Sheet conveying device capable of determining whether or not stack of sheets placed on lift portion is in setting failure state, image forming apparatus, and determination method

Abstract

A sheet conveying device includes a sheet supply portion, a detection portion, an acquisition processing portion, and a determination processing portion. The sheet supply portion supplies an uppermost sheet in a stack of sheets lifted by a lift portion to a conveying path. The detection portion detects the sheet supplied by the sheet supply portion on the conveying path. The acquisition processing portion acquires, when the stack of sheets is lifted by the lift portion, speed information related to a conveying speed of the sheet by the sheet supply portion using the detection portion. The determination processing portion determines whether or not the stack of sheets is in a setting failure state based on the speed information acquired by the acquisition processing portion.

1 . A sheet conveying device, comprising:
 a lift portion which lifts a stack of sheets;   a sheet supply portion which includes a conveying member which rotates while being in contact with an upper surface of the stack of sheets lifted by the lift portion, and supplies a sheet that comes into contact with the conveying member to a conveying path;   a detection portion which detects the sheet supplied by the sheet supply portion on the conveying path;   an acquisition processing portion which acquires, when the stack of sheets is lifted by the lift portion, speed information related to a conveying speed of the sheet by the sheet supply portion using the detection portion; and   a determination processing portion which determines whether or not the stack of sheets is in a setting failure state based on the speed information acquired by the acquisition processing portion.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a sheet storing portion which is detachably provided in a housing of the sheet conveying device and stores the stack of sheets, wherein   the lift portion is provided in the sheet storing portion, and   the acquisition processing portion acquires the speed information when the lift of the stack of sheets by the lift portion is a first lift after the sheet storing portion is attached to the housing.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the acquisition processing portion acquires the speed information at a time when the sheet is supplied for a first time after the stack of sheets is lifted by the lift portion.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the acquisition processing portion acquires the speed information every time the stack of sheets is lifted by the lift portion, and   the determination processing portion determines whether or not the stack of sheets is in the setting failure state based on a plurality of pieces of the speed information that have been acquired consecutively and include the speed information that has been acquired last.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the determination processing portion determines whether or not the stack of sheets is in the setting failure state based on a plurality of pieces of the speed information having a common type of the sheet conveyed at a time of the acquisition of the speed information out of a plurality of pieces of the speed information acquired by the acquisition processing portion.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a notification processing portion which, when it is determined by the determination processing portion that the stack of sheets is in the setting failure state, notifies to that effect.   
     
     
         7 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 the sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ; and   an image forming portion which forms an image on the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying device.   
     
     
         8 . A determination method executed in a sheet conveying device including a lift portion which lifts a stack of sheets, a sheet supply portion which includes a conveying member which rotates while being in contact with an upper surface of the stack of sheets lifted by the lift portion, and supplies a sheet that comes into contact with the conveying member to a conveying path, and a detection portion which detects the sheet supplied by the sheet supply portion on the conveying path, the determination method comprising:
 an acquisition step of acquiring, when the stack of sheets is lifted by the lift portion, speed information related to a conveying speed of the sheet by the sheet supply portion using the detection portion; and   a determination step of determining whether or not the stack of sheets is in a setting failure state based on the speed information acquired in the acquisition step.