Patent Application
20250102989
This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-162038 filed Sep. 26, 2023.
The present invention relates to a determination device and an image forming apparatus.
A media sensor device that automatically identifies a type of paper by reading the paper used for printing with a sensor is known. An image forming apparatus is controlled based on the type of the paper identified by the media sensor device. For example, an operation related to paper transport of the image forming apparatus, control of a transfer device, a fixing device, or the like is performed according to the type of the paper. Accordingly, printing appropriate for the type of the paper is implemented, and an intended printed matter can be obtained.
JP2015-215338A discloses a recording medium smoothness detection apparatus that detects smoothness of a surface of a recording medium. JP2015-215338A also discloses that a printing condition of the image forming apparatus is set based on the detected smoothness.
It is required to be able to determine the paper having a surface on which an embossing process is performed and paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed.
Aspects of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a determination device that determines paper having a surface on which the embossing process is performed and paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed, or an image forming apparatus that includes the determination device.
Aspects of certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure address the above advantages and/or other advantages not described above. However, aspects of the non-limiting embodiments are not required to address the advantages described above, and aspects of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may not address advantages described above.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a determination device including a processor that is used for determining first paper having a surface on which an embossing process is performed and second paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed, a light source that irradiates a surface of paper with light, a light detector that receives the light transmitted through the paper and that detects a light transmittance, an ultrasonic transmitter that transmits an ultrasonic wave to the surface of the paper, and an ultrasonic receiver that receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted through the paper and that detects an ultrasonic transmittance, in which the processor is configured to: use an index that is stored in advance in a storage device and that indicates a correlation between the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance in the second paper, and determine whether or not or not the paper is the first paper or the second paper according to whether or not the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance, which are detected from the paper, are apart from the index by a predetermined threshold value or more.
Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings. Configurations described below are examples for description and can be changed as appropriate. In addition, in a case where a plurality of exemplary embodiments, modification examples, or the like are included in the following, characteristic portions thereof are assumed from the beginning to be combined as appropriate and used. Identical or similar elements are designated by identical reference numerals in all drawings, and duplicate description is omitted.
Hereinafter, a determination device that determines first paper having a surface on which the embossing process is performed and second paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed, or an image forming apparatus including the determination device will be described.
As an example, the first paper having a surface on which the embossing process is performed may be embossed paper or paper equivalent thereto. As an example, the second paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed may be plain paper or paper equivalent thereto.
As an example, the light source may be a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), or the like.
A light detector may be, for example, a photodiode.
As an example, the determination device may be configured with only a sensor device separated from a body of the image forming apparatus, or may be configured by combining the sensor device with the body of the image forming apparatus. In addition, the determination device may be provided in a paper transport path of the image forming apparatus or the like.
The determination device may execute the determination process of another paper type at least one of before executing the determination process of the paper type described below or after the execution.
As an example, the image forming apparatus may be an apparatus that performs printing on a recording medium by using a printing method, such as an electrophotographic method, an inkjet method, offset printing, or gravure printing, or the like. The image forming apparatus may apply the image forming condition corresponding to the paper determined by the determination device to the apparatus and the part related to the image formation, and execute the printing process on the paper.
The index used for the determination process indicates a tendency of the second paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed. The second paper has a correlation between surface roughness and paper density. That is, in a case where the surface is rough, there is a tendency for the paper density to be low, the light transmittance to be low, and the ultrasonic transmittance to be high. On the other hand, in a case where the surface is not rough, there is a tendency for the paper density to be high, the light transmittance to be high, and the ultrasonic transmittance to be low. The index indicates the tendency of the second paper and indicates the correlation between the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance in the second paper. As an example, the index may be a relational expression indicating a correlation between the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance in a plurality of types of the second paper. In addition, as an example, the index may be a reference value based on a ratio of the light transmittance to the ultrasonic transmittance in each of the plurality of types of second paper.
Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of determining embossed paper as paper having a surface on which the embossing process is performed and plain paper as paper having a surface on which the embossing process is not performed will be described.
The body 12 of the image forming apparatus 10 is an apparatus that performs the image formation based on image information obtained from a computer (not shown) such as a PC connected to the body 12. In the present exemplary embodiment, the body 12 of the image forming apparatus 10 is an electrophotographic printing device. The body 12 of the image forming apparatus 10 includes a control device 50, a transport device 52, a transfer device 54, a fixing device 56, and the like.
