Measuring device and image forming device

Abstract

To enable a measurement time until measurement of electric resistance, first properties and second properties is completed to be shortened.SOLUTION: A measurement device comprises: a resistance measurement unit for measuring the electric resistance of a measurement object; a first measurement unit having a detection unit for detecting information that indicates first properties of the measurement object, the first measurement unit measuring the first properties from the detection result of the detection unit; a second measurement unit having a detection unit for detecting information that indicates second properties of the measurement object, the second measurement unit measuring the second properties from the detection result of the detection unit, the time from the drive start of the detection unit till the start of actual measurement being longer than the equivalent time of the first measurement unit; and a control unit for exercising first control upon the first measurement unit to execute operation to measure the first properties in parallel to measurement operation by the resistance measurement unit, the control unit causing operation to measure the second properties to be executed in parallel to measurement operation by the resistance measurement unit and exercising second control upon the second measurement unit to start driving the detection unit of the second measurement unit before the drive of the detection unit of the first measurement unit begins.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a measuring device and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a measurement terminal used for measuring the resistance of a thin film using a four-terminal method, characterized in that the positions of the four measurement terminals are fixed so that the measured voltage value divided by the current value is equal to the sheet resistance value of the thin film. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-137774 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The measuring device may include a first measuring unit having a resistance measuring unit that measures the electrical resistance of the object to be measured, a detection unit that detects information indicative of a first physical property other than the electrical resistance of the object to be measured, and that measures the first physical property from the detection result of the detection unit, and a second measuring unit having a detection unit that detects information indicative of the electrical resistance of the object to be measured and a second physical property other than the first physical property, and that measures the second physical property from the detection result of the detection unit, wherein the time from the start of driving of the detection unit to the start of actual measurement is longer than the corresponding time in the first measuring unit.

[0005] In this measuring device, if the measurement operations of the first physical property and the second physical property are performed in parallel with the measurement operation by the resistance measuring unit, and the operation of the detection unit in the second measuring unit is started after the operation of the detection unit in the first measuring unit is started, it may take a long measurement time to complete the measurements of the electrical resistance, the first physical property, and the second physical property.

[0006] The present invention aims to shorten the measurement time until measurements of electrical resistance, first physical property, and second physical property are completed in a configuration in which measurement operations of a first physical property and a second physical property are performed in parallel with a measurement operation by a resistance measurement unit, compared to a configuration in which control is performed on the second measurement unit to start driving the detection unit in the second measurement unit after driving of the detection unit in the first measurement unit has started. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first aspect includes a resistance measurement unit that measures the electrical resistance of a measurement object, a first measurement unit that has a detection unit that detects information indicative of a first physical property other than the electrical resistance of the measurement object, and measures the first physical property from a detection result of the detection unit, a second measurement unit that has a detection unit that detects information indicative of the electrical resistance of the measurement object and a second physical property other than the first physical property, and measures the second physical property from a detection result of the detection unit, wherein a time from when the detection unit starts to be driven to when actual measurement starts is longer than the time in the first measurement unit, and a control unit that performs first control on the first measurement unit to cause the first measurement unit to perform a measurement operation of the first physical property in parallel with a measurement operation by the resistance measurement unit, and a control unit that performs second control on the second measurement unit to cause the measurement operation of the second physical property to be performed in parallel with the measurement operation by the resistance measurement unit and to start driving the detection unit in the second measurement unit before driving of the detection unit in the first measurement unit starts.

[0008] In a second aspect, the resistance measuring unit has a plurality of measurement modes for actually measuring the electrical resistance of the measurement object, and the control unit controls at least one of the first measuring unit and the second measuring unit to perform actual measurement during a stop period between the plurality of measurement modes in which the resistance measuring unit stops actual measurement of the electrical resistance.

[0009] In a third aspect, the control unit performs the control to execute actual measurement during the stop period on one of the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit, which is arranged closer to the resistance measurement unit.

[0010] In a fourth aspect, the control unit controls the first measurement unit to start driving the detection unit in the first measurement unit after driving of the detection unit in the second measurement unit has started and before actual measurement is completed.

[0011] In a fifth aspect, the control unit controls the first measurement unit to start driving the detection unit in the first measurement unit after driving of the detection unit in the second measurement unit has started and before actual measurement starts.

[0012] In a sixth aspect, the resistance measuring unit has a detection unit that detects information indicating the electrical resistance of the measurement object, and the detection unit of the resistance measuring unit, the detection unit of the first measuring unit, and the detection unit of the second measuring unit are arranged in this order along the movement direction of the moved measurement object, and the control unit has a first mode in which it performs the first control on the first measuring unit and the second control on the second measuring unit, and a second mode in which it causes the measurement operations of the resistance measuring unit, the first measuring unit, and the second measuring unit to be performed in series in the arrangement order along the movement direction of the detection unit of the resistance measuring unit, the detection unit of the first measuring unit, and the detection unit of the second measuring unit.

[0013] In a seventh aspect, the first measuring unit applies ultrasonic waves to the object to be measured and measures the basis weight as the first physical property of the object to be measured, and the control unit has one mode in which it performs the first control on the first measuring unit and the second control on the second measuring unit, and another mode in which it controls the first measuring unit to execute a measurement operation to measure the basis weight.

[0014] An eighth aspect includes a measuring device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium as the measurement target whose electrical resistance, the first physical property, and the second physical property have been measured by the measuring device, and a control device that controls the image formation operation of the image forming unit based on the electrical resistance, the first physical property, and the second physical property measured by the measuring device. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the configuration of the first aspect, in a configuration in which measurement operations of the first physical property and the second physical property are executed in parallel with a measurement operation by the resistance measurement unit, the measurement time until the measurement of the electrical resistance, the first physical property, and the second physical property is completed can be shortened compared to a configuration in which control is performed on the second measurement unit to start driving the detection unit in the second measurement unit after driving of the detection unit in the first measurement unit is started.

[0016] According to the configuration of the second aspect, the influence of noise generated in at least one of the first measuring unit and the second measuring unit due to the actual measurement by the resistance measuring unit can be reduced compared to a configuration in which control is performed on both the first measuring unit and the second measuring unit to perform actual measurement while the resistance measuring unit is executing the measurement mode.

[0017] According to the configuration of the third aspect, compared to a configuration in which control to execute actual measurement during a stop period is performed only on one of the first and second measuring units, which is located far from the resistance measuring unit, the influence of noise from the resistance measuring unit can be reduced in the measuring unit that is located closer to the resistance measuring unit and is therefore more susceptible to the influence of noise from the resistance measuring unit.

[0018] According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, the measurement time until the measurement of the electrical resistance, the first physical property, and the second physical property is completed can be shortened compared to a configuration in which control is performed on the first measurement unit to start driving the detection unit in the first measurement unit after actual measurement is completed in the second measurement unit.

[0019] According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, the measurement time until the measurement of the electrical resistance, the first physical property, and the second physical property is completed can be shortened compared to a configuration in which control is performed on the first measurement unit to start driving the detection unit in the first measurement unit after actual measurement is started in the second measurement unit.

