Feeding Device and Image Forming Apparatus

A method of feeding an object, by using a feeding device including (a) a feed mechanism including a motor that is to be driven with supply of a power thereto, and a feeder that is to be operated by said motor for feeding the object in a feed direction, and (b) a power supply controller operable, upon a command requesting the object to be moved to a desired position, to supply the power to said motor until an actual operating position of said feeder coincides with a power-supply-stop operating position located before a target operating position of said feeder that causes the object to be positioned in said desired position, and to stop the supply of the power to said motor when said actual operating position coincides with said power-supply-stop operating position, for causing said actual operating position to eventually coincide with said target operating position owing to an inertia of said feed mechanism, said method comprising:

• inputting said command requesting said power supply controller to move the object to the desired position;
• and
• causing, in response to said command, said power supply controller to stop the supply of the power to said motor when said actual operating position of said feeder coincides with said power-supply-stop operating position, which is determined for reducing a positioning error of the object in presence of a torque fluctuation of said feed mechanism, based on said target operating position of said feeder and a cyclic variation of an operating velocity of said feeder that is caused by said torque fluctuation of said feed mechanism.