Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Kenichi Shinozaki

Tohru Maruyama

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of heads and a head support member. Each head has multiple nozzles arrayed in at least one row to eject liquid droplets. The support member has first and second positioning portions to position each head. Each head has a first positioning face to position each head in a nozzle array direction and a second positioning face to position each head in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle array direction. The first positioning face and the second positioning face are cut faces formed by cutting. Each of a first distance between the first positioning face and a first reference nozzle and a second distance between the second positioning face and a second reference nozzle is uniform between the heads. Each head is mounted to the support member with the first and second positioning faces contacting the first and second positioning portions, respectively.

Image forming apparatus and method of making the image forming apparatus

A disclosed droplet discharge apparatus includes a droplet discharge head; a head sealing member that is disposed so as to face the droplet discharge head and that is moved to a position where a surface of the droplet discharge head is sealed off from outside of the head sealing member; and a suction force generator that generates a suction force inside the head sealing member. Further, the head sealing member moves droplets remaining on a nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head along the nozzle surface and suctioning as well as suctioning ink from a nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head.

Image forming apparatus

A system and method for disassembling and assembling a product. The system includes a production facility for assembling a product, a processing facility for disassembling a used product and offering the unit or parts of the used product for assembling the product after the unit and parts are processed, and a commonly-used processing facility for practicing mutually reversible steps between the process of assembling the product and the process of disassembling the used product and offering the unit and parts for assembling the product and/or for practicing steps which are identical for the assembling and disassembling processes. The method includes the steps of performing an assembling process, performing a disassembling process, and performing in a commonly-used processing facility mutually reversible steps between the assembling and disassembling process and/or performing steps which are identical for the assembling and disassembling processes.

Product disassembling and assembling system and a method of disassembling and assembling the product

A cleaning system and a cleaning method is provided with a cleaning medium comprising a magnetic substance and a magnetic field generating device for applying a magnetic force to the magnetic substance in the cleaning medium so that the magnetic substance and the area to be cleaned are rubbed together. The area to be cleaned is cleaned by the rubbing action of the cleaning medium. The interior of the cleaned object not reachable by hands or instruments can be easily cleaned with this device. The cleaning medium, made of a magnetic substance, is guided into the interior of the cleaned object. The magnetic field generating device generates a magnetic field in the cleaning medium and thereby applies a force to the magnetic substance. By rubbing the magnetic substance on the inner wall surface of the area to be clean, the object can be cleaned efficiently.

Cleaning system and a method of cleaning

A seal member to be fitted on a shaft portion of a rotor is engaged with the front end of a center piece to be fixed on the front end of an automatic machine such as a robot or the like. A slide portion is moved so that the seal member is fixed by a chuck claw. While compressed air is jetted from an air passage of the center piece, the seal member is fitted on the shaft portion. The air passage consists of cylindrical holes and can be easily formed by a hole-forming machine or lathe.

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Isehara, Japan

Kenichi Shinozaki