As shown in
As shown in
The control device 24 controls the light source 30 and the ultrasonic transmitter 32 according to an instruction from a computer (not shown) such as a PC connected to the control device 50 of the body 12 or the body 12 via the cable 40. The control device 24 irradiates the paper P with light from the light source 30 and acquires a detection value of the light detector 31. In addition, the control device 24 transmits an ultrasonic wave to the paper P from the ultrasonic transmitter 32 to acquire a detection value of the ultrasonic receiver 33.
The control device 24 transmits each acquired detection value to the control device 50 of the body 12. The control device 50 of the body 12 determines the type of the paper P based on each detection value from the control device 24, and an index and a threshold value stored in advance in a storage device in the control device 50. As described above, the sensor device 16 and the control device 50 of the body 12 function as a paper type determination device 14.
An example of an operation of forming an image by the image forming apparatus 10 will be described. First, image information input from a computer such as a PC connected to the body 12 is stored in the storage device in the control device 50. The user sets the paper Pin the insertion port 20 of the sensor device 16, determines the type of the paper P, and then sets the paper P in a paper feed cassette of the body 12.
As described above, the control device 50 of the body 12 determines the type of the paper P based on the information transmitted from the sensor device 16. The control device 50 stores image forming conditions for each type of the paper P. The image forming condition is, for example, a condition related to the control of the transport device 52, the transfer device 54, the fixing device 56, and the like. The control device 50 feeds the paper P in the paper feeding cassette and performs the printing process according to the image information. In this case, the control device 50 executes the printing process on the paper P by applying the image forming condition associated with the determined paper P to at least one of the transport device 52, the transfer device 54, or the fixing device 56. For example, in the transfer device 54, the secondary transfer voltage, as an example of the image forming condition, is controlled according to the determined type of paper.
Next, the determination of the embossed paper and the plain paper will be specifically described. The determination device 14 has a function of determining the embossed paper and the plain paper.
The light source 30 irradiates the surface of the paper P with light. The light detector 31 is located to face the light source 30 with the paper P interposed therebetween. The light detector 31 receives the light of the light source 30 transmitted through the paper P to detect the light transmittance. The ultrasonic transmitter 32 transmits ultrasonic waves to the surface of the paper P. The ultrasonic receiver 33 is located to face the ultrasonic transmitter 32 with the paper P interposed therebetween. The ultrasonic receiver 33 receives the ultrasonic waves of the ultrasonic transmitter 32 transmitted through the paper P to detect the ultrasonic transmittance.
Here, a principle of a method of determining the embossed paper and the plain paper will be described.
As understood from
The plain paper has a high correlation between the surface roughness and the paper density. That is, in the case of plain paper, the paper density tends to be low in a case where the surface is rough, and conversely the paper density tends to be high in a case where the surface is not rough. On the other hand, since the embossed paper is paper with a pattern on the surface, the surface roughness and the paper density are not correlated or are not highly correlated. In the case of the embossed paper, the roughness of the surface thereof changes depending on the pattern on the surface of the paper.
Here, in a case where the paper P is irradiated with light from the light source 30, a part of the light is scattered depending on the roughness of the surface of the paper P. Therefore, the light transmittance is the amount of light affected by the surface of the paper. Specifically, the light transmittance is lower as the surface of the paper is rough. On the other hand, in a case where the ultrasonic wave is transmitted to the paper P from the ultrasonic transmitter 32, the ultrasonic wave is unlikely to be affected by the surface of the paper P. Therefore, the ultrasonic transmittance becomes substantially the amount of the ultrasonic waves corresponding to the paper density. Specifically, the ultrasonic transmittance becomes low as the paper density is high.
As described above, in the case of the plain paper, the paper density tends to decrease in a case where the surface is rough, and in a case where the light transmittance decreases, the ultrasonic transmittance increases. On the contrary, in a case where the surface is not rough, the paper density tends to be high, so that the light transmittance increases and the ultrasonic transmittance decreases. Therefore, as shown in
On the other hand, in the case of the embossed paper, the correlation between the surface roughness and the paper density is not high, so the correlation between the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance is not high. Therefore, in the case of the embossed paper, as shown in
As a result, an index (for example, the relational expression (line on the graph) in
As an example, the index used for the determination may be, for example, a ratio of the light transmittance to the ultrasonic transmittance in each of the plurality of types of plain paper, for example, an average value or a median value of values of (ultrasonic transmittance/light transmittance) in each of the plurality of types of plain paper, and the index is defined as a reference value. The determination process using the reference value will be described with reference to the flowchart of
In addition, as an example, the index used for the determination may be the relational expression (line on the graph) in
In Step S104, the control device 50 of the body 12 calculates a light ultrasonic ratio (=ultrasonic transmittance/light transmittance) by dividing the ultrasonic transmittance by the light transmittance. Next, in Step S106, the control device 50 calculates a difference D between the light ultrasonic ratio and the reference value stored in advance in a storage device of the control device 50. Next, in Step S108, the control device 50 confirms whether or not the difference D is less than a predetermined threshold value Dth stored in the storage device of the control device 50.
