Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a post-processing apparatus capable of performing conveying to and storing at a predetermined stack tray without causing sheet jamming even when a sheet having larger size than a standard size is introduced. The present invention comprises a post-processing apparatus as a processing tray on which sheets conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction are stacked into a bundle shape, an aligning device which aligns the sheets conveyed to the processing tray, a binding device which performs a binding process on the sheets aligned by the aligning device, and a controller which controls the aligning device so that a sheet is aligned at a position being apart from the binding device by a predetermined distance when the sheet conveyed to the processing tray has a predetermined size or larger.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus capable of performing a binding process on a sheet bundle set at a manual setting portion and a sheet bundle set on a processing tray, respectively, with a simple structure at low cost. The present invention comprises a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus including an external casing, a manual setting portion which is integrally formed with the external casing and to which a sheet bundle is inserted, a binding device which performs a staple-binding process on the sheet bundle inserted to the manual setting portion as being movable between a binding position where the sheet bundle of the manual setting portion is bound and a staple replenishment position where staples are replenished, and an open-close cover which is arranged at the external casing at a position being different from the manual setting portion.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus which can be structured small and compact while a setting portion for manually setting a sheet bundle from the outside is arranged at an external casing. The present invention comprises a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus including a manual setting portion to which a sheet bundle is inserted, a binding device which binds a sheet bundle inserted to the manual setting portion, a first driving portion, and a second driving portion; the first driving portion and the second driving portion being arranged respectively at the upper side and the lower side as sandwiching the manual setting portion.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus capable of performing a binding process rapidly and efficiently while the binding process can be selected by an operator. The present invention comprises a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus including a processing tray on which sheets are stacked, an insertion portion to which a sheet bundle is inserted, a first binding device which performs a predetermined binding process on a sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray and the predetermined binding process on a sheet bundle inserted to the insertion portion, and a second binding device which performs a binding process being different from the predetermined binding process on a sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray.

Abstract: The conveying device has contact portions that extend in a conveyance direction of the conveying belt and which contact with the same surface of the print medium that is attracted by suction to the conveying belt. This realizes a conveying device that assures a high quality printing. Even when a print medium with warped or undulated portions is fed, the conveying device can hold the print medium flat on the conveying belt and the ribs by suction through the suction holes in the conveying belt and through the platen, keeping the distance between the print head and the print medium constant, assuring a stable printing operation.

Abstract: A filling liquid for distribution of an ink jet head of a thermal type, the filling liquid filling a nozzle flow path during distribution of the ink jet head, a hydrophilic region formed on a periphery of an ink discharge port having an opening area of from 100 to 350 ?m2, the filling liquid including: an aqueous medium having at least a water-soluble organic compound and water as constituents; and a dye dissolved in the aqueous medium, a concentration of the dye in the filling liquid being 0.2 mass % or more and 1 mass % or less with respect to a total mass of the filling liquid and the concentration of the dye being equal to or less than saturation solubility with respect to the water-soluble organic compound, wherein the filling liquid has a surface tension of 25 mN/m or more and 34 mN/m or less.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head is capable of ejecting a liquid through an ejection port, the liquid being supplied from a liquid container with a negative pressure generating section. The liquid ejection head comprises a liquid chamber configured to contain the liquid, a liquid supply section configured to allow the liquid to be supplied from the liquid container to the liquid chamber, and an opening configured to communicate with the liquid chamber and to enable the liquid and/or a gas to flow into the liquid chamber through the opening.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head is capable of ejecting a liquid through an ejection port, the liquid being supplied from a liquid container with a negative pressure generating section. The liquid ejection head comprises a liquid chamber configured to contain the liquid, a liquid supply section configured to allow the liquid to be supplied from the liquid container to the liquid chamber, and an opening configured to communicate with the liquid chamber and to enable the liquid and/or a gas inside the liquid chamber to flow out through the opening.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide an ejection detection device with an inexpensive and simple structure that can appropriately detect conditions of nozzles, without the control of the quantity of liquid ejected from the nozzles being required. Therefore, for the ejection detection device of the present invention, a light-emitting unit emits light to a light-receiving unit in a direction in which a plurality of nozzles is arranged in a print head. The ejection detection device detects the condition of a nozzle to be detected, which ejects the liquid droplet. At this time, the emission intensity of the light-emitting unit or the responsivity of the light-receiving unit is controlled by the print head in accordance with the location of the nozzle to be detected.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus prints an image by employing a print head capable of ejecting ink from ejection ports, a suction unit draws ink from the ejection ports into an interior of the cap by applying a suction force to the interior of a cap that is covering the ejection ports. An atmosphere communication unit exposes to the atmosphere the interior of the cap that is covering the ejection ports, and a pressure increase unit increases a pressure in an internal of the print head. A control unit permits the suction unit to apply the suction force to the interior of the cap, and permits the pressure increase unit to increase the pressure in the internal of the print head before the atmosphere communication unit exposes the interior of the cap to the atmosphere in a state where the ejection ports is covered with the cap.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus prints an image by employing a print head capable of ejecting ink through an ejection opening. The ink jet printing apparatus comprises: a blade having a distal end portion which wipes an ejection opening face of the print head where the ejection opening is formed; and a blade cleaner having a face which moves relatively to the bade in a predetermined direction while being in contact with the distal end portion of the blade. The face of the blade cleaner includes a plurality of inclined faces which are located by being shifted in the predetermined direction and inclined in the predetermined direction. The plurality of inclined faces have different inclination angles in the predetermined direction.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus configured to read an image of an original, including: a light source configured to irradiate the original with light; an optical system configured to condense and image a light beam from the light source reflected from the original; a substrate member having a photoelectric conversion unit; a fixing member fixed to the substrate member; a support member configured to support the optical system; and an adhesive bonding the fixing member and the support member together, wherein one of the support member and the fixing member has a protruding portion which protrudes toward the other of the support member and the fixing member, the other has a recessed portion opposed to the protruding portion, the protruding portion protrudes in the recessed portion in a non-contact state to maintain a gap between the protruding portion and the recessed portion, and the adhesive is applied to the gap.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which has an improved follow-up property indicating how a toner supply amount follows a toner consumption amount to prevent a defective image, including: a photosensitive drum; a developing device; a toner replenishing device; a toner sensor configured to detect a toner amount inside the developing device; and a controller configured to drive the toner replenishing device to replenish the developing device with toner based on a detection result of the sensor during a developing device driving time and to stop the toner replenishing device during a non-image forming period to stop replenishing the developing device with toner, wherein if the toner amount inside the developing device detected by the sensor is reduced to a level equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value, the controller drives the developing device and the toner replenishing device even during the non-image forming period.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus prints an image by employing a print head capable of ejecting ink from ejection ports. The printing apparatus comprises a cap configured to cover the ejection ports, a valve configured to open and close an atmospheric communicating portion that communicates an inside of the cap and the atmosphere, a suction unit configured to generate a suction force, and a control unit. The control unit performs a first operation where the suction unit applies a first suction force to the inside of the cap in a state where the cap covers the ejection ports and the valve closes the atmospheric communicating portion, and a second operation where the suction unit applies a second suction force, less than the first suction force, to the inside of the cap in a state where the cap covers the ejection ports and the valve opens the atmospheric communicating portion.