[0020] According to the configuration of the sixth aspect, in the second mode, the measurement time until the measurements of the electrical resistance, the first physical property, and the second physical property are completed can be shortened compared to a configuration in which the measurement operations of the resistance measurement unit, the first measurement unit, and the second measurement unit are performed in series in an order different from the arrangement order along the movement direction of the object to be measured of the detection unit of the resistance measurement unit, the detection unit of the first measurement unit, and the detection unit of the second measurement unit.

[0021] According to the configuration of the seventh aspect, when it is desired to measure only the basis weight, the measurement time can be shortened compared to a configuration in which the control section has only the first mode.

[0022] According to the configuration of the eighth aspect, a high-quality image can be formed on the recording medium, compared to a configuration in which the image forming operation of the image forming unit is performed regardless of the electrical resistance, the first physical property, and the second physical property of the recording medium. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating measurement operations of each measurement unit in a parallel operation mode according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the measurement operations of each measurement unit in a series operation mode according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a control circuit according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a processor of the control circuit according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of a control process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of a parallel operation mode according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of a series operation mode according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0025] (Image forming apparatus 10) A configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment.

[0026] The image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 1 is an apparatus for forming an image. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming apparatus main body 11, a medium storage section 12, an image forming section 14, a conveying mechanism 15, a control device 16, and a measuring device 20. The image forming apparatus 10 is capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from a user terminal 19. Each section of the image forming apparatus 10 will be described below.

[0027] (Image forming device body 11) 1 is a portion in which the components of the image forming device 10 are provided. Specifically, the image forming device body 11 is configured, for example, as a box-shaped housing. In this embodiment, the medium storage unit 12, the image forming unit 14, and the transport mechanism 15 are provided inside the image forming device body 11.

[0028] (Medium storage section 12) 1 is a portion of the image forming apparatus 10 that stores paper P. The paper P stored in the medium storage portion 12 is supplied to the image forming portion 14. The paper P is an example of a "recording medium."

[0029] (Image forming unit 14) 1 has a function of forming an image on paper P supplied from the medium container 12. Examples of the image forming unit 14 include an inkjet type image forming unit that forms an image on paper P using ink, and an electrophotographic type image forming unit that forms an image on paper P using toner.

[0030] In an inkjet type image forming unit, for example, ink droplets are ejected from an ejection unit onto a sheet of paper P to form an image on the sheet of paper P. In the inkjet type image forming unit, ink droplets may be ejected from an ejection unit onto a transfer body, and the ink droplets may be transferred from the transfer body to the sheet of paper P to form an image on the sheet of paper P.

[0031] In an electrophotographic image forming unit, for example, the steps of charging, exposing, developing, transferring, and fixing are performed to form an image on paper P. In the electrophotographic image forming unit, an image may be formed on a transfer body by performing the steps of charging, exposing, developing, and transferring, and then transferring the image from the transfer body to paper P, and then fixing the image to paper P, thereby forming an image on paper P.

[0032] Note that examples of the image forming section are not limited to the inkjet type image forming section and the electrophotographic type image forming section described above, and various other image forming sections can be used.

[0033] (Transport mechanism 15) 1 is a mechanism for transporting paper P. As an example, the transport mechanism 15 transports paper P by transport members (not shown) such as a transport roll and a transport belt. The transport mechanism 15 transports paper P from the medium container 12 to the image forming unit 14 through a predetermined transport path.

[0034] (Overview of user terminal 19, control device 16, and measurement device 20) The user terminal 19 shown in Fig. 1 is configured with a terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer. The user terminal 19 is capable of communicating with the measuring device 20 and the control device 16 wirelessly or by wire. As shown in Fig. 1, the measuring device 20 and the control device 16 are provided outside the image forming device main body 11, for example. Each of the user terminal 19 and the control device 16 is configured with a control unit (control board) having a recording unit configured with a storage or the like in which a program is recorded, and a processor that operates according to the program.

[0035] In this embodiment, a user of the image forming apparatus 10 places, for example, a sheet of paper P on which an image is to be formed on the measuring device 20 and issues a measurement instruction from the user terminal 19. Upon receiving the measurement instruction from the user terminal 19, the measuring device 20 measures the physical properties of the sheet of paper P and transmits measurement value information indicating the measured values ​​of the physical properties to the user terminal 19.

[0036] A user of the image forming apparatus 10, for example, stores the paper P that has been measured by the measuring device 20 in the medium storage unit 12, and issues a measurement instruction and an image formation instruction from the user terminal 19. The image formation instruction may also serve as a measurement instruction.

[0037] When the control device 16 receives an acquisition instruction from the user terminal 19, it acquires measurement value information from the user terminal 19. When the control device 16 receives an image formation instruction from the user terminal 19, it causes the image forming unit 14 and the transport mechanism 15 to perform an image formation operation, and controls the operations of the image forming unit 14 and the transport mechanism 15 based on the measurement value information. Specifically, the control device 16 controls the transport speed of the paper P in the transport mechanism 15, as well as the transfer voltage and fixing temperature in the image forming unit 14, based on the measurement value information.

[0038] In the above example, control device 16 is provided outside image forming apparatus main body 11, but it may be provided inside image forming apparatus main body 11. In addition, control device 16 acquires measurement value information of measuring device 20 via user terminal 19, but it may be configured to acquire measurement value information directly from measuring device 20.

[0039] Furthermore, although the measuring device 20 is provided outside the image forming apparatus body 11, it may be provided inside the image forming apparatus body 11. Specifically, the measuring device 20 may be configured as a device that measures physical properties in the medium storage unit 12 or in the transport path of the paper P.

[0040] (Specific configuration of the measuring device 20) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a measuring device 20 according to this embodiment. Note that the arrow UP shown in the figure indicates the upper side (vertically upward) of the device, and the arrow DO indicates the lower side (vertically downward) of the device. Also, the arrow LH shown in the figure indicates the left side of the device, and the arrow RH indicates the right side of the device. Also, the arrow FR shown in the figure indicates the front side of the device, and the arrow RR indicates the rear side of the device. These directions are determined for the convenience of explanation, and the device configuration is not limited to these directions. Note that in each direction of the device, the word "device" may be omitted. That is, for example, "above the device" may be simply indicated as "above."

[0041] In addition, in the following description, the "up-down direction" may mean "both above and below" or "either above or below". The "left-right direction" may mean "both right and left" or "either right or left". The "left-right direction" may also be referred to as the lateral direction or horizontal direction. The "front-rear direction" may mean "both forward and backward" or "either forward or backward". The front-rear direction may also be referred to as the lateral direction or horizontal direction. In addition, the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction are directions that intersect with each other (specifically, directions that are perpendicular to each other).

[0042] In addition, the symbol "x" inside a "circle" in the figure means an arrow pointing from the front to the back of the page. In addition, the symbol "·" inside a "circle" in the figure means an arrow pointing from the back to the front of the page.

