An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of members for forming an image; a transmitting unit configured to transmit a sonic wave; a receiving unit configured to receive a first sonic wave that has been transmitted from the transmitting unit and has passed through a sheet and a second sonic wave that is generated from at least one of the plurality of members; a detection unit configured to detect information regarding a type or state of the sheet based on the first sonic wave; and a determination unit configured to determine a state of a member that has generated the second sonic wave based on the second sonic wave.

A measurement device includes a measurement unit that measures a physical property of a measurement target by causing the measurement target to vibrate through an application of an ultrasonic wave, the measurement unit including a first mode that measures the physical property using a first burst wave sensitive in a first predetermined range of physical property values and a second mode that measures the physical property using a second burst wave sensitive in a second range of physical property values different from the first range, and a control unit that controls the measurement unit to execute at least one of the first mode and the second mode.

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of members for forming an image; a transmitting unit configured to transmit a sonic wave; a receiving unit configured to receive a first sonic wave that has been transmitted from the transmitting unit and has passed through a sheet and a second sonic wave that is generated from at least one of the plurality of members; a detection unit configured to detect information regarding a type or state of the sheet based on the first sonic wave; and a determination unit configured to determine a state of a member that has generated the second sonic wave based on the second sonic wave.

An example print apparatus is described as including a fuser roller, a pressure device that generates wear on a section of the fuser roller surface, and a wear detection engine that identifies a degree of wear on the surface of the fuser roller. An example fuser roller may include a tube, a heating element, and a plurality of layers having a detectable pattern. An example print apparatus may include a wear detection engine having an emitter, a detector, and a controller that identifies a wear pattern based on data provided by the detector in response to activation of the emitter and determines a degree of wear based on the identified wear pattern.

An image forming apparatus includes a first detector detecting an operation sound based on a sound wave received by a receiver; a second detector detecting basis weight of recording material based on an ultrasonic wave transmitted from a transmitter and received by the receiver; a switching unit that switches destination of a reception signal from the receiver between a first path to the first detector and a second path to the second detector; and a controller that controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the first path at a first timing and to the second path at a second timing. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the controller controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the second path at the first timing or to the first path at the second timing.

A recording medium conveyance device includes storage that stores a recording medium, a conveyer that takes out the recording medium stored in the storage and conveys the recording medium as a conveyed object, an ultrasonic sensor that outputs a value indicating an attenuation amount of an ultrasonic wave caused by the conveyed object and a hardware processor, wherein the hardware processor executes an overlay detection process of detecting whether the conveyed object is in an overlay state in which a gap is present based on a result of output by the ultrasonic sensor, and prevents execution of the overlay detection process with respect to a first conveyed object that is to be conveyed first by the conveyer.

An image forming apparatus includes a conveying unit, an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a first driving unit, a second driving unit, a transmission unit to transmit an ultrasonic wave, and a reception unit. Where a determination is made that a timing at which excitation of the first driving unit is switched or a timing at which excitation of the second driving unit is switched overlaps with a timing to obtain a value of the ultrasonic wave received by the reception unit, the transmission unit does not transmit an ultrasonic wave. Where a determination is made that the timing at which the excitation of the first driving unit is switched or the timing at which the excitation of the second driving unit is switched does not overlap with the timing to obtain the value of the received ultrasonic wave, the transmission unit transmits an ultrasonic wave.

An image forming apparatus includes a first detector detecting an operation sound based on a sound wave received by a receiver; a second detector detecting basis weight of recording material based on an ultrasonic wave transmitted from a transmitter and received by the receiver; a switching unit that switches destination of a reception signal from the receiver between a first path to the first detector and a second path to the second detector; and a controller that controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the first path at a first timing and to the second path at a second timing. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the controller controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the second path at the first timing or to the first path at the second timing.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having a plurality of members, a control unit, and a sound collecting unit. The control unit controls operations of the plurality of members in a first operation mode in which the image forming unit forms an image on a recording material. The sound collecting unit collects a sound that arises in the image forming apparatus during the first operation mode execution to generate a sound signal. When it is determined, based on the generated sound signal, that an abnormal sound has arisen, the control unit determines a source of the abnormal sound by transitioning to a second operation mode after the first operation mode has ended and causing, in the second operation mode, one or more members, from the plurality of members, that are possible sources of the abnormal sound to operate separately from the remaining plurality of members.

A stored object detection device includes: a radar sensor which emits a radio wave and detects a reflected wave; a reflector which reflects the radio wave emitted from the radar sensor; and a detection target object storage amount detector which detects a storage amount of a detection target object in a container, based on a reflected wave of the radio wave that has been reflected on the container containing the detection target object, a reflected wave of the radio wave that has passed through the container and has been reflected on the detection target object, and a reflected wave of the radio wave that has passed through the container and has been reflected on the reflector.