Image forming apparatus and sheet adjusting device incorporated therein

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image forming device to form an image on a surface of a sheet of recording media;
• a sheet adjusting device positioned upstream from the image forming device to adjust a lateral position of the sheet by moving the sheet in a lateral direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction,
• the sheet adjusting device comprising:
• a driving unit;
• a moving unit connected to the driving unit;
• a driving roller rotatable by the driving unit and movable laterally by the moving unit;
• a driven roller rotatable with rotation of the driving roller while pressing and holding the sheet with the driving roller and movable laterally with movement of the driving roller;
• and
• stoppers disposed contactable with both end portions of the driven roller to restrict a range of movement of the driven roller laterally;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the sheet adjusting device to drive the driving unit,
• the controller causing the moving unit to move the driving roller in one of a first direction toward one axial end of the driving roller and a second direction toward the other axial end of the driving roller for adjusting a position of the sheet interposed between the driving roller and the driven roller laterally, and then adjusting the lateral position of the driven roller with respect to the driving roller by moving the driving roller in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction until the driven roller in misregistration with respect to the driving roller laterally contacts the stoppers with the sheet separated from the driving roller and the driven roller and then by moving the driving roller in the second direction to a predetermined position with the driven roller remaining in contact with the stoppers.