Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and non-transitory recording medium
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorHiroshi Ando
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a head, a detector, and circuitry. The head forms an image on a recording medium. The detector detects a vertical movement of the recording medium and a distance to the recording medium in a vertical direction. The detector includes an optical sensor to project light to the recording medium and receive the light reflected from the recording medium. The circuitry sets a first area based on a result of detection performed by the detector. The first area is an area in which the recording medium and the head collide with each other. The circuitry retracts the head to prevent the recording medium and the head from colliding with each other, in a case where a position of the head is in the first area.
Claims9
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a head to form an image on a recording medium;
- a detector to detect a vertical movement of the recording medium and a distance to the recording medium in a vertical direction,
- the detector including an optical sensor to project light to the recording medium and receive the light reflected from the recording medium;
- and
- circuitry configured to:
- set a first area based on a result of detection performed by the detector, the first area being an area in which the recording medium and the head collide with each other;
- retract the head to prevent the recording medium and the head from colliding with each other, in a case where a position of the head is in the first area,
- set, based on the result of detection performed by the detector, a second area wider than the first area and from which the head is retracted, and
- retract the head, in a case where the position of the head is in the second area.
An image forming method, comprising:
- detecting, with an optical sensor, a vertical movement of a recording medium and a distance to the recording medium in a vertical direction;
- setting a first area based on a result of the detecting, the first area being an area in which the recording medium and a head collide with each other;
- retracting the head to prevent the recording medium and the head from colliding with each other, in a case where a position of the head is in the first area;
- setting, based on the result of detection performed by the detector, a second area wider than the first area and from which the head is retracted;
- retracting the head, in a case where the position of the head is in the second area, and
- forming, with the head, an image on the recording medium.
A non-transitory recording medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the processors to perform an image forming method, the method comprising:
- detecting, with an optical sensor, a vertical movement of a recording medium and a distance to the recording medium in a vertical direction;
- setting a first area based on a result of the detecting, the first area being an area in which the recording medium and a head collide with each other;
- retracting the head to prevent the recording medium and the head from colliding with each other, in a case where a position of the head is in the first area;
- setting, based on the result of detection performed by the detector, a second area wider than the first area and from which the head is retracted;
- retracting the head, in a case where the position of the head is in the second area, and
- forming, with the head, an image on the recording medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.