# US 10,118,781 B2 · Sheet conveying device, image reading device, and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,781 B2 - Document ID: US10118781B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/717,862 - Filed: 2017-09-27 - Published: 2018-03-29 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-29 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Takayuki Andoh; Munekazu Hirata; Naoto Kitamura; Koji Hatayama; Kaoru Tada; Yasunobu Youda - Inventors: Takayuki Andoh; Munekazu Hirata; Naoto Kitamura; Koji Hatayama; Kaoru Tada; Yasunobu Youda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118781B2 ## CPC - B65H 5/062: {between rollers or balls} - B65H 7/12: responsive to double feed or separation - B65H 7/125: {sensing the double feed or separation without contacting the articles} - B65H 7/18: Modifying or stopping actuation of separators - H04N 1/0032: {with a medium handling apparatus, e.g. a sheet sorter (handling thin or filamentary material, e.g. sheets B65H)} - B65H 2301/44318: between rollers - B65H 2404/14: Roller pairs - B65H 2511/524: Multiple articles, e.g. double feed - B65H 2513/51: Sequence of process - B65H 2513/512: Starting; Stopping - B65H 2801/03: Image reproduction devices - B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers - G03G 2215/00548: Jam, error detection, e.g. double feeding - G03G 2215/00552: Purge of recording medium at jam - H04N 1/00602: {Feed rollers} - H04N 1/00628: {Separating, e.g. preventing feeding of two sheets at a time} - H04N 2201/0081: Image reader (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence) - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A sheet conveying device includes a sheet container, a separation feeder, a plurality of conveyance drivers, a multifeed detector, a sheet detector, and a conveyance controller. The conveyance drivers are driven to convey a sheet to a conveyance completion position on a sheet conveyance path. The multifeed detector detects occurrence of a multifeed on the conveyance path. The sheet detector detects presence or absence of the sheet at a sheet detection point on the conveyance path. The conveyance controller controls the conveyance drivers to be continuously driven until a preceding sheet preceding multifed sheets is conveyed to the conveyance completion position after the multifeed detector detects the occurrence of the multifeed. The conveyance controller controls the conveyance drivers to stop in a period in which at least one of the multifed sheets is present at the sheet detection point after the preceding sheet is conveyed to the conveyance completion position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet conveying device comprising: a sheet container to load sheets; a separation feeder to separate and feed a sheet from the sheets on the sheet container; a plurality of conveyance drivers driven together to convey the sheet to a conveyance completion position on a sheet conveyance path; a multifeed detector to detect occurrence of a multifeed on the sheet conveyance path; a sheet detector to detect presence or absence of the sheet at a sheet detection point on the sheet conveyance path; and a conveyance controller to control the plurality of conveyance drivers to be continuously driven for a predetermined timing until a preceding sheet preceding multifed sheets is conveyed to the conveyance completion position after the multifeed detector detects the occurrence of the multifeed, and to control the plurality of conveyance drivers to stop in a period in which at least one of the multifed sheets is present at the sheet detection point after the preceding sheet is conveyed to the conveyance completion position, wherein, after the multifeed detector detects the occurrence of the multifeed and the preceding sheet is conveyed to the conveyance completion position, the conveyance controller controls the plurality of conveyance drivers to be driven in reverse to convey the multifed sheets in a reverse direction and stop in the period in which the at least one of the multifed sheets is present at the sheet detection point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet detector detects presence or absence of the sheet at a plurality of sheet detection points that includes at least one sheet detection point at each of an upstream side and a downstream side of a multifeed detection point, at which the multifeed detector detects the occurrence of the multifeed, in a sheet conveyance direction, and wherein a distance between adjacent two sheet detection points across the multifeed detection point on the sheet conveyance path is shorter than a length of a shortest sheet in the sheet conveyance direction, the shortest sheet having a shortest length in the sheet conveyance direction among sheets conveyable in the sheet conveying device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyance controller controls the plurality of conveyance drivers to stop when the sheet detector detects no sheet within a threshold period from a start of conveyance of the multifed sheets in the reverse direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An image reading device comprising: the sheet conveying device according to claim 1 to convey the sheet; and an image reader to read an image on the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image reading device according to claim 4, wherein the image reader performs at least one of start operation and end operation of reading of the image on the sheet according to a detection time of the sheet detector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) An image forming apparatus comprising: the image reading device according to claim 4; and an image forming device to form an image according to the image read with the image reading device.