Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.

Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Kyocera Mita Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Hiroshi Kusumoto

Hideki Ishida

Shoichi Kitagawa

Yoshizo Kawamori

Daisuke Hayashi

Mitsugu Miyamoto

Masuo Kawamoto

Hiroshi Kajita

Masahide Iseki

Yoshifumi Ishii

Toshio Yoshiyama

Masanori Itakiyo

Takashi Nagashima

Naruyuki Miyamoto

Hideo Fukuda

Hiroyuki Yoshikawa

Yasunori Ueno

Kiyonori Yamamoto

Shigeo Koyama

Yukio Hashimoto

Tetsuo Tomiyama

Shingo Hamada

Yasushi Umeda

Yoshiki Shimomura

Yasuyuki Hirai

Hideaki Kimata

Toshiyuki Osaka

Naoya Miyaji

Hiroshi Nagayasu

Yoshiyuki Uehara

Satoshi Uemori

Hideki Matsumoto

Naoki Motobayashi

Hiromichi Oguma

A sorting device includes a transport unit, an identification unit, and a plurality of nozzles. Each of the plurality of nozzles has a valve that adjusts a flow amount of pulse air, a pulse air flow path that is connected to the valve, and a pulse air blowing port that is arranged at a tip end of the pulse air flow path. The pulse air flow path has at least one bent portion. An adjustment flow path is connected to the bent portion of the pulse air flow path. An adjustment member capable of increasing and decreasing a volume of the adjustment flow path is provided in the adjustment flow path.

Sorting device

A fixing device includes a heating member, a pressing member, a first heating source, a second heating source and a reflection body. The reflection body reflects radiant heat irradiated from the first heating source toward a fixing nip side portion of the heating member and blocks radiant heat irradiated from the second heating source toward the fixing nip side portion of the heating member. After the heating of the heating member by either one of the heating sources is started until the heating member is heated to the sheet-passable temperature, an amount of radiant heat from the second heating source is larger than that of radiant heat from the first heating source, and after the heating member is heated to the sheet-passable temperature, an amount of radiant heat from the first heating source is larger than that of radiant heat from the second heating source.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a control portion. The control portion determines a developer near end when the residual amount of a developer is in a range from a first predetermined amount to a second predetermined amount, and determines a developer end when the residual amount of the developer is equal to or lower than the second predetermined amount. Besides, in a case where the control portion determines the developer end after a predetermined number of printings are executed in a developer near end state, the control portion supplies the developer from a developer supply device to a development device via a first supply opening, and in a case where the control portion determines the developer end after more than the predetermined number of printings are executed, the control portion supplies the developer from the developer supply device to the development device via a second supply opening.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming machine having a reversing transport path in which a transport direction of a sheet introduced from an image forming transport path is reversed, a returning path in which the sheet reversely transported from the reversing transport path is returned below the image forming transport path with the directions of the face and back of the sheet being unchanged, and an inverting transport path in which the sheet from the returning path is turned upside down and readmitted into an upstream portion of the image forming transport path. A finisher including a sheet receiving stand placed below the returning path is provided, and at least one send-in unit for selectively sending in different length sheets onto the sheet receiving stand is disposed in the returning path.

Image forming machine having finisher for different length sheets

A switchback device has an inverting tray for temporarily holding a sheet guided inside the switchback device thereon; a guide unit for guiding the sheet in pressing contact with the inverting tray when the sheet exits the switchback device in an exiting direction on the inverting tray, the exiting direction opposite to an entering direction of the sheet on the inverting tray; a guide switching unit for selectively changing the guide unit to a sheet guide allow state to allow the sheet to enter in the entering direction on the inverting tray and a sheet pressing state to make the sheet in pressing contact with the inverting; and a sheet transporting unit for transporting the sheet out of the switchback device in the exiting direction on the inverting tray.

Switchback device for use in image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an original placement portion and a reference original portion outside of the original placement portion, a scanning device capable of selectively scanning either the original placement portion or the reference original portion, an image forming device for forming an image in accordance with the scanning device, a selection device for selecting the scanning of the original placement portion or the scanning of the reference original portion, and a reading device for reading an image of the reference original portion formed by the image forming device to evaluate a performance of the image forming device.

Image forming apparatus capable of evaluating image forming performance

An image forming apparatus includes a charger for charging a photosensitive drum, the charger having a charging wire extending in a lengthwise direction of the photosensitive drum, an optical system for illuminating a document and introducing a reflected light to the photosensitive drum to produce a latent image of the document, a detector for detecting a target portion of the charging wire causing a white line based on a copied image on copy paper, a cleaning member movable along the charging wire and adapted for cleaning the charging wire, a driver for moving the cleaning member along the charging wire, and a controller responsive to the detector for controlling the driver to move the cleaning member to the target portion of the charging wire and clean the target portion.

