Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Masaaki Maruta

Tomoya Hotani

Yuki Tamura

Daisuke Eto

Satoru Nakamura

Ryo Matsuyama

Hiroyuki Harada

Masakazu Uehara

Masato Usui

Keisuke Mizuguchi

Takeshi Iketani

Rei Yamagishi

Akira Horie

Provided is an inkjet recording apparatus that reduces clogging of nozzles, while at the same time avoid a decrease in productivity of the recording medium, and reduces situations in which the recording medium becomes stained due to the staining of opening portions and splashing due to ink ejected during flushing. A conveyor belt of the inkjet recording apparatus has a plurality of opening portion groups. The control unit determines the pattern of the plurality of opening portion groups used for flushing in one cycle of the conveyor belt according to the size of the recording medium. The control unit causes the recording medium to be supplied from the recording medium supply unit between the plurality of opening groups arranged in the conveying direction in the above pattern on the conveying belt and at positions separated from the opening portion groups by a specific distance or more.

Inkjet recording apparatus for recording images by ejecting ink on recording media

Provided is an inkjet recording apparatus that reduces excessive or insufficient flushing of each of the nozzles by appropriately controlling the ink ejection amount in the next flushing for each nozzle based on the actual ink ejection state of each of the nozzles of a recording head during image formation. A control unit causes the recording head to execute flushing for ejecting the ink at a timing different from a timing that contributes to image formation on the recording medium. A conveyor belt has opening portions for allowing ink ejected from each of the nozzles of the recording head during flushing to pass. The control unit controls the ink ejection amount for each of the nozzles during the next flushing based on an integrated printing rate for each of the nozzles after the recording head has performed the previous flushing.

Provided is an inkjet recording apparatus that reduces situations in which the recording medium becomes stained during flushing. A conveyor belt of the inkjet recording apparatus has a plurality of opening portion groups in a conveying direction of the recording medium in which opening portions for allowing ink ejected from each of the nozzles of the recording head to pass during the flushing are arranged in a belt width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium. A control unit determines a pattern of a plurality of opening portion groups used in flushing in one cycle of the conveyor belt according to the size of the recording medium, and causes the recording medium to be supplied from a recording medium supply unit between the opening portion groups arranged in the conveying direction in the pattern on the conveyor belt.

An ink ejecting device includes: a head that ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles arranged along a Y-axis direction parallel to a direction in which a recording medium is conveyed; an X-axis moving mechanism that moves the head in an X-axis direction orthogonal to the Y-axis direction on the horizontal plane; a control unit that performs scanning in which the head is moved in the X-axis direction and that causes the head to eject ink during the scanning; and a Z-axis moving mechanism that moves the head in a Z-axis direction orthogonal to the Y-axis and X-axis directions.

Ink ejecting device and printing apparatus

A liquid supply unit includes a first chamber, a second chamber, an opening/closing member, a biasing member, a pressing member and a flexible film member. The first chamber communicates with a liquid storage container, and the second chamber communicates with a liquid injection head. The opening/closing member changes a posture between a closing posture for closing a communication opening and an opening posture for opening it. The biasing member biases the opening/closing member in a direction toward the closing posture. The pressing member presses the opening/closing member in a direction toward the opening posture. The flexible film member is displaced based on a negative pressure generated in the second chamber. When a pressure receiving portion of the pressing member receives the displacement force from the flexible film member, the pressing member rotates about a pivot point and presses the opening/closing member against a biasing force of the biasing member.

Liquid supply unit and liquid injection device

A liquid supply unit includes a first chamber, a second chamber, a wall portion, an opening/closing member, a flexible film member and a transmitting member. The wall portion includes a communication opening allowing communication between the first chamber and the second chamber. The opening/closing member changes a posture between a closing posture for closing the communication opening from the second chamber side and an opening posture. The flexible film member is displaced based on a pressure change of the second chamber. The transmitting member transmits a displacement force to the opening/closing member to be the opening posture when the second chamber is set to a negative pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold value, and transmits the displacement force to the opening/closing member to be the closing posture according to a displacement of the flexible film member when the second chamber is pressurized.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a post-printing processing device, and a paper exit part. The main body forms an image on paper. The post-printing processing device is located above the main body and performs post-printing processing on paper. The paper exit part is located on a side surface of the post-printing processing device. Paper is ejected to the paper exit part. The post-printing processing device includes a paper inlet port and a conveyance device. The paper inlet port is located in a rear part of a lower surface of the post-printing processing device. The conveyance device conveys paper conveyed via the paper inlet port into the post-printing processing device in a forward direction thereof to a paper loading tray and conveys the paper therefrom leftward to eject the paper to the paper exit part located on the left side of the post-printing processing device.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a sheet feed cassette, and a conveyance unit. The sheet feed cassette is attachably/detachably supported by the apparatus main body. The sheet feed cassette includes pressing portions provided on both sides thereof in the sheet width direction. The movable guide includes pressed portions provided on both sides thereof in the sheet width direction. By the pressed portions abutting on the pressing portions, the movable guide is pushed up by the sheet feed cassette, and the movable guide is positioned with respect to the fixed guide. The pressing portion provided on another side of the sheet feed cassette in the sheet width direction includes an adjusting mechanism that adjusts pressing force against the pressed portion provided on another side of the movable guide in the sheet width direction to enable adjustment of pressure abutment force between the conveyance rollers.

