Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Kyocera Mita Corporation

Tomohiko Yamakawa

Masaru Takagi

Koji Izumi

Hayato Mori

Hiroaki Ohashi

Yuta Nohara

Masahiro Ueno

Ryo Matsuyama

Naoto Miyakoshi

Masami Fuchi

Shinobu Ohata

Mitsuhiro Goda

Susumu Hanano

Eiji Nakajima

Mitsutoshi Takemoto

Akihiro Yamaguchi

Shinji Nemoto

Hidehisa Konishi

Lin Lu

Koshiro Tomimori

Syouji Kouda

A gripping mechanism () includes a gripping roller () and a holder () that houses the gripping roller (). A gripped portion () of a first component () is gripped between an outer surface of the gripping roller () and an inner surface of the holder () through action of gravity acting on the gripping roller (). Preferably, the gripping roller () includes a core () that is cylindrical or columnar in shape and a covering section () that is an elastic body covering a circumferential surface of the core (). Preferably, the covering section () has a circumferential surface with a friction coefficient greater than a friction coefficient of the circumferential surface of the core ().

Gripping mechanism, assembly apparatus and component

A receptacle includes a pair of spare terminals that are located on both sides of a plurality of receptacle terminals in a longitudinal direction and are short-circuited. A plug includes a pair of relay electrodes that respectively come in contact with the pair of spare terminals when the plug is connected to the receptacle. A connector inspection instrument includes a conduction detecting circuit and a pair of terminal support portions supporting a pair of inspection terminals, and a displacement mechanism. The displacement mechanism supports one or both of the pair of terminal support portions in such a way as to displace the one or both of the pair of terminal support portions in a width direction to narrow or widen an interval between the pair of inspection terminals.

Connector inspection instrument, connector set

An assembly apparatus is for assembling a first member and a second member. The assembly apparatus includes a first gripping section, a second gripping section, and a driving section. The first gripping section includes a contact member and an elastic member. The second gripping section includes a contact member and an elastic member. The driving section drives the first and second gripping sections. The driving section drives the first and second gripping sections such that the contact member of the first gripping section and the contact member of the second gripping section make contact with the second member. The first and second gripping sections grip the second member through the two elastic members urging the respective contact members. The driving section drives the first and second gripping sections such that the first member and the second member are assembled.

Assembly apparatus and structure fabricating method

A gripping mechanism includes a holder, a gripping roller, and a lever. The gripping roller is housed within the holder and grips an object between the roller and an inner surface of the holder. The lever releases gripping of the object by pushing the gripping roller upward. Preferably, the holder includes two plate sections which support a weight of the gripping roller. An opening is located between the two plate sections. The opening receives insertion of the object. One of the two plate sections is inclined relative to a vertical direction.

Gripping mechanism and assembly apparatus

A gripping method is for gripping an object using a gripping mechanism including a roller and a frame that houses the roller. The gripping method includes a first stage and a second stage. In the first stage, the gripping mechanism moves relative to the object such that a first portion of the object is gripped between an outer surface of the roller and an inner surface of the frame. In the second stage, the gripping mechanism further moves relative to the object such that the roller is lifted by a second portion of the object before gripping of the object is released.

Gripping method and component

A gripping mechanism includes an inclined surface, a rolling element, and a facing gripping part. The inclined surface is a surface inclined to a vertical direction. The rolling element freely rolls obliquely upward and downward on the inclined surface. The facing gripping part is arranged to face the inclined surface and forms an opening space with an end of the inclined surface, the opening space being narrower than a diameter of the rolling element. The rolling element includes: a core member forming a core of the rolling element; an annular member that is provided around the core member and has elasticity; and a plurality of ribs each of which is interposed between an outer periphery of the core member and an inner periphery of the annular member, and forms a gap between the core member and the annular member.

