Colorimetry apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

The colorimetry apparatus includes a light source for emitting light to a surface of a detected object, a diffraction grating for spectrally separating, for each wavelength, the light emitted from the light source and reflected by the detected object, and a line sensor including multiple pixels, for receiving the light, which is spectrally separated by the diffraction grating, for the each wavelength by the multiple pixels. The light source and the line sensor are arranged on the common substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A colorimetry apparatus, comprising:
 a light emission element for emitting light to a surface of a detected material;   a diffraction grating for spectrally separating the light emitted from the light emission element and reflected by the detected material; and   a light receiving element including multiple pixels, for receiving spectral light, which is spectrally separated by the diffraction grating, for the each wavelength by the multiple pixels,   wherein the light emission element and the light receiving element are arranged on a common substrate.   
     
     
         2 . A colorimetry apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the diffraction grating and the light receiving element are arranged so that an optical path of the spectral light received by the light receiving element is positioned along a virtual plane parallel to the surface of the detected material arranged at a preset position. 
     
     
         3 . A colorimetry apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein a surface of the common substrate on which the light emission element and the light receiving element are arranged is perpendicular to the virtual plane. 
     
     
         4 . A colorimetry apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the common substrate has a hole formed in a region between the light emission element and the light receiving element. 
     
     
         5 . A colorimetry apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a part of the common substrate between the light emission element and the light receiving element is made of a material that transmits less light than another part of the common substrate. 
     
     
         6 . A colorimetry apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control unit, arranged on the common substrate, for controlling the colorimetry apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising:
 an image forming unit for forming an image on the recording material;   a light emission element for emitting light to a surface of the recording material;   a diffraction grating for spectrally separating, for each wavelength, the light emitted from the light emission element and reflected by the recording material; and   a light receiving element including multiple pixels, for receiving spectral light, which is spectrally separated by the diffraction grating, for the each wavelength by the multiple pixels; and   a control unit for adjusting an image formation condition of the image forming unit based on an output from the light receiving element,   wherein the light emission element and the light receiving element are arranged on the common substrate.   
     
     
         8 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the diffraction grating and the light receiving element are arranged so that an optical path of the light spectrally separated by the diffraction grating and received by the light receiving element is situated along a virtual plane parallel to the surface of the recording material arranged at a preset position. 
     
     
         9 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein a surface of the common substrate on which the light emission element and the light receiving element are arranged is perpendicular to the virtual plane. 
     
     
         10 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the common substrate has a hole formed in a region between the light emission element and the light receiving element. 
     
     
         11 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein a part of the common substrate between the light emission element and the light receiving element is made of a material that transmits less light than another part of the common substrate.