Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12050424-B2
Application number	US-202318453216-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2023
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a conveying unit, an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a first driving unit, a second driving unit, a transmission unit to transmit an ultrasonic wave, and a reception unit. Where a determination is made that a timing at which excitation of the first driving unit is switched or a timing at which excitation of the second driving unit is switched overlaps with a timing to obtain a value of the ultrasonic wave received by the reception unit, the transmission unit does not transmit an ultrasonic wave. Where a determination is made that the timing at which the excitation of the first driving unit is switched or the timing at which the excitation of the second driving unit is switched does not overlap with the timing to obtain the value of the received ultrasonic wave, the transmission unit transmits an ultrasonic wave.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a conveying roller configured to convey a recording material;
an image forming unit configured to form an image on the recording material conveyed by the conveying roller;
a motor configured to drive the conveying roller;
an ultrasonic transmission unit configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave to the recording material being conveyed by the conveying roller;
an ultrasonic reception unit configured to receive the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the ultrasonic transmission unit and passed through the recording material; and
a control unit configured to detect a type of the recording material or a basis-weight of the recording material based on the ultrasonic wave received by the ultrasonic reception unit,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the ultrasonic transmission unit to transmit the ultrasonic wave such that a timing at which the ultrasonic wave is received by the ultrasonic reception unit does not overlap with a timing at which excitation of the motor is switched.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a condition for image formation of the image forming unit based on the type or the basis-weight of the recording material.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a time from switching the excitation of the motor to next switching of the excitation of the motor is longer than a time from transmitting the ultrasonic wave to obtaining a value of the received ultrasonic wave.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a time from switching the excitation of the motor to next switching of the excitation of the motor is shorter than a time from transmitting the ultrasonic wave to obtaining a value of the received ultrasonic wave.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines a timing at which switching of the excitation of the motor is completed.

6. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a conveying roller configured to convey a recording material;
an image forming unit configured to form an image on the recording material conveyed by the conveying roller;
a fixing unit configured to fix the image on the recording material;
a motor configured to drive the fixing unit;
an ultrasonic transmission unit configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave to the recording material being conveyed by the conveying roller;
an ultrasonic reception unit configured to receive the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the ultrasonic transmission unit and passed through the recording material; and
a control unit configured to detect a type of the recording material or a basis-weight of the recording material based on the ultrasonic wave received by the ultrasonic reception unit,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the ultrasonic transmission unit to transmit the ultrasonic wave such that a timing at which the ultrasonic wave is received by the ultrasonic reception unit does not overlap with a timing at which excitation of the motor is switched.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit controls a condition for fixing the image of the fixing unit based on the type or the basis-weight of the recording material.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein a time from switching the excitation of the motor to next switching of the excitation of the motor is longer than a time from transmitting the ultrasonic wave to obtaining a value of the received ultrasonic wave.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein a time from switching the excitation of the motor to next switching of the excitation of the motor is shorter than a time from transmitting the ultrasonic wave to obtaining a value of the received ultrasonic wave.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit determines a timing at which switching of the excitation of the motor is completed.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ishida Satoshi

Classifications

• G03G2215/00599

  Timing, synchronisation · CPC title

• G03G2215/00637

  Acoustic detector · CPC title

• G03G2215/00742

  of sheet weight · CPC title

• G03G15/6573

  Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing · CPC title

• G03G15/5029 Primary

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