Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Waseda University

Yasuo Matsuyama

Ippei Kimura

Ikuo Fujii

Mizuna Tanaka

Tomoyoshi Yamazaki

Masafumi Takahira

Kaoru Tada

Hiroshi Fujiwara

Kazuyoshi Kondo

Haruyuki Honda

Toshikane Nishii

Yasuhide Ohkubo

Takamitsu Ikematsu

Hirofumi Horita

Hiroaki Ikeda

Tamotsu Ikeda

Tatsuya Miyadera

Hirokazu Iwata

Kenichi Takehara

Chikara Hiraoka

Ryo Kawamura

Izumi Kinoshita

Tatsuya Ozaki

Kenji Asuwa

Toru Hanashima

Keita Shimoda

A paper output tray, which can be included in a paper output unit in an image forming apparatus, includes a tray body, a paper support extension slidably attached to the tray body and arranged switchable between a stored state in which the paper support extension is stored in the tray body and an extended state in which the paper support extension is pulled out to extend from the tray body, and a stopper rotatably attached to the paper support extension and arranged switchable between a folded state in which the stopper is folded to the paper support extension and a standing state in which the stopper is raised from the paper support extension. With the paper support extension in the stored state and the stopper in the folded state, the stopper overlaps an outer surface of the tray body.

Paper output tray, paper output unit incorporating same, and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A sheet discharger including a pair of rotary bodies to discharge a sheet to a discharge part by rotating while sandwiching the sheet and to hold the sheet, a part of which is discharged and exposed from a discharge exit of the sheet discharger, and a separation unit operatively connected to the pair of rotary bodies, including an operating part provided closer to the discharge exit than the pair of rotary bodies to support the sheet held by the pair of rotary bodies, that separates the pair of rotary bodies from each other by withdrawal of the sheet held by the pair of rotary bodies toward the discharge exit of the sheet discharger.

Sheet discharger and image forming apparatus including same

A feeding device includes a paper feed tray, a detector on an image forming apparatus main body, a control member rotatably supported by the paper feed tray, and spacers. The detector includes movable pieces and contact points corresponding to the movable piece, and switches each contact point by the position of the corresponding movable piece. The control member includes a control surface formed on its outer circumferential surface with projecting and recessed portions. The projecting and recessed portions are disposed in a pattern corresponding to rotation angles in an area of the control surface facing the movable pieces. Controlling the positions of the movable pieces according to the pattern encodes paper size. Each movable piece is lined in the circumferential direction facing the control surface. The outer circumferential surface of the projecting portions is formed in a cylindrical surface shape centering around the rotational axis of the control member.

Feeding device and image forming apparatus

A base plate is selectively attached to a lower surface of a main body of an image forming apparatus or to an optional sheet feeder attachable to the main body.

Image forming apparatus, optional sheet feeder, and base plate member

A sheet supplying device that is incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a recording media container, a sheet feeding unit to feed a recording medium from the recording media container, and a frame to support the recording media container and the sheet feeding unit. The recording media container is detachably attachable to the frame in a first operation in which the recording media container is moved in a sheet conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed upstream or downstream by the sheet feeding unit, and the recording media container is separated from the frame and the sheet feeding unit with the sheet feeding unit remaining in the frame, and a second operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, and the recording media container is separated from the frame together with the sheet feeding unit.

Sheet supplying device and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A sheet feed unit includes a medium container configured to contain sheet-like recording media; a bottom plate disposed in the medium container and configured to accommodate the recording media thereon; a sheet feed device configured to feed out the recording media contained in the medium container; a main body of the sheet feed unit, which the medium container can be inserted into and pulled out from, including the sheet feed device; and a displaying member configured to display a remaining level of the recording media in the medium container, the displaying member including a first display oriented in a first direction and a second display oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The sheet feed unit improves a freeness in the observable range of the displaying member and the remaining level of the recording media in the medium container can be more accurately ascertained.

Sheet feed unit and image forming apparatus including same

A sheet supplying device includes a recording media container to accommodate a stack of recording media therein, a sheet feeding unit to feed a recording medium from the stack of recording media in the recording media container, a frame to support the recording media container and the sheet feeding unit, a holder to hold the recording media container by surrounding the outer circumference of the recording media container, and a locking mechanism to engage the frame and the holder with each other. The recording media container is detachably attachable to the frame in a first detaching and attaching operation and a second detaching and attaching operation. The locking mechanism causes the frame and the holder to engage at removal of the recording media container in the first detaching and attaching operation.

