Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Furuno Electric Company Limited

Keisuke Sugiyama

Tomomichi Hoshino

Tomohiro Furuhashi

Masahiro Tamura

Kyosuke Nakada

Takahiro Watanabe

Kazuya Yamamoto

Shuuya Nagasako

Akira Kunieda

Junya Suzuki

Kazunori Konno

Kiichiro Goto

Kiyoshi Hata

Satoshi Saito

Makoto Hidaka

Atsushi Kikuchi

Toshiyuki Uchida

Yasuo Niikura

Joh Ebara

Yuusuke Shibasaki

Yasuhisa Ehara

Kazuhiko Kobayashi

Takao Watanabe

Takuya Sano

Wataru Takahashi

Yosuke Saito

Takashi Saito

Takashi Yamamoto

Shohichi Satoh

Noriaki Funamoto

Takamasa Matsumoto

Youhei Niitsuma

Tomohiro Yoshizaki

Mamoru Kambayashi

Kouji Amanai

Takaya Ochiai

Takeshi Akai

Seiichi Handa

Jun Yamada

Kei Sasaki

Yuji Matsuda

Shinya Monma

Sho Asano

Ikuhisa Okamoto

Naoki Takai

Yuichiro Kato

Kazuki Shimodate

Shota Yoshida

Ryo Takahashi

Hidetoshi Kojima

Takashi Fukumoto

Akihiro Musha

Yohei Miura

Narumi Sugita

Kohjiroh Haga

Satoru Takano

Yasushi Tsuruoka

Shintaro Matsumoto

Kazuhiko Kitano

Michitaka Suzuki

Hidehiko Fujiwara

Shinji Asami

Shingo Matsushita

Kimiharu Yamazaki

Daisuke Takagi

Kenji Tomita

Kazuki Seto

Jun Saito

Ruki Midorikawa

Shohei Saito

Takehisa Shimazu

Masanobu Kimata

Kenji Hari

Yuuta Mori

Hiroki Somada

Manabu Yamanaka

Nagayasu Yoshida

Ikumi Takashima

Hiroshi Fujie

Sachika Tamaki

Kohta Abe

Kensuke Fukuchi

Masatada Satoh

Shinya Komatsu

Akihiro Tsuno

Eiji Hara

Hirotaka Hayashi

A sheet processing apparatus includes: a center-folder to perform a center-folding process on a sheet bundle including multiple sheet materials; a back-crimp binder to: form a back portion on the sheet bundle subjected to the center-folding process; and perform a crimp-binding process on the back portion; and a controller configured to: cause the center-folder to perform the center-folding process; and cause the back-crimp binder to perform the crimp-binding process on the back portion while forming the back portion on the sheet bundle in the crimp-binding process.

Sheet processing apparatus, sheet processing method, and image forming system

A sheet separation device includes a sheet separator and a conveyor. The sheet separator separates a non-bonding portion of a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and bonded together at a bonding portion of the two-ply sheet. The conveyor conveys the two-ply sheet toward the sheet separator while bending the two-ply sheet in a direction that intersects a conveyance direction of the two-ply sheet.

Sheet separation device, sheet laminator, image forming apparatus, and image forming system

A sheet laminator includes a fuser pressure member, a heater, a drive device, and circuitry. The fuser pressure member thermally fixes a two-ply sheet and a sheet medium inserted between two sheets of the two-ply sheet. The heater heats the fuser pressure member. The driver rotates the fuser pressure member. In response to a pause of a rotation of the fuser pressure member, the circuitry turns off a power supply to the heater, and perform one of immediately stopping the fuser pressure member or rotating the fuser pressure member and stopping the fuser pressure member after the rotation of the fuser pressure member, based on a state of the fuser pressure member.

Sheet laminator and image forming system incorporating the sheet laminator

A sheet stacker for use in a device including a stacker portion, a fence, and a guide face. The stacker portion includes a stacker face that is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane and receives a plurality of sheets ejected from above and stack the plurality of sheets on the stacker face. The fence includes an angled face to contact an end of the plurality of sheets stacked on the stacker face. The angled face rises in a direction in which the plurality of sheets is stacked, with respect to a lower side of the stacker face. The guide face guides the sheet conveyed along the lower side toward an outlet port to a lower end of the outlet port, the outlet port opening in an exterior of the device to remove the sheet to an outside of the device.

Sheet stacker, sheet laminator, image forming apparatus, and image forming system

A thermal fixer includes a first thermal fixing roller and a second thermal fixing roller. The first thermal fixing roller includes a first heater. The second thermal fixing roller is pressed to the first thermal fixing roller. The second thermal fixing roller includes a second heater and has a diameter, a rigidity, and a surface releasability substantially identical to the first thermal fixing roller.

Thermal fixer, sheet laminator incorporating the thermal fixer, and image forming system incorporating the sheet laminator

A sheet laminator includes a fuser pressure member, a conveyor, and a guide. The fuser pressure member thermally fixes a two-ply sheet and a sheet medium inserted between two sheets of the two-ply sheet. The conveyor conveys the two-ply sheet toward the fuser pressure member in a sheet conveyance direction. The guide guides the two-ply sheet in a sheet conveyance passage between the conveyor and the fuser pressure member. At least one of the fuser pressure member or the conveyor is operable to guide the two-ply sheet outside the sheet conveyance passage in response to an occurrence of an abnormal stop of the sheet laminator.

