Mas-hamilton Group, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Lexmark International, Inc.

Minolta Company, Ltd.

John E Passafiume

Joseph Wade Luciano

Kenneth H Mimlitch

James D Hill

William Fain Irving

James Thomas Loiselle

William Freeman

Hirofumi Hasegawa

Narutaka Yoshida

Darell Dean Cronch

Patricia A Graham

Albert L Akers

Yasushi Tsuda

Paul Allen Rooke

Tracy Floyd

Joho Katsuo

Tommy Lowe

Richard T Fisher

Robert M Carpenter

Thomas Howard Miller

An autosecuring solenoid utilizes an interposing device that restrains the solenoid plunger when the solenoid is de-energized and/or energized, effectively preventing undesired movement of the plunger. When a voltage is applied across the coil, the flowing current creates an magnetic field. This field causes the plunger to slide within the solenoid cavity, unless restrained. This field also causes displacement of a movable magnet in the interposing device. The direction of motion of the movable magnet will depend on the magnetic field orientation of the movable magnet with respect to the magnetic field. Thus, the interposing device may move either toward or away from the plunger. Additionally, if using two interposing devices, one device could move away from the plunger and the second device could move toward the plunger. The second interposing device could even permit the plunger to move until the second interposing device engaged a recess or notch in the plunger. The first and/or second interposing devices may be restored by attraction between the movable magnet and the plunger or top of the interposing housing when the solenoid is de-energized. Alternatively, a second small magnet, spring, or other device in the housing of the interposing device returns the movable magnet to its desired position when the solenoid is de-energized.

Autosecuring solenoid

The technique for electronically resetting a magnetically sealed solenoid to an unattracted, unactuated position is described for use with solenoids which have either a residual magnetic or a permanent magnet holding force necessary to retain the armature of the solenoid in its actuated position until such time as the armature is either physically displaced by a mechanical force or an electronic signal is applied to the solenoid. This displacement creates a reverse polarity magnetic field, effectively overcoming the magnetic field acting to hold the armature in its actuated position, permitting a small mechanical force to reset the armature. In order to prevent a lock or similar device from being conditioned for opening and possibly left in that condition for a significant period of time while unattended, jeopardizing the security of the container and its contents, the actuation of the armature in the reset or release phase may occur a relatively short time following its actuation.

Electronic reset for solenoid activated control in an electronic lock

An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a developing unit which is removably installed in a body of the image forming apparatus, a shutter covering a developing region of the photosensitive member when the developing unit is removed from the body of the image forming apparatus and a cleaning member capable of cleaning the surface of the photosensitive member in accordance with rotation of the photosensitive member by making contact with the photosensitive member in conjunction with the shutter covering operation, but which does not contact the photosensitive member when the shutter is open. During a control operation, foreign matter such as used developer adhered to the photosensitive member is removed when the photosensitive member is rotated with the shutter closed.

Image forming apparatus having process cartridge with shutter and

Sensor arm (5) detects paper (1) at the printing stations of a printer (13). The sensor arm is linked through shaft (37) to position ledge (43) where it encounters and extension (47) of spring clutch (31) to decouple the spring clutch. Sheetfeed (11) is both driven and controlled from the platen (3) of the printer. With the spring clutch deactivated by the presence of paper, pawl (39) continues to hold the sheetfeed in an inactive status. In the absence of paper, the sensor arm (5) moves past the printing region, moving the ledge (43) away from contact with the spring clutch. Backward movement of the platen then initiates a sheetfeed cycle by movement of gear (35) being transmitted through the spring clutch (31).

Platen controlled sheetfeed permitting back-up for erasure

For step motors positioned in response to an external reference location, correction for potential one step misalignment is provided. The method and the apparatus of the invention provide a read/write memory, for storing therein a phase state of the step motor at a particular location, e.g. a home position. The home position may coincide with the external reference location or may be offset therefrom by some predetermined move of the step motor. During cold starts, where memory is not retained, the step motor is moved to its home position and then the phase state of the machine is saved. On subsequent warm starts, after the step motor is moved to the assumed home position, the step motor is controlled to assume the phase state that has been previously stored.

Self-adjusting homing for a stepping motor

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

John E Passafiume