# US 10,308,463 B2 · Image forming apparatus and method for controlling 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 10,308,463 B2 - Document ID: US10308463B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/665,812 - Filed: 2017-08-01 - Published: 2018-02-22 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-16 - Assignees: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Applicants: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Inventors: Shinya Tanigami - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308463B2 ## CPC - B65H 23/038: by rollers - G03G 15/5029: {by measuring the copy material characteristics, e.g. weight, thickness} - G03G 15/6529: {Transporting (G03G15/6555 takes precedence)} - G03G 15/6561: {for sheet registration} - G03G 15/6567: {for deskewing or aligning} - B41J 13/103: {for the sheet feeding section} - B65H 3/0676: {with two or more separator rollers in the feeding direction} - B65H 2403/942: Bidirectional powered handling device - B65H 2553/416: Array arrangement, i.e. row of emitters or detectors - B65H 2601/272: Skewing of handled material during handling - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract An image forming apparatus includes: sheet feed trays on which sheets are placed; a transferrer that transfers an image formed by an image forming part onto a sheet at a transfer position; conveyance roller pairs provided along conveyance paths from the sheet feed trays to the transfer position and that conveys a fed sheet; a conveyance position detector that detects a conveyance position of a conveyed sheet in a width direction; a sheet position adjuster that performs adjustment of the conveyance position of the sheet in the width direction by using an amount of displacement; and a hardware processor that determines, on the basis of a sheet feed tray that is to be used among the sheet feed trays and a sheet length of a sheet that is to be fed from the sheet feed tray, whether or not the adjustment of the conveyance position is to be performed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of sheet feed trays on which a plurality of sheets are placed; a transferrer that transfers an image formed by an image forming part onto a sheet at a transfer position; a plurality of conveyance roller pairs provided along conveyance paths from the plurality of sheet feed trays to the transfer position and that conveys a fed sheet; a conveyance position detector that detects, at a position upstream of the transfer position, a conveyance position of a conveyed sheet in a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction; a sheet position adjuster that performs, at an adjustment position upstream of the transfer position, adjustment of the conveyance position of the sheet in the width direction by using an amount of displacement calculated from the detected conveyance position; and a hardware processor that determines, on the basis of a sheet feed tray that is to be used among the plurality of sheet feed trays and a sheet length of a sheet that is to be fed from the sheet feed tray, whether or not the adjustment of the conveyance position is to be performed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where whether or not the adjustment of the conveyance position of the sheet fed from the sheet feed tray to be used is to be performed is to be determined, the hardware processor determines whether or not the adjustment of the conveyance position is to be performed on the basis of the sheet length and a number and position of at least one conveyance roller pair that is included in the plurality of conveyance roller pairs, is disposed upstream of the adjustment position along the conveyance paths, and nips the sheet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor determines whether or not the adjustment of the conveyance position is to be performed further on the basis of at least one condition of a type, a grammage, and a conveyance speed of the conveyed sheet in addition to the sheet feed tray and the sheet length. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a skew corrector, wherein, in a case where the adjustment of the conveyance position is determined to be performed, the hardware processor determines an amount of skew correction on the basis of the sheet length, the amount of displacement, and a number and position of at least one conveyance roller pair that is included in the plurality of conveyance roller pairs and nips the sheet in a case of performing the adjustment of the conveyance positions, and the skew corrector performs skew correction by adjusting an image forming position before transfer on the basis of the amount of skew correction determined by the hardware processor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the hardware processor determines the amount of skew correction further on the basis of at least one condition of a type, a grammage, and a conveyance speed of the conveyed sheet. ### Claim 6 An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of sheet feed trays on which a plurality of sheets are placed; a transferrer that transfers an image formed by an image forming part onto a sheet at a transfer position; a plurality of conveyance roller pairs provided along conveyance paths from the plurality of sheet feed trays to the transfer position and that conveys a fed sheet; a conveyance position detector that detects, at a position upstream of the transfer position, a conveyance position of a conveyed sheet in a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction; a sheet position adjuster that performs, at an adjustment position upstream of the transfer position, adjustment of the conveyance position of the sheet in the width direction by using an amount of displacement calculated from the detected conveyance position; a hardware processor that determines an amount of skew