[0043] The measuring device 20 is a device that measures the physical properties of the paper P used in the image forming apparatus 10. Specifically, the measuring device 20 measures the basis weight, electrical resistance, and the presence or absence of a coating layer of the paper P. Note that "measurement" means measuring the value (i.e., the degree) of a physical property, but the value of the physical property is a concept that includes 0 (zero). In other words, "measurement" includes measuring whether the value of the physical property is 0 (zero) or not, that is, measuring whether or not the physical property is present.

[0044] 2, the measuring device 20 specifically includes a first housing 21, a second housing 22, a basis weight measuring unit 30, a resistance measuring unit 50, and a coating layer measuring unit 70. Each part of the measuring device 20 will be described below.

[0045] (First housing 21) The first housing 21 is a portion in which some of the components of the measuring device 20 are provided. This first housing 21 constitutes the lower portion of the measuring device 20. The first housing 21 has an opposing surface 21A that faces the lower surface of the paper sheet P. The opposing surface 21A is also a support surface that supports the paper sheet P from below. A portion of the basis weight measuring unit 30 and a portion of the resistance measuring unit 50 are arranged inside the first housing 21.

[0046] (Second housing 22) The second housing 22 is a portion in which the other parts of each component of the measuring device 20 are provided. This second housing 22 constitutes the upper portion of the measuring device 20. The second housing 22 has an opposing surface 22A that faces the upper surface of the paper P. Other parts of the basis weight measuring unit 30, the coating layer measuring unit 70, and other parts of the resistance measuring unit 50 are arranged inside the second housing 22. In the measuring device 20, a paper sheet P as an example of a measurement target is arranged between the first housing 21 and the second housing 22.

[0047] (Basic weight measurement section 30) The basis weight measuring unit 30 shown in FIG. 2 vibrates the paper P with ultrasonic waves to measure the basis weight [g / m 2 ]. The basis weight measuring unit 30 is an example of a "first measuring unit." The paper P is an example of a "measurement target." The basis weight is an example of a "first physical property other than electrical resistance." Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the basis weight measuring unit 30 has a drive circuit 31, a transmitting unit 32, a receiving unit 35, and a processing unit 36.

[0048] The transmitter 32 has a function of transmitting ultrasonic waves to the paper P. The transmitter 32 is disposed in the second housing 22. That is, the transmitter 32 is disposed at a position facing one surface (specifically, the upper surface) of the paper P. Note that below the transmitter 32 in the second housing 22, an opening 24 is formed to allow the ultrasonic waves from the transmitter 32 to pass through to the paper P.

[0049] The driving circuit 31 is a circuit that drives the transmitting unit 32. When the driving circuit 31 drives the transmitting unit 32, the transmitting unit 32 applies ultrasonic waves to the upper surface side of the paper P, vibrating the paper P. The vibrated paper P vibrates the air below the paper P. In other words, the ultrasonic waves from the transmitting unit 32 pass through the paper P.

[0050] The receiving unit 35 has a function of receiving ultrasonic waves that have passed through the paper sheet P. The receiving unit 35 is disposed in the first housing 21. That is, the receiving unit 35 is disposed at a position facing the other surface (specifically, the lower surface) of the paper sheet P. The receiving unit 35 generates a reception signal by receiving the ultrasonic waves that have passed through the paper sheet P. An opening 23 is formed above the receiving unit 35 in the first housing 21, allowing the ultrasonic waves from the paper sheet P side to pass through to the receiving unit 35.

[0051] In this way, in the basis weight measurement unit 30, the transmitter 32 and the receiver 35 constitute a detector 325 (specifically, a detection sensor) that detects information indicating the basis weight of the paper P (specifically, ultrasonic waves transmitted through the paper P). A drive circuit 31 constitutes a circuit that drives the detector 325.

[0052] The processing unit 36 ​​obtains a measurement value by performing processing such as amplification on the reception signal (i.e., the detection result) obtained from the receiving unit 35. Furthermore, the processing unit 36 ​​outputs measurement value information indicating the obtained measurement value to the user terminal 19. As one example, the processing unit 36 ​​is configured by an electric circuit including an amplifier circuit and the like.

[0053] The measurement value obtained by the processing unit 36 ​​is a value that has a correlation with the basis weight of the paper P. Therefore, the measurement in the basis weight measuring unit 30 includes not only the measurement of the basis weight of the paper P itself, but also the measurement of a measurement value that has a correlation with the basis weight of the paper P.

[0054] The basis weight measuring unit 30 may calculate the basis weight of the paper P based on the measurement value obtained by the processing unit 36. Specifically, the basis weight measuring unit 30 calculates the basis weight from correlation data indicating the correlation between the measurement value and the basis weight. As described above, the basis weight measuring unit 30 measures the basis weight of the paper P based on the detection result of the detection unit 325.

[0055] (Coating layer measuring unit 70) The coating layer measuring unit 70 shown in Fig. 2 has a function of measuring the presence or absence of a coating layer on the paper P. A coating layer is a layer formed by applying a coating agent to the surface of the paper. In other words, the coating layer measuring unit 70 measures whether the paper P is coated paper (i.e., coated paper).

[0056] The coating layer measuring unit 70 is an example of a "second measuring unit." The presence or absence of a coating layer is an example of a "second physical property other than the electrical resistance and the first physical property." Specifically, the coating layer measuring unit 70 has a drive circuit 71, a light irradiating unit 72, a light receiving unit 75, and a processing unit 76, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0057] The light irradiating section 72 has a function of irradiating light onto the paper P. The light irradiating section 72 is disposed in the second housing 22. That is, the light irradiating section 72 is disposed at a position facing one surface (specifically, the upper surface) of the paper P with a gap therebetween. Note that below the light irradiating section 72 in the second housing 22, an opening 28 is formed to pass the light from the light irradiating section 72 onto the paper P.

[0058] The driving circuit 71 is a circuit that drives the light emitting section 72. When the driving circuit 71 drives the light emitting section 72, the light emitting section 72 irradiates the paper P with light, and the light is reflected by the paper P.

[0059] The light receiving unit 75 has a function of receiving light reflected by the paper P. The light receiving unit 75 is disposed in the second housing 22. That is, the light receiving unit 75 is disposed in a position facing one surface (specifically, the upper surface) of the paper P with a gap therebetween. The light receiving unit 75 receives the light reflected by the paper P and generates a light receiving signal. Note that an opening 29 is formed below the light receiving unit 75 in the second housing 22, which allows light from the paper P side to pass through to the light receiving unit 75.

[0060] Thus, in the coating layer measuring unit 70, the light irradiating unit 72 and the light receiving unit 75 constitute a detection unit 725 (specifically, a detection sensor) that detects information indicating the presence or absence of a coating layer on the paper P (specifically, light reflected by the paper P). A drive circuit 71 constitutes a circuit that drives the detection unit 725.