Abstract: According to the present invention, in the case where the amount of ink remaining in an ink tank is detected using light from a light emitting unit, whether or not the amount of remaining ink is smaller than a predetermined value can be accurately determined with a decrease in the life of the light emitting unit suppressed. Thus, the present invention determines a difference between output signals each output by the light receiving unit according to a corresponding one of at least two of a plurality of levels of light emissions from the light emitting unit. Based on the difference, whether or not the amount of remaining ink is smaller than the predetermined value is determined.

Abstract: Provided is a heating device capable of suppressing a bias force toward a center in a longitudinal direction (center in a rotation axis direction) of a fixing film serving as a rotation member, thereby preventing film overlapping and sheet wrinkles. A sliding friction resistance in the rotation axis direction of a fixing film (118b) between the fixing film (118b) and a protrusion (118g) is set so that at least a sliding friction resistance in an end part in the rotation axis direction is larger than a sliding friction resistance in a region closer to a central part in the rotation axis direction than the end part.

Abstract: An image forming system, including a plurality of image forming apparatus mutually connected to one another through a network, each of the plurality of image forming apparatus being configured to form an image on a recording medium, each of the plurality of image forming apparatus including: an environment detecting device configured to detect environmental information of each of the plurality of image forming apparatus; and a control unit configured to control image forming conditions based on the environmental information detected by the environment detecting device, wherein the control unit of one of the plurality of image forming apparatus sets the image forming conditions of the one of the plurality of image forming apparatus based on the environmental information of another of the plurality of image forming apparatus through the network.

Abstract: A recording system, including: a recording apparatus configured to perform recording using a recording head having a plurality of recording elements; and an information processing apparatus configured to send a print job to the recording apparatus to shift a range of use of the recording elements in an array direction of the recording elements, the information processing apparatus including: a head shading correction unit configured to execute, based on information indicating that the range of use of the recording elements is one of ranges of use, head shading correction corresponding to the one range on image data; and a sending unit configured to send the image data subjected to the head shading correction to the recording apparatus, the recording apparatus including a recording control unit configured to control the recording head to perform recording at the one range by using the image data subjected to the head shading correction.

Abstract: A print control device communicably connected to an inkjet recording apparatus capable of performing form overlay printing for incorporating original document data into form data, the print control device comprising: a correction unit that performs head shading correction on the form data based on information of a characteristic of a nozzle of a recording head provided in the inkjet recording apparatus; a storage unit that stores the form data therein; and a control unit that, upon reception of information on another recording head different from the recording head, causes the correction unit to perform head shading correction on the form data stored in the storage unit based on information of a characteristic of a nozzle of the another recording head, and causes a transmission unit to transmit, to the inkjet recording apparatus, the original document data and corrected form data corresponding to the another recording head.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of performing stable charging and thus stable image formation over a long term by changing a charge control method based on various environments. An engine control section serves as a first applied voltage determining unit, obtains a relationship between an applied voltage and a discharge current amount to a charging roller, and determines a voltage value of an applied voltage corresponding to a predetermined discharge current amount. The engine control section serves as a second applied voltage determining unit and determines a voltage value of a voltage to be applied to the charging roller based on the environment information detected by the environmental sensor. The engine control section selects, as the voltage to be applied to the charging roller, any one of the voltage values determined by the first and the second applied voltage determining units based on the environment information.