| 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 |

| 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.
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