A paper type identification apparatus includes a passage configured to allow a sheet to be manually inserted thereinto, a reading sensor configured to read a surface of the sheet inserted into the passage and a controller configured to output a notification after reading a first surface of the sheet by the reading sensor. The notification is a notification to urge a user to read a second surface opposite to the first surface of the sheet by the reading sensor, and determine a type of the sheet based on a reading result of the first surface by the reading sensor and a reading result of the second surface by the reading sensor.

An image forming apparatus including an image bearer; a nip forming member, a nip width changing device, a power source; and a controller. The controller switches between a first mode and a second mode according to a predetermined condition. In the first mode, a duty of the transfer bias is a first duty and a width of a transfer nip is a first width. In the second mode, the duty of the transfer bias is a second duty lower than the first duty and the width of the transfer nip is a second width greater than the first width. The duty is (TTt)/T100% where T denotes one cycle of the transfer bias, and Tt denotes a time period, in which the transfer bias is on a transfer-directional side relative to a time-averaged value of the transfer bias, in the one cycle.

An optical sensor including an abutment part configured to abut one edge of an object to be measured, a wall extending along a side of the object to be measured and having a first opening to pass light emitted to the object to be measured, and a first concave portion formed between the first opening and the abutment part on a side of the wall to position the object to be measured. A paper-type discrimination device including the optical sensor, and a controller configured to discriminate a paper type of the object using the reflection light from the object measured by the optical sensor. An image forming apparatus including the optical sensor or the paper-type discrimination device.

A printing system for cut sheets includes a controller for controlling the printing of image data on the cut sheets and scheduling the cut sheets in a printing order. The cut sheets have a plurality of media types, each media type having a dedicated preferred maximum speed for transporting the cut sheets of said media type along a paper path of the printing system. The controller is configured to schedule the cut sheets for printing taking into account change-over times between changes in media types of the scheduled cut sheets. The controller is further configured to calculate a first total time of printing the cut sheets including the change-over times, to determine a common speed for printing the cut sheets among the plurality of media types, to calculate a second total time of printing the cut sheets at the determined common speed excluding the change-over times, and, if the first total time is smaller than the second total time, to print the cut sheets at the corresponding dedicated preferred maximum speeds including change-over times, and, if the first total time is larger or equal to the second total time, to print the cut sheets at the determined common speed.

An optical sensor including an irradiation system including an irradiation system including a light source unit having a light source, the irradiation system configured to emit a linearly polarized light of a first polarization direction onto a surface of an object, a polarizing optical element disposed on an optical path of the light that is emitted from the irradiation system and reflected by diffuse reflection from an incident plane of the object and configured to separate a linearly polarized light component of a second polarization direction, a first photodetector configured to receive the linearly polarized light component of the second polarization direction separated by the polarizing optical element, and a housing supporting the irradiation system, the polarizing optical element, and the first photodetector, where the light source unit is fixed to the housing in a light emitting direction of the light source unit via space.

An image forming apparatus is provided that forms an image on a sheet material based on a sheet material setting relating to the sheet material. The image forming apparatus includes an accepting unit configured to accept a selection of a sheet material type, a thickness measurement unit configured to measure a thickness of the sheet material, and a setting determination unit configured to determine the sheet material setting that relates to the thickness of the sheet material based on the sheet material type accepted by the accepting unit and the thickness of the sheet material measured by the thickness measurement unit.

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 photographic fixing temperature control method includes: controlling a photographic fixing module to heat and fix a first part of a recording medium according to a first temperature; and controlling the photographic fixing module to heat and fix a second part of the recording medium according to a second temperature. The first part is located in front of the second part and the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

A transfer belt includes: an elastic layer, wherein the transfer belt is used to transfer a toner image onto a recording medium, the toner image being carried on a first main surface which is one of a pair of main exposed surfaces including the first main surface and a second main surface, when, using a lower block and an upper block, the transfer belt is placed on an upper surface of the lower block, a part of the transfer belt is interposed between a curved convex surface and a curved concave surface, and a pressed region reaches a pressing force of 200 [kPa] and is constantly pressed by the pressing force, if a represents a maximum value of displacement of a measurement region, and b represents displacement of the measurement region after convergence, E [] calculated by (ab)/b satisfies a condition of 0.2E3.

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.