Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus provided with the same

An image forming apparatus characterized by:

• sheet feeding means for successively feeding sheets supported on sheet supporting means;
• first registration correcting means for correcting the registration of said sheets fed from said sheet supporting means by said sheet feeding means;
• second registration correcting means for correcting the registration of the sheet between said first registration correcting means and an image recording position;
• sheet interval detecting means provided between said first registration correcting means and said second registration correcting means for detecting the interval between the sheets;
• judging means for judging whether the interval between the sheets detected by said sheet interval detecting means is a predetermined interval;
• and
• control means for controlling said sheet feeding means and said first registration correcting means independently of each other in conformity with the result of the judgment of said judging means;
• said judging means having at least two judgement references of said predetermined interval.

An image forming method characterized by:

• the sheet feeding step of successively feeding sheets supported on sheet supporting means;
• the first registration correcting step of correcting the registration of said sheets fed from said sheet supporting means at a first registration correcting position;
• the second registration correcting step of correcting the registration of the sheets between said first registration correcting position and an image recording position at a second registration correcting position;
• the sheet interval detecting step of detecting the interval between the sheets provided between said first registration correcting position and said second registration correcting position;
• the judging step of judging whether the interval between said sheets detected by said sheet interval detecting step is a predetermined interval;
• and
• the controlling step of controlling said sheet feeding step and said first registration correcting step independently of each other in conformity with the result of the judgement at said judging step;
• said judging step having at least two judgement references of said predetermined interval.

A data storage medium having recorded thereon a control program for executing steps for effecting image forming control by a computer, characterized in that said program is provided with:

• the sheet feeding step of successively feeding sheets supported on sheet supporting means;
• the first registration correcting step of correcting the registration of said sheets fed from said sheet supporting means at a first registration correcting position;
• the second registration correcting step of correcting the registration of the sheets between said first registration correcting position and an image recording position at a second registration correcting position;
• the sheet interval detecting step of detecting the interval between the sheets provided between said first registration correcting position and said second registration correcting position;
• the judging step of judging whether the interval between said sheets detected by said sheet interval detecting step is a predetermined interval;
• and
• the controlling stop of controlling said sheet feeding step and said first registration correcting step independently of each other in conformity with the result of the judgement at said judging step;
• said judging step having at least two judgement references of said predetermined interval.

A sheet conveying apparatus characterized by the provision of:

• sheet feeding means for feeding sheets from sheet supporting means on which said sheets are supported;
• first sheet conveying means, second sheet conveying means and third sheet conveying means successively disposed downstream of said sheet supporting means with respect to the feeding direction of said sheets for conveying said sheets;
• sheet interval judging means for detecting the passage of said sheets between said second sheet conveying means and said third sheet conveying means, and judging whether the intervals between said sheets is a predetermined interval;
• and
• control means for independently controlling the driving of said first sheet conveying means and said second sheet conveying means on the basis of the judgement of said sheet interval judging means so that said sheets are conveyed with said predetermined interval.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• first registration means for correcting a leading end of a sheet and feeding the sheet;
• sheet feeding means for feeding the sheet fed by the first registration means;
• second registration means disposed downstream of said sheet feeding means with respect to the sheet feeding direction for correcting the leading end of the sheet;
• sheet interval detecting means disposed between said first registration means and said second registration means for detecting the interval between sheets;
• and
• means for drive-controlling said sheet feeding means and said first registration means by a signal from said sheet interval detecting means.