Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Ricoh Corporation

Masahiko Kato

Masaharu Miyahisa

Masumi Katsumoto

Yoshihiro Boki

Takahiro Fukuoka

Koichi Kudo

Toshiyuki Andoh

Takashi Hashimoto

Takashi Hodoshima

Hiroyuki Usui

Satoshi Yoneyama

Hideaki Kibune

Toru Okamoto

Naoki Kozuka

Mikio Kamoshita

Tadakazu Seto

Seiji Bito

An image formation apparatus includes an image carrier; a driving source generating a driving force for the image carrier; a drive transmission unit; a driving control unit controlling the driving source; an image formation unit forming an image on a surface of the image carrier; a transfer nip between a transfer member and the surface of the image carrier; a driving-force exerting unit exerting a driving force on any one of the image carrier and a first drive transmission member on a drive transmission path, and a specific drive transmission member imparting weakest spring characteristics among drive transmission members to a drive transmission system; a detecting unit detecting an estimation parameter used in estimating a driving-load-torque variation amount of the image carrier; a torque-variation-amount estimation unit; and a driving-force control unit controlling the driving force to cancel the driving-load-torque variation.

Image formation apparatus, driving control method, and computer program product

Cell-to-cell connection plates () each integrally having a welding part () shaped to fall within a circular end of a battery case () and a connecting part () extending from this welding part () are provided. The cell-to-cell connection plates () are attached to one electrode terminal and the other electrode terminal of the battery case () by welding the welding parts (), respectively. The connecting parts () of the respective cell-to-cell connection plates () attached to each adjoining pair of cylindrical batteries (Ba) are overlapped with each other and coupled into electric connection. Consequently, regardless of whether a plurality of cylindrical batteries (Ba) are axially arranged in series or radially juxtaposed, each adjoining two can be connected to each other by using the identical cell-to-cell connection plates () for cost reduction. It is also possible to provide a sufficient heat dissipation effect and achieve sufficient robustness and weight saving even when connecting large-sized cylindrical batteries.

Cell-to-cell connection structure

A method for applying an electrode mixture paste includes: a first step of unwinding a core material () wound in a coil shape; a second step of applying an electrode mixture paste () onto the core material; a third step of adjusting an application amount of the electrode mixture paste; a fourth step of drying a paste-coated sheet () with the electrode mixture paste applied to the both sides thereof; and a fifth step of winding the paste-coated sheet in a coil shape. In this method, in one of the second and third steps, a core material-exposed portion () to which the electrode mixture paste is not applied is provided in both edge portions in a width direction of the core material, and, in the fourth step, a holding unit is provided in at least one position, the holding unit continuously holding the core material-exposed portion between a wheel type roller () and a contact belt () and changing a traveling direction of the paste-coated sheet. A stable electrode mixture paste application method can be achieved by preventing the occurrence of wrinkles formed when the electrode mixture paste containing a high specific gravity material is applied and dried in order to avoid the reduction in application accuracy due to the flow of the electrode mixture paste.

Method for applying electrode mixture paste and application apparatus

A cleaning device includes a blade member, a holder, a vibration detection device, a heating device, and a control device. The blade member comes into contact with an image carrying member, and cleans off toner remaining on the image carrying member. The holder holds the blade member. The vibration detection device detects the vibration level of either one of the blade member and the holder. The heating device heats either one of the blade member and the holder. The control device controls the heating device to heat either one of the blade member and the holder when the vibration level detected by the vibration detection device exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Cleaning device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus

A cleaning device capable of inhibiting noise from being caused by stick-slip vibration between a blade member of the cleaning device and an image carrier, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus are provided. A vibration detecting device for detecting a vibration state is attached to a central part of a holder holding a blade member, and an excitation member for vibrating the blade member is attached to the blade member over the entire length thereof in a direction along a sliding contact surface contacting a photoreceptor.

Cleaning device, process cartridge and image forming apparatus

In a belt moving device that is capable of reducing belt speed fluctuation and positional deviation from a target belt position in a sub-scanning direction and performing highly precise position control in a main scanning direction, and an image forming apparatus that uses this belt moving device to prevent color shift in both the main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction of a formed image such that a high-quality image can be formed, belt shift control means reduce shift position variation within a single round trip of an endless belt by feeding back a target value for canceling out the shift position variation within a single round trip of the endless belt and feeding forward a value obtained by multiplying an inverse transfer characteristic of moving means by a transfer characteristic of a target value of the moving means in relation to the control content of the moving means.

Belt moving device and image forming apparatus using same

An inter-battery connection device for connecting terminals of two batteries (1, 1) arranged with their axes parallel to each other. The inter-battery connection device includes an inter-battery connection plate () that connects the battery case bottom () and the sealing plate () of the two batteries. The inter-battery connection plate () includes welding portions () at the ends of its base plate () for welding to the case bottom () and the sealing plate (), respectively. An intermediate metal plate () is joined to the middle part of the base plate () between the welding portions () to form an intermediate portion () having a greater thickness than each welding portion (). The inter-battery connection device has reduced electric resistance while achieving improved weldability.

Inter-battery connection device

A cylindrical battery includes an electrode plate assembly, a positive electrode collector welded to a projecting portion of a core material for a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode collector having a plurality of projections at its lower surface. The negative electrode collector is also welded to a projecting portion of a core material for a negative electrode plate at its upper surface. The cylindrical battery further includes a metal case for accommodating the electrode plate assembly. The projections of the negative electrode collector are welded to an inner bottom surface of the metal case. The projections of the negative electrode collector are arranged at a plurality of locations in a region between a portion opposed to a hollow cylindrical portion of the electrode plate assembly and a peripheral portion.

Cylindrical cell and manufacturing method thereof

A rotation member driving apparatus for driving a printing member includes a printing member shaft attached to the printing member, a driving motor that drives the printing member, and a driving motor shaft attached to the driving motor. A first gear is attached to the driving motor shaft. A drive transmission gear is provided to transmit driving force of the driving motor to the printing member shaft from the first gear. An inertia member is arranged on the same axis as the driving motor.

Rotation member driving apparatus, photoconductive member unit, and image forming apparatus

A cleaning unit for an image forming apparatus of the present invention includes removing means made up of a cleaning blade configured to remove toner particles left on the surface of an image carrier in contact with the image carrier and a blade holder holding the cleaning blade. Assuming that the cleaning blade has a natural frequency of fc and that the image carrier has a speed variation frequency of fd ascribable to rotation thereof, a range other than a range represented by the following relation is selected: 

Cleaning unit and image forming apparatus using the same

Battery

An acoustic noise reduction apparatus for an office automation device is provided on a surface of an outer shield of the office automation device and has a hole therethrough. The body member of the apparatus defines an internal volume which covers the hole. A control member is operatively connected with the body member and divides the body member into a hollow portion, a duct portion, and a silencer portion. The hollow portion and the duct portion form a Helmholtz resonator within the body member.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Masahiko Kato