Abstract: There is provided with a printing apparatus. A printing unit prints an image on a print medium. A heating unit heats the print medium with the image printed thereon. A detection unit detects a temperature of the heating unit. A housing accommodates the printing unit and the heating unit. An openable/closable cover member is provided on the housing and covers the heating unit. A restricting unit is capable of restricting an opening operation of the cover member. A control unit controls the restricting unit so as to execute the restriction if the temperature of the heating unit exceeds a first threshold value, and release the restriction if the temperature of the heating unit is not more than a second threshold value lower than the first threshold value.

Abstract: Sensor circuits having a filter and methods for filtering a sensor signal are provided. In this case, a passband width of an adjustable low-pass filter or bandpass filter is adjusted on the basis of a comparison of a measure of a signal change of a sensor signal with a threshold value.

Abstract: A holding member includes a first opposing portion (first inner wall surface) and a second opposing portion (second inner wall surface) which oppose side wall surfaces of a lens array. Side wall surfaces of the lens array on opposite end sides with respect to a longitudinal direction of the lens array are exposed from opposite ends of the first opposing portion and opposite ends of the second opposing portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a connection mechanism in electrical contact with a contact. The connection mechanism includes a terminal member, a power supplying member, an insulating member, and a holding member. The terminal member makes contact with the contact. The power supplying member feeds electric power to the contact via the terminal member and urges the terminal member toward the contact. The insulating member covers the terminal member. The holding member holds the terminal member covered with the insulating member. The terminal member, at a tip end portion of it that projects from the holding member, makes contact with the contact. The insulating member covers at least an entire region, except a contact portion with the contact, of the terminal member that projects from the holding member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having a plurality of members, a control unit, and a sound collecting unit. The control unit controls operations of the plurality of members in a first operation mode in which the image forming unit forms an image on a recording material. The sound collecting unit collects a sound that arises in the image forming apparatus during the first operation mode execution to generate a sound signal. When it is determined, based on the generated sound signal, that an abnormal sound has arisen, the control unit determines a source of the abnormal sound by transitioning to a second operation mode after the first operation mode has ended and causing, in the second operation mode, one or more members, from the plurality of members, that are possible sources of the abnormal sound to operate separately from the remaining plurality of members.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor for sensing an absolute position of a target includes a first magnetic field sensing element disposed proximate to a first portion of the target having a first cross-sectional shape configured to generate a first periodic magnetic field signal in response to movement of the first target portion and a second magnetic field sensing element disposed proximate to a second portion of the target having a second cross-sectional shape configured to generate a second periodic magnetic field signal in response to movement of the second target portion, wherein the first periodic magnetic field signal and the second periodic magnetic field signal have a substantially constant phase separation. An output format module responsive to the first periodic magnetic field signal and the second periodic magnetic field signal is configured to generate an output signal of the magnetic field sensor.

Abstract: A method for printing on a print medium includes acquiring print information regarding a target image to be applied to the print medium; acquiring position information from a reader regarding a position of a wireless tag on the print medium; determining a heating region based on the print information and a non-heating region based on the position information; determining whether the heating region and the non-heating region at least partially overlap; performing an image adjustment process to manipulate the target image to eliminate an overlap between the heating region and the non-heating region in response to determining that the heating region and the non-heating region at least partially overlap; controlling an image forming assembly to apply a toner image of the target image to the print medium; and controlling a fixing device to heat the toner image to fix the toner image on the print medium.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a pad member, a pressure member, a heating roller, a stretching roller, and, an outer stretching roller. The outer stretching roller disposed between the heating roller and the stretching roller and configured to press the heating roller from an outer surface of the belt and bring the belt into contact with the heating roller. In a cross section orthogonal to a rotation axis of the pressure member, a surface between the heating roller and the stretching roller of the belt in a state where the belt is pushed toward the heating roller by the outer stretching roller is located inside that of the belt in a state where the outer stretching roller is removed.

Abstract: A fixing device that fixes a toner image to a medium, includes: a heating body rotatably supported; an auxiliary heating member disposed along an inner surface of the heating rotation body; a temperature sensor facing the inner surface via the auxiliary heating member; a first elastic body configured to press, via a first force, the temperature sensor against the inner surface; and a second elastic body configured to press, via a second force, a sliding member against the inner surface. A product of a distance from a center of the auxiliary heating member to the first elastic body and the first elastic force is equal to a product of a distance from the center to the second elastic body and the second elastic force.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member; an intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member in a primary transfer portion to form an image portion; and a control portion configured to perform control to form a toner image for lubrication in a non-image portion of the intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image for a print image based on image information is not to be formed. In a state in which the non-image portion is to be formed downstream of the image portion in a movement direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer member, the control portion performs control to change a size of a region for forming the toner image for lubrication based on the image information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material according to image information on a predetermined image; a fixing portion configured to fix the toner image on the recording material by heating the recording material having thereon the toner image while conveying the recording material by a nip portion; an acquisition portion configured to acquire an image end position that is a position of one end of the toner image in a main scanning direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the recording material; a determination portion configured to determine a target temperature based on the image end position; and a control portion configured to control the fixing portion based on the target temperature.

