Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Yanmar Power Technology Co., Inc.

Kyocera Mita Corporation

Yanmar Co., Ltd.

Yuichiro Tanaka

Shuichi Nakagawa

Jiro Fukudome

Yoshika Hatasako

Takehiro Sato

Hideaki Doyo

Hiroshi Wada

Seiji Okada

Masuo Kawamoto

Yoshiaki Tashiro

Nobuhiro Nishioka

Hiroaki Takai

Hironori Daigo

Yuya Shimohora

Toshio Hori

A sheet conveyance device includes a sheet conveyance passage, a mounting plate, and a sheet detection sensor. The mounting plate is fixed to a recessed portion formed in the inner wall surface of the sheet conveyance passage at its one side it. The sheet detection sensor is fitted on the mounting plate. The sheet detection sensor has a sensor surface. The mounting plate has a mounting surface on which the sheet detection sensor is mounted and a first projection piece which projects from the mounting surface toward the sheet conveyance passage and which is grounded. The first projection piece is disposed upstream, in the sheet conveyance direction, of the sheet detection sensor on the mounting plate. The distance from the mounting surface to the distal end of the first projection piece is greater than the distance from the mounting surface to the sensor surface.

Sheet conveyance device and image forming apparatus provided therewith

A thermoelectric power generation device including a thermoelectric element having a first side provided to a heating unit and a second side provided to a cooling unit, and a heat transfer pipe arranged in a passage in which a high temperature fluid flows. The heating unit and the heat transfer pipe have internal spaces communicating with each other. The internal space of the heating unit and the internal space of the heat transfer pipe form a circulation path in which a heat medium is circulated. An outlet of the heat transfer pipe from which the heat medium is discharged is provided in a position higher than an inlet of the heat transfer pipe into which the heat medium flows. The heat transfer pipe vaporizes the heat medium flowing in the circulation path by using heat of the high temperature fluid. The heating unit condenses the heat medium vaporized.

Thermoelectric power generation device

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding roller, a following roller, a rotational speed detection part, and a control part. The rotational speed detection part is configured to detect a rotational speed of the following roller. The control part is configured to accelerate a rotation of the sheet feeding roller and to adjust a sheet interval. The control part obtains a rotational rate of the following roller to the sheet feeding roller based on the rotational speed of the following roller, obtains an actual linear velocity of the sheet based on the rotational rate of the following roller and a theoretical linear velocity of the sheet after accelerating the rotation of the sheet feeding roller, and then adjusts the sheet interval based on the actual linear velocity of the sheet.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus

A thermoelectric power generation device including: a heating unit having a heat medium passage in which a heat medium flows; a cooling unit having a cooling liquid passage in which a cooling liquid flows; a thermoelectric element having the heating unit and the cooling unit so as to generate power by utilizing a temperature difference between a condensation temperature of the heat medium and a temperature of the cooling liquid; a power generation output detection unit configured to detect a power generation output of the thermoelectric element; a heat medium pressure detection unit configured to detect a pressure of the heat medium; a storage unit for storing, in advance, a relationship between a power generation output of the thermoelectric element and the pressure of the heat medium; and an abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality taking place in the thermoelectric power generation device.

Thermoelectric power generation system

A thermoelectric power generation system including a plurality of thermoelectric power generation devices. Each of the thermoelectric power generation devices includes: a heating unit having a heat medium passage in which a heat medium flows; a cooling unit having a cooling liquid passage in which a cooling liquid flows; a thermoelectric element having the heating unit and the cooling unit so as to generate power by utilizing a temperature difference between a condensation temperature of the heat medium and a temperature of the cooling liquid; and a heat transfer pipe communicated with the heat medium passage to form a circulation path in which the heat medium circulates. The heat transfer pipes of the respective thermoelectric power generation devices are arranged in a single flow path in which a high temperature fluid flows. The heat medium passages of the thermoelectric power generation devices are structured to communicate with each other.

A thermoelectric power generation device including: a heating unit having a heat medium passage in which a heat medium flows, a cooling unit having a cooling liquid passage in which a cooling liquid flows, a thermoelectric element having the heating unit on one side and the cooling unit on another side, the thermoelectric element configured to generate power by utilizing a temperature difference between a condensation temperature of the heat medium that undergoes latent heat transfer in the heat medium passage and a temperature of the cooling liquid; and the thermoelectric power generation device further including a heat medium adjusting unit configured to adjust the pressure or the temperature of the heat medium.

