Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yamaha Corporation

Shin Yamamoto

Ichiro Osuga

Kenichi Nishida

Shunsuke Ichiki

Hiroshi Harimoto

Toshio Ogiso

Tadafumi Tatewaki

Shinya Kawahara

Kunio Hayakawa

Yoshihiro Fukuhata

Shin Murayama

Hitoshi Shimbo

Yutaka Naito

Yoshihiko Hotta

Yoshiharu Takahashi

Masanari Fujita

Yuji Nagatomo

Masahiro Yagi

Takeshi Shibuya

Hiromi Furuya

Yutaka Naitoh

Atsushi Kutami

Shinichi Arasawa

Shigeru Obata

Yoshio Sakagawa

Satoshi Arai

Yasuhide Matsuno

Yasunobu Ogata

Takashi Kitamura

Mitsuru Kitajima

Yoshikazu Yamazoe

Kyohji Tsutsui

Yu Yoshizaki

Takahiro Mizuguchi

A sensor includes: an upper electrode; a lower electrode provided facing the upper electrode; an upper electrode support portion provided in an upper portion of the upper electrode; a deforming portion provided at both ends of the upper electrode support portion and enabling a distance between the upper electrode and the lower electrode to be changed; a rotatable actuator arranged facing the upper electrode support portion; and a member arranged between the upper electrode support portion and the actuator, and capable of moving relative to at least one of the actuator and the upper electrode support portion when the actuator presses the upper electrode support portion.

Sensor and keyboard device

A relationship of 0&#x3c;&#x3b1;&#x3c;2&#x3b8;is satisfied, where &#x3b1;is an angle formed between a first line which is vertical to a parallel line passing through a pivot center point and being parallel to a pivot extending direction, passes through a center point of a first portion from the center point of the first portion toward the parallel line, and a second line which is vertical, at the center point of the first portion, to a first portion extending direction, passes through the center point of the first portion toward a vertical line being vertical to the parallel line and passing through the pivot center point, and where &#x3b8;is an angle formed between the first line and a third line connecting the pivot center point and the center point of the first portion from the center point of the first portion toward the pivot center point.

Actuator, pressing device and keyboard instrument

A switching device includes: an actuator that is rotatable; and a contact member including an upper surface section having a flat portion and is movable in a vertical direction according to rotation of the actuator, and a deformation section disposed between a support member and an end portion of the upper surface section and deformed according to movement of the upper surface section. A chamfer portion interconnecting a contact surface contacting with the contact member and a side surface, of the actuator, is provided between a virtual plane containing an end portion, in an extending direction of the rotary shaft, of the upper surface section, and is perpendicular to the upper surface section and a virtual plane containing an end portion, in the extending direction of the rotary shaft, of a portion where the deformation section makes contact with the support member, and is perpendicular to the upper surface section.

Switching device and keyboard device

A white key of a keyboard instrument includes: an upper wall elongated in a front and rear direction; and a pair of side walls extending downward respectively from right and left edges of the upper wall and each elongated in the front and rear direction. The upper wall and the pair of side walls define an inner space opening downward. The upper wall and the pair of side walls include: a narrow portion and a wide portion wider in a right and left direction. The white key has right and left portions with respect to a center line of the narrow portion. The right and left portions are different in construction to adjust a balance of load between the right and left portions with respect to the center line.

White key of keyboard instrument

A keyboard device includes: key units each including a coupler and white or block keys coupled to the coupler at their rear ends; and a key frame assembled to the key frame and supporting the couplers stacked on each other. The coupler of one of the key units is provided with a hook having an engaging portion. The coupler of each of at least one other key unit has a through hole at a position corresponding to the hook. The key frame has a through hole at a position corresponding to the hook. The couplers of the key units are secured on the key frame using the engaging portion in a state in which the hook extends through the through hole of the coupler of each of the at least one other key unit and the through hole of the key frame.

Keyboard device

An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer, a charging roller, a first cleaner, a second cleaner, and a rotation controller. The latent image bearer bears a latent image on a surface thereof. The charging roller charges the latent image bearer. The first cleaner cleans the surface of the latent image bearer. The second cleaner cleans a surface of the charging roller. The rotation controller controls the latent image bearer to execute a set of backward rotation and first forward rotation at least once during a non-image formation time period, and either temporarily stop and start second forward rotation or continuously execute the second forward rotation by a rotation distance corresponding to at least one rotation of the charging roller.

