Patent Application
20250102981
This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-161814 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 that the paper on which the coating process for suppressing the gloss of the surface of the paper and the paper on which the coating process is not performed can be determined from each other.
Aspects of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a determination device that determines first paper on which a coating process for suppressing gloss of a surface of the paper is performed and second paper on which the coating 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 on which a coating process for suppressing gloss of a surface of paper is performed and second paper on which the coating process for suppressing the gloss of the surface of the paper is not performed, a light source that irradiates the surface of the paper with light, a first light detector that detects the light reflected on the surface of the paper, and a second light detector that is provided at a position different from the first light detector and detects diffusely reflected light of the light reflected on the surface of the paper, in which the first light detector is located in a direction shifted by a certain angle with respect to a specular reflection direction of the light reflected on the surface of the paper, and the processor is configured to: acquire a light amount ratio that is a ratio of an amount of the light detected by the first light detector to an amount of the light detected by the second light detector, and determine whether the paper is the first paper or the second paper according to a relationship between the light amount ratio and a predetermined threshold value.
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 on which a coating process for suppressing gloss of a surface of the paper is performed and second paper on which the coating process is not performed, or an image forming apparatus including the determination device will be described.
As an example, the first paper on which the coating process for suppressing the gloss of the surface of the paper is performed may be the matte coated paper or paper equivalent thereto. The second paper on which the coating process for suppressing the gloss of the surface of the paper is not performed may be, for example, the 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.
Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment in which matte coated paper as paper on which the coating process for suppressing gloss of the surface of the paper is performed and plain paper as paper on which the coating process is not performed are determined 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 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 detection values of the first to third light detectors 31, 32, and 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 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 P in 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 matte coated paper and the plain paper will be specifically described. The determination device 14 has a function of determining the matte coated paper and the plain paper.
The light source 30 emits light with an incidence angle θ1. In the present exemplary embodiment, θ1 is 70 degrees. Note that θ1 may be changed as appropriate.
The first light detector 31 is located in a direction shifted by a certain angle θ2 with respect to a specular reflection direction of the light of the light source 30 reflected on the surface of the paper P. The third light detector 33 is located in the specular reflection direction of the light of the light source 30. In the present exemplary embodiment, θ2 is 20 degrees.
The second light detector 32 is located in the normal direction with respect to the surface of the paper P. The second light detector 32 detects the diffusely reflected light of the light reflected on the surface of the paper P. In the determination of the matte coated paper and the plain paper, the light source 30 and the first and second light detectors 31 and 32 are used.
Here, a principle of a method of determining the matte coated paper and the plain paper will be described.
As shown in
As described with reference to
The first light detector 31 may be located, for example, in a direction shifted by an angle of 20 degrees or an angle close to 20 degrees (about 20 degrees) with respect to the specular reflection direction of the light. Accordingly, it can be expected that the matte coated paper and the plain paper can be determined with relatively high accuracy. However, the position of the first light detector 31 is not limited to the direction. The first light detector 31 may be provided at a position where the reflected light of a higher light amount is received in a case where the paper P is the plain paper as compared to a case where the paper P is the matte coated paper. In addition, the first light detector 31 may be located on the normal direction side with respect to the specular reflection direction of the light (the direction in which the third light detector 33 is located) as shown in
In addition, as described above, the second light detector 32 is located in the normal direction with respect to the surface of the paper P. However, the position of the second light detector 32 is not limited to the direction. The second light detector 32 may be provided at a position where the second light detector 32 can detect the amount of light of the diffusely reflected light from the paper P.
In Step S106, the control device 50 of the body 12 calculates a light amount ratio (=first amount of light/second amount of light) by dividing the first amount of light by the second amount of light. Next, in Step S108, the control device 50 confirms whether or not the light amount ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Rth 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 matte coated paper in Step S112.
According to the exemplary embodiment described above, the matte coated paper and the plain paper are determined.
In Step S106 of
Next, another determination process of the matte coated paper and the plain paper will be described.
In Step S206, the control device 50 of the body 12 calculates a light amount difference (=first amount of light−second amount of light) by subtracting the second amount of light from the first amount of light. Next, in Step S208, the control device 50 confirms whether or not the light amount difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Dth 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 matte coated paper in Step S212.
In the other exemplary embodiment described above, the matte coated paper and the plain paper are also determined.
In Step S206 of
In the exemplary embodiment described above, the matte coated paper and the plain paper are determined from the first amount of light and the second amount of light. However, the matte coated paper and the plain paper may be determined without using the second amount of light. In this case, for example, in a case where the first amount of light is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value, the control device 50 may determine that the paper P is the plain paper, and otherwise, determine that the paper P is the matte coated paper.
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.
A determination device comprising:
The determination device according to (((1))),
The determination device according to (((1))) or (((2))),
An image forming apparatus comprising:
A determination device comprising:
The determination device according to (((5))),
The determination device according to (((5))) or ((6)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-161814 | Sep 2023 | JP | national |
