Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Hitachi Media Electronics Co., Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd.

Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp.

Yoshiro Konishi

Hideki Sato

Yasuhiro Kato

Jun Sawamura

Toshimasa Kamisada

Takayuki Ukawa

Masahiro Akatsuka

Yasuo Kitada

Tomoto Kawamura

Shigeru Watanabe

Kiichirou Arikawa

Yusuke Sakurai

Masami Ishida

Kazuyoshi Yamazaki

Haruhiko Nishida

Katsuhiko Kimura

Kenichi Ito

Hidenao Saito

Seiichi Kato

Takahiro Yamaguchi

Seiji Honda

Tomokazu Akuta

Takaki Saiki

Motoyuki Suzuki

Tohru Sasaki

Takeshi Shimano

Yusuke Sato

Naoki Mori

Yoshihiro Sato

Hiroko Furukata

Masayuki Fukui

Tatsuya Yamasaki

Hiromitsu Mori

Rika Nomura

Susumu Tachibana

A power estimating apparatus includes a functional unit, at least one converter, a detection unit, and an estimating unit. The functional unit uses an alternating-current power supply. The at least one converter is connected to a branch point between the alternating-current power supply and the functional unit and includes a smoothing capacitor so as to convert an alternating current from the alternating-current power supply into a direct current. The detection unit obtains a total amount of currents supplied to the functional unit and the at least one converter. The estimating unit uses the total amount to estimate an amount of the current supplied to the functional unit. The total amount is obtained by the detection unit in a charge and discharge period during which the smoothing capacitor performs a charge and discharge operation.

Power estimating apparatus, image forming apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable medium

A rotating member includes a rotating-member body, identification information, and a holding member. The rotating-member body having a cylindrical or columnar shape has one end portion and an outer circumferential surface and is to be rotated. The identification information is provided at the one end portion on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating-member body. The holding member is provided at the one end portion of the rotating-member body, holds the rotating-member body, and has an inner circumferential surface in part of which a space not to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the rotating-member body is provided. The identification information is disposed in the space of the holding member.

Rotating member, sheet transport device, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

A fixing device includes a roller member that rotates and a belt member including an endless belt that moves circularly while being in contact with the roller member, a pressing member that is disposed in a space enclosed by the endless belt and that presses the endless belt against the roller member on both a downstream side and an upstream side relative to a direction of rotation of the roller member, and a rotation hindering member that is disposed in the space enclosed by the endless belt and that hinders the pressing member from rotating as a result of receiving a reaction force. The roller member and the endless belt nip a sheet that has been transported while holding a toner image on the sheet and cause the sheet to pass between the roller member and the endless belt, so that the toner image is fixed onto the sheet.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus

A fixing device includes a first fixing member, a second fixing member that fixes a toner image transferred to a recording medium onto the recording medium by transporting the recording medium while holding the recording medium between the first fixing member and the second fixing member, a first support member that supports the first fixing member, a forcing member that supports the second fixing member and presses the second fixing member against the first fixing member, and a restricting member disposed on the first support member to fix a position of the first support member at an attachable member to which the first support member is attached, and to restrict a position of the forcing member.

An information processing apparatus includes: a detector that detects a voltage of a power system to which the information processing apparatus itself is connected, from among a plurality of power systems to which are respectively connected a plurality of electrical devices respectively available for communication; a receiver that receives running information expressing running conditions of each of the plurality of electrical devices; and a reporting unit that uses a detection result of the detector and a reception result of the receiver to report whether or not an electrical device corresponding to the running information received by the receiver is connected to the power system to which the information processing apparatus itself is connected.

Information processing apparatus, information processing system, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

A fixing device includes a rotatably-supported first fixing member and a second fixing member pressed against the first member. The second member includes a belt-shaped component, a support component, and a pressing component. The belt-shaped component extends in a width direction of a medium passing through a contact region between the belt-shaped component and the first member. The support component is disposed opposite the first member with the belt-shaped component interposed therebetween. The pressing component has a base end supported by the support component and a free end extending toward the contact region and presses the belt-shaped component against the first member. The pressing component has biasing portions arranged apart in the width direction and elastically deformable in correspondence with the medium thickness. The biasing portions are connected in the width direction by the free end. The free end is disposed at an upstream side in a medium transport direction.

Pressure member, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device that includes a pressing unit and a heating unit provided facing the pressing unit, an image-forming-apparatus body in which the fixing device is housed and to and from which the fixing device is attachable and detachable, a fixing-device-attachment-detachment-detecting member that detects attachment or detachment of the fixing device to or from the image-forming-apparatus body, and a controller that controls, if the fixing-device-attachment-detachment-detecting member detects the detachment of the fixing device from the image-forming-apparatus body, the image-forming-apparatus body to take a position where the pressing unit and the heating unit are to be pressed against each other.

