1. A phase sensitive SPR sensing apparatus comprising a sensing unit having a sensing surface to reflect a testing beam of electromagnetic radiation and wherein the testing beam is reflected from said sensing surface at a plurality of angles.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said range of illumination angles is between about 0\xb0 and about 0\xb0, about 10\xb0 and about 20\xb0, about 20\xb0 and about 30\xb0, about 30\xb0 and about 40\xb0, about 40\xb0 and about 50\xb0, about 50\xb0 and about 60\xb0, 60\xb0 and about 70\xb0, about 70\xb0 and about 80\xb0, about 80\xb0 and about 90\xb0.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a detecting unit to detect said reflected beam at least two of said reflected angles.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said detecting unit comprises a plurality of detectors.
5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said detecting unit compares the phase of said reflected testing beam with the phase of a reference beam.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said reference beam and said testing beam are generated by a beam splitter.
7. The apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a focussing unit to focus said testing beam.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7 comprising a beam converging unit, for converging said testing beam.
9. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said detection unit comprises a photodetector array.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said source of said first beam comprises a liquid crystal modulator.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection unit comprises:
a polarizer;
a photodetector detecting interfered electromagnetic radiation from said polariser; and
a processor for comparing the phase pattern of the interfered electromagnetic radiation and the reference beam.
12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said source of said first beam comprises a gas laser, a solid state laser, a laser diode, a light emitting diode or odiode laser.
13. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sensing unit further comprises:
a prism; and
a sample flow system for allowing the sample flow over the sensing surface.
14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the sensing unit comprises a transducing layer and the transducing layer is either:
a metal layer suitable to perform conventional SPR effect; or
a compromise dielectric layer between two metal layers.
15. A sensing apparatus comprising:
a source of electromagnetic radiation;
a beam splitter to generate a testing beam and a reference beam;
a sensing surface;
a electromagnetic radiation focusing unit, to focus said testing beam on said sensing surface at a plurality of angles;
a detection unit, for detecting the differential phase change between said reference beam and said reflected testing beam.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the detection unit comprises a plurality of detectors.
17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the detecting unit further comprises a polarizer and a photodetector and is adapted to compare the phase of said testing beam and said reference beam.
18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the focusing unit comprises:
a beam expander for expanding the testing beam diameter; and
a lens for focussing the beam onto the sensing surface.
19. A method for SPR sensing, said method comprising:
reflecting a testing beam off a testing surface from a plurality of illumination angles;
detecting the phase of said reflected beam; and
comparing the phase in the reflected testing beam against the phase of said reference beam to characterize said sample.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said comparing comprises:
forming an interference between p- and s-polarization components of the reference beam;
detecting the interfered electromagnetic radiation; and
comparing the phase in said interfered electromagnetic radiation against the phase of said testing beam.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A cartridge comprising:
a first frame;
an image-carrying member rotatably supported by the first frame and configured to carry a developer image thereon;
a transfer member rotatably supported by the first frame and facing the image-carrying member, the transfer member being configured to transfer the developer image from the image-carrying member to a recording medium, the image-carrying member and the transfer member defining a nip portion therebetween; and
a second frame detachably attachable to the first frame, the second frame, when attached to the first frame, being disposed downstream from the nip portion in a passage direction in which the recording medium passes, the second frame defining at least part of a first opening allowing the recording medium that has passed through the nip portion to pass therethrough.
2. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the transfer member supported by the first frame is movable in an approaching direction in which the transfer member approaches the image-carrying member and in a separating direction in which the transfer member moves away from the image-carrying member.
3. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first opening is formed in the second frame.
4. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first frame has a second opening allowing a recording medium that is moving toward the nip portion to pass therethrough.
5. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first frame is provided with a support portion configured to support the transfer member,
wherein the second frame is provided with a contact portion configured to contact the support portion, and
wherein the support portion includes:
a receiving portion configured to receive the contact portion; and
a protruding portion protruding from the receiving portion toward the transfer member.
6. The cartridge as claimed in claim 5, wherein one of the first frame and the second frame includes an engaging portion, and another of the first frame and the second frame includes an engaged portion configured to be engaged with the engaging portion, the engaging portion and the engaged portion having a prescribed gap therebetween when the engaging portion and the engaged portion are engaged.
