A print media detection apparatus may include a movable scanner bar for scanning media, a feeder tray for supplying the print media, a print media indicator and a controller. The print media indicator may include a first portion to interact with the print media within the feeder tray and a second portion coupled to the first portion to move in response to movement of the first portion. The scanner bar is to sense the second portion of the media indicator. The controller is to determine a characteristic of the print media within the feeder tray based upon sensing of the second portion by the scanner bar.

An edge position detecting apparatus includes a light emitting device, a detecting device, and a calculating circuit. The light emitting device includes a plurality of light sources with different emission wavelengths. The light emitting device irradiates a conveyed object with linear light along a width direction of the conveyed object, the width direction being perpendicular to a conveying direction of the conveyed object. The detecting device detects, at a plurality of positions in the width direction of the conveyed object, intensity of reflected light of light emitted by the light emitting device. The calculating circuit calculates, based on a detection result of the detecting device, a position of an edge of the conveyed object in the width direction.

There is described a web alignment device for aligning a web comprising an engagement surface for supporting the web, a clamp assembly for clamping the web on at least a clamp portion of the engagement surface, an alignment control assembly for controlling a correct alignment of the web. The alignment control assembly comprises a control unit for generating a trigger signal if the web is correctly aligned, a first sensor device for detecting and/or determining a desired position of a first section of the web and to send at least a first signal to the control unit if the first section is positioned in the desired position, and a second sensor device for detecting and/or determining a desired position of a second section of the web and to send a second signal to the control unit if the second section is positioned in the desired position.

An image forming apparatus includes a sensor, a tray, a gear, a protruding portion, and a processor. The sensor has a light transmitting unit and light receiving units and is configured to generate an output signal in accordance with an amount of light received by the light receiving units. The gear is configured to rotate in accordance with an amount of sheets stacked on the tray. The protruding portion is configured to rotate with the gear and move into a light path of light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving units to partially block the light, the protruding portion having a width that determines how much light in the light path is blocked and varies gradually from a first end thereof to a second end thereof. The processor is configured to determine the amount of sheets stacked on the tray based on the output signal.

An image forming device includes an image forming unit, a reading unit, a registration-less unit, and an engine control unit. The reading unit reads a sheet to be conveyed. The engine control unit moves the other end side of the registration-less unit to correct skew. The engine control unit obtains a deviation amount (first deviation amount) of the position of the sheet based on the correction, and changes a sheet conveyance speed from a first speed to a second speed when the sheet enters the registration-less unit. The engine control unit adjusts the timing to change from the first speed to the second speed based on the first deviation amount.

A recording apparatus includes a recording unit, a discharge unit that discharges a medium on which recording is performed by the recording unit, and a medium receiving unit that receives a medium discharged by the discharge unit, and a medium can be fed to an optional device attached to an apparatus main body from the discharge unit. The discharge unit includes a discharge roller that discharges a medium, a forming unit that forms a medium to be discharged, and a detection unit that detects a stacking height of a medium stacked on the medium receiving unit and is located at a position where the detection unit interferes with the optional device when the optional device is attached, the detection unit and the forming unit are integrally configured, and the detection unit and the forming unit are configured to be integrally attached to and removed from the apparatus main body.

A medium conveying apparatus includes a moving mechanism to move the set guide, a guide pair including a first guide having a first opening and a second opening, and a second guide to regulate a vertical direction of the medium conveyance path, a light emitting element and a light receiving element located on an outside of the medium conveyance path with the first guide in between, and on the downstream side of the first opening and the second opening so as to be apart from the moving mechanism by a predetermined distance or more in the medium conveying direction, a first light guide which is bent so as to guide a light emitted from the light emitting element to the first opening, and a second light guide which is bent so as to guide the light incident from the second opening to the light receiving element.

The image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveyance part, an image forming part, and a sheet reading unit. The sheet reading unit includes a line sensor. The line sensor includes split line sensors. The line sensor reads a conveyed sheet. The line sensor includes a plurality of split line sensors. The split line sensors are placed at non-stretching positions, respectively. Each non-stretching position is such a position that as in the main scanning direction, a main-scanning-direction distance from a gap between one split line sensor and another split line sensor to an ideal edge position of every usable regular size exceeds a permissible value.

A print media detection apparatus may include a movable scanner bar for scanning media, a feeder tray for supplying the print media, a print media indicator and a controller. The print media indicator may include a first portion to interact with the print media within the feeder tray and a second portion coupled to the first portion to move in response to movement of the first portion. The scanner bar is to sense the second portion of the media indicator. The controller is to determine a characteristic of the print media within the feeder tray based upon sensing of the second portion by the scanner bar.

In some examples, an access point that leads into a safety zone of a roll unwinder or winder is monitored by a monitoring sensor system. The monitoring sensor system includes two scanners having respective measuring beams that pass over an angular region situated in the same plane extending in an opening. The access point is monitored in a pattern of multiple protection fields having various sizes and/or shapes. Multiple ones of the protection fields are encompassed by a next-larger and/or next-wider protection field, entirely or at least viewed in the width and toward the top. The scan images of the two scanners are checked for a breach of the relevant protection fields in differing, adjoining, or overlapping partial regions of the plane. Information about the permissibility of a determined protection field breach is derived by evaluation of breach patterns of breached protection fields obtained in the two partial regions.