Sheet conveyance device, image forming apparatus, method, and storage medium

A method for a sheet conveyance device, wherein the sheet conveyance device includes a conveyance roller pair, a skew correction roller pair, disposed downstream from the conveyance roller pair in a sheet conveyance direction, a transfer unit disposed downstream from the skew correction roller pair in the sheet conveyance direction, a first conveyance guide having a bend contact portion and disposed between the skew correction roller pair and the transfer unit, a second conveyance guide disposed in a position facing the first conveyance guide, and a protrusion disposed between the skew correction roller pair and the bend contact portion, the method comprising:

• conveying a sheet via the conveyance roller pair;
• forming, via the skew correction roller pair, two nip portions disposed apart from each other in a width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, and conveying, via the skew correction roller pair, the sheet after a leading end of the conveyed sheet comes into contact with the two nip portions by the conveyance roller pair and a skew of the sheet is corrected in a state in which the skew correction roller pair is being stopped;
• transferring, via the transfer unit, a toner image on the sheet and convey the sheet on which the toner image has been transferred;
• bending, via the first conveyance guide, the sheet such that a first surface of the sheet becomes an inside surface, and contacting, via the bend contact portion, a portion forming a bend on the first surface of the sheet;
• bending, via a second conveyance guide the sheet with the first conveyance guide to cause the first surface of the sheet to be the inside surface such that a second surface opposite the first surface of the sheet is an outside surface, and
• contacting, via the protrusion, the first surface of the sheet,
• wherein the protrusion is disposed in an entire area between the two nip portions of the skew correction roller pair in the width direction, and
• wherein the protrusion protrudes toward the second conveyance guide from the first conveyance guide in a manner as to intersect with a straight line connecting the two nip portions and the bend contact portion in a cross section perpendicular to the width direction.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to cause a computer to perform a method for a sheet conveyance device, wherein the sheet conveyance device includes a conveyance roller pair, a skew correction roller pair, disposed downstream from the conveyance roller pair in a sheet conveyance direction, a transfer unit disposed downstream from the skew correction roller pair in the sheet conveyance direction, a first conveyance guide having a bend contact portion and disposed between the skew correction roller pair and the transfer unit, a second conveyance guide disposed in a position facing the first conveyance guide, and a protrusion disposed between the skew correction roller pair and the bend contact portion, the method comprising:

• conveying a sheet via the conveyance roller pair;
• forming, via the skew correction roller pair, two nip portions disposed apart from each other in a width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, and conveying, via the skew correction roller pair, the sheet after a leading end of the conveyed sheet comes into contact with the two nip portions by the conveyance roller pair and a skew of the sheet is corrected in a state in which the skew correction roller pair is being stopped;
• transferring, via the transfer unit, a toner image on the sheet and convey the sheet on which the toner image has been transferred;
• bending, via the first conveyance guide, the sheet such that a first surface of the sheet becomes an inside surface, and contacting, via the bend contact portion, a portion forming a bend on the first surface of the sheet;
• bending, via a second conveyance guide the sheet with the first conveyance guide to cause the first surface of the sheet to be the inside surface such that a second surface opposite the first surface of the sheet is an outside surface, and
• contacting, via the protrusion, the first surface of the sheet,
• wherein the protrusion is disposed in an entire area between the two nip portions of the skew correction roller pair in the width direction, and
• wherein the protrusion protrudes toward the second conveyance guide from the first conveyance guide in a manner as to intersect with a straight line connecting the two nip portions and the bend contact portion in a cross section perpendicular to the width direction.