Imaging apparatus with sheet size measuring device

1. An imaging system for forming an image on a sheet, the system comprising:

a computer for creating data of an image for printing; and

an imaging apparatus for forming the image on a sheet,

wherein the imaging apparatus comprises:

a sheet-feeding path for conveying the sheet;

a detecting section positioned along the sheet-feeding path for detecting a leading edge, a trailing edge and a side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path; and

a controller for registering a dimension,

a memory for storing data of dimensions,

wherein, the detecting section detects the leading edge, the trailing edge and the side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path and the controller obtains dimensions of a length and a width of the sheet, and then the controller registers the dimensions of the length and the width of the sheet to be stored in the memory as data,

wherein the controller comprises:

a sheet type determining section which judges whether the dimensions of the measured length and width are equal to dimensions of length and width of a regular sized-sheet by comparing the dimensions of the measured length and width with the dimensions of the regular sized-sheets whose data have been previously stored in the memory; and

a registration condition determining section, which judges whether data of dimensions of length and width equal to the dimensions of the measured length and width exist in the memory.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the detecting section is adapted to measure the length and to detect arrival of the sheet at a position to permit further control of the imaging apparatus.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 ,

wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises an imaging section at which the image is transferred to the sheet, and

wherein the sheet-feeding path conveys the sheet through the image forming section.

4. An imaging system for forming an image on a sheet, the system comprising,

a computer for creating data of an image for printing; and

an imaging apparatus for forming the image on a sheet,

wherein the imaging apparatus comprises:

a sheet-feeding path for conveying the sheet;

a sheet-feeding tray for feeding the sheet to the sheet-feeding path;

a detecting section positioned along the path for detecting a leading edge, a trailing edge and a side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path; and

a controller for registering a dimension; and

a memory for storing data of dimensions;

wherein, the detecting section detects the leading edge, the trailing edge and the side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path and the controller obtains dimensions of a length and a width of the sheet, and then the controller registers the dimensions of the length and the width of the sheet to be stored in the memory as data, and

wherein when an auto-measurement mode is set in the controller, the controller controls the detecting section so as to detect the leading edge, the trailing edge and the side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path in a sheet feeding direction from the sheet-feeding tray and obtains dimensions of a length in the sheet feeding direction and a width of the sheet, and then the controller registers the dimension of the length and the width of the sheet as a default dimension for the sheet-feeding tray to be stored in the memory.

5. The imaging system of claim 4 , further comprising:

a second registration condition determination section, which determines whether the data of the default length and width exist in the memory; and

a size determining section, which determines whether the obtained length or width of the sheet are shorter than a length and a width of the image to be printed.

6. The imaging system of claim 5 , further comprising:

a length determining section, which determines whether the obtained length of the sheet is shorter than a predetermined length.

7. The imaging system of claim 4 , further comprising:

an emptiness detector for detecting an empty sheet-feeding tray,

wherein the controller is configured to reset the default dimensions associated with the sheet-feeding tray when the emptiness detector detects an empty sheet-feeding tray.

8. The imaging system of claim 4 ,

wherein when the controller receives a print start instruction, the controller retrieves the data of the length and width from the memory and sets the length and width to the printer so that the printer is adjusted according to the default dimension.

9. The imaging system of claim 4 ,

wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises an imaging section at which the image is transferred to the sheet, and

wherein the sheet-feeding path conveys the sheet through the image forming section.

10. An imaging apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, the apparatus comprising:

a sheet-feeding path for conveying the sheet;

a detecting section positioned along the sheet-feeding path for detecting a leading edge, a trailing edge and a side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path; and

a controller for registering at least one dimension of the sheet,

a memory for storing dimensions data,

wherein the detecting section detects the leading edge, the trailing edge and the side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path and the controller obtains dimensions of a length and a width of the sheet, and then the controller registers the dimensions of the length and the width of the sheet to be stored in the memory as data,

wherein the controller comprises:

a sheet type determining section, which judges whether the dimensions of the measured length and width are equal to dimensions of length and width of a regular sized-sheet by comparing the dimensions of the measured length and width with the dimensions of the regular sized-sheets whose data have been previously stored in the memory; and

a registration condition determining section, which judges whether data of dimensions of length and width equal to the dimensions of the measured length and width exist in the memory.

