US 12,386,301 B2
Image forming apparatus
Munehito Kurata, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Aug. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/456,361.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-135507 (JP), filed on Aug. 29, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0069481 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. G03G 15/00 (2006.01); B65H 3/06 (2006.01); G03G 21/20 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/6511 (2013.01) [B65H 3/06 (2013.01); G03G 21/203 (2013.01); B65H 2404/60 (2013.01); B65H 2404/7431 (2013.01); B65H 2515/32 (2013.01); B65H 2515/40 (2013.01); B65H 2515/805 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a sheet feeding cassette configured to store a sheet;
a pickup roller configured to feed the sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette;
an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet fed by the pickup roller;
a first conveyance guide configured to guide the sheet fed by the pickup roller, wherein the first conveyance guide is disposed at a position that is upstream from the image forming portion with respect to a conveyance direction of the sheet, and the first conveyance guide is further configured to guide the sheet in a direction away from the image forming portion when viewed in a vertical direction;
a second conveyance guide configured to guide the sheet fed by the pickup roller, wherein the second conveyance guide is connected to the first conveyance guide, is disposed at a position that is upstream from the image forming portion and downstream from the first conveyance guide with respect to the conveyance direction, and is further configured to guide the sheet in a direction approaching the image forming portion when viewed in the vertical direction;
a driving motor configured to drive the conveyance roller;
a torque detection unit configured to detect a value related to a driving torque of the driving motor; and
a control unit configured to determine an image forming condition under which image formation is to be performed on the sheet at the image forming portion,
wherein the control unit determines the image forming condition in accordance with a result of detection by the torque detection unit,
wherein the torque detection unit detects the value related to the driving torque during a period in which the sheet is fed by the pickup roller and in which the sheet is present at a curved part of a conveyance path formed by the first conveyance guide and the second conveyance guide, and
wherein a curvature radius of the curved part is less than or equal to 150 mm (millimeter).