Transport device, transport method, image forming apparatus, and image forming method

A transport device comprising:

• a feeder unit that feeds a paper sheet that is to be cut for use;
• a cutter unit that cuts the paper sheet fed by the feeder unit at an ideal cut line so that a cut paper sheet has a specified length;
• a first transport section that transports and then halts the paper sheet fed from the feeder unit so that the ideal cut line of the paper sheet is placed at the cutter unit;
• a second transport section that transports a preceding paper sheet cut by the cutter unit upstream of the cutter unit in the direction of the transport of the paper sheet, and halts the transport of the preceding paper sheet at a standby position;
• a third transport section that transports from the cutter unit a paper sheet subsequent to the cut preceding paper sheet toward the second transport section;
• and
• a modifying unit that modifies a paper sheet spacing between the preceding paper sheet and the subsequent paper sheet by changing a transport start timing of the transport of the subsequent paper sheet by the third transport unit in accordance with the length of the paper sheet if a timing when the second transport section halts the transport of the preceding paper sheet comes before a timing when the first transport section halts the transport of the subsequent paper sheet to place the ideal cut line of the subsequent paper sheet at the cutter unit.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a transport unit that transports a paper sheet;
• a cutter unit that cuts the paper sheet;
• a controller that, when transport of the paper sheet is to be halted, controls the transport unit so that the transport unit halts an ideal cut line of the paper sheet corresponding to a specified length of the paper sheet at a more upstream side in a direction of the transport of the paper sheet when a specified length of the paper sheet is shorter than a threshold length than when the specified length of the paper sheet is longer than the threshold length;
• and
• an image forming unit that forms an image on the paper sheet transported by the transport unit.

A transport method comprising:

• transporting a paper sheet;
• cutting the paper sheet;
• and
• when transport of the paper sheet is to be halted, controlling the transport of the paper sheet so that an ideal cut line of the paper sheet corresponding to a specified length of the paper sheet halts at a more upstream side in a direction of the transport of the paper sheet when a specified length of the paper sheet is shorter than a threshold length than when the specified length of the paper sheet is longer than the threshold length.

A transport method comprising:

• feeding a paper sheet that is to be cut for use;
• cutting the fed paper sheet at an ideal cut line so that a cut paper sheet has a specified length;
• in a first transport operation, transporting and then halting the fed paper sheet so that the ideal cut line of the paper sheet is placed at a cutting position;
• in a second transport operation, transporting a preceding cut paper sheet upstream of the cutting position in the direction of the transport of the paper sheet, and halting the transport of the preceding cut paper sheet at a standby position;
• in a third transport operation, transporting from the cutting position a paper sheet subsequent to the preceding cut paper sheet for the second transport operation;
• and
• modifying a paper sheet spacing between the preceding paper sheet and the subsequent paper sheet by changing a transport start timing of the transport of the subsequent paper sheet in the third transport operation in accordance with the length of the paper sheet if a timing when the second transport operation halts the transport of the preceding paper sheet comes before a timing when the first transport operation halts the transport of the subsequent paper sheet to place the ideal cut line of the subsequent paper sheet at the cutting position.

An image forming method comprising:

• transporting a paper sheet;
• cutting the paper sheet;
• when transport of the paper sheet is to be halted, controlling the transport of the paper sheet so that an ideal cut line of the paper sheet corresponding to a specified length of the paper sheet halts at a more upstream side in a direction of the transport of the paper sheet when a specified length of the paper sheet is shorter than a threshold length than when the specified length of the paper sheet is longer than the threshold length;
• and
• forming an image on the transported paper sheet.