A sheet laminator includes a thermal fixing roller pair, a first heater, a second heater, multiple temperature detectors, and a driver. The thermal fixing roller pair includes a first thermal fixing roller and a second thermal fixing roller facing the first thermal fixing roller. The thermal fixing roller pair thermally fixes and conveys a two-ply sheet and a sheet medium nipped between two sheets of the two-ply sheet. The first heater heats the first thermal fixing roller. The second heater heats the second thermal fixing roller. The multiple temperature detectors are at different positions along an axial direction of the thermal fixing roller pair. The multiple temperature detectors detect a surface temperature of the thermal fixing roller pair. The driver drives the thermal fixing roller pair.

A sheet laminator includes a sheet lamination device, a heater, and circuitry. The sheet lamination device performs a sheet laminating operation on an object by application of heat and pressure. The heater heats the sheet lamination device. The circuitry changes between a first mode in which the heater constantly heats the sheet lamination device while the sheet lamination device is turned on and a second mode in which the heater starts heating the sheet lamination device in response to a request of the sheet laminating operation and stops heating the sheet lamination device after a given time has elapsed from completion of the sheet laminating operation. The circuitry adjusts the given time in the second mode.

Sheet laminator, image forming apparatus, and image forming system

A sheet laminator laminates a two-ply sheet and a sheet-shaped medium inserted in the two-ply sheet. The sheet laminator includes a sheet feeder, a multi-feeding detector, a fixing device, an ejection device, a purging portion, a passage switcher, and circuitry. The sheet feeder feeds the two-ply sheet. The multi-feeding detector detects multiple feeding of the two-ply sheet. The fixing device fixes the two-ply sheet by application of heat and pressure. The ejection device ejects the two-ply sheet that has been fixed by the fixing device. The purging portion is disposed at a position different from the ejection device. The passage switcher switches a conveyance passage of the two-ply sheet to the fixing device or to the purging portion. The circuitry conveys the two-ply sheet to the purging portion and retries sheet feeding with another two-ply sheet, in response to detection of multiple feeding of the two-ply sheet.

Sheet laminator, image forming apparatus, and sheet laminating method

A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveyor configured to convey a sheet, a processing tool configured to perform processing to the sheet, a tool contact separation device, a tool moving device, and a tool facing device. The tool contact separation device is configured to contact and separate the processing tool to the sheet. The tool moving device is configured to move the processing tool in a direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the sheet. The tool facing device has an opposing face and is disposed at a position at which the tool facing portion faces the processing tool via the sheet. The tool facing device is configured to move to change the tool facing portion in accordance with a relative moving direction of the sheet with respect to the processing tool when the processing tool performs the processing to the sheet.

Sheet processing apparatus and image forming system incorporating the sheet processing apparatus

A drive control device is configured to control a plurality of drive sources configured to drive a single output shaft. The drive control device includes a control unit configured to generate a single drive control signal and transmit the drive control signal to the plurality of drive sources. The drive control device has, as operation modes, a first mode for driving the plurality of drive sources and a second mode for driving a part of the plurality of drive sources.

Drive control device, driving device, sheet conveying device, and image forming apparatus

A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveyor, a processing tool, a tool contact separation device, a tool moving device, and a tool facing device. The sheet conveyor is configured to convey a sheet. The processing tool is configured to perform processing to the sheet. The tool contact separation device is configured to contact and separate the processing tool with respect to the sheet. The tool moving device is configured to move the processing tool in a direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the sheet. The tool facing device includes a tool facing portion and a sheet gripper. The tool facing portion includes a rotary member supported by a shaft and is disposed at a position facing the processing tool via the sheet. The sheet gripper includes a rotary member supported by a shaft and is configured to grip the sheet with the tool facing portion.

Provided is a liquid droplet discharging unit including a liquid droplet discharging port, a liquid retaining section including the liquid droplet discharging port, two tubes disposed in communication with the liquid retaining section, and first and second liquid sucking/ejecting members coupled to the two tubes respectively, wherein while the first liquid sucking/ejecting member is in a sucking or ejecting state, the second liquid sucking/ejecting member is in a non-sucking or non-ejecting state correspondingly.

Liquid droplet discharging unit, liquid droplet forming device, and stirring device

A sheet processing apparatus includes a pressing unit including a first pressing member and a second pressing member. The pressing unit is configured to sandwich and press a fold part of a folded sheet bundle between the first pressing member and the second pressing member. The sheet processing apparatus also includes a moving unit configured to move a position pressed by the pressing unit in a direction of a fold of the sheet bundle. A position pressed by the first pressing member on the sheet bundle and another position pressed by the second pressing member on the sheet bundle are shifted with respect to each other in the direction of the fold of the sheet bundle.

Sheet processing apparatus, image forming system, and method of additionally folding sheet bundle

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image reading device and an image forming apparatus, includes a passage forming body and a sound absorber. The passage forming body is configured to define a sheet conveying passage through which a sheet passes. The sound absorber includes a hollow portion and a communication portion configured to communication the hollow portion and the sheet conveying passage. A position of the communication portion of the sound absorber is changeable in the sheet conveying passage. The sheet conveying device included in the image reading device includes an original document conveying device configured to convey an original document having an image on a surface. The sheet conveying device included in the image forming apparatus includes a recording medium conveying device configured to convey the recording medium accommodated in a recording medium container to the image forming device.

Sheet conveying device, image reading device incorporating the sheet conveying device, and image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet conveying device

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Tokyo, Japan

Keisuke Sugiyama