11. The imaging apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:

an imaging section at which the image is transferred to the sheet,

wherein the sheet-feeding path conveys the sheet through the image forming section.

12. An imaging apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, the apparatus comprising,

a sheet-feeding path for conveying the sheet;

a sheet-feeding tray for feeding the sheet to the sheet-feeding path;

a detecting section positioned along the sheet-feeding path for detecting a leading edge, a trailing edge and a side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path;

a controller for registering at least one dimension of the sheet;

a memory for storing dimensions data;

wherein the detecting section detects the leading edge, the trailing edge and the side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path and the controller obtains dimensions, of a length and a width of the sheet, and then the controller registers the dimensions of the length and the width of the sheet to be stored in the memory as data,

wherein when an auto-measurement mode is set in the controller, the controller controls the detecting section so as to detect the leading edge, the trailing edge and the side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path in a sheet feeding direction from the sheet-feeding tray and obtains dimensions of a length in the sheet feeding direction and a width of the sheet, and then the controller registers the dimensions of the length and the width of the sheet as a default dimension for the sheet-feeding tray to be stored in the memory.

13. The imaging apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:

a second registration condition determination section, which determines whether the data of the default length and width exist in the memory; and

a size determining section, which determines whether the obtained length or width of the sheet are shorter than a length and a width of the image to be printed.

14. The imaging apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:

a length determining section, which determines whether the obtained length of the sheet is shorter than a predetermined length.

15. The imaging apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:

an emptiness detector for detecting an empty sheet-feeding tray,

wherein the controller is configured to reset the default dimensions associated with the sheet-feeding tray when the emptiness detector detects an empty sheet-feeding tray.

16. The imaging apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:

an imaging section at which the image is transferred to the sheet,

wherein the sheet-feeding path conveys the sheet through the image forming section.

17. An imaging method for forming an image on a sheet, the method comprising the steps of:

conveying the sheet along a sheet-feeding path;

detecting a leading edge, a trailing edge and a side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path;

obtaining dimensions of a length and a width of the sheet;

judging whether the dimensions of the measured length and width are equal to dimensions of length and width of a regular sized-sheet by comparing the dimensions of the measured length and width with the dimensions of the regular sized-sheets whose data have previously been stored in the memory;

judging whether data of dimensions of length and width equal to the dimensions of the measured length and width exist in the memory; and

registering the dimensions of the length and the width of the sheet to be stored in a memory as data.

18. The imaging method of claim 17 , wherein the sheet-feeding path conveys the sheet through an image forming section at which the image is transferred to the sheet.

19. An imaging method for forming an image on a sheet, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a sheet on a sheet-feeding tray for feeding the sheet to a sheet-feeding path,

conveying the sheet along a sheet-feeding path;

detecting a leading edge, a trailing edge and a side edge of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path;

obtaining dimensions of a length and a width of the sheet; and

registering the dimensions of the length and the width of the sheet to be stored in a memory as data,

wherein a leading edge, a trailing edge and a side edge of the sheet are detected while the sheet is being conveyed along the sheet-feeding path in a sheet feeding direction from the sheet-feeding tray in the detecting step,

dimensions of a length in the sheet feeding direction and a width of the sheet are obtained in the obtaining step, and

the dimensions of the length and the width of the sheet are registered as a default dimension for the sheet-feeding tray, to be stored in the memory in the registering step.

20. The imaging method of claim 19 , further comprising:

determining whether the data of the default length and width exists in the memory; and

determining whether the obtained length or width of the sheet is shorter than a length and a width of the image to be printed.

21. The imaging method of claim 20 , further comprising:

determining whether the obtained length of the sheet is shorter than a predetermined length.

22. The imaging method of claim 19 , further comprising:

detecting an empty sheet-feeding tray,

resetting the default dimensions associated with the sheet-feeding tray when an empty sheet-feeding tray is detected.

23. The imaging method of claim 19 , wherein the sheet-feeding path conveys the sheet through an image forming section at which the image is transferred to the sheet.