Oki Data Corporation

Sony Group Corporation

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Japan Tobacco Inc.

Seikagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Hiroshi Yuasa

Yusuke Ikeda

Shun Kaizu

Eiji Hirata

Shinichirou Etou

Yasutaka Kimura

Takahiro Akahane

Naoto Nagaki

Daisaku Oguni

Yoshio Kanaya

Takeshi Oyakawa

Norio Katsuyama

The range-finding apparatus includes a light source, an optical receiver, a setting unit, a detector, and a calculation unit. The light source projects light with a first irradiation pattern in a first period and projects light with a second irradiation pattern in a second period. The optical receiver receives light to output a pixel signal. The setting unit sets a reference signal based on the pixel signal in the first period. The detector detects whether or not the pixel signal varies from the reference signal by a first value or more in the second period and outputs a first detection signal indicative of a result obtained by the detection. The calculation unit calculates a distance to a to-be-measured object using the first detection signal.

Range-finding apparatus and range-finding method

Provided is an apparatus that can reduce a braking force of a medium separating mechanism to thereby reduce occurrence of paper jams only by attaching a medium supply device to an image forming apparatus body. The medium supply device is configured to be attached to an image forming apparatus body including a medium separating mechanism, and includes a medium conveying mechanism that supplies a recording medium from stacked recording media to a predetermined position, and first mechanism that reduces a braking force generated in the medium separating mechanism.

Medium supply device and image forming apparatus

In order to provide a method for measuring a filling capacity of a raw material such as leaf tobacco without carrying out a complicated operation, the present invention includes the steps of (i) irradiating a near infrared ray on a sample of a raw material so as to measure a transmission absorption spectrum or a diffuse reflectance spectrum of the sample; and (ii) calculating an estimated filling capacity value by use of the transmission absorption spectrum or the diffuse reflectance spectrum thus measured and on the basis of a calibration curve which has been prepared in advance.

Filling-capacity measuring method

A medium cassette is configured to be held and attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus so that the medium cassette slides in an insertion direction or a pullout direction relative to the image forming apparatus. The medium cassette includes a rear side guide for guiding a medium to be placed at a rear side in the pullout direction; a locking member disposed to be able to engage with a body of the medium cassette for regulating a position of the rear side guide relative to the body of the medium cassette; and a movement conversion member for converting a movement of the rear side guide generated by an impact when the medium cassette is attached to the body of the image forming apparatus to a movement of the locking member in a direction that the locking member engages with the body of the medium cassette.

Medium cassette and image forming apparatus

A rotor support structure includes: an operable unit including a rotor and a casing rotatably supporting the rotor; a support member includes a support member main body configured to accommodate therein the operable unit, and an attachment part to attach the support member main body to a base; and a press part configured, when the support member with the operable unit accommodated therein is attached to the base, to press the operable unit to hold the operable unit in the support member main body.

Rotor support mechanism and image formation apparatus

A sheet supply device includes a first separation unit for applying a transportation load to a medium supplied from a stored state with a sheet supply member to separate the medium, and a second separation unit disposed on a downstream side of the first separation unit for separating the medium passing through the first separation unit. The first separation unit is disposed outside an extension area of the second separation unit in a medium transportation direction.

Sheet supply device and image forming apparatus

A developer conveying apparatus includes a main body in which a developer is conveyed, a first conveying member including a first rotation shaft rotatably provided in the main body and a first conveying portion having a spiral shape and provided around the first rotation shaft, and a second conveying member including a second rotation shaft rotatably provided in the main body and a second conveying portion having a spiral shape and provided around the second rotation shaft. A developer retention portion is formed at a predetermined portion of the second conveying member.

Developer conveying apparatus, developer storage container, and image forming apparatus

A drive transmission device includes: a driving member configured to rotate by a first electric current and having an attracting portion configured to generate magnetic force by a second electric current; a driven member having an attracted portion, the attracted portion facing the driving member and configured to be attached to the attracting portion by the magnetic force, so that the driven member integrally rotates with the driving member when the attracting portion is coupled to the attracted portion; and a controller configured to control the first electric current and the second electric current, the controller configured to apply the first electric current and then the second electric current.

Drive transmission device and image forming apparatus

An image forming device includes a first measuring unit to measure a size of the recording medium when the image is formed on the first surface by the image forming unit, and a second measuring unit to measure the size of the recording medium prior to an image being formed on the second surface of the recording medium, and a control unit configured to change the size of printing range based upon the image data that is used to form the image on the second surface of the recording medium in accordance with a medium ratio of the size of the recording medium measured by the first measuring unit to the size of the recording medium measured by the second measuring unit.

Image forming device and image forming method thereof

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section that forms a toner image. A transferring section transfers the toner image formed onto a recording medium. A fixing unit is located adjacent the image forming section such that a first space is defined between the fixing unit and the image forming section. The fixing unit fixes the toner image on the recording medium. An air-chamber includes a wind exit and discharges the air through the wind exit such that the air flows into the first space. An air-propelling device propels the air to discharge through the wind exit.

Image forming apparatus having an air-cooling system

An image forming apparatus has an image forming unit that forms an image on one side of a recording medium, and a return unit that returns the recording medium to the image forming unit so that an image can be formed on the other side. A control unit selects different transport speeds for different types of recording media on at least part of the return path, preferably selecting a comparatively high speed for normal recording media and a slower speed for recording media that are thicker or stiffer than normal, as sensed by a thickness or stiffness sensor or inferred indirectly from another setting such as a fusing temperature setting. Thick or stiff recording media can then negotiate tight turns on the return path without transport failure, while normal media can be transported at high speed on the entire return path.

Double-sided image forming apparatus

A drug composition comprising a mucopolysaccharide (also referred in the art as a glycosaminoglycan) and a drug which is scarcely soluble in water but soluble in a water-miscible organic solvent, wherein fine crystals or fine particles of the drug is attached on or between the particles of a mucopolysaccharide, and a process for preparing the same. The drug composition of the present invention exhibits greatly improved solubility and a dissolution rate of the drug, and thus greatly improve the drug's bioavailability.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Hiroshi Yuasa