Image forming apparatus, sheet feeding method

Abstract

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus, a sheet feeding method, and a sheet feeding program that can prevent adverse effect brought about when the temporary stop position of a sheet deviates from a predetermined stop position. The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which includes a drive control unit 101 that controls the operation of driving feeding rollers for feeding sheets to a regist roller that performs skew correction for sheets being fed, and a retention state information take-in unit 102 that takes in information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is retained by the feeding rollers to be made to stand by temporarily, wherein the drive control unit 101 resumes the sheet feeding by the feeding rollers under predetermined timing based on information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is taken in by the retention state information take-in unit 102.

1 . An image forming apparatus, comprising: 
 a drive control unit that controls the operation of driving feeding rollers for feeding sheets to a regist roller that performs skew correction for sheets being fed; and    a retention state information take-in unit that takes in information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is retained by the feeding rollers to be made to stand by temporarily,    wherein the drive control unit resumes the sheet feeding by the feeding rollers under predetermined timing based on information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is taken in by the retention state information take-in unit.    
     
     
         2 . An image forming apparatus, comprising: 
 a drive control unit that controls the operation of driving feeding rollers for feeding sheets to a regist roller that performs skew correction for sheets being fed;    a retention state information take-in unit that takes in information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is retained by the feeding rollers to be made to stand by temporarily; and    an environment detection unit that detects at least one of the temperature and humidity,    wherein, in case at least one of the temperature and humidity detected by the environment detection unit goes beyond a predetermined threshold value, the drive control unit resumes the sheet feeding by the feeding rollers under predetermined timing based on information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is taken in by the retention state information take-in unit.    
     
     
         3 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the retention state information take-in unit takes in information concerning the supply start position of the sheet to the feeding route.  
     
     
         4 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the retention state information take-in unit takes in information concerning the supply start position of the sheet to the feeding route, and information concerning the size of the sheet.  
     
     
         5 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, when resuming the sheet feeding by the feeding rollers under predetermined timing based on information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is taken in by the retention state information take-in unit, the drive control unit delays the predetermined timing in case the number of feeding rollers which retain a sheet in the temporary standby state is small.  
     
     
         6 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, when resuming the sheet feeding by the feeding rollers under predetermined timing based on information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is taken in by the retention state information take-in unit, the drive control unit delays the predetermined timing by a period of time longer than 0 msec and shorter than 60 msec from a predetermined reference timing in case the number of feeding rollers which retain a sheet in the temporary standby state is smaller than a predetermined number of rollers.  
     
     
         7 . A sheet feeding method, comprising: 
 a drive control step that controls the operation of driving feeding rollers for feeding sheets to a regist roller that performs skew correction for sheets being fed; and    a retention state information take-in step that takes in information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is retained by the feeding rollers to be made to stand by temporarily,    wherein the drive control step resumes the sheet feeding by the feeding rollers under predetermined timing based on information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is taken in by the retention state information take-in step.    
     
     
         8 . The sheet feeding method according to  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 an environment detection step that detects at least one of the temperature and humidity,    wherein, in case at least one of the temperature and humidity detected by the environment detection step goes beyond a predetermined threshold value, the drive control step resumes the sheet feeding by the feeding rollers under predetermined timing based on information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is taken in by the retention state information take-in step.    
     
     
         9 . The sheet feeding method according to  claim 7 , wherein the retention state information take-in step takes in information concerning the supply start position of the sheet to the feeding route.  
     
     
         10 . The sheet feeding method according to  claim 7 , wherein the retention state information take-in step takes in information concerning the supply start position of the sheet to the feeding route, and information concerning the size of the sheet.  
     
     
         11 . The sheet feeding method according to  claim 7 , wherein, when resuming the sheet feeding by the feeding rollers under predetermined timing based on information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is taken in by the retention state information take-in step, the drive control step delays the predetermined timing in case the number of feeding rollers which retain a sheet in the temporary standby state is small.  
     
     
         12 . The sheet feeding method according to  claim 7 , wherein, when resuming the sheet feeding by the feeding rollers under predetermined timing based on information concerning the retention state of a sheet that is taken in by the retention state information take-in step, the drive control step delays the predetermined timing by a period of time longer than 0 msec and shorter than 60 msec from a predetermined reference timing in case the number of feeding rollers which retain a sheet in the temporary standby state is smaller than a predetermined number of rollers.