# US 12,216,425 B2 · Image forming system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,216,425 B2 - Document ID: US12216425B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/975,419 - Filed: 2022-10-27 - Published: 2023-02-16 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-26 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Teppei Nagata; Tomohito Nakagawa; Yukihiro Soeta; Shogo Terakawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216425B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/5062: {by measuring the characteristics of an image on the copy material} - G03G 15/6573: {Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing} - G03G 2215/00569: Calibration, test runs, test prints - G03G 2215/00616: Optical detector - G03G 2215/00738: of sheet thickness or rigidity - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming system including: a reading unit configured to read, through a transparent member, an image on a first sheet conveyed by a conveyance unit; an opposed member provided opposite to the reading unit with respect to the transparent member, the first sheet passing through a gap between the opposed member and the transparent member; and at least one processor configured to control, based on the image read by the reading unit, a geometric characteristic of an image to be formed on a second sheet by an image forming portion, and control a changing unit to change the size of the gap to a first size when the thickness of the first sheet is a first thickness, and to a second size larger than the first size when the thickness of the first sheet is a second thickness larger than the first thickness. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image reading apparatus configured to read an image on a sheet conveyed from an image forming apparatus which is configured to form the image on the sheet, the image reading apparatus comprising: a transparent member; a reading sensor configured to read the image on the sheet, which is conveyed from the image forming apparatus, through the transparent member at a reading position in a conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed; an opposed roller, which is provided at the reading position in the conveyance direction, and is provided on a side opposite to the reading sensor with respect to the transparent member, wherein the sheet is nipped by the opposed roller and the transparent member in a gap between the opposed roller and the transparent member and the opposed roller receives a rotational drive force from a driving source so as to be rotationally driven to convey the sheet which is nipped by the opposed roller; a changing unit configured to change a size of the gap; and at least one processor configured to: acquire information related to a thickness of the sheet; and control the changing unit so that the size of the gap becomes a first size in a case where the thickness of the sheet is a first thickness, and control the changing unit so that the size of the gap becomes a second size larger than the first size in a case where the thickness of the sheet is a second thickness larger than the first thickness. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming apparatus, wherein the reading position is at downstream with respect to the conveyance unit in the conveyance direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reference surface, wherein the changing unit includes an eccentric cam having an abutment surface to be brought into abutment against the reference surface, and wherein the gap is changed by rotating the eccentric cam in a state in which the abutment surface abuts against the reference surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image reading apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the reference surface is provided on the transparent member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The image reading apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the eccentric cam is rotatably supported coaxially with the opposed roller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image reading apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a first cam is provided on one end side of the opposed roller, and a second cam is provided on the other end side of the opposed roller. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The image reading apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a sensor configured to detect a phase of the eccentric cam. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The image reading apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the changing unit changes a phase of the eccentric cam according to the thickness of the sheet to change the size of the gap, and wherein the size of the gap becomes the first size in a case where the eccentric cam is located at a first phase, the size of the gap becomes the second size different from the first size in a case where the eccentric cam is located at a second phase different from the first phase, and the size of the gap becomes a third size different from the first size and the second size in a case where the eccentric cam is located at a third phase different from the first phase and the second phase. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opposed roller is driven by the driving source different from a driving source of the changing unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opposed roller has a black outer peripheral surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyance guide arranged upstream of the opposed roller in the conveyance direction, and to support the opposed roller. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reading sensor is a contact image sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor which is provided on a conveyance path through which the sheet passes, and is configured to detect the thickness of the sheet, wherein the at least one processor is configured to acquire the information related to the thickness of the sheet from the sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit configured to receive inputting the information related to the thickness of the sheet by a user for using the image reading apparatus, wherein the at least one processor is configured to acquire the information related to the thickness of the sheet from the operation unit. ### Claim 15 An image forming system, comprising: an image forming unit configured to form an image on a first sheet; a transparent member; a reading sensor configured to read the image on the sheet, which is conveyed from the image forming apparatus, through the transparent member at a reading position in a conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed; an opposed roller, which is provided at the reading position in the conveyance direction, and is provided on a side opposite to the reading sensor with respect to the transparent member, wherein the sheet is nipped by the opposed roller and the transparent member in a gap between the opposed roller and the transparent member and the opposed roller receives a rotational drive force from a driving source so as to be rotationally driven to convey the sheet which is nipped by the opposed roller; a changing unit configured to change a size of the gap; and at least one processor configured to: acquire information related to a thickness of the first sheet; control the changing unit so that the size of the gap becomes a first size in a case where the thickness of the first sheet is a first thickness, and control the changing unit so that the size of the gap becomes a second size larger than the first size in a case where the thickness of the first sheet is a second thickness larger than the first thickness; and set an image forming condition for forming an image on a second sheet based on image data obtained by the reading sensor. ### Claim 16 An image reading apparatus configured to read an image on a sheet conveyed from an image forming apparatus which is configured to form the image on the sheet, the image reading apparatus comprising: a transparent member; a reading sensor configured to read the image on the sheet, which is conveyed from the image forming apparatus, through the transparent member at a reading position in a conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed; an opposed roller, which is provided at the reading position in the conveyance direction, and is provided on a side opposite to the reading sensor with respect to the transparent member, wherein the sheet is nipped by the opposed roller and the transparent member in a gap between the opposed roller and the transparent member; a rotary shaft configured to rotate the opposed roller; and a cam configured to change the gap, the cam being supported coaxially on the rotary shaft. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The image reading apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming apparatus, wherein the reading position is at downstream with respect to the conveyance unit in the conveyance direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The image reading apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a reference surface, wherein the cam has an abutment surface to be brought into abutment against the reference surface, and wherein the gap is changed by rotating the cam in a state in which the abutment surface abuts against the reference surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The image reading apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the reference surface is provided on the transparent member. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The image reading apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the opposed roller receives a drive force from a driving source so as to be rotationally driven to convey the sheet which is nipped by the opposed roller. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The image reading apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a conveyance guide arranged upstream of the opposed roller in the conveyance direction, and to support the opposed roller. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The image reading apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the reading sensor is a contact image sensor. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The image reading apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the cam is driven for rotation on the rotary shaft independently of rotation of the opposed roller.