Optical sensor and image forming apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKatsuhiro Ishido
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical sensor includes a first light emitting diode (LED), a second LED, a first photodiode (PD), and a second PD. The first LED and the second LED are configured to irradiate an optical-axis center point of an intermediate transfer belt. The first PD is arranged at a position at which specularly reflected light of light emitted from the first LED and diffused reflected light of light emitted from the second LED are received. The second PD is arranged at a position at which diffused reflected light of the light emitted from the first LED is received.
Claims20
An optical sensor comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first light emitting element formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate;
- a second light emitting element formed on the predetermined surface;
- a first light receiving element, formed on the predetermined surface;
- and
- a second light receiving element formed on the predetermined surface,
- wherein light emitted from the first light emitting element is irradiated on an object to be measured at a position, the predetermined surface facing the position,
- wherein light emitted from the second light emitting element is irradiated on the object to be measured at a position, the predetermined surface facing the position,
- wherein, in a case in which the first light emitting element emits light, light specularly reflected from the object to be measured is receivable by the first light receiving element,
- wherein, in a case in which the second light emitting element emits light, light diffusely reflected from the object to be measured is receivable by the second light receiving element,
- wherein the first light emitting element, the first light receiving element, the second light receiving element, and the second light emitting element are arranged in a predetermined direction, and
- wherein the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element are arranged between the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element.
An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet based on an image forming condition, the image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image forming unit configured to form a measurement image on an image bearing member;
- a sensor configured to measure reflected light from the measurement image on the image bearing member;
- and
- a controller configured to generate the image forming condition based on a measurement result by the sensor,
- wherein the sensor includes:
- a substrate;
- a first light emitting element formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate;
- a second light emitting element formed on the predetermined surface;
- a first light receiving element formed on the predetermined surface;
- and
- a second light receiving element formed on the predetermined surface,
- wherein light emitted from the first light emitting element is irradiated on the measurement image at a position, the predetermined surface facing the position,
- wherein light emitted from the second light emitting element is irradiated on the measurement image at a position, the predetermined surface facing the position,
- wherein, in a case in which the first light emitting element emits light, light specularly reflected from the measurement image is receivable by the first light receiving element,
- wherein, in a case in which the second light emitting element emits light, light diffusely reflected from the measurement image is receivable by the second light receiving element,
- wherein the first light emitting element, the first light receiving element, the second light receiving element, and the second light emitting element are arranged in a predetermined direction, and
- wherein the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element are arranged between the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.