Transport device, transport method, image forming apparatus, and image forming method

1. A transport device comprising:

a transport unit that is configured to transport a paper sheet;

a cutter unit that is configured to cut the paper sheet;

a controller that, when transport of the paper sheet is to be halted, is configured to control the transport unit so that the transport unit halts an ideal cut line of the paper sheet corresponding to a specified length of the paper sheet at a more upstream side in a direction of the transport of the paper sheet when a specified length of the paper sheet is shorter than a threshold length than when the specified length of the paper sheet is longer than the threshold length; and

an accommodating unit that accommodates curving of the paper sheet occurring downstream of the cutter unit in a paper transport path in the direction of the transport of the paper sheet,

wherein the controller adjusts a location where the ideal cut line is halted, by modifying an amount of curving occurring in the paper sheet in the accommodating unit.

2. A transport device comprising:

a feeder unit that is configured to feed a paper sheet that is to be cut for use;

a cutter unit that is configured to cut the paper sheet fed by the feeder unit at an ideal cut line so that a cut paper sheet has a specified length;

a first transport section that is configured to transport and then halts the paper sheet fed from the feeder unit so that the ideal cut line of the paper sheet is placed at the cutter unit;

a second transport section that is configured to transport a preceding paper sheet cut by the cutter unit downstream of the cutter unit in the direction of the transport of the paper sheet, and halts the transport of the preceding paper sheet at a standby position;

a third transport section that is configured to transport from the cutter unit a paper sheet subsequent to the cut preceding paper sheet toward the second transport section; and

a modifying unit that is configured to modify a paper sheet spacing between the preceding paper sheet and the subsequent paper sheet by changing a transport start timing of the transport of the subsequent paper sheet by the first transport section and the third transport section in accordance with the specified length of the subsequent paper sheet if a timing when the second transport section halts the transport of the preceding paper sheet comes before a timing when the first transport section halts the transport of the subsequent paper sheet to place an ideal cut line of the subsequent paper sheet at the cutter unit.

3. The transport device according to claim 2 , wherein the modifying unit modifies the paper sheet spacing if a timing of decelerating a transport speed of the subsequent paper sheet to place the ideal cut line of the subsequent paper sheet at the cutter unit comes when the third transport section varies the transport speed of the subsequent paper sheet.

4. The transport device according to claim 2 , wherein the modifying unit modifies the paper sheet spacing by delaying a transport start timing of the subsequent paper sheet by the third transport section.

5. The transport device according to claim 4 , wherein the third transport section comprises a stepping motor as a driving source, and

wherein when the second transport section halts the transport of the preceding paper sheet at the standby position followed by the third transport section halting the transport of the subsequent paper sheet, the modifying unit modifies the paper sheet spacing if a timing of decelerating the transport speed of the subsequent paper sheet to place the ideal cut line of the subsequent sheet at the cuter unit comes when the stepping motor is accelerating after the third transport section halts the transport of the subsequent paper sheet once.

6. A transport method comprising:

feeding a paper sheet that is to be cut for use;

cutting the fed paper sheet at an ideal cut line so that a cut paper sheet has a specified length;

in a first transport operation, transporting and then halting the fed paper sheet so that the ideal cut line of the paper sheet is placed at a cutting position;

in a second transport operation, transporting a preceding cut paper sheet downstream of the cutting position in the direction of the transport of the paper sheet, and halting the transport of the preceding cut paper sheet at a standby position;

in a third transport operation, transporting from the cutting position a paper sheet subsequent to the preceding cut paper sheet for the second transport operation; and

modifying a paper sheet spacing between the preceding paper sheet and the subsequent paper sheet by changing a transport start timing of the transport of the subsequent paper sheet in the third transport operation in accordance with a specified length of the subsequent paper sheet if a timing when the second transport operation halts the transport of the preceding paper sheet comes before a timing when the first transport operation halts the transport of the subsequent paper sheet to place the ideal cut line of the subsequent paper sheet at the cutting position.