US 5,722,029 AGranted

Image forming apparatus

AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.

InventorsNobuaki Tomidokoro, Masami Higuchi, Kunio Hayakawa, Youko Fukui, You Masuyama, Ryoichi Suzuki

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Abstract

In an image forming apparatus, the size of sheets (ordinary sheets) set on any tray not set as a tab tray by tab tray setting member is determined by ordinary sheet size sensing member on the basis of the dimension in the sheet feed direction and the dimension in the direction (widthwise) perpendicular to the above direction. On the other hand, the size of sheets (sheets with tabs) set on a tray set as a tab tray is determined by tab sheet size sensing member on the basis only of the dimension in the widthwise direction. If the size of the sheets of the tab tray cannot be determined on the basis only of the above dimension, the size set beforehand is selected. With this configuration, the apparatus is capable of detecting the sizes of various kinds of tab sheets with accuracy.

Claims2

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

sheet size sensing means for sensing a size of sheets stacked on each of a plurality of trays;
timing control means for controlling an image forming timing on the basis of outputs of said sheet size sensing means;
and
tab tray setting means for selectively setting any one of said plurality of trays as a tab tray for stacking sheets each having a tab;
said sheet size sensing means comprising:
ordinary sheet size sensing means for sensing a size of the sheets stacked on the trays not set as a tab tray by detecting a dimension of said sheets in an intended direction of sheet feed and a dimension in a direction perpendicular to the intended direction of sheet feed;
and
tab sheet size sensing means for sensing a size of the sheets stacked on the tray set as a tab tray by detecting only a dimension of said sheets in the direction perpendicular to the intended direction of sheet feed.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/731,990Filed 23 Oct 1996
Priority: JP 7-27558324 Oct 1995
Granted: 24 Feb 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G03G 15/5029
Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode…: by…
G03G 15/65
Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern: apparatus which relate to the handling of copy material
G03G 15/6594
Characterised by the copy material, e.g. postcards, large copies, multi-layered materials, coloured sheet material: characterised by the format or…
G03G 2215/00523
Copy medium: other special types, e.g. tabbed