correction on the basis of a sheet feed tray that is to be used among the plurality of sheet feed trays, a sheet length of a sheet that is to be fed from the sheet feed tray, and the amount of displacement; and a skew corrector that performs skew correction by adjusting an image forming position before transfer on the basis of the amount of skew correction determined by the hardware processor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the hardware processor determines the amount of skew correction on the basis of the sheet length, the amount of displacement, and a number and position of at least one conveyance roller pair that is included in the plurality of conveyance roller pairs, is disposed upstream of the adjustment position along the conveyance paths, and nips the sheet in a case where the adjustment of the conveyance position of the sheet fed from the sheet feed tray to be used is to be performed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the hardware processor determines the amount of skew correction further on the basis of at least one condition of a type, a grammage, and a conveyance speed of the conveyed sheet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the hardware processor uses the amount of skew correction determined on the basis of the amount of displacement of a previously conveyed sheet for skew correction of image data for a sheet to be conveyed next. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, in a case where the determined amount of skew correction is equal to or larger than a first threshold value or where the amount of displacement is equal to or larger than a second threshold value, the hardware processor prohibits the adjustment of the conveyance position or performs the adjustment of the conveyance position by using an amount of adjustment smaller than the amount of displacement. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an image position adjuster that performs adjustment of an image position in the width direction by adjusting the image forming position before transfer, wherein, in a case where the determined amount of skew correction is equal to or larger than the first threshold value, where the amount of displacement is equal to or larger than the second threshold value, or where the adjustment of the image position is set to be performed, the hardware processor assigns all or part of the amount of displacement to the adjustment of the image position and determines the amount of skew correction in accordance with a remaining amount of displacement after the assignment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the hardware processor executes a measurement mode in which a sheet is fed from one of the sheet feed trays and determines, on the basis of the amount of displacement, the amount of skew correction to be applied to skew correction of a print job in which the one of the sheet feed trays is used. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a display, wherein, in a case where the amount of displacement is equal to or larger than a third threshold value or where the determined amount of skew correction is equal to or larger than a fourth threshold value, the display displays a message prompting confirmation of a loading state of a sheet in the sheet feed trays or a result of detection by the conveyance position detector. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a sheet inverter that inverts front and back surfaces of a sheet on one surface of which an image has been formed by the image forming part and conveys the inverted sheet again to the image forming part, wherein the hardware processor determines the amount of skew correction on the basis of the sheet length of the inverted sheet, the amount of displacement, and a number and position of at least one conveyance roller pair that is included in the plurality of conveyance roller pairs, is disposed upstream of the adjustment position along a conveyance path from the sheet inverter to the adjustment position, and nips the sheet in a case where the adjustment of the conveyance position of the conveyed sheet is to be performed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a compression canceller is provided for at least one of the plurality of conveyance roller pairs that is disposed upstream of the adjustment position along the conveyance paths, and the compression canceller is capable of switching the at least one of the plurality of conveyance roller pairs to a canceled state in which the at least one of the plurality of conveyance roller pairs does not nip the sheet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A method for controlling the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, the method comprising: determining, on the basis of a sheet feed tray that is to be used among the plurality of sheet feed trays and a sheet length of a sheet that is to be fed from the sheet feed tray, whether or not the adjustment of the conveyance position is to be performed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 6) A method for controlling the image forming apparatus according to claim 6, the method comprising: determining the amount of skew correction on the basis of a sheet feed tray that is to be used among the plurality of sheet feed trays, a sheet length of a sheet that is to be fed from the sheet feed tray, and the amount of displacement. ### Claim 18 (depends on 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a compression canceller is provided for at least one of the plurality of conveyance roller pairs that is disposed upstream of the adjustment position along the conveyance paths, and the compression canceller is capable of switching the at least one of the plurality of conveyance roller pairs to a canceled state in which the at least one of the plurality of conveyance roller pairs does not nip the sheet.