Abstract: The present invention includes an optical system disposed on an optical path of light that is emitted by a light emitting section, travels to a detection target object, is reflected by the detection target object, and reaches a light receiving section. The optical system, in a sub scanning direction, that is, the direction in which a detection target object is moving, collects light so that the light receiving section has, for light from the light emitting section, a regularly reflected light receiving area and a diffuse-reflected light receiving area that differ from each other in position within a predetermined range. The optical system, in a perpendicular direction that is perpendicular to the movement direction, refracts light so that a light receiving area, which covers the regularly reflected light receiving area and the diffuse-reflected light receiving area, is wider in the perpendicular direction than in the sub scanning direction.

Abstract: There is provided a limited-area reflection type optical sensor having an emitted light lens and a reflected light lens. An opposite-light-receiver-side portion opposite to a light receiver side constitutes a first curvature surface having a first curvature while a light-receiver-side portion on the light receiver side with respect to the opposite-light-receiver-side portion constitutes a second curvature surface having a second curvature smaller than the first curvature in the emitted light lens provided in an optical path of the emitted light. An opposite-light-emitter-side portion opposite to a light emitter side constitutes a fourth curvature surface having a fourth curvature while a light-emitter-side portion on the light emitter side with respect to the opposite-light-emitter-side portion constitutes a fifth curvature surface having a fifth curvature smaller than the fourth curvature in the reflected light lens provided in an optical path of the reflected light.

Abstract: An optical sensor configured to irradiate an object area with light and receive reflected light, amplify a voltage in accordance with the reflected light by an amplifier circuit and a resulting voltage, the optical sensor comprising a recording medium recorded with information indicating a noise component calculated, based on characteristics of an input voltage and an output voltage of the amplifier circuit.

Abstract: The present invention includes an optical system disposed on an optical path of light that is emitted by a light emitting section, travels to a detection target object, is reflected by the detection target object, and reaches a light receiving section. The optical system, in a sub scanning direction, that is, the direction in which a detection target object is moving, collects light so that the light receiving section has, for light from the light emitting section, a regularly reflected light receiving area and a diffuse-reflected light receiving area that differ from each other in position within a predetermined range. The optical system, in a perpendicular direction that is perpendicular to the movement direction, refracts light so that a light receiving area, which covers the regularly reflected light receiving area and the diffuse-reflected light receiving area, is wider in the perpendicular direction than in the sub scanning direction.

Abstract: A method for detecting whether there are components in a carrier tape with an optical displacement sensor includes the following four steps. In the first step, a displacement sensor measures the displacement of a plurality of empty pockets in the carrier tape. In the second step, the measured displacement of the empty pockets is statistically processed, and a first range of displacement is set for determining empty pockets. In the third step, the displacement sensor measures the displacement of pockets in the carrier tape. In the fourth step, a pocket is determined to be an empty pocket if the measured displacement of the pocket is within the first range, and a component is determined to be in the pocket if the measured displacement of the pocket is outside the first range.

Abstract: There is provided a limited-area reflection type optical sensor having an emitted light lens and a reflected light lens. An opposite-light-receiver-side portion opposite to a light receiver side constitutes a first curvature surface having a first curvature while a light-receiver-side portion on the light receiver side with respect to the opposite-light-receiver-side portion constitutes a second curvature surface having a second curvature smaller than the first curvature in the emitted light lens provided in an optical path of the emitted light. An opposite-light-emitter-side portion opposite to a light emitter side constitutes a fourth curvature surface having a fourth curvature while a light-emitter-side portion on the light emitter side with respect to the opposite-light-emitter-side portion constitutes a fifth curvature surface having a fifth curvature smaller than the fourth curvature in the reflected light lens provided in an optical path of the reflected light.

Abstract: An optical sensor configured to irradiate an object area with light and receive reflected light, amplify a voltage in accordance with the reflected light by an amplifier circuit and a resulting voltage, the optical sensor comprising a recording medium recorded with information indicating a noise component calculated, based on characteristics of an input voltage and an output voltage of the amplifier circuit.

Abstract: A toner density sensor comprising: a light emitting element that emits light; a light receiving element that receives reflected light emitted from the light emitting part and reflected at a detection target; a light path for passage of emitted and reflected light formed along the front surface of a printed substrate on which the light emitting element and the light receiving element are surface-mounted; and a diaphragm unit that is formed at and partially narrows this light path, wherein the diaphragm unit is divided into two portions, a diaphragm unit upper-portion and a diaphragm unit lower-portion, and these are disposed in an upper case covering the front surface of the printed substrate and in a lower case covering the rear surface of the printed substrate. In the printed substrate, a through hole is formed for protrusion of the diaphragm unit lower portion from the rear surface to the front surface.

Abstract: A limited reflection type photoelectric sensor has a light projecting unit having a light emitting element, a light receiving unit having a light receiving element, and a beam separating member that separates a projected light beam into beams oriented in a plurality of directions and located in an optical path of the projected light beam from the light emitting element. The light projecting unit and the light receiving unit are configured to meet the condition that an intersecting angle between an optical axis of a projected light beam and an optical axis of a receiving light beam is set such that the projected light beam from the light projecting unit is directed to an object detection limited area and the receiving light beam which is reflected light by an object existing in the object detection limited area is received by the light receiving unit.

Abstract: A toner density sensor comprising: a light emitting element that emits light; a light receiving element that receives reflected light emitted from the light emitting part and reflected at a detection target; a light path for passage of emitted and reflected light formed along the front surface of a printed substrate on which the light emitting element and the light receiving element are surface-mounted; and a diaphragm unit that is formed at and partially narrows this light path, wherein the diaphragm unit is divided into two portions, a diaphragm unit upper-portion and a diaphragm unit lower-portion, and these are disposed in an upper case covering the front surface of the printed substrate and in a lower case covering the rear surface of the printed substrate. In the printed substrate, a through hole is formed for protrusion of the diaphragm unit lower portion from the rear surface to the front surface.

Abstract: A toner density sensor has a light emitting unit that emits light to detect toner density, a light receiving unit that receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit and reflected from a detection target, and a board on which the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are surface-mounted. A penetration space that penetrates the board in a thickness direction is formed in at least one of portions in which the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are attached to the board.