A printing device is described in which there is a media guide that is arranged to guide a printable media substrate from an upstream media path towards an input of the printing device or away from an output of the printing device towards a downstream media path. The media guide is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position the media guide is arranged to guide the printable media along a respective media path. In the second position, which is spaced apart from the first position, the media guide forms a buffer region into which a variable amount of media substrate can collect.

The present invention is to provide a sheet aligning apparatus that is capable of detecting misalignment. A control portion of a post-processing apparatus causes a front aligning member and a rear aligning member to be moved to an aligning position to align sheets conveyed to a processing tray, causes the front aligning member to be moved from the aligning position to a detecting position, and determines whether an electrostatic capacitance sensor detects misalignment (sheet shifting from a sheet bundle). When it is determined that the senor detects misalignment, the front aligning member is moved from the detecting position to the aligning position so that sheets are realigned.

A recording-medium-container device includes a container configured to contain a stack of recording media; a blower configured to blow gas to the recording media contained in the container; and an image capturer movable in a stacking direction in which the recording media are stacked in the container, the image capturer being configured to capture an image of the recording media while the recording media are being blown with the gas by the blower.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes an apparatus main body, an opening/closing door movably supported by the apparatus main body so as to be capable of opening a conveyance path through which a sheet is conveyed, a sensor lever configured to rotate when pushed by the sheet in the conveyance path, a holder rotatably holding the sensor lever and movably supported by the opening/closing door, a positioning portion provided in the apparatus main body and configured to perform positioning of the holder by coming into contact with the holder, and a sheet detection sensor provided in the apparatus main body and configured to generate a signal corresponding to the position of the sensor lever.

A sheet detection unit includes a photo-interrupter, a shutter holder, and shutter members held to be movable relative to the shutter holder. The shutter members include a sheet rear end detection portion capable of switching an optical axis between a light-interrupted state and a light-transmitted state and each are supported to be movable to an abutment position where the shutter member causes an abutment surface to protrude, and also movable to a retracted position where the shutter member is retracted from a sheet conveyance path. Based on a detection signal output from the photo-interrupter by the sheet front end detection portion and the sheet rear end detection portion moving relative to the optical axis, a control unit determines the presence or absence of a sheet.

Sheet media jams are detected along a media transport path by one or more vibration sensors that capture mechanical movements of components along the path that interact with the sheet media for driving or guiding the sheet media along the transport path. The detected vibrations during the advancing of the sheets are analyzed for distinguishing between detected vibrations associated with normal handling of the sheets and detected vibrations associated with abnormal handling of the sheets. An error condition can be signaled to a control system in response to distinguishing the detected vibrations associated with the abnormal handling of the sheets.

Sheet media jams are detected along a media transport path by one or more vibration sensors that capture mechanical movements of components along the path that interact with the sheet media for driving or guiding the sheet media along the transport path. The detected vibrations during the advancing of the sheets are analyzed for distinguishing between detected vibrations associated with normal handling of the sheets and detected vibrations associated with abnormal handling of the sheets. An error condition can be signaled to a control system in response to distinguishing the detected vibrations associated with the abnormal handling of the sheets.

A medium feeding device includes a placement section on which a medium group is supported; a raising and lowering section configured to raise and lower the placement section; a pickup unit that includes a pickup roller that comes into contact with an upper section of the medium group and a support section that applies a downward force to the pickup roller, and that feeds a medium in order from a top in a feed direction while applying a downward pressing force to the medium group from the pickup roller; a control section; and a detection section configured to detect the pressing force, wherein the control section causes the raising and lowering section to raise and lower the placement section such that a detected pressing force falls within a target range.

Sheet media jams are detected along a media transport path by one or more vibration sensors that capture mechanical movements of components along the path that interact with the sheet media for driving or guiding the sheet media along the transport path. The detected vibrations during the advancing of the sheets are analyzed for distinguishing between detected vibrations associated with normal handling of the sheets and detected vibrations associated with abnormal handling of the sheets. An error condition can be signaled to a control system in response to distinguishing the detected vibrations associated with the abnormal handling of the sheets.

A sheet detection device includes: a magnetic sensing element disposed on a sheet guide, wherein the sheet guide brings the magnetic sensing element to move to a first position or a second position; a first magnetic element disposed on a sheet tray corresponding to the first position; a second magnetic element disposed on the sheet tray corresponding to the second position and in spaced with the first magnetic element; a processing element electrically connected with the magnetic sensing element. When the magnetic sensing element outputs a first voltage signal, the processing element determines the sheet guide is located at the first position according to the first voltage signal. When the magnetic sensing element outputs a second voltage signal, the processing element determines the sheet guide is located at the second position according to the second voltage signal. The first voltage signal is different from the second voltage signal.