An identification apparatus includes a guide member defining a guide path, a scanning portion that scans the sheet inserted in the guide path, a first detection portion disposed upstream of the scanning portion in an insertion direction of the sheet in the guide path that detects presence/absence of the sheet, and a second detection portion disposed downstream of the scanning portion in the insertion direction in the guide path and detects presence/absence of the sheet. The identification apparatus is configured to start measurement of a surface property of the sheet by the scanning portion in response to a change in a detection result of one of the first detection portion or the second detection portion, and complete the measurement in response to a change in a detection result whichever of the first detection portion or the second detection portion not used in determining the start of the measurement.

A diagnostic device includes a reception unit and a determination unit. The reception unit is configured to receive context information and sensing information. The context information corresponds to a certain operation of a target item that constitutes a target device. The context information is a piece of a plurality of pieces of context information each describing an operation of the target item determined depending on a type of operation of the target device. The sensing information is on a physical quantity that varies in accordance with the operation of the target item. The determination unit is configured to determine a state of the target item based on the sensing information detected while the target item is performing the certain operation, and based on a model corresponding to the received context information. The model is a model of one or more models respectively defined for one or more pieces of the context information.

A sound absorber, which is included in a sheet feeder included in an image reading device, an image forming apparatus, and an electronic device, includes a cavity, a communication portion through which the cavity communicates with an outside of a sheet feeder, and a communication direction changing device configured to change a communication direction of the communicating portion.

A feeder includes a conveyance path, a conveyance roller that conveys a sheet along the conveyance path, a transmitter that emits a space propagating energy, a receiver that receives a reflected energy obtained by reflection of the space propagating energy, and an actuator mounted pivotably on a pivot shaft and including first and second legs extending in different directions from the pivot shaft. The first leg is disposed to extend to the conveyance path and abut against the sheet being conveyed along the conveyance path. The second leg has a reflective surface crossing a path of the space propagating energy. The actuator is pivoted by abutment of the sheet against the first leg. The reflective surface is formed so that the reflected energy obtained by the reflection of the space propagating energy on the reflective surface enters the receiver regardless of an angle of pivotal movement of the actuator.

A printing apparatus including a plurality of print driving units for printing a print dot on a print medium, a storage unit that stores a generated electromagnetic wave noise value which is a value of an electromagnetic wave noise to be generated by driving the print driving unit and an allowable electromagnetic wave noise value indicating tolerance of the generated electromagnetic wave noise, as electromagnetic wave noise data, and a control unit that controls driving of the print driving unit, in which the control unit controls the number of the print driving units to be simultaneously driven so as to be the generated electromagnetic wave noise value equal to or less than the allowable electromagnetic wave noise value.

An identification apparatus includes a guide member defining a guide path, a scanning portion that scans the sheet inserted in the guide path, a first detection portion disposed upstream of the scanning portion in an insertion direction of the sheet in the guide path that detects presence/absence of the sheet, and a second detection portion disposed downstream of the scanning portion in the insertion direction in the guide path and detects presence/absence of the sheet. The identification apparatus is configured to start measurement of a surface property of the sheet by the scanning portion in response to a change in a detection result of one of the first detection portion or the second detection portion, and complete the measurement in response to a change in a detection result whichever of the first detection portion or the second detection portion not used in determining the start of the measurement.

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.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a transmission unit, a reception unit, a control unit configured to obtain a time period until the reception unit receives a first ultrasonic wave via a first recording material and an amplitude value thereof at a reference temperature, obtain a time period until the reception unit receives a second ultrasonic wave via a second recording material and an amplitude value thereof at a different temperature, control an image formation condition for forming the image on the first recording material on the basis of the amplitude value of the first ultrasonic wave, obtain a difference time period between reception of the first and second ultrasonic waves, and control an image formation condition for forming the image on the second recording material on the basis of the difference time period and the amplitude value of the second ultrasonic wave.

A sheet feeding device comprises sheet storage for storing a sheet, a merging conveying unit for feeding the sheet from the sheet storage to an image forming apparatus, a transmitting element for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to the sheet conveyed on the merging conveying unit, and a receiving element for receiving the ultrasonic signal having passed through the sheet and outputting an output signal according to strength of the received ultrasonic signal. When the sheet is a Japanese paper, the sheet feeding device detects double feeding of the sheet according to an average value of a plurality of the output signals and variation in a plurality of the output signals obtained for the one sheet. If the sheet is not double fed, the sheet is fed to the image forming apparatus. If the sheet is double fed, the sheet is discharged to the escape tray.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording material, a first detection unit including a transmission unit for transmitting an ultrasonic wave and a reception unit for receiving the transmitted ultrasonic wave, first and second conveyance units for conveying the recording material, and a control unit. The first and second conveyance units form a loop on the recording material by conveying the recording material at different speeds. The control unit controls an image forming condition for forming an image on the recording material by the image forming unit, based on the ultrasonic wave received via the recording material in a period in which no loop is formed on the recording material by the first and second conveyance units.