There is provided a mechanism for determining whether to perform processing of lifting up a document tray upon detection of a document depending on an active application. A method for controlling an image processing apparatus includes lifting up a document tray upon placement of a document on the document tray, conveying the document placed on the document tray lifted up in the lifting, reading the document conveyed in the conveying, and registering, for an application, whether to lift up the document tray upon the placement of the document on the document tray.

An image forming apparatus includes a paper feeding cassette, a first conveying unit, a lift mechanism, a motor, a second conveying unit, and a control unit. The controller drives the motor and, if a value indicating a movement amount of the tray moving from when the lift mechanism starts the lifting of the tray until when a position of the top part reaches a first position is a first value, matches a position of the first conveying unit, which comes into contact with the top part to thereby rise together with the tray, with a second position and, if the value indicating the movement amount is a second value larger than the first value, matches the position of the first conveying unit, which comes into contact with the top part to thereby rise together with the tray, with a third position lower than the second position.

An image forming apparatus includes a paper feeding cassette, a first conveying unit, a lift mechanism, a motor, a second conveying unit, and a control unit. The controller drives the motor and, if a value indicating a movement amount of the tray moving from when the lift mechanism starts the lifting of the tray until when a position of the top part reaches a first position is a first value, matches a position of the first conveying unit, which comes into contact with the top part to thereby rise together with the tray, with a second position and, if the value indicating the movement amount is a second value larger than the first value, matches the position of the first conveying unit, which comes into contact with the top part to thereby rise together with the tray, with a third position lower than the second position.

A feeder of a sheet treating or a sheet processing machine comprises a sensor system, which sensor system, on a front side pointing in a direction of transport of the sheets to be fed or on the opposing, rear side of the pile of sheets to be fed, comprises one or more sensors, by the use of which sensors, a distance, with respect to at least two locations, which are spaced apart from one another transversely to the transport direction, at the relevant front or rear sides of the pile, can be ascertained. A method is provided for detecting or correcting sheets having deviated positions or dimensions in such a sheet feeder of a sheet treating or processing machine.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus to support a sheet and configured to stably detect a presence of the sheet with a simple arrangement, and an image forming apparatus including such apparatus. A sheet discharging apparatus includes an apparatus body, a discharge member provided in the apparatus body and configured to discharge a sheet, a movable tray movable with respect to the apparatus body and including a sheet supporting surface configured to support the sheet discharged by the discharge member, a movable member supported by the movable tray and configured to move by being pressed by the sheet supported on the sheet supporting surface, and a detecting portion provided in the apparatus body and configured to detect a presence of the sheet supported on the sheet supporting surface in response to a position of the movable member.

A document conveying device according to the present disclosure includes a sheet feeding tray, a discharge tray, a feeding roller, a first lifting mechanism, a conveying mechanism, a support member and a second mechanism. On the sheet feeding tray, a document is stacked. The discharge tray is provided below the sheet feeding tray. The feeding roller feeds the document on the sheet feeding tray. The first lifting mechanism supports both end portions of the sheet feeding tray in a width direction intersecting a conveying direction of the document, and lifts and lowers the sheet feeding tray such that an upper surface of the document comes in contact with the feeding roller. The support member supports the sheet feeding feed tray on an upstream side of the first lifting mechanism in the conveying direction. The second lifting mechanism lifts and lowers the support member in synchronization with the sheet feeding tray.

A document conveying device according to the present disclosure includes a sheet feeding tray, a discharge tray, a feeding roller, a first lifting mechanism, a conveying mechanism, a support member and a second mechanism. On the sheet feeding tray, a document is stacked. The discharge tray is provided below the sheet feeding tray. The feeding roller feeds the document on the sheet feeding tray. The first lifting mechanism supports both end portions of the sheet feeding tray in a width direction intersecting a conveying direction of the document, and lifts and lowers the sheet feeding tray such that an upper surface of the document comes in contact with the feeding roller. The support member supports the sheet feeding feed tray on an upstream side of the first lifting mechanism in the conveying direction. The second lifting mechanism lifts and lowers the support member in synchronization with the sheet feeding tray.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first feeder, a second feeder, and processing circuitry. The first feeder includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a suction feeder, and a remaining amount detection sensor. The air blower blows air to float an uppermost sheet. The suction feeder sucks and feeds the sheet. The remaining amount detection sensor detects a remaining amount of sheets stacked. The processing circuitry determines whether the remaining amount of sheets in the first feeder is smaller than a threshold, causes the first feeder to perform a feeding operation of feeding the sheet floated by the air blower to the suction feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount is equal to or greater than the threshold, and causes the second feeder to feed a sheet instead of the first feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount is smaller than the threshold.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first feeder, a second feeder, and processing circuitry. The first feeder includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a suction feeder, and a remaining amount detection sensor. The air blower blows air to float an uppermost sheet. The suction feeder sucks and feeds the sheet. The remaining amount detection sensor detects a remaining amount of sheets stacked. The processing circuitry determines whether the remaining amount of sheets in the first feeder is smaller than a threshold, causes the first feeder to perform a feeding operation of feeding the sheet floated by the air blower to the suction feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount is equal to or greater than the threshold, and causes the second feeder to feed a sheet instead of the first feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount is smaller than the threshold.

An image forming apparatus includes a stacking portion including a lifting portion, a feeding member feeding a sheet stacked on the lifting portion to a conveyance passage, a position detector detecting movement of the sheet stacked on to a feedable position to the conveyance passage, a driver including a motor and performing the lifting operation of the lifting portion, a rotation detector detecting rotation of the motor, and a controller. The controller determines a factor that the position detector does not detect the movement of the sheet stacked on the lifting portion to the feedable position within a predetermined time based on a detection result of the rotation detector while controlling the driver to lift up the lifting portion.