Image forming apparatus and driving method for driving image forming apparatus

A fixing device includes a plurality of separation assemblies disposed opposite a fixing rotary body to separate a recording medium from the fixing rotary body. Each separation assembly includes a separator separatably contacting the fixing rotary body, a contact biasing member anchored to the separator to bias the separator against the fixing rotary body, an arm separatably contacting the separator to isolate the separator from the fixing rotary body, and an actuator connected to the arm to separate the arm from the separator. A controller is operatively connected to the actuator of each separation assembly to control the actuator of at least one of the plurality of separation assemblies to separate the arm from the separator so as to bring the separator into contact with the fixing rotary body by the contact biasing member.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A keyboard device includes plural white keys, plural black keys, and plural hammers respectively engaged with the plural white and black keys. Vertical length of a drive portion for a first key and a second key are set the same, the first and second keys both being white keys, or both being black keys. Longitudinal position of hammer support portion of a first hammer engaged with the first key and longitudinal position of a hammer support portion of a second hammer engaged with the second key are set the same. Vertical positions of hammer support portions of the first and second hammers are respectively set according to a distance from a front end of an operation portion of the first key and a key support portion and a distance from a front end of an operation portion of the second key and a key support portion.

Keyboard device for electronic musical instrument

An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photoconductor, a charging unit, an exposure unit to expose the photoconductor to reduce an electrical potential at the photoconductor, a developing unit to charge the toner held on a toner bearing member with friction and attract the toner to the exposed portion on the photoconductor by supplying a development voltage from a first power source and using an electrical potential difference between the toner bearing member and the photoconductor in the development area, a reverse development voltage controller to supply a reverse development voltage while a non-charged portion on the photoconductor passes the development area, and a developer reducing potential applier to supply a development restraining potential and an absolute value smaller than a target charging potential to the photoconductor while the reverse development voltage is supplied.

Image forming apparatus including a controller configured to regulate a potential difference between a photoconductor and a developing member

A keyboard device includes plural white and black keysthat rock according to a key depression/release operation. Positions of key support portionssupporting the plural white and black keysin the longitudinal direction are set to be different from one another. The keyboard device also includes hammersthat rock with the rocking movement of the plural white and black keys. The plural white and black keysinclude drive unitsthat drive the hammers. The drive unitsand the pivot centers of the hammers are located on the same straight line extending in the lateral direction. An upper-limit stopperand a lower-limit stopper, which restrict the rocking movement of the hammers, are provided to extend in the lateral direction.

A keyboard device includes plural white and black keysthat rock according to a key depression/release operation. Positions of key support portionssupporting the plural white and black keysin the longitudinal direction are set to be different from one another. The keyboard device also includes hammersthat rock with the rocking movement of the plural white and black keys. The plural white and black keysinclude drive unitsthat drive the hammers. The pivot centers of the hammers are located on the same straight line extending in the lateral direction. The drive unitis located anterior to the drive unit. An upper-limit stopperand a lower-limit stopper, which restrict the rocking movement of the hammers, are provided to extend in the lateral direction.

A keyboard device includes hammersthat rock with the rocking movement of plural white and black keys. The plural white and black keysinclude drive units that drive the hammers. The drive unit is provided on a front end of the key. A positional relationship between a plane including a key support portion of each white keyand black keyand the front end of the white keyand black key, and a top face of each white keyand black keyis set such that the top faces of the plural white keysand black keysare located on the same plane, when the rocking angles of the plural white keysand black keysreach a predetermined angle respectively.

A keyboard device includes plural white and black keysthat rock according to a key depression/release operation. Positions of key support portionssupporting the plural white and black keysin the longitudinal direction are set to be different from one another. The keyboard device also includes hammersthat rock with the rocking movement of the plural white and black keys. The plural white and black keysinclude drive unitsthat drive the hammersrespectively. The pivot center of the hammeris located posterior to the pivot center of the hammer. An upper-limit stopperand a lower-limit stopper, which restrict the rocking movement of the hammersare provided to extend in the lateral direction.

A keyboard device includes hammersthat rock with the rocking movement of plural white and black keys. The plural white and black keysinclude drive units that drive the hammers. The drive unit is provided anterior or posterior to a front end of the key. A positional relationship between a plane including a key support portion of each white keyand black keyand the front end of the white keyand black key, and a top face of each white keyand black keyis set such that the top faces of the plural white keysand black keyare located on the same plane, when the rocking angles of the plural white keysand black keyreach a predetermined angle respectively.

A fixing device includes a separator presser that presses against a plurality of separators to separate the plurality of separators from a fixing rotary body that contacts an opposed rotary body to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium bearing a toner image passes. A single driver is connected to the separator presser to separate the separator presser from the plurality of separators. An entering recording medium detector is disposed upstream from the fixing nip in a conveyance direction of the recording medium to detect the recording medium. A controller is connected to the driver to control the driver based on a detection signal sent from the entering recording medium detector to change a contact time period for which the plurality of separators contacts the fixing rotary body.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Shin Yamamoto