7. The cartridge as claimed in claim 6, wherein the engaging portion extends from the second frame to the first frame in the passage direction and has a tip portion, the tip portion being bent toward a passage path along which a recording medium passes.
8. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first frame includes:
a first supporting portion configured to support the image-carrying member;
a second supporting portion configured to support the transfer member; and
a mounted portion on which a developing unit for supplying developer to the image-carrying member is mounted, the mounted portion being positioned opposite to the second supporting portion with respect to the first supporting portion, the mounted portion having a wall part that faces and is separated from the second supporting portion in an arranged direction, the second supporting portion, the first supporting portion, and the mounted portion are arranged in the arranged direction.
9. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a cartridge comprising:
a first frame;
an image-carrying member rotatably supported by the first frame and configured to carry a developer image thereon;
a transfer member rotatably supported by the first frame and facing the image-carrying member, the transfer member being configured to transfer the developer image from the image-carrying member to a recording medium, the image-carrying member and the transfer member defining a nip portion therebetween; and
a second frame detachably attachable to the first frame, wherein the second frame, when attached to the first frame, is disposed downstream from the nip portion in a passage direction in which a recording medium passes, the second frame defining at least part of a first opening allowing a recording medium that has passed through the nip portion to pass therethrough, the second frame being made of a material having a fire retardancy higher than a fire retardancy of the first frame;
a main body on which the cartridge is mounted; and
a fixing device disposed within the main body and opposing the first opening, the fixing device being configured to thermally fix the developer image onto a recording medium that has been passed through the first opening.
10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fixing device is disposed above the first opening, and a recording medium passes upward between the image-carrying member and the transfer member.
11. A cartridge comprising:
a first frame;
an image-carrying member rotatably supported by the first frame and configured to carry a developer image thereon;
a transfer member rotatably supported by the first frame and facing the image-carrying member, the transfer member being configured to transfer the developer image from the image-carrying member to a recording medium, the image-carrying member and the transfer member defining a nip portion therebetween; and
a second frame detachably attached to the first frame and disposed downstream from the nip portion in a passage direction in which the recording medium passes, the second frame defining at least part of a first opening allowing the recording medium that has passed through the nip portion to pass therethrough,
wherein the first frame is provided with a support portion configured to support the transfer member,
wherein the second frame is provided with a contact portion configured to contact the support portion,
wherein the support portion includes:
a receiving portion configured to receive the contact portion; and
a protruding portion protruding from the receiving portion toward the transfer member, and
wherein one of the first frame and the second frame includes an engaging portion, and another of the first frame and the second frame includes an engaged portion configured to be engaged with the engaging portion, the engaging portion and the engaged portion having a prescribed gap therebetween when the engaging portion and the engaged portion are engaged.
12. The cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein the engaging portion extends from the second frame to the first frame in the passage direction and has a tip portion, the tip portion being bent toward a passage path along which a recording medium passes.
13. The cartridge as claimed in claim 12, wherein the engaged portion includes an engagement concave section, and
wherein the engaging portion includes an engagement claw fitted into the engagement concave section.
14. The cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein the engaged portion includes an engagement concave section, and
wherein the engaging portion includes an engagement claw fitted into the engagement concave section.
15. A cartridge comprising:
a first frame;
an image-carrying member rotatably supported by the first frame and configured to carry a developer image thereon;
a transfer member rotatably supported by the first frame and facing the image-carrying member, the transfer member being configured to transfer the developer image from the image-carrying member to a recording medium, the image-carrying member and the transfer member defining a nip portion therebetween; and
a second frame attached to the first frame and disposed downstream from the nip portion in a passage direction in which the recording medium passes, the second frame defining at least part of a first opening allowing the recording medium that has passed through the nip portion to pass therethrough,
wherein the first frame includes:
a first supporting portion configured to support the image-carrying member;
a second supporting portion configured to support the transfer member; and
a mounted portion on which a developing unit for supplying developer to the image-carrying member is mounted, the mounted portion being positioned opposite to the second supporting portion with respect to the first supporting portion, the mounted portion having a wall part that faces and is separated from the second supporting portion in an arranged direction, the second supporting portion, the first supporting portion, and the mounted portion are arranged in the arranged direction.