A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, and a separating unit. The pressure member is rotatably located and in a pressure contact with the fixing member to form a fixing nip. The separating unit is configured to separate a sheet from the fixing member. The sheet is attached on the fixing member when passing through the fixing nip. The separating unit includes a sliding member, a claw member, and a turning mechanism. The sliding member is located in a state of contacting a surface of the fixing member. The claw member runs toward the fixing nip from the sliding member. The claw member has a distal end portion. The claw member is located in a state where the distal end portion contacts the surface of the fixing member. The turning mechanism reciprocates the sliding member and the claw member along a rotation direction of the fixing member.

Fixing device that enables setting of position of claw member of fixing device in accordance with kind of sheet, and image forming apparatus including the same

A sheet feed conveyance device includes a warning section, a pickup roller that feeds a sheet, a separation section, a speed sensor that detects a conveyance speed of the sheet, and a controller. The separation section includes a feed roller that feeds downstream the sheet fed by the pickup roller and a retard roller that returns a sheet involved in multiple sheet feeding toward the pickup roller. The controller recognizes the conveyance speed based on output of the speed sensor, integrate conveyance speeds detected in a measurement time period from rotation start of the pickup roller to elapse of a specific time period, and determines necessity for maintenance of the pickup roller according to a measurement distance as a result of integration.

Sheet feed conveyance device and image forming apparatus

A sheet guiding mechanism includes a pair of first rotators and a pair of second rotators provided in a conveying path for a sheet material, a first sheet guide portion, a second sheet guide portion, a shaft member, and a plurality of guide rollers. The first sheet guide portion and the second sheet guide portion form guide surfaces for the sheet material on both sides of the conveying path. Both end portions of the shaft member extending along a width direction are supported by the second sheet guide portion. The guide rollers are in contact with the sheet material conveyed in the conveying path, and rotate to follow the sheet material. The shaft member is bent by a pressure applied from the sheet material to the guide rollers when a tension is applied to the sheet material between the pair of first rotators and the pair of second rotators.

Sheet guiding mechanism, image forming apparatus

A sheet feeder includes a tray configured to load a sheet to be fed thereon. The tray has a tray upper face and a pair of cursors. The tray upper face has a recessed portion, a guide plate and a feeding route. The recessed portion extends along the width direction on an upstream side from the pair of cursors in the feeding direction. The guide plate is configured to cover an upper side of the recessed portion. The feeding route is formed between the recessed portion and the guide plate and extending from an inlet port positioned on an upstream side to an outlet port positioned on a downstream side along the feeding direction. The sheet in a state of being passed through the feeding route is aligned with the pair of cursors on the tray upper face and then fed.

Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus

According to the present disclosure, a recording medium feeding device includes a pickup roller, a feed roller, a retard roller, a holding member, a pressing mechanism, a pressing force changing mechanism, and a driving force transmitting mechanism. The holding member is configured to rotatably support the feed roller and the pickup roller. The pressing mechanism is configured to press the pickup roller against a recording medium. The pressing force changing mechanism is configured to change the pressing force of the pickup roller. The driving force transmitting mechanism is configured to transmit a rotation-driving force to the feed roller. The pressing force changing mechanism obtains a driving force from the driving force transmitting mechanism, and increases the pressing force according to rotation time of the pickup roller.

Recording medium feeding device and image forming apparatus provided with same

A sheet process device includes a supporting member and a process device main body. The supporting member is attached to the lateral face at a side of an in-body sheet ejection space of an image forming apparatus. The process device main body is supported by the supporting member. The process device main body includes a relay conveyance unit and a post process unit. The relay conveyance unit is arranged slidable in a direction to the in-body sheet ejection space. The post process unit is arranged slidable in upward and downward directions with respect to the supporting member. The process device main body provides a sheet conveying path extending from a sheet ejection port of the image forming apparatus to the post process unit through the relay conveyance unit, when the post process unit is moved upwardly after the relay conveyance unit is moved into the in-body sheet ejection space.

Sheet process device

A sheet feeder has a tray on which a sheet to be fed is to be placed. A lift plate is at a feeding end of the tray and has a first end at an upstream side in a feeding direction connected rotatably to the tray. The lift plate is displaceable between a feeding posture where a second end at a downstream side in the feeding direction is lifted up and a retracted posture where the second end is lower than in the feeding posture due to its own weight. A biasing member gives a biasing force to an elevating member in a direction to lift the lift plate to the feeding posture. A lowering mechanism gives a pressing force against the force of the biasing member to lower the lift plate to the retracted posture.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Yuichiro Tanaka