the sheet in the sheet width direction. The guide moving means moves the pair of regulating guides from the retracted position to the guide position after the rear end of the sheet, which has been transferred from the conveying member to the conveying belt, has passed the conveying member. A sheet conveying device characterized by the following features.

Images