An image forming apparatus includes a processor configured to: receive paper information on a type of paper on which an image is formed; acquire assist information about assistance to supply the paper by supplying gas to the paper and adjustment information about positioning of the paper after assistance to supply the paper is performed, the assist information and the adjustment information corresponding to the received paper information and relating to transport of the paper; and perform control for storing the paper information, the assist information, and the adjustment information in association with one another into a memory.

An image forming apparatus includes a print engine to form an image on recording medium, a sensor including first and second electrodes disposed to oppose each other based on a recording medium transport path, along which the recording medium is transported, and to detect a capacitance between the first and second electrodes, and a processor to determine a state of the recording medium fed along the recording medium transport path by using the capacitance detected by the sensor and to control the print engine based on the state of the recording medium.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a float regulator, and a controller. The sheet stacker stacks sheets. The air blower blows air to the sheets. The float regulator regulates a floating position of the sheets and is movable between a float regulating position at which the float regulator regulates floating of the sheets and a retracted position. The controller transmits position information of the float regulator to a notification device.

A print media detection apparatus may include a movable scanner bar for scanning media, a feeder tray for supplying the print media, a print media indicator and a controller. The print media indicator may include a first portion to interact with the print media within the feeder tray and a second portion coupled to the first portion to move in response to movement of the first portion. The scanner bar is to sense the second portion of the media indicator. The controller is to determine a characteristic of the print media within the feeder tray based upon sensing of the second portion by the scanner bar.

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.

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus which includes: a feeding portion configured to feed a sheet; an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet; a conveying portion configured to stop the sheet fed by the feeding portion at a predetermined position and to convey the sheet to the image forming portion in accordance with a timing of forming the image by the image forming portion; a type discriminating portion configured to discriminate whether a type of the sheet to be fed belongs to a first sheet type group including plain paper or to a second sheet type group including coated paper; and a controlling portion configured to control feeding of the sheet, wherein the controlling portion is configured to change a sheet feeding start timing of the feeding portion in accordance with the type discriminated by the type discriminating portion.

A sheet feeding device includes a feeding portion, a first feeding roller pair, a registration roller pair forming a nip portion and correcting oblique movement of the sheet, a sheet feeding passage between the first feeding roller pair and the registration roller pair, a revering portion provided downstream of the registration roller pair and a second feeding roller pair feeding the reversed sheet to the registration roller pair. The second roller pair includes a driven roller movable in a sheet width direction. The nip portion of the first feeding roller pair is in a spaced state when the sheet is fed by the registration roller pair, and a nip portion of the second feeding roller pair is not in the spaced state and the driven roller moves in the sheet width direction when the sheet is fed by the registration roller pair and the second feeding roller pair.

An orientation correcting device includes a first transporting unit that nips and transports a sheet; a detecting unit that detects a tilt of the sheet that is transported by the first transporting unit; a second transporting unit that nips and transports the sheet that has been transported by the first transporting unit; a flexure forming unit that, with the second transporting unit stopped, forms a flexure in the sheet as a result of causing the sheet that is transported by the first transporting unit to strike against the second transporting unit; and a moving unit that, with the second transporting unit stopped and the flexure formed in the sheet by the flexure forming unit, moves the second transporting unit in a crossing direction that crosses a transport direction of the sheet in accordance with an amount and a direction of the sheet tilt detected by the detecting unit.

An orientation correcting device includes a first transporting unit that nips and transports a sheet; a detecting unit that detects a tilt of the sheet that is transported by the first transporting unit; a second transporting unit that nips and transports the sheet that has been transported by the first transporting unit; a flexure forming unit that, with the second transporting unit stopped, forms a flexure in the sheet as a result of causing the sheet that is transported by the first transporting unit to strike against the second transporting unit; and a moving unit that, with the second transporting unit stopped and the flexure formed in the sheet by the flexure forming unit, moves the second transporting unit in a crossing direction that crosses a transport direction of the sheet in accordance with an amount and a direction of the sheet tilt detected by the detecting unit.

A splicing tape management system includes, in executing properly the management of a time limit of a splicing tape, a first storage section configured to store an identification code of a splicing tape for splicing a first carrier tape and a second carrier tape together and a usable time limit of the splicing tape while associating them with each other, and a management section configured to manage the use of the splicing tape based on the identification code and the usable time limit that are stored in the first storage section. The usable time limit is a timing when the use of the splicing tape is to be halted, the timing being determined based on a production time and a usable period after production of the splicing tape or based on a starting time in use and a usable period after starting time of the splicing tape.