[0061] The processing unit 76 obtains a measurement value by performing processing such as amplification on the light receiving signal (i.e., the detection result) obtained from the light receiving unit 75. Furthermore, the processing unit 76 outputs measurement value information indicating the obtained measurement value to the user terminal 19. As an example, the processing unit 76 is configured by an electric circuit including an amplifier circuit and the like.

[0062] The measured values ​​obtained by processing unit 76 are values ​​that correlate with the presence or absence of a coating layer on paper P. Therefore, the measurements in coating layer measuring unit 70 include not only measuring the presence or absence of a coating layer on paper P itself, but also measuring a measurement value that correlates with the presence or absence of a coating layer on paper P.

[0063] Incidentally, coating layer measuring unit 70 may measure the presence or absence of a coating layer on paper P based on the measurement value obtained by processing unit 76. Specifically, the presence or absence of a coating layer is measured, for example, based on whether the measurement value exceeds a predetermined threshold value. As described above, coating layer measuring unit 70 measures the presence or absence of a coating layer on paper P based on the detection result of detection unit 725.

[0064] (Resistance measuring unit 50) The resistance measuring unit 50 shown in Fig. 2 has a function of measuring the surface resistance value [Ω] of the paper P. The resistance measuring unit 50 is an example of a "resistance measuring unit." The surface resistance is an example of "electrical resistance." Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the resistance measuring unit 50 has an electric circuit 51, a pair of terminals 52, a power source 53, a pair of opposing members 54, a detection circuit 55, and a processing unit 56.

[0065] The pair of terminals 52 are disposed, for example, on the first housing 21. The pair of terminals 52 are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction and contact the lower surface of the paper P through an opening 25 formed in the first housing 21. Each of the pair of terminals 52 is electrically connected to a power source 53 through an electric circuit 51.

[0066] Each of the pair of opposing members 54 faces each of the pair of terminals 52 with the paper P disposed between each of the pair of terminals 52. Each of the pair of opposing members 54 contacts the upper surface of the paper P through the opening 26 formed in the second housing 22. That is, the paper P is sandwiched between each of the pair of opposing members 54 and each of the pair of terminals 52. Each of the pair of opposing members 54 and each of the pair of terminals 52 are formed of a roll, for example.

[0067] The power source 53 applies a predetermined voltage ([V]) to the pair of terminals 52 through the electric circuit 51. As a result, a current corresponding to the surface resistance of the paper P flows between the pair of terminals 52. The detection circuit 55 is electrically connected to the pair of terminals 52. The detection circuit 55 detects the current flowing between the pair of terminals 52 to generate a detection signal.

[0068] In this manner, in the resistance measuring unit 50, the pair of terminals 52 and the detection circuit 55 constitute a detection unit 525 (specifically, a detection sensor) that detects information indicating the surface resistance of the paper P (specifically, the current flowing through the paper P). The electric circuit 51 constitutes a circuit that drives the detection unit 525.

[0069] The processing unit 56 performs processing such as amplification on the detection signal (i.e., the detection result) acquired from the detection circuit 55 to obtain a measurement value (specifically, a current value [A]). Furthermore, the processing unit 56 outputs measurement value information indicating the obtained measurement value to the user terminal 19. As an example, the processing unit 56 is configured by an electric circuit including an amplifier circuit and the like.

[0070] The measured value obtained by processing unit 56 is a value that is correlated with the surface resistance value of paper P. Therefore, the measurement in resistance measuring unit 50 includes not only measuring the surface resistance value of paper P itself, but also measuring a measured value that is correlated with the surface resistance value of paper P. Note that resistance measuring unit 50 may calculate the surface resistance value of paper P based on the measured value obtained by processing unit 56. As described above, resistance measuring unit 50 measures the surface resistance value of paper P from the detection result of detection unit 525.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the resistance measuring unit 50 is configured to apply a predetermined voltage to the pair of terminals 52 and detect the current flowing between the pair of terminals 52 to obtain the surface resistance value, but is not limited to this. For example, the resistance measuring unit 50 may be configured to obtain the surface resistance value by passing a current of a predetermined current value through the pair of terminals 52 and detecting the voltage between the pair of terminals 52.

[0072] (Arrangement of basis weight measuring unit 30, resistance measuring unit 50, and coating layer measuring unit 70) Here, the arrangement of the basis weight measuring unit 30, the resistance measuring unit 50, and the coating layer measuring unit 70 will be described.

[0073] 2, the basis weight measuring unit 30 is disposed at one end (specifically, the left end) of the first housing 21 and the second housing 22. On the other hand, the resistance measuring unit 50 is disposed at the other end (specifically, the right end) of the first housing 21 and the second housing 22.

[0074] The coating layer measuring unit 70 is disposed between the basis weight measuring unit 30 and the resistance measuring unit 50 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the coating layer measuring unit 70, together with the resistance measuring unit 50 and the basis weight measuring unit 30, is disposed within the paper size of the paper P. In this embodiment, the coating layer measuring unit 70 is disposed between the basis weight measuring unit 30 and the resistance measuring unit 50 in both the front-rear and top-bottom directions.

[0075] Thus, in this embodiment, the basis weight measurement unit 30, the coating layer measurement unit 70, and the resistance measurement unit 50 are arranged in this order from left to right in the measurement device 20 (specifically, the first housing 21 and the second housing 22). Therefore, in this embodiment, of the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the coating layer measurement unit 70, the measurement unit arranged closest to the resistance measurement unit 50 is the coating layer measurement unit 70.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the paper P as an example of a measurement target is moved from the left side to the right side with respect to the measurement device 20 (specifically, the first housing 21 and the second housing 22) and placed between the first housing 21 and the second housing 22. Therefore, along the movement direction of the paper P, the detection unit 325 (specifically, the transmission unit 32 and the reception unit 35) of the basis weight measurement unit 30, the detection unit 725 (specifically, the light irradiation unit 72 and the light reception unit 75) of the coating layer measurement unit 70, and the detection unit 525 (specifically, the pair of terminals 52) of the resistance measurement unit 50 are arranged in this order.

[0077] In addition, when the measuring device 20 is configured as a device for measuring physical properties on the transport path of paper P in an image forming device, the measuring device 20 is configured, for example, so that the paper P is transported from the left side to the right side of the measuring device 20 (specifically, the first housing 21 and the second housing 22).

[0078] (Measurement operations in basis weight measuring unit 30, resistance measuring unit 50 and coating layer measuring unit 70) In each of the basis weight measuring unit 30, the resistance measuring unit 50, and the coating layer measuring unit 70, the driving of the detection units 325, 525, and 725 is started to perform actual measurement of the physical properties (see FIG. 3). That is, the measurement operation in each of the basis weight measuring unit 30, the resistance measuring unit 50, and the coating layer measuring unit 70 is an operation from starting the driving of each of the detection units 325, 525, and 725 to starting the actual measurement of the physical properties, to ending the actual measurement, as shown in FIG. 3. The measurement time is the time from starting the driving of each of the detection units 325, 525, and 725 to starting the actual measurement of the physical properties, to ending the actual measurement. The actual measurement refers to actually measuring the physical properties, that is, the state in which a measurement value is obtained from a detection result obtained from a detection unit that detects information indicating the physical properties.