Image forming apparatus having cleaning member for cleaning charging wire

An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive body, a charge wire disposed along the photosensitive body at a specified spacing from the photosensitive body and adapted for charging the photosensitive body, the charge wire being tiltable on a plane passing an entirety of the charge wire and perpendicularly intersecting a surface of the photosensitive body. This apparatus is provided with a detector for detecting an image density distribution in a main scanning direction of copy paper, tilt angle calculator for calculating, based on a detected image density distribution, a correcting tilt angle of the charge wire to obtain a desired image density distribution in the main scanning direction, and a tilt angle controller for controlling the tilt angle in accordance with a calculated correcting tilt angle.

The exposure apparatus is provided with a first mirror frame movement hampering means for hampering the movement of the first mirror frame in the exposing direction. The first mirror frame movement hampering means has a closure mounted on an operating opening on the main body and a movement hampering member mounted on the closure and positioned near a linking portion of the driving device of the first mirror frame and at a position at which the movement in the exposing direction is interfered. The movement hampering member is mounted on the closure to adjust its position freely within a predetermined range in the reciprocatingly moving direction of the first mirror frame.

Movement hampering device for an exposure apparatus

A scanning system driving device capable of quickly and gently starting a scanning system. This driving device includes an electromagnetic clutch for forward rotation, for transmitting a driving force from a driving source to a moving body for an optical system, and a control circuit for controlling the application of a voltage to the electromagnetic clutch. The control circuit applies a rated voltage in the form of pulses to the electromagnetic clutch at intervals of such OFF time that the moving speed of the moving body is reduced once when the illumination and the scanning of a document by the moving body are started.

Scanning system driving device

A device for driving optical units for scanning manuscript and provides that movement of the optical units during scanning is achieved by a first pulse motor exhibiting low-noise and high-torque characteristics within a motor speed range suitable for achieving a desired scanning travel speed. Return movement of the optical units is achieved by a second pulse motor exhibiting low-noise and high-torque characteristics within revolving a motor speed range suitable for achieving a higher desired return travel speed. Not only are the optical units moved in both directions, but also noise generated during such movement is reduced as much as possible.

System for reciprocating optical units of different speeds in opposite

In a feed roller for mixing a developer and feeding it to a developing roller, a first mixing wing parallel to a rotating shaft is provided, a second spiral-shape mixing wing is diagonally provided in a manner to cross the first wing, and a spiral-shape groove for feeding a powder is formed on the one side located on the forward section with respect to rotating direction and being the powder scraping-up side of the both sides of said second mixing wing, along said second mixing wing, so as to enhance the feed performance, lateral-mixing performance and lateral-feed performance of the feed roller.

Feed roller for mixing and feeding a powder

An optical system driving device has a motor which rotates constantly in one direction for providing rotary driving power. A regular rotation electromagnetic clutch is connected to the rotating motor for transmitting driving power to the optical system for reciprocal movement of the optical system in one direction. A reverse electromagnetic clutch connected to the rotor motor transmits driving power to the optical system for reciprocal movement thereof in the opposite direction. A control circuit is provided which receives a pulse signal for controlling either the regular rotation or the reverse electromagnetic clutch at the start of the regular rotation electromagnetic clutch to gradually increase the effective driving power provided to the optical system to move the optical system at the start of movement.

Optical system-driving device

An image reading device including a contact glass on which an original sheet is set, an exposure lamp for irradiating a face of the original sheet on the contact glass to scan it, a photosensitive element provided below the contact glass, a first mirror for reflecting the light reflected by the original sheet in parallel with an original scanning direction, a second mirror for reflecting the light from the first mirror, a third mirror for reflecting the light from the second mirror, a lens for imaging the light from the third mirror on the photosensitive element, a first moving frame mounting the exposure lamp and first mirror and movable in the original scanning direction, a second moving frame mounting the second and third mirrors and movable following the first moving frame, first and second motors for shifting the first and second moving frames, respectively, and a controller for controlling a driving velocity of the second motor to keep the optical length from the face of the original sheet to be exposed to the light to the lens unchanged.

Image reader using two frames each driven by a different motor for

A motor with a decelerating apparatus includes a motor, a gear box connected to the motor, a pinion gear attached to an end of an output shaft of the motor, two or more decelerating gears engaging with the pinion gear, a rotation shaft connected to each of the decelerating gears as a unity, a bearing for supporting the rotation shaft of each of the decelerating gears provided in the gear box, and a mounting unit for fixing the gear box to a load, an output terminal of the rotation shaft of each of the decelerating gears being connected to a rotating load, the gear box comprising a bearing for supporting a rotation shaft of a first decelerating gear which engages with the pinion gear and a bearing for supporting a rotation shaft of a second decelerating gear which engages with the pinion gear and is different from the first decelerating gear in the number of teeth, the mounting unit connecting the output terminal of the rotation shaft of either of the first and second decelerating gears to the rotating load, and the gear box selectively having either of the first and second decelerating gears to vary a decelerating rate.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Hiroshi Kusumoto