Image forming apparatus and fixing device controller

An image forming apparatus includes a cover that opens and closes an opening of an apparatus body, a unit removable from the apparatus body through the opening, a latch that is included in the unit and that is rotatable about a rotation fulcrum, the latch including a hook that is latched onto a latched portion of the apparatus body from downstream in a mounting direction of the unit to fix the unit onto the apparatus body and an operating portion that opposes the hook across the rotation fulcrum and that is operable through the opening, and a hindering portion that is included in the cover and that interferes, when the hook rotates in a separating direction in which the hook is separated from the latched portion in a state where the cover closes the opening, with the operating portion and hinders the hook from rotating in the separating direction.

Image forming apparatus

An apparatus includes: an image forming portion that forms an image on a medium; a fixing device removably mounted to an apparatus body to fix the image to the medium, the fixing device including a first rotator that contacts the medium, a second rotator that contacts the first rotator, a movable member movable in first and second directions in which the first and second rotators are moved closer to and away from each other, respectively, an urging member, a first end of which is mounted to the movable member and which urges the movable member in the first direction, and a first support portion that supports a second end of the urging member; a cam member that moves the movable member in the second direction; a shaft member to which the cam member is mounted; and a second support portion that supports the shaft member and the first support portion.

Image forming apparatus and fixing device with movable member

A fixing device includes a heating unit, an endless belt body that follows rotation of the heating unit, and a pressing unit that faces the heating unit with the endless belt body interposed therebetween. The pressing unit includes a retaining body that rotatably retains the endless belt body, a pressing-area-forming portion that is a part of the retaining body, and a pressing member provided on an upstream side of the retaining body with respect to the pressing-area-forming portion in a direction of rotation of the endless belt body, the pressing member being a metal plate that is bent along a line extending in a longitudinal direction thereof. The pressing unit is movable relative to the heating unit between a position where a pressing area is formed by the pressing-area-forming portion and the pressing member and a position where the pressing area is formed by the pressing member.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus having a movable pressing unit

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion and a fixing device. The image forming portion forms a developer image on a recording medium. The fixing device is removably mounted to an image forming apparatus body, and fixes the developer image formed by the image forming portion to the recording medium. The fixing device includes a first rotator, a second rotator, and a pressing mechanism. The second rotator contacts the first rotator to form an interposition region in which the recording medium is interposed between the first rotator and the second rotator. The pressing mechanism presses the first rotator and the second rotator against each other. The image forming apparatus further includes a change mechanism that changes a force with which the pressing mechanism presses the first rotator and the second rotator against each other. The change mechanism is mounted to the image forming apparatus body.

Image forming apparatus and fixing device

A fixing device includes first and second contact bodies that apply a pressure to a recording medium to fix an unfixed image on the recording medium; a pressing member that is movable between a first position at which the pressing member is in contact with the first contact body and a second position at which the pressing member is separated from the first contact body; a first urging member that urges the pressing member to apply a force to the first contact body; a guide member that controls a direction in which the first contact body moves; a second urging member that is interposed between the pressing member and the guide member and that urges the guide member to apply a force to the first contact body; and a changer that selectively changes a position of the pressing member between the first and second positions.

Fixing device, image forming apparatus, pressure-applying device, and pressing device

Provided is a fixing device that includes a first rotating member that rotates while pinching a sheet which holds an image on a first surface of the sheet and is transported, fixes the image to the sheet, and heats the image while coming into contact with the first surface. Further provided is a second rotating member that comes into contact with a second surface that is a back surface of the first surface, a third rotating member that guides the sheet by rotating while coming into contact with the first surface of the sheet fed from a gap between the first and second rotating members, and a support member that supports the first, second, and third rotating members with a space through which the heat of the first rotating member is transferred to the third rotating member interposed between the first and third rotating members.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus with heated fixing device exit rollers

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body in which an image forming section that forms an image on a recording material and a drive mechanism that generates a rotational driving force are provided; a fixing section that transports the recording material while receiving the rotational driving force and fixes the image on the recording material, the fixing section being held by the apparatus body at two axial ends thereof; and a transmission mechanism that is provided at one of the two axial ends of the fixing section and is connected to the drive mechanism, the transmission mechanism transmitting the rotational driving force from the drive mechanism to the fixing section. When a pulling force is applied to a recording material that is present in the fixing section, the drive mechanism and the transmission mechanism are disconnected from each other.

Image forming apparatus, fixing-section-holding mechanism, and fixing device

A unit mounting and dismounting mechanism includes a unit mountable in and dismountable from an apparatus body, an engaging portion provided in one of the apparatus body and the unit, a pressing member provided in the other of the apparatus body and the unit, the pressing member engaging with the engaging portion and pressing the unit against the apparatus body with a biasing force of a biasing member in a mounting direction of the unit when the unit is mounted in the apparatus body, and a release member provided in the unit, the release member being operated in a direction different from a dismounting direction of the unit from the apparatus body so as to move the pressing member against the biasing force of the biasing member in a direction to release pressing.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Yoshiro Konishi