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US 2013/0077099 A1Published application
Droplet discharge detection device and image forming apparatus including droplet discharge detection device
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTakeshi MOCHIZUKI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a droplet discharge detection device including a head array unit in which plural nozzles are arranged in a line; a light emitter configured to emit a light beam in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, wherein the light emitter is disposed at a first end portion of the head array unit and the light emitter has an aperture for limiting a diameter of a light beam; and a light receiver configured to receive a scattered light beam of the light beam generated by a droplet, wherein the light receiver is disposed at a second end portion of the head array unit, the second end portion being opposite to the light emitter of the head array unit.
Claims5
A droplet discharge detection device comprising:
- a head array unit in which plural nozzles are arranged in a line;
- a light emitter configured to emit a light beam in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, wherein the light emitter is disposed at a first end portion of the head array unit and the light emitter has an aperture for limiting a diameter of a light beam;
- and
- a light receiver configured to receive a scattered light beam of the light beam generated by a droplet, wherein the light receiver is disposed at a second end portion of the head array unit, the second end portion being opposite to the light emitter of the head array unit,
- wherein, when a first direction in which the droplet is discharged from the nozzles is set to be an X direction, and when a second direction that is perpendicular to the X direction and that is perpendicular to the direction in which the nozzles are arranged is set to be a Y direction, a formula below is satisfied,
- ∫X1X2∫Y1Y2(Asc2+2Adf·Asc·cos[2π(Ldf−Lsc)/λ])dXPDdYPD>0,
- wherein, in the formula, the YPD is a Y-coordinate of a position in the Y direction on a light receiving surface of the light receiver, the [Y1, Y2] is an effective detection range in the Y direction on the light receiving surface of the light receiver, the XPD is an X-coordinate of the position in the X direction on the light receiving surface of the light receiver, the [X1, X2] is an effective detection range in the X direction on the light receiving surface of the light receiver, the Ldf is a first optical path length of a diffracted light beam from a center of the aperture of the light emitter to the light receiving surface of the light receiver, the Adf is a first amplitude of the diffracted light beam, the Asc is a second amplitude of the scattered light beam, the Lsc is a second optical path length of the scattered light beam from the center of the aperture of the light emitter to the light receiving surface of the light receiver, and the λ is the wavelength of the light beam.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a droplet discharge detection device,
- wherein the droplet discharge detection device includes
- a head array unit in which plural nozzles are arranged in a line;
- a light emitter configured to emit a light beam in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, wherein the light emitter is disposed at a first end portion of the head array unit and the light emitter has an aperture for limiting a diameter of a light beam;
- and
- a light receiver configured to receive a scattered light beam of the light beam generated by a droplet, wherein the light receiver is disposed at a second end portion of the head array unit, the second end portion being opposite to the light emitter of the head array unit,
- wherein, when a first direction in which the droplet is discharged from the nozzles is set to be an X direction, and when a second direction that is perpendicular to the X direction and that is perpendicular to the direction in which the nozzles are arranged is set to be a Y direction, a formula below is satisfied,
- ∫X1X2∫Y1Y2(Asc2+2Adf·Asc·cos[2π(Ldf−Lsc)/λ])dXPDdYPD>0,
- wherein, in the formula, the YPD is a Y-coordinate of a position in the Y direction on a light receiving surface of the light receiver, the [Y1, Y2] is an effective detection range in the Y direction on the light receiving surface of the light receiver, the XPD is an X-coordinate of the position in the X direction on the light receiving surface of the light receiver, the [X1, X2] is an effective detection range in the X direction on the light receiving surface of the light receiver, the Ldf is a first optical path length of a diffracted light beam from a center of the aperture of the light emitter to the light receiving surface of the light receiver, the Adf is a first amplitude of the diffracted light beam, the Asc is a second amplitude of the scattered light beam, the Lsc is a second optical path length of the scattered light beam from the center of the aperture of the light emitter to the light receiving surface of the light receiver, and the λ is the wavelength of the light beam.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.