[0079] In this embodiment, the resistance measuring unit 50 has a plurality of measurement modes for measuring the surface resistance value of the paper P, as shown in Fig. 3. Specifically, the resistance measuring unit 50 has first, second, and third measurement modes. Each of the first, second, and third measurement modes is a mode for measuring within a predetermined range of surface resistance values.

[0080] Specifically, the first measurement mode is, for example, a mode for measuring the surface resistance value in a measurement range of more than 11.5 [log Ω] and not more than 14.5 [log Ω]. The second measurement mode is, for example, a mode for measuring the surface resistance value in a measurement range of more than 9 [log Ω] and not more than 11.5 [log Ω]. The third measurement mode is, for example, a mode for measuring the surface resistance value in a measurement range of more than 4 [log Ω] and not more than 9 [log Ω]. In each measurement mode, the voltage applied to the paper P and the amplification factor in the amplification process are set corresponding to each measurement range.

[0081] As an example, the resistance measuring unit 50 executes the first measurement mode, the second measurement mode, and the third measurement mode in this order. Note that the order of the modes executed by the resistance measuring unit 50 is not limited to the above-mentioned order.

[0082] Furthermore, the resistance measuring unit 50 has a stop period during which the actual measurement of the surface resistance value is stopped between the measurement modes when the multiple measurement modes are executed.

[0083] In this way, since the resistance measuring unit 50 executes a plurality of measurement modes and has a stop period between the measurement modes, the measurement time is longer than the measurement time in the basis weight measuring unit 30 and the measurement time in the coating layer measuring unit 70. In addition, the measurement time in the coating layer measuring unit 70 is longer than the measurement time in the basis weight measuring unit 30.

[0084] Note that the measurement operation when multiple measurement modes are performed in the resistance measuring unit 50 is a concept that includes the stop operation between each measurement mode. Therefore, the measurement time when multiple measurement modes are performed in the resistance measuring unit 50 includes the stop period between each measurement mode.

[0085] In this embodiment, the coating layer measuring unit 70 starts actual measurement of the presence or absence of a coating layer after starting the operation of the detection unit 725 (specifically, the light irradiator 72 and the light receiver 75). Since it takes time for the output (i.e., the amount of light) of the light irradiator 72 to stabilize, the coating layer measuring unit 70 starts actual measurement after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of operation of the detection unit 725.

[0086] On the other hand, in the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the resistance measurement unit 50, actual measurement is performed simultaneously with or immediately after the driving of the detection units 325, 525, respectively. Therefore, the time from the driving of the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 to the start of actual measurement (hereinafter referred to as the stabilization time) is made longer than the stabilization time in the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the resistance measurement unit 50. Note that the stabilization time in the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the resistance measurement unit 50 only needs to be shorter than the stabilization time in the coating layer measurement unit 70, and may be 0 (zero).

[0087] (Control circuit 80) The control circuit 80 has a control function for controlling the operations of the basis weight measurement unit 30, the resistance measurement unit 50, and the coating layer measurement unit 70. Specifically, the control circuit 80 has a processor 81, a memory 82, and a storage 83, as shown in FIG.

[0088] The processor refers to a processor in a broad sense, and examples of the processor 81 include general-purpose processors (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and dedicated processors (e.g., a GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0089] The storage 83 stores various programs including a control program 83A (see FIG. 6) and various data. Specifically, the storage 83 is realized by a recording device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory.

[0090] The memory 82 is a working area for the processor 81 to execute various programs, and temporarily records various programs or various data when the processor 81 executes processing. The processor 81 reads various programs including a control program 83A from the storage 83 into the memory 82, and executes the programs using the memory 82 as a working area.

[0091] In the control circuit 80, the processor 81 executes the control program 83A to realize various functions. The following describes the functional configuration realized by the cooperation of the processor 81 as a hardware resource and the control program 83A as a software resource. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the processor 81.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 6, in the control circuit 80, a processor 81 executes a control program 83A to function as an acquisition unit 81A and a control unit 81B.

[0093] The acquisition unit 81A acquires, as a measurement instruction from the user terminal 19, either an execution instruction to execute the parallel operation mode (see FIG. 3) or an execution instruction to execute the serial operation mode (see FIG. 4). Note that in this embodiment, it is assumed that only an execution instruction to execute either the parallel operation mode or the serial operation mode is possible as a measurement instruction. The parallel operation mode is an example of a "first mode", and the serial operation mode is an example of a "second mode".

[0094] The control unit 81B is capable of executing a parallel operation mode and a serial operation mode as control modes. Specifically, the control unit 81B executes the parallel operation mode when the acquisition unit 81A acquires an execution instruction to execute the parallel operation mode. The control unit 81B executes the serial operation mode when the acquisition unit 81A acquires an execution instruction to execute the serial operation mode. In other words, when the acquisition unit 81A does not acquire an execution instruction to execute the parallel operation mode, the control unit 81B executes the serial operation mode and does not execute the parallel operation mode.

[0095] In the parallel operation mode (see FIG. 3), the control unit 81B performs a first control on the basis weight measuring unit 30 and performs a second control on the coating layer measuring unit 70. The first control is a control for executing a measurement operation for measuring basis weight in parallel with the measurement operation by the resistance measuring unit 50.

[0096] In the first control, "performed in parallel" means that at least a part of the measurement operation by the resistance measurement unit 50 and at least a part of the measurement operation by the basis weight measurement unit 30 are performed in a time-overlapping manner.

[0097] Furthermore, in the first control, the control unit 81B controls the basis weight measurement unit 30 to start driving the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 after the driving of the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 has started and before the actual measurement has ended. Specifically, in the first control, the control unit 81B controls the basis weight measurement unit 30 to start driving the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 after the driving of the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 has started and before the actual measurement has started.

[0098] Furthermore, in the first control, the control unit 81B controls the basis weight measurement unit 30 to execute actual measurement during a stop period between measurement modes in the resistance measurement unit 50. Specifically, for example, the control unit 81B controls the basis weight measurement unit 30 to execute actual measurement during a stop period between the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode in the resistance measurement unit 50.

[0099] The second control is a control that executes a measurement operation to measure the presence or absence of a coating layer in parallel with the measurement operation by the resistance measurement unit 50, and starts driving the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 before starting driving the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30.

[0100] In the second control, "performed in parallel" means that at least a part of the measurement operation by the resistance measuring unit 50 and at least a part of the measurement operation by the coating layer measuring unit 70 are performed in a time-overlapping manner.

[0101] In the second control, the control unit 81B controls the coating layer measuring unit 70 to perform actual measurement during a stop period between measurement modes in the resistance measuring unit 50. Specifically, for example, the control unit 81B controls the coating layer measuring unit 70 to perform actual measurement during a stop period between the second measurement mode and the third measurement mode in the resistance measuring unit 50. The coating layer measuring unit 70 is an example of a "measuring unit arranged in a position close to the resistance measuring unit".

