Image forming apparatus and remaining sheet detection method therefor
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYutaka Kubochi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus is provided that detects a sheet remaining between a transfer unit and fixing unit using a loop sensor. The loop sensor is configured to detect a loop of a sheet conveyed between the transfer unit and the fixing unit. The image forming apparatus includes a control unit to control, in accordance with an output from the loop sensor, a sheet conveyance speed of the fixing unit so as to form the loop of the sheet conveyed by the transfer unit and the fixing unit. If the loop sensor detects a presence of the sheet while driving of the transfer unit and the fixing unit for conveying the sheet has stopped, the control unit determines that a remaining sheet is present, and outputs a warning signal.
Claims13
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier;
- a transfer unit configured to transfer, to a sheet, an image formed on the image carrier;
- a fixing unit configured to fix the image transferred on the sheet by the transfer unit;
- a loop sensor configured to detect a loop of the sheet conveyed by the transfer unit and the fixing unit;
- and
- a control unit configured to control, in accordance with an output from the loop sensor, a sheet conveyance speed in the fixing unit so as to form the loop of the sheet conveyed by the transfer unit and the fixing unit,
- wherein when the loop sensor detects the sheet while driving of the transfer unit and the fixing unit for conveying the sheet stops, the control unit determines that a remaining sheet is present, and outputs a warning signal.
A method for an image forming apparatus having a transfer unit which transfers an image to a sheet and a fixing unit which fix the image on the sheet, the method comprising:
- controlling a sheet conveyance speed in the fixing unit so as to form a loop of the sheet in accordance with an output from a loop sensor which detects the loop of the sheet, while conveying the sheet between the transfer unit and the fixing unit;
- and
- determining whether a remaining sheet is present in the image forming apparatus in accordance with the output form the loop sensor while driving of the transfer unit and the fixing unit for sheet conveyance stops.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image carrier;
- a transfer unit configured to transfer an image formed on the image carrier to a sheet;
- a fixing unit configured to fix the image transferred on the sheet by the transfer unit;
- a sensor capable of detecting a slack of the sheet between the transfer unit and the fixing unit;
- and
- a control unit configured to control, based on an output from the sensor, a sheet conveyance speed of the fixing unit so that the amount of the slack of the sheet forming between the transfer unit and the fixing unit may become a defined amount, wherein the control unit is configured to determine if a presence of the sheet is detected by the sensor after driving of the transfer unit and the fixing unit for conveying the sheet has stopped.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.