MOVING-MEMBER DETECTING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20140044460A1
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: KUDO, Koichi, MASUDA, Koji, FUNATO, Hiroyoshi, UEDA, Takeshi, NIHEI, Yasuhiro, TAKAURA, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,983,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/301
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5054 by measuring the characteristics of an intermediate image carrying member or the characteristics of an image on an intermediate image carrying member, e.g. intermediate transfer belt or drum, conveyor belt
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0129 horizontal medium transport path at the secondary transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0141 the linear arrangement being horizontal

Abstract

A moving-member detecting device includes an image acquiring unit and a speed calculating unit. The image acquiring unit includes a light source configured to emit a light beam to a detecting position of a moving member; an area sensor configured to acquire image data of a one- or two-dimensional image; and an area-sensor control unit configured to acquire the image data. The image acquiring unit is configured to acquire pieces of image data of the moving member at first and second positions, respectively, in a moving direction of the moving member so as to acquire the piece of position image data for the second position when the moving member is at the second position after acquiring the piece of image data for the first position. The speed calculating unit is configured to calculate a moving speed of the moving member from the pieces of image data.

Claims

1. A moving-member detecting device comprising:

an image acquiring unit including

a light source configured to emit a light beam to a detecting position of a moving member, an area sensor configured to acquire image data of a one- or two-dimensional image, and an area-sensor control unit configured to acquire the image data acquired by the area sensor in response to a trigger signal; and

a speed calculating unit, wherein

the image acquiring unit is configured to acquire pieces of image data of the moving member at a first position and a second position, respectively, in a moving direction of the moving member so that the image acquiring unit acquires the piece of position image data for the second position when the moving member is at the second position after acquiring the piece of image data for the first position, and

the speed calculating unit is configured to calculate a moving speed of the moving member from the piece of image data for the first position and the piece of image data for the second position.

2. The moving-member detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the image acquiring unit includes a plurality of area sensors that are fixed to one member at positions corresponding to the first position and the second position, respectively.

3. The moving-member detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the light source is configured to emit light beams to multiple detecting positions of the moving member corresponding to the first position and the second position, respectively,

the area sensor is a signal area sensor configured to acquire a piece of image data of a one- or two-dimensional image,

the image acquiring unit further includes an optical image synthesizing unit placed to be opposed to the first position and the second position, and

the image synthesizing unit is configured to make the single area sensor acquire the piece of image data for the first position and the piece of image data for the second position.

4. The moving-member detecting device according to claim 3, wherein

the image synthesizing unit is configured to focus images of the multiple detecting positions onto a same position of the area sensor,

the light source includes a first light source configured to emit a light beam to the first position only and a second light source configured to emit a light beam to the second position, and

the image acquiring unit causes the first light source to emit the light beam to acquire the piece of image data for the first position, and causes the second light source to emit the light beam to acquire the piece of image data for the second position.

5. The moving-member detecting device according to claim 3, wherein

the light source is a single light source, and

the image acquiring unit further includes an optical-beam splitting unit configured to split the light beam emitted from the single light source into two light beams to be emitted to the first position and the second position, respectively.

6. The moving-member detecting device according to claim 3, wherein

the light source is a single light source, and

the image synthesizing unit is further configured to split the light beam emitted from the single light source into two light beams to be emitted to the first position and the second position, respectively.

7. The moving-member detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the light source includes a semiconductor laser.

8. The moving-member detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the area sensor is configured to

acquire a two-dimensional image, and simultaneously calculate the moving speed of the moving member and a movement of the moving member in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising the moving-member detecting device according to claim 1,

wherein the moving member is an intermediate transfer belt or a conveying belt.