Image forming apparatus that enables adjusting pressure between fixed guide and movable guide

An image forming apparatus includes an ejecting port, an ejected sheet tray and a guiding member. The ejected sheet tray has a sheet stacking face inclined upwardly towards a downstream side from a lower side of the ejecting port. The guiding member is provided at a position on the sheet stacking face to contact with a tip end of the ejected sheet at the position. The guiding member includes a base member attached to the sheet stacking face, a movable guide for stacking the ejected sheet and a biasing member. The movable guide is turnably supported on the base member around a supporting shaft. The biasing member is interposed between the base member and the movable guide at an upstream side from the supporting shaft to bias the movable guide upwardly. The movable guide is turned downwardly against a biasing force of the biasing member by weight of stacked sheets.

A sheet cassette () includes a first sheet accommodation section (), a second sheet accommodation section (), and a restricting section (). The restricting section () includes a lever section (), a first engagement section (), and a second engagement section (). The lever section () is shiftable between a first engaged position, a second engaged position, and a disengaged position. The first engaged position is a position where a distal end portion () protrudes from a sheet loading surface (F) of a second bottom () with no sheets loaded on the second bottom (), and the first engagement section () and the second engagement section () are in engagement. The second engaged position is a position where the distal end portion () is pushed down out of the first engaged position in accordance with the number of sheets loaded on the second bottom (), and the first engagement section () and the second engagement section () are in engagement. The disengaged position is a position where the engagement between the first engagement section () and the second engagement section () is released. Strength of the engagement between the first engagement section () and the second engagement section () is larger when the lever section () is in the second engaged position than when the lever section () is in the first engaged position.

Sheet cassette, feeder, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an optical scanning device, a duct, and a cooling fan. The optical scanning device has a rotating polygon mirror, a motor which has a rotating shaft fixed to the rotating polygon mirror, and a housing that accommodates the rotating polygon mirror and the motor. The duct is disposed adjacent to the optical scanning device, and a part of the rotating shaft is exposed into the duct. The cooling fan generates airflow inside the duct. A sectional area of the duct becomes gradually small toward the part of the rotating shaft exposed into the duct from an upstream side of the part of the rotating shaft exposed into the duct with respect to a flow direction of the airflow in the duct, and a sectional area of the duct becomes large at a downstream side of the part of the rotating shaft exposed into the duct.

Image forming apparatus including a duct for airflow having a sectional area that becomes gradually smaller toward a part of a rotating shaft exposed into the duct

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit, an apparatus main body, a nip pressure changing member, a driving source, and a clutch mechanism. The fixing unit includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member, and a fixing nip forming mechanism. The fixing nip forming mechanism forms a fixing nip between the first rotating member and second rotating member. To the apparatus main body, the fixing unit is detachably installed. The nip pressure changing member presses the fixing nip forming mechanism and to change a pressure of the fixing nip by rotating around a rotation axis. The driving source rotates the nip pressure changing member. The clutch mechanism permits a transmission of a rotation from the driving source to the nip pressure changing member and restricts a transmission of a rotation from the nip pressure changing member to the driving source.

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit and an apparatus main body. The fixing unit includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member and a fixing nip forming mechanism. The first rotating member is heated by a heating source. The second rotating member faces to the first rotating member. The fixing nip forming mechanism makes the second rotating member pressed to the first rotating member and forms a fixing nip between the first rotating member and second rotating member. To the apparatus main body, the fixing unit is attachably/detachably installed. The apparatus main body includes a nip pressure changing mechanism. The nip pressure changing mechanism presses the fixing nip forming mechanism and changes a pressure of the fixing nip.

A sheet conveyor device includes a registration roller, an intermediate roller, a first sheet detection section, a first drive controller, a second drive controller, and a third drive controller. The registration roller conveys a sheet toward an image forming section for image formation. The intermediate roller conveys the sheet toward the registration roller. The first sheet detection section is used for optically detecting the sheet between the registration roller and the intermediate roller. The first drive controller drives the intermediate roller, while suspending driving of the registration roller. The second drive controller drives the registration roller when a predetermined conveyance wait period elapses from detection of a sheet by the first sheet detection section. The third drive controller drives the registration roller when a predetermined forced conveyance period elapses from a start of conveyance of the sheet loaded on a sheet loading section.

Sheet conveyor device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a sheet feeding unit for feeding a sheet, a registration roller for transporting the sheet toward the image forming unit, a rotational member for transporting the sheet toward the registration roller, at least one detection member provided on an upstream side of the registration roller, and a sheet size detection unit configured to receive an output from the detection member. The rotational member is configured to continue rotation until transportation of the sheet is completed. The registration roller is configured to rotate when a predetermined waiting time period has elapsed since the detection member detects sheet arrival. The sheet size detection unit is configured to detect a size of the sheet using a time period from a time when the detection member detects the sheet arrival to a time when the detection member detects sheet passage.

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Osaka, Japan

Masaaki Maruta