Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Kimihiro Tanaka

Kenji Tomita

Yuuki Shiga

Yohei Miura

Kozo Yamazaki

Hiroaki Nieda

Sei Onuma

Toru Hanashima

Yuusuke Furuichi

Kenji Nakamura

Tamotsu Ikeda

Kaoru Tada

Osamu Saito

Kazuyoshi Kondo

Shigeo Nanno

Toshikane Nishii

Mizuna Tanaka

Tomoyoshi Yamazaki

Motohiro Kawanabe

Jumpei Aoyama

Masafumi Takahira

Yuuji Meguro

Hirofumi Horita

Yoshiko Ogawa

Junpei Kamichi

Tatsuo Fukushima

Kunihiko Nishioka

Hideto Higaki

Kentaro Uji

Shingo Nagatsuka

Takuya Etoh

Akimitsu Obana

Takashi Fujimoto

Ryouhei Ohi

Hideki Mitani

A contact-separation mechanism includes a cam to rotate to move a contact-separation member to and from a counterpart member, a detection target to rotate together with the cam, and a detector to detect presence or absence of the detection target in a detection area of the detector, and circuitry. The cam has a reference range. The circuitry issues a rotation stop instruction of the cam after a target time elapses from passing of the reference range of the detection target through the detection area, and sets the target time based on a duration of an immediately preceding passing of the reference range through the detection area.

Contact-separation mechanism, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

A moving device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a cam, a moving body, a biasing body, a drive source and a drive transmission device. The moving body is configured to be moved by the cam. The biasing body is configured to apply a biasing force to bias the moving body toward the cam. The drive source is configured to apply a driving force to the cam. The drive transmission device is configured to transmit the driving force to the cam and includes a load applying body configured to apply a load to a rotation of the cam.

Moving device and image forming apparatus incorporating the moving device

A drive transmission device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a drive transmission body to which a drive force is applied from a driving source, and a rotary shaft having a press-in portion mounted on one end thereof in the axial direction. The press-in portion has multiple planes disposed parallel to an axial direction and configured to receive the drive transmission body. The multiple planes include upstream and downstream side planes disposed downstream from the upstream side plane in a press-in direction of the drive transmission body. The upstream and downstream side planes are aligned along the press-in direction of the drive transmission body and have respective distances different from each other from an axial center of the rotary shaft. A distance from the downstream side plane to the axial center is greater than a distance from the upstream side plane to the axial center.

Drive transmission device and image forming apparatus incorporating the drive transmission device

A drive device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a drive source, a drive switching device configured to switch between a transmission state and a halting state, a first rotary body having a rotary shaft, a first drive transmission passage through which a driving force is transmitted to the first rotary body, a second rotary body, a second drive transmission passage through which the driving force is transmitted to the second rotary body, a drive transmission body rotatably mounted on the rotary shaft of the first rotary body, and an input drive transmission body mounted on the rotary shaft of the first rotary body and configured to input the driving force to the rotary shaft of the first rotary body, the input drive transmission body configured to rotate together with the drive transmission body as a single unit.

Drive device and image forming apparatus incorporating the drive device

A fixing device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a heater, a heating target body, a biasing body, a pressure body, a moving body, a drive source, and a drive transmitter. The heating target body is configured to be heated by the heater. The biasing body is configured to apply a biasing force. The pressure body is configured to be pressed by the biasing body toward the heating target body. The moving body is configured to move the pressure body away from the heating target body against the biasing force applied by the biasing body. The drive source is configured to apply a driving force. The drive transmitter is configured to transmit the driving force of the drive source to the moving body and includes a planetary gear device and a worm gear.

Drive transmission mechanism having a high reduction ratio for use in a fixing device

There is provided a broadcast receiving terminal that includes a reception unit, a display unit, and a reservation unit. The reception unit receives, over a network, content information, the content information including trailer information and reception reservation information. The display unit displays trailer content. The reservation unit reserves reception of the broadcast program.

Broadcast receiving terminal, control method, display terminal, and recording medium

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, an image forming unit, an intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer member, an image detector, a computing device, and a conveyor device. The computing device calculates a traveling speed of the intermediate transfer member based on detection information provided by the image detector. The conveyor device continuously transports to a secondary transfer portion a plurality of recording media one by one at a predetermined interval between successive recording media. The image forming unit forms a test image at a space between successive recording-medium contact regions of the intermediate transfer member at which the recording medium contacts the intermediate transfer member. A travel distance of the intermediate transfer member from the detection position on the intermediate transfer member to the secondary transfer portion in a traveling direction thereof is shorter than the space between the successive recording-medium contact regions.

Image forming apparatus

A moving device assembly includes a moving device and a shield. The moving device is movable between a first position and a second position, to move a detector including a detection surface relative to an opposing member disposed opposite the detector. The shield shields the detection surface of the detector. As the moving device is at the first position, the detector is at a proximal position at which the detector is near the opposing member, and as the moving device is at the second position, the detector is at a shield position at which the detector is separated from the opposing member and the detection surface of the detector is shielded by the shield.

Moving device assembly and image forming apparatus including the moving device assembly

An image forming apparatus includes a body, an image carrier provided in the body and configured to form an image thereon, a first gear to transmit a rotation driving force to the image carrier, a first rotary shaft to which the image carrier and the first gear are attached, a second gear to mesh with the first gear and transmit the rotation driving force to the first gear, a second rotary shaft to which the second gear is attached, a drive source configured to drive to rotate the image carrier via the first gear and the second gear, a first holder to hold the first rotary shaft of the first gear, and a second holder to hold the second rotary shaft of the second gear, and a relative position between the first holder and the second holder therein is adjustable.

Image forming apparatus having position adjustable drive unit

A process cartridge includes an image carrier unit which is equipped with an image carrier, on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a developer supply unit which supplies developer to the image carrier unit. The image carrier unit and the developer supply unit are configured to be attached and detached with respect to an apparatus main body in which the units are accommodated. Electrical contacts are provided to form electrical connection between the image carrier unitand the developer supply unitin a mounted state in the apparatus main body.

Process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus having electrical connection

A patch-pattern forming unit causes an image forming unit to form a patch pattern including a plurality of patches on a conveying member. A detecting unit detects the patch pattern formed on the conveying member. An adjusting unit adjusts an image forming condition of the image forming unit based on a result of detection by the detecting unit. The patch pattern has a length substantially equal to a distance between a patch-pattern start position, which is located at a space corresponding to at least a predetermined margin of a recording medium from a position of the image, and a position of the detecting unit.

Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and computer program product

A reciprocating-motion converting mechanism includes a cam that rotates around a rotation center; a reciprocating member that is reciprocated due to rotation of the cam; and a pressing unit that presses the reciprocating member to the cam. A first load torque is generated by a load applied at a point of contact of the cam and the reciprocating motion member. A load applying unit applies a load to the cam to generate a second load torque having a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the first load torque.

Image forming apparatus with a phase of a first load torque substantially opposite to a phase of a second load torque

An image forming apparatus capable of operating in a full-color mode or in a monochrome mode includes a first driving mechanism, a second driving mechanism, a transfer member, and a controller. The first driving mechanism drives the color image carriers and the second driving mechanism drives a black image carrier in a first direction to form a color and black toner images on a transfer member. The controller synchronizes the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism after conducting an image forming operation in the full-color mode or in the monochrome mode to conduct a phase alignment between the color image carriers and the black image carrier.

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Osaka, Japan

Kimihiro Tanaka