Image forming apparatus and sheet amount detection method

    公开(公告)号:US11975940B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-05-07

    申请号:US17732381

    申请日:2022-04-28

    发明人: Kosuke Takeuchi

    IPC分类号: B65H7/14

    摘要: 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.