A sheet supplying device that is incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a recording media container, a sheet feeding unit to feed a recording medium from the recording media container, a frame to support the recording media container and the sheet feeding unit, and a holder to hold the recording media container by surrounding an outer circumference of the recording media container. The recording media container is detachably attachable to the frame in a first operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction parallel to a sheet conveyance direction and the recording media container is separated from the frame and the holder with the holder remaining in the frame, and a second operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction and the recording media container is separated from the frame together with the holder.

An image forming device is disclosed. The device includes a toner-image forming unit which forms a toner image; a transfer unit; a fixing unit; a paper-output unit; a drive unit; a first drive-power transmission gear; a second drive-power transmission gear; a gear housing; a first positioning unit which positions the fixing unit relative to a device body; and a second positioning unit. The second positioning unit positions the paper-output unit relative to the device body in the direction of a gap between the first drive-power transmission gear and the second drive-power transmission gear by engaging the gear housing with the device body.

Image forming device

A feature pattern recognition system, method, and program capable of recognizing feature pattern with a high accuracy are provided. Discrete symbols (nucleotide symbols or the like) constituting a to-be-recognized sequence (a DNA sequence or the like) are converted to numerals by using symbol frequencies that are obtained according to sequence positions or types of the discrete symbols to generates test data or a test data matrix X, a matrix calculation (Y=WXor the like) of multiplying a separation matrix (Wor the like) obtained by an independent component analysis or a principal component analysis with the test data or the test data matrix Xis performed, separation data or a separation data matrix Yis obtained, and it is decided in which side of a threshold exists a feature decision element (elements of first row or the like) of the Y, so that it is decided whether or not the feature pattern (a promoter or the like) exists in the sequence by using a feature decision element (multiple rows of elements may be used).

Feature pattern recognition system, method, and program

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding member, a friction separation member, a retaining member, a downstream guiding member, and a biasing member. The downstream guiding member is arranged downstream of a sheet conveyance direction than the friction separation member such that its guide surface is inclined at a predetermined angle to a front surface of the friction separation member towards the sheet feeding member. A line joining an apex of a sheet guiding member arranged upstream of the sheet conveyance direction than the friction separation member and an apex of the downstream guiding unit is positioned towards the sheet feeding member than a contact portion of the sheet feeding member and the friction separation member.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus

A positional error detection method forms, on a belt which is transported in a transport direction, positional error detection marks for detecting a positional error between image positions of first and second colors, detects the positional error detection marks on the belt, and computes the positional error based on the detected positional error detection marks. The positional error detection marks include first and second marks which are inclined in mutually opposite directions with respect to the transport direction, and third marks which are perpendicular to the transport direction.

Positional error detection method and apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium

A sheet discharging device including a sheet discharging unit provided at one end of an image forming apparatus; a sheet discharge tray located adjacent to the sheet discharging unit, rotatably provided at the end of the image forming apparatus in a stored position to cover the end of the image forming apparatus and in an extended position extended from the end of the image forming apparatus to stack sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus; and a driving mechanism to drive a shutter provided to the sheet discharge tray in conjunction with rotary movement of the sheet discharge tray to open an opening in the sheet discharge tray in the stored position and to close the opening in the sheet discharge tray in the extended position.

Sheet discharging device and image forming apparatus including same

A sheet feeding device includes a first roller that draws a recording medium at a first position and feeds the recording medium; a friction pad that comes into contact with the first roller with a predetermined contact pressure at a second position that is close to and downstream of the first position in a conveying direction of the recording medium and nips the recording medium with the first roller to convey the recording medium in the conveying direction; and a second roller that comes into contact with the first roller at a third position that is close to and downstream of the second position in the conveying direction and nips the recording medium with the first roller.

Sheet feeding device, image forming apparatus, and sheet feeding method

A support unit supports a rotation axe of each of at least three latent-image carriers in a rotatable manner. A plurality of developing units develops latent images on the latent-image carriers with toners of different colors, respectively. A toner-pattern detecting unit detects a toner pattern formed on a belt member that is suspended by a plurality of suspending members. A displacing unit is provided to the support unit to displace the rotation axis along a surface of the belt member in a direction of movement of the surface of the belt member. A control unit controls the displacing unit based of a result of detecting the toner pattern by the toner-pattern detecting unit.

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Yasuo Matsuyama