US 7,584,956 B2
Image forming apparatus, sheet size detection device, and sheet size detection method
Masaru Yamagishi, Kawasaki (Japan)
Assigned to Ricoh Company Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Aug. 20, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/222,929.
Claims priority of application No. 2007-213943 (JP), filed on Aug. 20, 2007.
Prior Publication US 2009/0051101 A1, Feb. 26, 2009
Int. Cl. B65H 1/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 271—171  [399/393] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sheet size detection device for detecting multiple sheet sizes, the sheet size detection device comprising:
a sheet width direction regulating member slidably positionable in accordance with the sheet size of a recording sheet to regulate a sheet width direction;
a sheet conveyance direction regulating member slidably positionable in accordance with the sheet size of the recording sheet to regulate a sheet conveyance direction substantially perpendicular to the sheet width direction;
two levers each having a concavo-convex pattern, interlocking with the sheet width direction regulating member and the sheet conveyance direction regulating member, respectively, and superimposed in a sheet stacking direction to have the same center of rotation and the same locus formed by a leading end of the concavo-convex pattern away from the center of rotation, the concavo-convex pattern of at least one of the levers shaped to prevent, in a particular detection pattern, erroneous detection attributed to positional displacement of the concavo-convex pattern;
a detection sensor including multiple push switches to detect the sheet size of the recording sheet in accordance with a combined concavo-convex pattern formed by the superimposed levers to selectively press the push switches; and
a pattern supplementing device configured to supplement the concavo-convex pattern of the at least one lever at the leading end of the concavo-convex pattern to prevent, in another detection pattern, erroneous detection attributed to the shaping of the concavo-convex pattern for preventing the erroneous detection attributed to the positional displacement of the concavo-convex pattern with respect to the push switches.