Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Osamu Takashima

Kazuyoshi Matsumoto

Junichi Murano

Katsunori Shoji

Toshiyuki Uchida

Kiyoshi Tsukamura

Kazuki Suzuki

Yuusuke Noguchi

Eiji Sawamura

Kazuyuki Saitoh

Masahiro Tomita

Shizuo Kawamura

An image reading apparatus is equipped with an optical unit. Just prior to shifting to a low power-consumption mode, the optical unit is shifted to a low power-consumption position that is different from a home position.

Image reading apparatus

The image forming apparatus is equipped with a straight handle that can be pushed into and pulled out of an outer wall through a hole provided to the outer wall, and has a protruding component on the outer wall in the vicinity and next to the hole. The handle is constituted such that when pulled outward from the hole, the handle protrudes horizontally at a specific angle away from the protruding component.

Image forming apparatus

A duct fan unit, which is a simple structure that can be disassembled by an easy operation and the manufacture cost thereof can be decreased. The duct fan unit comprises a duct and a fan. The duct, allows air to pass through is constructed by engaging two duct constructing members together. The fan is installed inside the duct. A guide portion having a rib shape is set on only one of the duct constructing members such that the fan can be installed easily. A resilient protrusion is set on the other duct constructing member such that the fan can be resiliently pressed for securing the fan in position. Therefore, by simply latching the connecting plate of one duct constructing member with the connecting hole of the other duct constructing member the two duct constructing members are fixed to each other.

Duct fan unit

A driving device, which can maintain a sufficient rated torque of the non-magnetization type electromagnetic clutch, comprises a driving motor and a driving gear. The driving motor and the driving gear are connected by a non-magnetization type electromagnetic clutch. The electromagnetic clutch comprises a driving shaft, wherein the driving shaft of the electromagnetic clutch is made of non-magnetic material. Because the driving shaft is made of non-magnetic material, therefore the magnetic field of the permanent magnet is not adversely affected or disordered, and a stable rated torque can be achieved.

Driving device and fixing device

An image forming apparatus including a paper cassette loaded with a stack of papers and a paper stacking device for stacking papers carrying images thereon is disclosed. The apparatus has an upper casing part rotatable away from a lower casing part. When the upper casing part is rotated away from the lower casing part, the apparatus successfully prevents the upper casing part from interfering with a tray or similar paper stacking means and prevents papers stacked on the tray from dropping without having its overall length increased. The tray is arranged in the rear portion of the apparatus opposite to the front portion where a control panel is located, thereby reducing the widthwise dimension of the apparatus. Even in such a position, the tray allows papers stacked thereon to be easily picked up.

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Tokyo, Japan

Osamu Takashima