Patent ID: 7942413
Filing Date: 2011-05-17
Classification: B65H,G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an output tray on which a sheet is placed; a discharge unit which discharges the sheet onto said output tray; a ranging unit which includes a light projecting element and a detecting element, emits light from said light projecting element from a position located away by a predetermined distance from a bottom surface of said output tray in a sheet loading direction on a line in parallel with the bottom surface of said output tray and intersecting a direction orthogonal to a direction in which said discharge unit discharges the sheet, and measures a distance to an object based on a detection position on said detecting element which detects light reflected by the object; a size obtaining unit which obtains a size of the sheet discharged onto said output tray; a light path changing unit which changes a light path emitted by said light projecting element according to the sheet size obtained by said size obtaining unit; and a control unit which stops sheet discharge performed by said discharge unit when the distance measured by said ranging unit is lower than a specific distance.