In a case of Yes in Step S108, the control device 50 determines that the paper P is plain paper in Step S110. On the other hand, in a case of No in Step S108, the control device 50 determines that the paper P is the embossed paper in Step S112.
According to the determination process described above, the embossed paper and the plain paper are determined.
In Step S104 of
Next, another determination process of the embossed paper and the plain paper will be described.
In Step S204, the control device 50 of the body 12 calculates a distance DS between the light transmittance and the ultrasonic transmittance, and the relational expression stored in advance in the storage device of the control device 50. The relational expression is a line on the graph in
Next, in Step S208, the control device 50 confirms whether or not the distance DS is less than a predetermined threshold value DSth stored in the storage device of the control device 50.
In a case of Yes in Step S208, the control device 50 determines that the paper P is plain paper in Step S210. On the other hand, in a case of No in Step S208, the control device 50 determines that the paper P is the embossed paper in Step S212.
In the other determination process described above, the embossed paper and the plain paper are also determined.
Next, another exemplary embodiment will be described.
In this exemplary embodiment, a first electromagnetic wave having the same property as light (a property that is likely to be affected by the surface of the paper) is used, and a second electromagnetic wave having the same property as the ultrasonic wave (a property that is unlikely to be affected by the surface of the paper) is used. The first electromagnetic wave may be, for example, visible light, ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, or the like. The second electromagnetic wave is an electromagnetic wave having a longer wavelength and a higher transmission power for paper than the first electromagnetic wave. The second electromagnetic wave may be, for example, a microwave, a radio wave, or the like.
In this exemplary embodiment, each of the light source 30, the light detector 31, the ultrasonic transmitter 32, and the ultrasonic receiver 33 in
A flowchart of
A flowchart of
The determination device 14A executes the determination process according to the flowchart of
Next, the flowchart of
In Step S304, the control device 50 of the body 12 calculates an electromagnetic wave ratio (=second electromagnetic wave transmittance/first electromagnetic wave transmittance) by dividing the second electromagnetic wave transmittance by the first electromagnetic wave transmittance. Next, in Step S306, the control device 50 calculates a difference D between the electromagnetic wave ratio and a reference value stored in advance in the storage device of the control device 50. Next, in Step S308, the control device 50 confirms whether or not the difference D is less than a predetermined threshold value Dth stored in the storage device of the control device 50.
In a case of Yes in Step S308, the control device 50 determines that the paper P is plain paper in Step S310. On the other hand, in a case of No in Step S308, the control device 50 determines that the paper P is the embossed paper in Step S312.
In this way, in the determination process of
Next, the flowchart of
In Step S404, the control device 50 of the body 12 calculates the distance DS between the first electromagnetic wave transmittance and the second electromagnetic wave transmittance, and the relational expression stored in advance in the storage device of the control device 50. The control device 50 calculates, for example, the shortest distance between the first electromagnetic wave transmittance and the second electromagnetic wave transmittance, and the value obtained from the relational expression.
Next, in Step S408, the control device 50 confirms whether or not the distance DS is less than a predetermined threshold value DSth stored in the storage device of the control device 50.
In a case of Yes in Step S408, the control device 50 determines that the paper P is plain paper in Step S410. On the other hand, in a case of No in Step S408, the control device 50 determines that the paper P is the embossed paper in Step S412.
In this way, in the determination process of
The control device of the above-described exemplary embodiment may be configured by using a computer. The control device may be constructed as, for example, a single computer or a system consisting of a plurality of computers that cooperate with each other. As shown as an example in
The program described above can be provided via a network such as the Internet and provided being stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as an optical disk or a USB memory.
In the embodiments above, the term “processor” refers to hardware in a broad sense. Examples of the processor include general processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, and programmable logic device).
In the embodiments above, the term “processor” is broad enough to encompass one processor or plural processors in collaboration which are located physically apart from each other but may work cooperatively. The order of operations of the processor is not limited to one described in the embodiments above, and may be changed.
(((1)))
A determination device comprising:
The determination device according to (((1))),
The determination device according to (((1)))),
An image forming apparatus comprising:
The determination device according to (((5))),
The determination device according to (((5))),
An image forming apparatus comprising:
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-162038 | Sep 2023 | JP | national |
