Determination apparatus for determining type of recording medium and image forming apparatus using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9983530-B2
Application number	US-201514939452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2015
Priority date	Nov 27, 2014
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for determining a type of a recording medium is provided. A detection unit detects a characteristic value indicating a physical characteristic of a recording medium. A measurement unit measures a moisture content correlated with a moisture content of the recording medium. A determination unit determines the type of the recording medium based on the moisture content and the characteristic value. The determination unit may correct the characteristic value using the moisture content or correct a rule for determining the type of the recording medium using the moisture content unit, and determines the type of the recording medium in accordance with the corrected characteristic value or the corrected rule.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for determining a type of a recording medium, comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect a characteristic value indicating a physical characteristic of a recording medium;
a measurement unit configured to measure a moisture content correlated with a moisture content of the recording medium; and
a determination unit configured to determine the type of the recording medium based on the moisture content measured by the measurement unit and the characteristic value detected by the detection unit,
wherein the determination unit is further configured to correct the characteristic value detected by the detection unit using the moisture content measured by the measurement unit or correct a rule for determining the type of the recording medium using the moisture content measured by the measurement unit, and determine the type of the recording medium in accordance with the corrected characteristic value or the corrected rule.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the determination unit has a correction unit configured to correct the characteristic value detected by the detection unit using the moisture content measured by the measurement unit, and
the correction unit has a function or a table configured to input the moisture content measured by the measurement unit and the characteristic value detected by the detection unit and output the characteristic value corrected in accordance with the moisture content and the characteristic value that were input.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the function or table is further configured to convert the characteristic value detected by the detection unit into a characteristic value under a predetermined environment, based on the moisture content measured by the measurement unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a selection unit configured to select one function or table from among a plurality of functions or tables in accordance with the characteristic value detected by the detection unit,
wherein the correction unit uses the function or table selected by the selection unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the rule is configured to determine the type of the recording medium by comparing the characteristic value detected by the detection unit and one or more thresholds, and
the determination unit has a correction unit configured to correct the one or more thresholds in accordance with the moisture content measured by the measurement unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the correction unit has a function or a table configured to input the moisture content measured by the measurement unit and output the one or more thresholds corrected in accordance with the input moisture content.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the characteristic value of the recording medium is a value indicating the grammage of the recording medium.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the detection unit includes:
a transmission unit configured to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the recording medium;
a reception unit configured to receive ultrasonic waves that were transmitted from the transmission unit and passed through the recording medium; and
a signal processing unit configured to output the characteristic value that is in accordance with an amplitude value of a reception signal output by the reception unit upon receiving the ultrasonic waves.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the characteristic value of the recording medium is a value indicating a surface property of the recording medium.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the detection unit includes:
an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the recording medium with light;
a light receiving unit configured to receive light that was transmitted from the irradiation unit and reflected by the recording medium; and
a signal processing unit configured to output the characteristic value that is in accordance with a light reception signal output by the light receiving unit upon receiving the light.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the measurement unit is provided in a periphery of a conveyance path for the recording medium or a housing unit configured to accommodate the recording medium.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an intake type or exhaust type cooling unit,
wherein the measurement unit is provided in a periphery of the cooling unit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the measurement unit is provided at a position separated from a heat source by a predetermined distance or more.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the measurement unit has:
a sensor configured to detect a temperature and a humidity; and
a unit configured to obtain a moisture content based on the temperature and the humidity detected by the sensor.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium;
a detection unit configured to detect a characteristic value indicating a physical characteristic of the recording medium;
a measurement unit configured to measure a moisture content correlated with a moisture content of the recording medium; and
a determination unit configured to determine an image forming condition of the image forming unit based on the moisture content measured by the measurement unit and the characteristic value detected by the detection unit,
wherein the determination unit is further configured to correct the characteristic value detected by the detection unit using the moisture content measured by the measurement unit or correct a rule for determining the image forming condition using the moisture content measured by the measurement unit, and determine the image forming condition in accordance with the corrected characteristic value or the corrected rule.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 ,
wherein the image forming condition includes at least one from among a transfer voltage, a transfer current, a fixing temperature and a conveyance speed for the recording medium.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 ,
wherein the image forming condition includes a discharge amount of ink.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Namiki Teruhiko
• Ishida Tsutomu
• Monde Masafumi
• Shono Takuya

Classifications

• G01N2291/0237

  Thin materials, e.g. paper, membranes, thin films · CPC title

• G01N21/55 Primary

  Specular reflectivity · CPC title

• G03G2215/00776

  of humidity or moisture influencing copy sheet handling · CPC title

• G01N2201/1214

  for humidity · CPC title

• G01N29/4427

  with stored values, e.g. threshold values · CPC title