Sheet conveying device, automatic document feeder, and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A sheet conveying device includes a conveyor, a sound collector, an operation unit, and circuitry. The conveyor conveys a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction. The sound collector collects sound produced by conveying the sheet by the conveyor. The operation unit outputs information of a conveyance of the sheet. The circuitry is to cause the sound collector to collect the sound, detect a factor of an abnormal conveyance produced by conveying the sheet based on the sound collected by the sound collector, locate a position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet in response to a detection of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet, and output, to the operation unit, the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet conveying device comprising:
 a conveyor to convey a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction;   a sound collector to collect sound produced by conveying the sheet by the conveyor;   an operation unit to output information of a conveyance of the sheet; and   circuitry configured to:   cause the sound collector to collect the sound;   detect a factor of an abnormal conveyance produced by conveying the sheet based on the sound collected by the sound collector;   locate a position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet in response to a detection of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet; and   output, to the operation unit, the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the circuitry is further configured to locate the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance based on the sound collected by the sound collector in response to the detection of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 2 , further comprising multiple sound collectors including:
 a first sound collector at a first position facing one end of the sheet in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction; and   a second sound collector at a second position facing the other end of the sheet in the width direction,   wherein the circuitry is further configured to locate the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance based on a differential value between:   a first power average per time of the sound collected by the first sound collector; and   a second power average per time of the sound collected by the second sound collector.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a position of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet includes a binding position at which multiple sheets including the sheet are bound.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the operation unit includes a display to display the position of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the circuitry is further configured to stop the conveyance of the sheet in response to a detection of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet.   
     
     
         7 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 the sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ; and   an image forming device to form an image on the sheet based on an image on an original document by the sheet conveying device.   
     
     
         8 . An automatic document feeder comprising the sheet conveying device according to  claim 1  to automatically convey an original document as the sheet to an image reader. 
     
     
         9 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 the automatic document feeder according to claim  8 ; and   an image forming device to form an image on a sheet based on an image on an original document conveyed by the automatic document feeder.   
     
     
         10 . A sheet conveying method executable by a sheet conveying device, the sheet conveying method comprising:
 conveying a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction by a conveyor;   collecting sound produced by conveying the sheet by the conveyor;   detecting a factor of an abnormal conveyance produced by conveying the sheet based on the sound collected by a sound collector;   locating a position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet in response to a detection of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet; and   outputting, to an operation unit, the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet.   
     
     
         11 . The sheet conveying method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 locating the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance based on the sound in response to the detection of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet.   
     
     
         12 . The sheet conveying method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 collecting sound by a first sound collector disposed at a first position facing one end of the sheet in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction;   calculating a first power average per time of the sound collected by the first sound collector;   collecting sound by a second sound collector disposed at a second position facing the other end in the width direction;   calculating a second power average per time of the sound collected by the second sound collector; and   locating the position of the factor of the abnormal conveyance based on a differential value of the first power average and the second power average.   
     
     
         13 . The sheet conveying method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 displaying the position of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet on a display of the operation unit.   
     
     
         14 . The sheet conveying method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 stopping the conveyance of the sheet in response to a detection of the factor of the abnormal conveyance of the sheet.