Gripping mechanism that grips and releases component, and assembly device

An image forming unit of an image forming apparatus includes a developing device and a toner replenishing unit that replenishes the developing device with toner. The toner replenishing unit includes an upper toner container, a lower toner container, a toner conveyance unit. The upper toner container and the lower toner container are disposed in a staggered manner in an apparatus body.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming unit of an image forming apparatus includes a developing device and a toner replenishing unit that replenishes the developing device with toner. The toner replenishing unit includes an upper toner container, a lower toner container, a toner conveyance unit, and a replenishment control unit. The upper toner container and the lower toner container are disposed in a staggered manner in an apparatus body. When the upper toner container becomes empty, the replenishment control unit controls the toner replenishing unit so as to replenish the developing device with the toner from the lower toner container.

A belt driving device includes a plurality of rollers, an endless belt, a contact surface, and a non-contact surface. The rollers include a driving roller that is rotationally driven. The endless belt is stretched between the rollers such that a predetermined tension is applied to the endless belt, and the endless belt protrudes from opposite end portions of the rollers in an axis direction of each of the rollers. The contact surface is formed at a first end portion of at least one of the rollers and comes in contact with the endless belt. The first end portion is located on a meandering direction side of the endless belt. The non-contact surface is formed at each of second end portions of the rollers and doesn't come in contact with the endless belt. The second end portions are located on a side opposite to the meandering direction of the endless belt.

Belt driving device and image forming apparatus

An image forming unit of an image forming apparatus includes a developing device and a toner replenishing unit that replenishes the developing device with toner. The toner replenishing unit includes an upper toner container, a lower toner container, a toner conveyance unit, and a replenishment control unit. The upper toner container and the lower toner container are disposed adjacently to each other in a vertical direction in an apparatus body. When the upper toner container becomes empty, the replenishment control unit controls the toner replenishing unit so as to replenish the developing device with the toner from the lower toner container.

In a rotating device, a pair of cuts are formed in an end portion of a metal-made cylindrical body to which a pressure is applied, at positions that face in a diameter direction. A support portion of a synthetic-resin-made bush rotatably supports the cylindrical body. In a state where a center of the cylindrical body matches a rotation center line of the bush, and a first diameter direction connecting respective centers in a circumferential direction of the cuts matches a second diameter direction connecting centers in the circumferential direction of a pair of engaging portions, each interval in the circumferential direction between the engaging portions and edge portions of the cuts is equal to or larger than an interval in a direction perpendicular to the rotation center line between an outer circumferential surface of the support portion and an inner circumferential surface of the end portion.

Rotating device, image forming apparatus

A fixing device includes a cylindrical fixing member, a pressing member, a bearing and a heat insulating member. The fixing member is heated by a heat source. The pressing member forms a fixing nip between the pressing member and the fixing member. The bearing supports an end portion of the fixing member in a rotatable manner. The heat insulating member is interposed between the bearing and the end portion of the fixing member. The heat insulating member has a cylindrical part and a flange part. The cylindrical part has a slitting groove extending along an axis direction of the cylindrical part. The flange part extends outward in a radial direction of the cylindrical part from one end of the cylindrical part in the axis direction. At least one notch is formed along an outer circumferential edge of the flange part.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus including heat insulating member in contact with bearing

A fixing device includes a pair of bushes, a pair of bearing members, a support plate, and a fixing frame. The pair of bushes are attached to both end parts of a rotation shaft of a heating rotating member. The pair of bearing members supports the bushes in a rotatable manner. The support plate has insertion hole into which the bearing member is inserted so that the bearing member is fastened, and a positioning pin. The fixing frame has a positioning hole into which the positioning pin is inserted. The support plate is provided with a distortion prevention part for preventing occurrence of distortion around the insertion hole when the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole. At least a part of the distortion prevention part is positioned within a first area.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus including the same

A fixing unit includes a rotating member and a heat insulating member. The rotating member is heated by a heat source and is configured to rotate around a shaft. The heat insulating member is attached at an end of the rotating member. The rotating member includes three or more engage holes perforated at intervals in a circumferential direction thereof. The heat insulating member includes three or more engaging projections fitting into the respective engage holes.

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Osaka, Japan

Tomohiko Yamakawa