[0102] On the other hand, in the serial operation mode (see FIG. 4), the control unit 81B serially executes the measurement operations of the resistance measurement unit 50, the basis weight measurement unit 30, and the coating layer measurement unit 70 in the order of arrangement along the movement direction of the paper P of the detection unit 525 of the resistance measurement unit 50, the detection unit 325 of the basis weight measurement unit 30, and the detection unit 725 of the coating layer measurement unit 70. That is, in the serial operation mode, the control unit 81B controls the basis weight measurement unit 30, the coating layer measurement unit 70, and the resistance measurement unit 50 to execute the measurement operations in this order: the basis weight measurement unit 30, the coating layer measurement unit 70, and the resistance measurement unit 50. Note that "executing in serial" means that the measurement operations are executed at different times from start to finish without overlapping in time.

[0103] In this embodiment, the control circuit 80 is an example of a “control unit.” It is also possible to grasp the processor 81 or the control unit 81B as an example of a “control unit.”

[0104] (Action according to this embodiment) Next, an example of the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0105] This process is performed by the processor 81 reading and executing the control program 83A from the storage 83. This process is started when the processor 81 receives a measurement instruction from the user terminal 19, for example.

[0106] 7, first, the processor 81 determines whether or not an execution instruction to execute the parallel operation mode has been acquired as a measurement instruction from the user terminal 19 (step S101). When the processor 81 determines that an execution instruction to execute the parallel operation mode has been acquired as a measurement instruction (step S101: YES), the processor 81 executes the parallel operation mode (step S102).

[0107] On the other hand, when the processor 81 determines that an execution instruction to execute the parallel operation mode has not been acquired as the measurement instruction (step S101: NO), the processor 81 executes the serial operation mode (step S103).

[0108] In this embodiment, since the measurement instruction can only be an instruction to execute either the parallel operation mode or the serial operation mode, the case where "an instruction to execute the parallel operation mode has not been obtained as a measurement instruction" is equivalent to "an instruction to execute the serial operation mode has been obtained as a measurement instruction."

[0109] 3 and 8, in the parallel operation mode (step S102), the processor 81 causes the resistance measuring unit 50 to start driving the detection unit 525 and start actual measurement (step S201). As a result, the resistance measuring unit 50 executes a measurement operation having first, second, and third measurement modes.

[0110] Furthermore, processor 81 causes coating layer measuring unit 70 to start driving detection unit 725 (step S202). That is, processor 81 causes coating layer measuring unit 70 to start driving detection unit 725 before starting driving detection unit 325 in basis weight measuring unit 30. As a result, coating layer measuring unit 70 executes the drive operation of detection unit 725. In other words, processor 81 causes coating layer measuring unit 70 to execute the measurement operation in parallel with the measurement operation of resistance measuring unit 50.

[0111] 3, the driving start of the detection unit 525 in the resistance measurement unit 50 and the start of the actual measurement are executed at the same time as the driving start of the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70. Note that the driving start of the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 may be executed before the driving start of the detection unit 525 in the resistance measurement unit 50 and the start of the actual measurement, or may be executed after the driving start of the detection unit 525 in the resistance measurement unit 50 and the start of the actual measurement.

[0112] Next, while the resistance measuring unit 50 is performing its measurement operation and while the coating layer measuring unit 70 is performing its measurement operation (specifically, while the detection unit 725 is being driven), the processor 81 causes the basis weight measuring unit 30 to start driving the detection unit 325 and to start actual measurement (step S203).

[0113] That is, the processor 81 starts driving the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 after the driving of the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 has started and before the actual measurement is completed. Specifically, the processor 81 starts driving the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 after the driving of the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 has started and before the actual measurement is started.

[0114] In step S203, specifically, the processor 81 causes the basis weight measurement unit 30 to perform actual measurement during a stop period between the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode in the resistance measurement unit 50. In other words, the processor 81 causes the basis weight measurement unit 30 to perform a measurement operation in parallel with the measurement operations of the resistance measurement unit 50 and the coating layer measurement unit 70.

[0115] Next, the processor 81 causes the coating layer measurement unit 70 to perform actual measurement during a stop period between the second measurement mode and the third measurement mode in the resistance measurement unit 50 (step S204). In the parallel operation mode, the process ends when the measurement operation of the resistance measurement unit 50 ends.

[0116] On the other hand, in the serial operation mode (step S103), as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 9, the processor 81 first causes the basis weight measurement unit 30 to execute a measurement operation (step S301). Next, after the measurement operation of the basis weight measurement unit 30 is completed, the processor 81 causes the coating layer measurement unit 70 to execute a measurement operation (step S302). Next, after the measurement operation of the coating layer measurement unit 70 is completed, the processor 81 causes the resistance measurement unit 50 to execute a measurement operation (step S303), and ends this process.

[0117] Thus, in the serial operation mode, the processor 81 causes the basis weight measurement unit 30, the coating layer measurement unit 70, and the resistance measurement unit 50 to perform measurement operations in serial in the order of their arrangement along the direction of movement of the paper P at the detection units 325, 725, 525 of these measurement units.

[0118] As described above, in this embodiment, in a configuration in which measurement operations by the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the coating layer measurement unit 70 are performed in parallel with measurement operations by the resistance measurement unit 50, the processor 81 starts driving the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 before starting driving the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 (step S201).

[0119] In this way, by first driving coating layer measuring unit 70, which has a longer stabilization time than basis weight measuring unit 30 and resistance measuring unit 50, it is possible to quickly obtain measurement results from coating layer measuring unit 70. As a result, in a configuration in which measurement operations by basis weight measuring unit 30 and coating layer measuring unit 70 are performed in parallel with measurement operations by resistance measuring unit 50, the measurement time until measurements of the surface resistance value, basis weight, and presence or absence of a coating layer of paper P are completed is shorter than in a configuration in which detection unit 725 in coating layer measuring unit 70 starts to be driven after detection unit 325 in basis weight measuring unit 30 starts to be driven.

[0120] In this embodiment, the processor 81 causes the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the coating layer measurement unit 70 to perform actual measurements during stop periods between a plurality of measurement modes in the resistance measurement unit 50 (steps S203 and S204).

[0121] Therefore, compared to a configuration (hereinafter referred to as configuration A) in which the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the coating layer measurement unit 70 perform actual measurement while the resistance measurement unit 50 is executing the measurement mode, the influence of noise generated on the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the coating layer measurement unit 70 due to the actual measurement by the resistance measurement unit 50 is reduced. Specifically, according to this embodiment, the influence of noise between the drive circuit 71 and the electric circuit 51, and the influence of noise between the drive circuit 31 and the electric circuit 51 are suppressed compared to configuration A.

[0122] Thus, in this embodiment, the processor 81 causes the coating layer measurement unit 70, which is located closer to the resistance measurement unit 50, out of the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the coating layer measurement unit 70, to perform actual measurement during a stop period between multiple measurement modes in the resistance measurement unit 50 (step S204).

