Image formation apparatus and non-transitory computer readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10345749-B2
Application number	US-201816171832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2018
Priority date	Nov 17, 2017
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

An image formation apparatus includes: a light source configured to emit laser light; a polygon mirror configured to reflect the laser light; a photoreceptor configured to be exposed to the laser light reflected by the polygon mirror; a motor configured to rotate the polygon mirror; and a controller configured to sense a type of a sheet transported through the image formation apparatus. The image formation apparatus includes as operation modes a first mode in which no sheet type is sensed and a second mode in which a sheet type is sensed. The controller performs different processes for control regarding rotation of the motor in the first and second modes, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image formation apparatus comprising:
a light source configured to emit laser light;
a polygon mirror configured to reflect the laser light;
a photoreceptor configured to be exposed to the laser light reflected by the polygon mirror;
a motor configured to rotate the polygon mirror; and
a controller configured to sense a type of a sheet transported through the image formation apparatus,
the image formation apparatus having an operation mode including
a first mode in which the controller does not sense the type of the sheet, and
a second mode in which the controller senses the type of the sheet,
the controller performing different processes for control regarding rotation of the motor in the first and second modes, respectively.

2. The image formation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the first mode the controller starts rotating the motor at a predetermined time point before exposure of the photoreceptor to light is started.

3. The image formation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the image formation apparatus is configured to receive a setting of a rotation speed of the motor, and
in the first mode the controller rotates the motor at a rotation speed in accordance with the setting after exposure of the photoreceptor to light is started.

4. The image formation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the second mode the controller does not rotate the motor before a type of a sheet is sensed.

5. The image formation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the second mode the controller rotates the motor after a type of a sheet is sensed, the motor being rotated at a rotation speed determined based on the type of the sheet sensed.

6. The image formation apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein in the second mode, in printing on a plurality of sheets, when printing on a first one of the sheets, the controller does not rotate the motor before a type of the sheet is sensed, and instead after the type of the sheet is sensed, the controller rotates the motor at a speed determined based on the type of the sheet sensed.

7. The image formation apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein in the second mode, in printing on the plurality of sheets, when printing on a second one et seq. of the sheets, before starting exposure of the photoreceptor to light, the controller rotates the motor at a rotation speed determined based on the type of the first sheet sensed.

8. The image formation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image formation apparatus is configured to allow either the first mode or the second mode to be selected.

9. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a computer readable program which is a control program for controlling an image formation apparatus comprising:
a light source configured to emit laser light;
a polygon mirror configured to reflect the laser light;
a photoreceptor configured to be exposed to the laser light reflected by the polygon mirror;
a motor configured to rotate the polygon mirror; and
a controller configured to sense a type of a sheet transported through the image formation apparatus,
the image formation apparatus having an operation mode including
a first mode in which the controller does not sense the type of the sheet, and
a second mode in which the controller senses the type of the sheet,
the control program causing the controller to perform different processes for control regarding rotation of the motor in the first and second modes, respectively.

10. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 9 , wherein in the first mode the controller starts rotating the motor at a predetermined time point before exposure of the photoreceptor to light is started.

11. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 9 , wherein
the image formation apparatus is configured to receive a setting of a rotation speed of the motor, and
the control program causes the controller to rotate the motor in the first mode at a rotation speed in accordance with the setting after exposure of the photoreceptor to light is started.

12. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 9 , wherein the control program does not cause the controller to rotate the motor in the second mode before a type of a sheet is sensed.

13. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 9 , wherein the control program causes the controller to rotate the motor in the second mode after a type of a sheet is sensed, the motor being rotated at a rotation speed determined based on the type of the sheet sensed.

14. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 13 , wherein in the second mode, in printing on a plurality of sheets when printing on a first one of the sheets the control program does not cause the controller to rotate the motor before a type of the sheet is sensed and instead after the type of the sheet is sensed the control program causes the controller to rotate the motor at a speed determined based on the type of the sheet sensed.

15. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 14 , wherein in the second mode, in printing on the plurality of sheets when printing on a second one et seq. of the sheets, before starting exposure of the photoreceptor to light the control program causes the controller to rotate the motor at a rotation speed determined based on the type of the first sheet sensed.

16. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 9 , wherein the image formation apparatus is configured to allow either the first mode or the second mode to be selected.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Yamada Tatsutoshi

Classifications

• G03G15/5029 Primary

  by measuring the copy material characteristics, e.g. weight, thickness · CPC title

• G03G2215/00616

  Optical detector · CPC title

• G03G15/0435

  by introducing an optical element in the optical path, e.g. a filter · CPC title

• G03G15/04072

  by laser · CPC title

• G03G2215/00751

  of sheet type, e.g. OHP · CPC title