Image recording apparatus and recording-material feeding method

An image recording apparatus having a first feed-roller pair and a second feed-roller pair respectively disposed at an upstream side and a downstream side of a record position of a sheet-shaped recording material in a carrying direction, an image being recorded at said record position while said recording materials are fed in parallel by said first and second feed-roller pairs, said image recording apparatus comprising:

• a changing mechanism for changing said first and second feed-roller pairs between a nip state for nipping and feeding said recording materials, and one of a release state for releasing said recoding material and a weak nip state for weakening a nipping force of said recording material in comparison with said nip state;
• a detector for detecting passing of said recording materials at each row thereof;
• and
• a controller for controlling said changing mechanism on the basis of a detection result of said detector so as to change said first feed-roller pair to one of said release state and said weak nip state before a firstly detected posterior end of said recording materials fed by said first feed-roller pair in parallel leaves said first feed-roller pair kept in said nip state.

A recording-material feeding method for an image recording apparatus having a first feed-roller pair and a second feed-roller pair respectively disposed at an upstream side and a downstream side of a record position of a sheet-shaped recording material in a carrying direction, an image being recorded at said record position while said recording materials are fed in parallel by said first and second feed-roller pairs, said recording-material feeding method comprising the steps of:

• enabling said first and second feed-roller pairs to move between a nip state for nipping and feeding said recording material, and one of a release state for releasing a nip of said recording material and a weak nip state for weakening a nipping force of said recording material in comparison with said nip state;
• detecting passing of said recording materials, which are fed in parallel, at respective rows thereof;
• and
• changing said second feed-roller pair to said nip state on the basis of a detected result after a lastly detected anterior end of said recording materials fed by said first feed-roller pair in parallel has passed through said second feed-roller pair kept in one of said release state and said weak nip state.

A recording-material feeding method for an image recording apparatus having a first feed-roller pair and a second feed-roller pair respectively disposed at an upstream side and a downstream side of a record position of a sheet-shaped recording material in a carrying direction, an image being recorded at said record position while said recording materials are fed in parallel by said first and second feed-roller pairs, said recording-material feeding method comprising the steps of:

• enabling said first and second feed-roller pairs to move between a nip state for nipping and feeding said recording material, and one of a release state for releasing a nip of said recording material and a weak nip state for weakening a nipping force of said recording material in comparison with said nip state;
• detecting passing of said recording materials, which are fed in parallel, at respective rows thereof;
• and
• changing said first feed-roller pair to one of said release state and said weak nip state on the basis of a detected result before a firstly detected posterior end of said recording materials fed by said first feed-roller pair in parallel leaves said first feed-roller pair kept in said nip state.