Image forming apparatus, sensor mounting jig for image forming apparatus, and method for mounting sensor for image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630434-B2
Application number	US-201514843068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2015
Priority date	Sep 17, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a transmission-type photosensor including a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part, disposed on opposite sides of a media conveyance path; a sensor retainer to retain the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part; a suspended needle indicator including one end portion freely rotatably disposed on the sensor retainer at a position higher than the photosensor, and an indicator disposed on another end thereof; and an angle viewer with scale marks that mark an angle of an optical axis of the photosensor from a vertical direction. The photosensor is disposed with the optical axis thereof is angled within a predetermined adjusted angle relative to the media conveyance path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a transmission-type photosensor including a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part, disposed on opposite sides of a media conveyance path;
a sensor retainer to retain the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part;
a suspended needle indicator including one end portion freely rotatably disposed on the sensor retainer at a position higher than the photosensor, and an indicator disposed on another end thereof; and
an angle viewer with scale marks that mark an angle of an optical axis of the photosensor from a vertical direction,
wherein the sensor retainer is adjustable such that the photosensor is disposed with the angle of the optical axis of the photosensor being within a predetermined adjusted range relative to the media conveyance path.

2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a length of the needle indicator is longer than a distance between the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part of the photosensor.

3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the scale marks of the angle viewer are formed of protrusions or concave portions.

4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the scale marks of the angle viewer are formed of protrusions or concave portions,
each scale mark of the angle viewer includes a portion representing an adjusted range of the optical axis of the photosensor, and
a width of the portion is wider than a width of the indicator of the needle indicator.

5. The image forming apparatus as claims in claim 1 , wherein
a length of the needle indicator is longer than a distance between the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part of the photosensor, and
the scale marks of the angle viewer are formed of protrusions or concave portions.

6. The image forming apparatus as claims in claim 1 , wherein a length of the needle indicator is longer than a distance between the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part of the photosensor,
the scale marks of the angle viewer are formed of protrusions or concave portions,
each scale mark of the angel viewer includes a portion representing an adjusted range of the optical axis of the photosensor, and
a width of the portion is wider than a width of the indicator of the needle indicator.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a transmission-type photosensor including a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part, disposed on opposite sides of a media conveyance path, to detect a recording medium on the media conveyance path; and
a sensor retainer to retain the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part, the sensor retainer including an angle viewer with scale marks for determining an angle of an optical axis of the photosensor relative to a vertical direction,
wherein the media conveyance path is inclined relative to a horizontal direction, and the sensor retainer is adjustable such that the photosensor is disposed with an inclination of the optical axis of the photosensor relative to the vertical direction being within a predetermined adjusted range corresponding to the scale marks of the angle viewer.

8. A sensor mounting jig for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a jig body connectable to a sensor retainer of the image forming apparatus to retain a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part of a photosensor of the image forming apparatus;
a suspended needle indicator having a length longer than a distance between the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part disposed on opposite sides of a media conveyance path, the needle indicator including one end portion freely rotatably disposed on the jig body at a position higher than the photosensor, and an indicator disposed on another end thereof; and
an angle viewer with scale marks that mark an angle of an optical axis of the photosensor from a vertical direction,
wherein the jig body when connected to the sensor retainer is adjustable such that the photosensor retained by the sensor retainer is disposed with the angle of the optical axis of the photosensor relative to the vertical direction being within a predetermined adjusted range.

9. A method for mounting a sensor for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
providing the photosensor including the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part, disposed on opposite sides of a media conveyance path;
connecting the sensor mounting jig as claimed in claim 8 , to the sensor retainer to retain the photosensor;
checking the inclination of the optical axis of the photosensor relative to the vertical direction; and
mounting the sensor retainer to an apparatus body at an attitude such that the optical axis of the photosensor falls within a predetermined adjusted range relative to the media conveyance path.

Assignees

• Morinaga Shigeru
• Sunaoshi Masayuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morinaga Shigeru
• Sunaoshi Masayuki

Classifications

• B41J11/64

  Applications of scales or indicators · CPC title

• B41J11/0095 Primary

  Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end · CPC title

• B41J29/44 Primary

  for determining top and bottom margins or indicating exhaust of paper · CPC title