DETECTION APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20070287513A1
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Oyumi, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,969,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.100
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/235 the image receiving member being preconditioned before transferring the second image, e.g. decurled, or the second image being formed with different operating parameters, e.g. a different fixing temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6564 with correct timing of sheet feeding
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00721 of sheet position

Abstract

A detection apparatus includes a casing, a movable member moving from a position outside the casing to a position inside the casing upon contact of a detection object, a radio communication device disposed on the movable member and configured for radio communication with a sending and receiving unit via radio waves, a shielding member for shielding the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit in a state that the movable member is located within the casing, and a controller for determining the presence of the detection object by determining whether the sending and receiving unit can communicate with the radio communication device.

Claims

1. A detection apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a movable member movable from a position outside the casing to a position inside the casing upon contact of a detection object;

a radio communication device disposed on the movable member and configured for radio communication with a sending and receiving unit via radio waves;

a shielding member capable of shielding the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit in a state that the movable member is located within the casing; and

a controller capable of determining the presence of the detection object by determining whether the sending and receiving unit can communicate with the radio communication device.

2. The detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit is enabled when the radio communication device is exposed outside the casing due to movement of the movable member while the communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit is disabled when the radio communication device is not exposed outside the casing.

3. The detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an antenna connected to the radio communication device,

wherein the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit is enabled when the antenna is exposed outside the casing due to the movement of the movable member while the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit is disabled when the antenna enters inside the casing.

4. The detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radio communication device is operative due to radio electric power transmitted from the sending and receiving unit.

5. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit capable of forming images on a sheet;

a casing;

a movable member movable from a position outside the casing to a position inside the casing upon contact of the sheet;

a radio communication device disposed on the movable member and configured for radio communication with a sending and receiving unit via radio waves;

a shielding member capable of shielding the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit in a state that the movable member is located within the casing; and

a controller capable of determining the presence of the sheet by determining whether the sending and receiving unit can communicate with the radio communication device.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit is enabled when the radio communication device is exposed outside the casing due to the movement of the movable member while the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit is disabled when the radio communication device enters inside the casing.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an antenna connected to the radio communication device,

wherein the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit is enabled when the antenna is exposed outside the casing due to the movement of the movable member while the radio communication between the radio communication device and the sending and receiving unit is disabled when the antenna enters inside the casing.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the radio communication device is operative due to radio electric power transmitted from the sending and receiving unit.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming apparatus is provided with a plurality of the radio communication devices arranged therein, and the sending and receiving unit is capable of communicating with all of the radio communication devices in an initial state of the image forming apparatus.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the initial state of the image forming apparatus, the controller confirms establishment of the radio communication between the radio communication devices and the sending and receiving unit.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller displays a warning on an operation panel when the radio communication device is incapable of establishing radio communication.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming apparatus is provided with a plurality of the sending and receiving units arranged therein, and the controller establishes communication with the radio communication device by switching sendings from the plurality of the sending and receiving units in time sharing.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the radio communication device includes a memory, and the information stored in the memory to be transmitted to the sending and receiving unit includes the specific number of the image forming apparatus and the number of the radio communication device allocated in the image forming apparatus.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein when the sending and receiving unit rewrites the information stored in the memory, the controller allows the sending and receiving unit to execute the rewriting such that a member for electromagnetically shielding radio communication with radio communication devices shields radio communication to all radio communication devices except for the radio communication device having a target memory to be rewritten.