Sheet feeding apparatus and image processing apparatus

Abstract

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet conveying unit configured to convey a sheet along a conveyance path, a detecting unit configured to detect the sheet passing along the conveyance path, a control unit configured to determine an amount of delay of a sheet conveyed along the conveyance path based on the detection and determine information to be output based on the amount of the delay, and an output unit configured to output the information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
 a sheet conveyer configured to convey a sheet along a conveyance path;   a sheet sensor configured to detect the sheet passing along the conveyance path; and   a controller configured to determine an amount of delay of each of sheets conveyed along the conveyance path based on detection of each of the sheets by the sheet sensor, and output information corresponding to the amount of the delay, a conveying speed of the sheet conveyer being maintained regardless of the amount of the delay.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller determines the amount of delay by determining a speed of each of the sheets passing along the conveyance path, based on the detection, and comparing the determined speed with a reference value.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the sheet conveyer includes a first roller and a second roller that are consecutively arranged along the conveyance path in this order in a sheet conveying direction,   the sheet sensor includes a first sheet sensor disposed between the first roller and the second roller along the conveyance path, and a second sheet sensor disposed between the first sheet sensor and the second roller along the conveyance path, and   the controller determines the speed of each of the sheets based on a time difference between detection of the sheet by the first sheet sensor and detection of the sheet by the second sheet sensor.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the first roller is a separation roller configured to separate a sheet from one or more other sheets overlapping therewith, and the second roller is a resist roller.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the controller determines the amount of delay by determining an average speed of the speeds of the sheets, and comparing the determined average speed with a reference value.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the controller determines the amount of delay by comparing each of the speeds with a reference value, and determining the number of times the speed is lower than the reference value.   
     
     
         7 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a display on which maintenance information corresponding to the information output by the controller is displayed, wherein   the controller displays, on the display, different maintenance information depending on different amounts of the delay.   
     
     
         8 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
 an image scanner;   a sheet conveyer configured to convey a sheet along a conveyance path to the image scanner;   a sheet sensor configured to detect the sheet passing along the conveyance path; and   a controller configured to determine an amount of delay of each of sheets conveyed along the conveyance path based on detection of each of the sheets by the sheet sensor, and output information corresponding to the amount of the delay, a conveying speed of the sheet conveyer being maintained regardless of the amount of the delay.   
     
     
         9 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the controller determines the amount of delay by determining a speed of each of the sheets passing along the conveyance path, based on the detection, and comparing the determined speed with a reference value.   
     
     
         10 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the sheet conveyer includes a first roller and a second roller that are consecutively arranged along the conveyance path in this order in a sheet conveying direction,   the sheet sensor includes a first sheet sensor disposed between the first roller and the second roller along the conveyance path, and a second sheet sensor disposed between the first sheet sensor and the second roller along the conveyance path, and   the controller determines the speed of each of the sheets based on a time difference between detection of the sheet by the first sheet sensor and detection of the sheet by the second sheet sensor.   
     
     
         11 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the first roller is a separation roller configured to separate a sheet from one or more other sheets overlapping therewith, and the second roller is a resist roller.   
     
     
         12 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the controller determines the amount of delay by determining an average speed of the speeds of the sheets, and comparing the determined average speed with a reference value.   
     
     
         13 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the controller determines the amount of delay by comparing each of the speeds with a reference value, and determining the number of times the speed is lower than the reference value.   
     
     
         14 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a display on which maintenance information corresponding to the information output by the controller is displayed, wherein   the controller displays, on the display, different maintenance information depending on different amounts of the delay.   
     
     
         15 . A method for carrying out a sheet processing, comprising:
 conveying each of a plurality of sheets along a conveyance path;   detecting each of the sheets passing along the conveyance path;   determining an amount of delay of each of the sheets based on detection of the sheets passing along the conveyance path, a sheet conveying speed being maintained regardless of the amount of the delay; and   outputting information corresponding to the amount of the delay.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein
 the determining the amount of delay includes determining a speed of each of the sheets passing along the conveyance path, based on the detection, and comparing the determined speed with a reference value.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 each of the sheets are conveyed by a first roller and a second roller that are consecutively arranged along the conveyance path in this order in a sheet conveying direction,   each of the sheets are detected by a first sheet sensor disposed between the first roller and the second roller along the conveyance path, and a second sheet sensor disposed between the first sheet sensor and the second roller along the conveyance path, and   the speed of each of the sheets is determined based on a time difference between detection of the sheet by the first sheet sensor and detection of the sheet by the second sheet sensor.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the determining the amount of delay includes determining an average speed of the speeds of the sheets, and comparing the determined average speed with a reference value.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the determining the amount of delay includes comparing each of the speeds with a reference value, and determining the number of times the speed is lower than the reference value.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 displaying, on a display, maintenance information corresponding to the output information, wherein different maintenance information is displayed on the display depending on different amounts of the delay.