[0123] Therefore, compared to a configuration in which only the basis weight measuring unit 30, which is located far from the resistance measuring unit 50, of the basis weight measuring unit 30 and the coating layer measuring unit 70, performs actual measurement during the stop period between multiple measurement modes in the resistance measuring unit 50, the influence of noise from the resistance measuring unit 50 is reduced in the measuring units that are susceptible to the influence of noise from the resistance measuring unit 50 by being located closer to the resistance measuring unit 50.

[0124] In this embodiment, the processor 81 starts driving the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 after starting driving the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 and before the end of the actual measurement (step S203).

[0125] Therefore, it is possible to obtain the measurement results in the basis weight measurement unit 30 more quickly than in a configuration (hereinafter referred to as configuration B) in which the driving of the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 is started after the actual measurement in the coating layer measurement unit 70 is completed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the measurement time until the measurement of the surface resistance value, basis weight, and presence or absence of a coating layer of the paper P is completed is shorter than in configuration B.

[0126] Specifically, in this embodiment, the processor 81 starts driving the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 after starting driving the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 and before starting actual measurement.

[0127] This makes it possible to obtain measurement results in the basis weight measurement unit 30 more quickly than in a configuration (hereinafter referred to as configuration C) in which driving of the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 is started after actual measurement is started in the coating layer measurement unit 70. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the measurement time until measurement of the surface resistance value, basis weight, and presence or absence of a coating layer of the paper P is completed is shorter than in configuration C.

[0128] In the present embodiment, in the serial operation mode, the processor 81 causes the basis weight measurement unit 30, the coating layer measurement unit 70, and the resistance measurement unit 50 to serially execute measurement operations in the order of arrangement along the movement direction of the paper P in the detection units 325, 725, 525 of these measurement units. In this configuration, measurement can be performed on the paper P while the paper P is being moved. In other words, measurement can be started before the paper P is placed between the right end of the first housing 21 and the right end of the second housing 22.

[0129] Here, in a configuration (hereinafter referred to as configuration D) in which the processor 81 causes the basis weight measurement unit 30, the coating layer measurement unit 70, and the resistance measurement unit 50 to execute measurement operations in series in an order different from the arrangement order of the detection units 325, 725, 525 of these measurement units along the movement direction of the paper P, for example, when the measurement of the resistance measurement unit 50 is performed first, the measurement cannot start until the paper P is positioned between the right end of the first housing 21 and the right end of the second housing 22. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the measurement time until the measurement of the surface resistance value, basis weight, and the presence or absence of a coating layer of the paper P is completed is shorter than in configuration D.

[0130] In addition, in this embodiment, when the control device 16 receives an image formation instruction from the user terminal 19, it causes the image forming unit 14 and the transport mechanism 15 to perform the image forming operation, and controls the operations of the image forming unit 14 and the transport mechanism 15 based on the measurement value information. Therefore, a high-quality image is formed on the paper P, compared to a configuration in which the image forming operation is performed regardless of the physical properties of the paper P.

[0131] (Variations of control modes) In this embodiment, the control unit 81B is capable of executing a parallel operation mode and a serial operation mode as control modes, but is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 81B may be configured to be capable of executing an image quality priority mode and a jam priority mode as control modes. Specifically, for example, when the acquisition unit 81A acquires an execution instruction to execute the image quality priority mode, the control unit 81B executes the image quality priority mode. When the acquisition unit 81A acquires an execution instruction to execute the jam priority mode, the control unit 81B executes the jam priority mode. Note that the image quality priority mode is an example of the "one mode", and the jam priority mode is an example of the "other mode".

[0132] In the image quality priority mode, the control unit 81B performs the same control as in the parallel operation mode. As a result, the measurement device 20 obtains measurement results (i.e., measurement values) of the surface resistance value, basis weight, and presence or absence of a coating layer of the paper P. Then, the control device 16 controls the operation of the image forming unit 14 and the transport mechanism 15 based on the measurement value information. Specifically, the control device 16 controls the transport speed of the paper P in the transport mechanism 15, as well as the transfer voltage and fixing temperature in the image forming unit 14, based on the measurement value information. As a result, a high-quality image is formed on the paper P.

[0133] On the other hand, in the jam priority mode, the control unit 81B controls the basis weight measurement unit 30 to execute a measurement operation for measuring the basis weight of the paper P. However, the control unit 81B does not control the execution of a measurement operation for measuring the surface resistance value of the paper P and the presence or absence of a coating layer. That is, in the jam priority mode, the measurement device 20 obtains only the measurement result of the basis weight of the paper P (i.e., the measurement value). Then, the control device 16 controls, for example, the operation of the transport mechanism 15 (e.g., the transport speed) based on the measurement value information. This prevents jams (i.e., paper jams) on the transport path of the paper P.

[0134] In this modified example, compared to a configuration in which the control unit 81B can only execute the image quality priority mode, for example, when the user wants to prioritize jam prevention (i.e., when wanting to measure only the basis weight), it is possible to shorten the measurement time by executing the jam priority mode.

[0135] (Modification) In the present embodiment, a recording medium is used as an example of a measurement target, but the present invention is not limited thereto. An example of a measurement target may be an object used for purposes other than forming an image. In addition, in the present embodiment, a paper sheet P is used as an example of a recording medium, but the present invention is not limited thereto. An example of a recording medium may be a sheet-like recording medium other than paper sheet P, such as a metal or resin film.

[0136] In this embodiment, the resistance measuring unit 50 that measures the surface resistance value of the paper P is used as an example of a resistance measuring unit, but is not limited to this. An example of the resistance measuring unit may be, for example, a measuring unit that measures the volume resistance or other physical properties of the object to be measured. In other words, an example of the electrical resistance may be, for example, the volume resistance or other physical properties of the object to be measured. When measuring the volume resistance of the paper P, one of the pair of terminals 52 is arranged on the upper surface side of the paper P and the other is arranged on the lower surface side of the paper P, and the pair of terminals 52 sandwich the paper P in the vertical direction.

[0137] In the present embodiment, the basis weight [g / m 2 However, the present invention is not limited to this. An example of the first measurement unit is a unit for measuring the thickness [m] and density [g / m 3 ], mass [g], stiffness (i.e. rigidity), and other physical properties. That is, examples of the first physical property may include the thickness [m], density [g / m 3 ], mass [g], and stiffness (i.e. rigidity), among other physical properties.

[0138] In addition, in this embodiment, the coating layer measuring unit 70 that measures the presence or absence of a coating layer on the paper P is used as an example of the second measuring unit, but is not limited to this. An example of the second measuring unit may be, for example, a measuring unit that measures the moisture content or other physical property of the object to be measured. In other words, an example of the second physical property may be, for example, the moisture content or other physical property of the object to be measured. Note that, as the second measuring unit, for example, a measuring unit that measures a physical property by irradiating light (i.e., a measuring unit having a light irradiating unit and a light receiving unit) is used.

[0139] In the present embodiment, the control unit 81B is capable of selectively executing either the parallel operation mode or the serial operation mode, but is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 81B may be configured to be capable of executing only the parallel operation mode.