Abstract: A manual control for an electronic apparatus includes a manually activated rocker actuator mechanism coupled to a magnet source. The magnet source is in a rest position relative to a Variable Hall effect sensor device when the rocker actuator mechanism is in a rest position. A variable output signal from the sensor device is substantially at a minimum value when the magnet source is in the rest position relative to the sensor device. The magnet source is in a maximum position relative to the sensor device when the rocker actuator mechanism is in a maximum position. The variable output signal is substantially at a maximum value when the magnet source is in the maximum position relative to the sensor device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include: a fixer that includes a fixing nip and makes an image formation medium pass through the fixing nip, to apply heat and pressure to the image formation medium, and fix toner containing wax to the image formation medium, an image formed with the toner having been transferred onto the image formation medium; and a hardware processor that controls the fixer in such a manner that an amount of wax precipitating on a surface of the image formation medium, when a laminating process is performed on the image formation medium to which the toner has been fixed, becomes smaller than when the laminating process is not performed.

Abstract: A position sensor system for determining a position of a sensor device relative to a magnetic structure, the system comprising: said magnetic structure comprising a plurality of poles; said sensor device comprising a plurality of magnetic sensors; the magnetic structure being movable relative to the sensor device, or vice versa; wherein: a distance between centres of adjacent poles varies along the movement direction; the sensor device is adapted: for determining a first magnetic field component parallel to, and a second magnetic field component perpendicular to a movement direction, and for calculating a fine signal based on a ratio of the first and second magnetic field component; and for determining a coarse signal based on components and/or gradients; and for determining said position based on the coarse signal and the fine signal.

Abstract: Displacement transducer device, adapted to be coupled to reference points of a structure, includes a first element integrally securable to a first reference point of the structure, first and second magnets arranged so as to magnetically repel one another, a transducer arranged proximate the first and second magnets so as to detect a variation in the magnetic field between the first and second magnet and to convert the variation into a signal processed by a processing unit, the displacement transducer device includes a second element integrally securable to a second reference point of the structure, and one of the first or second magnet or transducer being connected to the first element and the remaining elements of the first or second magnet or transducer being connected to the second element such that a relative movement of the first or the second reference point causes a variation in the magnetic field.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a power interface, and more particularly, to a power interface for electrically connecting an object to be tested and a test driving unit. The electric power interface in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes: a support member; an elastic member fixed to the support member and configured to provide an elastic force in a vertical direction; a first connection terminal disposed on the elastic member; a second connection terminal electrically connected to the first connection terminal; and a flexible sheet has one side fixed to the elastic member and the other side fixed to the support member to restrict a deformation range of the elastic member.

Abstract: A sensor is disclosed for detecting an orientation of a magnet, the sensor comprising: a first sensor array including a first plurality of sensor elements that are arranged along a first line; a second sensor array including a second plurality of sensor elements that are arranged along a second line; and a processing circuitry configured to: detect a magnetic field produced by the magnet by using the first sensor array, and identify a first point on the first line where at least one component of the magnetic field has a predetermined value; detect the magnetic field by using the second sensor array, and identify a second point on the second line where at least one component of the magnetic field has the predetermined value; detect an orientation of the magnet relative to the sensor based on the first point and the second point; and output an indication of the orientation of the magnet based on the first point and the second point.

Abstract: A total pitch deviation measurement device that determines a total pitch deviation of an annular product having at least a magnetic ring. The device providing a frame; a pallet conveyor fixed to the frame and designed to support the rotor positioning bearing unit; a spindle unit mounted in translation compared to the frame along a vertical axis, the spindle unit including a spindle shaft, a motor driving the spindle shaft, and an encoder connected to the spindle shaft; the spindle shaft having a free lower end having a tapered shape that fits into a bore of the annular product; a sensor fixed to the frame that measures a magnetic field signal at a position of the magnetic ring and transmits the signal measured to an control unit that determines the total pitch deviation of the annular product. Also, a method for carrying out the function of the intended device.

Abstract: A sensor device comprises a sensor arranged to sense and convert the physical quantity into an electrical quantity and to output an electrical signal representative of the electrical quantity. A voltage limiter receives an input signal related to a supply voltage providing power to the sensor device and to output a voltage signal. The voltage signal has a limited value if the input voltage exceeds a voltage saturation threshold value. A voltage-to-current converter converts the voltage signal output by the voltage limiter to a supply current of a first value, thereby forming a first supply current state. A switch switches between the first supply current state and at least a second supply current state wherein the supply current is substantially independent of the supply voltage. Current generation means provides the supply current of the predetermined second value to form the second supply current state.

Abstract: The fixing device having a long durability life includes a first member, a heater, and a second member, the heater including a base material, an intermediate layer on the base material, and a surface layer on the intermediate layer, which includes a diamond-like carbon film, the base material containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, and silicon nitride, and the intermediate layer has a ratio of [(Si)+(C)]/A of 0.8 or more, and a ratio of (Si)/(C) of more than 1.