[0140] In the above-mentioned "variation of control mode", the control unit 81B is capable of selectively executing either the image quality priority mode or the jam priority mode, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 81B may be configured to be capable of executing only the image quality priority mode.

[0141] In the present embodiment, the measurement time of the resistance measuring unit 50 is longer than the measurement time of the basis weight measuring unit 30 and the measurement time of the coating layer measuring unit 70, and the measurement time of the coating layer measuring unit 70 is longer than the measurement time of the basis weight measuring unit 30, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the measurement time of the coating layer measuring unit 70 may be longer than the measurement time of the resistance measuring unit 50, and the relationship between the measurement time of the resistance measuring unit 50, the measurement time of the basis weight measuring unit 30, and the measurement time of the coating layer measuring unit 70 can be set arbitrarily.

[0142] In the present embodiment, the processor 81 causes the basis weight measurement unit 30 to perform actual measurement during a stop period between the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode in the resistance measurement unit 50, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the processor 81 may cause the basis weight measurement unit 30 to perform actual measurement during a stop period between the second measurement mode and the third measurement mode in the resistance measurement unit 50.

[0143] In the present embodiment, the processor 81 causes the coating layer measurement unit 70 to perform actual measurement during a stop period between the second and third measurement modes of the resistance measurement unit 50, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the processor 81 may cause the coating layer measurement unit 70 to perform actual measurement during a stop period between the first and second measurement modes of the resistance measurement unit 50. Furthermore, for example, the processor 81 may cause the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the coating layer measurement unit 70 to perform actual measurement while the resistance measurement unit 50 is performing the first, second, and third measurement modes. Furthermore, the processor 81 may cause only the coating layer measurement unit 70, of the basis weight measurement unit 30 and the coating layer measurement unit 70, that is located near the resistance measurement unit 50, to perform actual measurement during a stop period between the multiple measurement modes of the resistance measurement unit 50. In addition, of the basis weight measuring unit 30 and the coating layer measuring unit 70, only the basis weight measuring unit 30 located far from the resistance measuring unit 50 may be made to perform actual measurement during a stop period between multiple measurement modes in the resistance measuring unit 50.

[0144] In the present embodiment, the resistance measuring section 50 is configured to execute a plurality of measurement modes, but this is not limiting, and the resistance measuring section 50 may be configured to execute a single measurement mode.

[0145] In addition, in this embodiment, the processor 81 starts driving the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 after starting driving the detection unit 725 in the coating layer measurement unit 70 and before starting the actual measurement, but this is not limited to this. For example, the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 may start driving after starting the actual measurement in the coating layer measurement unit 70 and before finishing the actual measurement. Also, for example, the detection unit 325 in the basis weight measurement unit 30 may start driving after finishing the actual measurement in the coating layer measurement unit 70.

[0146] In the present embodiment, in the serial operation mode, the processor 81 causes the basis weight measurement unit 30, the coating layer measurement unit 70, and the resistance measurement unit 50 to serially execute the measurement operations in the order in which the detection units 325, 725, 525 of these measurement units are arranged along the movement direction of the paper P, but this is not limited to this. For example, the processor 81 may be configured to serially execute the measurement operations for the basis weight measurement unit 30, the coating layer measurement unit 70, and the resistance measurement unit 50 in an order different from the order in which the detection units 325, 725, 525 of these measurement units are arranged along the movement direction of the paper P.

[0147] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications, changes, and improvements are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the configurations included in the above-described modified examples may be appropriately combined to form a configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 10 Image forming device 14 Image forming section 16 Control device 20 Measuring Equipment 30 Basis weight measurement section (example of the first measurement section) 50 Resistance measurement section 70 Coating layer measurement section (an example of the second measurement section) 80 Control circuit (an example of a control unit) 81A Acquisition Department 81B Control section 325 Detection Unit 525 Detection Unit 725 Detection Unit P Paper (an example of a recording medium, an example of a measurement target)

Claims

1. A resistance measuring unit that measures the electrical resistance of a measurement object; a first measurement unit having a detection unit that detects information indicating a first physical property other than the electrical resistance of the measurement object and measures the first physical property from a detection result of the detection unit; a second measurement unit having a detection unit that detects information indicating an electrical resistance of the measurement object and a second physical property other than the first physical property, and measures the second physical property from a detection result of the detection unit, the second measurement unit being configured such that a time from a start of operation of the detection unit to a start of actual measurement is longer than the time in the first measurement unit; a control unit that performs a first control on the first measurement unit to cause the first measurement unit to perform a measurement operation of the first physical property in parallel with a measurement operation by the resistance measurement unit, and a second control that performs a second control on the second measurement unit to cause the second measurement unit to perform a measurement operation of the second physical property in parallel with a measurement operation by the resistance measurement unit and to start driving the detection unit in the second measurement unit before starting driving the detection unit in the first measurement unit; A measuring device comprising:

2. the resistance measuring unit has a plurality of measurement modes for actually measuring the electrical resistance of the measurement object, The control unit is During a stop period during which the resistance measurement unit stops actual measurement of the electrical resistance among the plurality of measurement modes, control is performed on at least one of the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit to execute actual measurement.

2. The measuring device of claim 1.

3. The control unit is The control for causing the actual measurement to be performed during the stop period is performed on one of the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit, the measurement unit being disposed closer to the resistance measurement unit.

3. The measuring device according to claim 2.

4. The control unit is After the start of driving of the detection unit in the second measurement unit and before the end of the actual measurement, control is performed on the first measurement unit to start driving the detection unit in the first measurement unit. The measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The control unit is After the start of driving of the detection unit in the second measurement unit and before the start of actual measurement, control is performed on the first measurement unit to start driving the detection unit in the first measurement unit.

5. The measuring device according to claim 4.

6. The resistance measurement unit has a detection unit that detects information indicating the electrical resistance of the measurement object, a detection unit of the resistance measurement unit, a detection unit of the first measurement unit, and a detection unit of the second measurement unit are arranged in this order along a moving direction of a moved measurement object; The control unit is a first mode in which the first control is performed on the first measurement unit and the second control is performed on the second measurement unit; a second mode in which the resistance measurement unit, the first measurement unit, and the second measurement unit are serially executed in the order of arrangement along the moving direction of the detection unit of the resistance measurement unit, the detection unit of the first measurement unit, and the detection unit of the second measurement unit; The measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

7. the first measuring unit applies ultrasonic waves to the measurement object to measure a basis weight as the first physical property of the measurement object; The control unit is one mode in which the first control is performed on the first measurement unit and the second control is performed on the second measurement unit; Another mode in which the first measuring unit is controlled to perform a measurement operation for measuring the basis weight; The measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

8. A measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium as the measurement target whose electrical resistance, the first physical property, and the second physical property have been measured by the measuring device; a control device that controls an image forming operation of the image forming unit based on the electrical resistance, the first physical property, and the second physical property measured by the measuring device; and An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images