Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a sheet tray configured to support one or more sheets stacked thereon in a slanted state, a feed roller disposed to face a lower end of a top one of the sheets stacked on the sheet tray, the feed roller being configured to feed the sheets, a supporter disposed under the sheet tray movably relative to the feed roller, the supporter being configured to support, on an upper surface thereof, lower ends of the sheets stacked on the sheet tray, and a displacement mechanism configured to displace the supporter farther from the feed roller depending on a pressure which the feed roller applies to the sheets when rotating.

Abstract: A sheet supplying device for an imaging apparatus is provided with a sheet tray configured to mount a plurality of sheets in a stacked state. The sheet tray is inclined such that leading ends of the plurality of sheets are lower than trailing ends thereof. Further provided is a feed roller that faces an uppermost sheet of the plurality of sheets mounted on the sheet tray to be press-contacted thereto. The feed roller is driven to rotate to feed the uppermost sheet. Further provided is a sheet guide mechanism having at least one guiding section provided in front of the feed roller. The guiding section is inclined such that the leading ends of the plurality of sheets are moved toward the feed roller by their own weight. The guiding section is configured such that the degree of inclination of the guiding section varies depending on the amount of the plurality of sheets.

Abstract: A rubber key device is provide with a key top member, multiple rubber keys, a click feel generating mechanism and a load transmitting mechanism. When a depression area of the key top member is depressed by a user, the key top member is rotated to depress a top face of a rubber key via the load transmitting mechanism. The load transmitting mechanism transmits the load caused by the depression of the depression area to the top face of the corresponding rubber key such that the load is transmitted to only a substantially central portion of the top face of the corresponding one of the multiple rubber keys regardless of the depression amount of the depression area.

Abstract: A printer can print to paper with a narrow width while maintaining a print format with good legibility without changing the application program and printer driver installed on the host computer. The control method of a printer that prints based on print data 5 sent from a host computer 3 has a step S105 of extracting data attributes contained in the print data 5 and assigning the print data 5 to data segment areas for each data attribute; a step of setting the data segment areas to specific printing areas based on the data attribute; an actual print data generating step (steps S122, S107, S133, S134, S111) of converting the print data 5 assigned to the data segment areas to actual print data according to the data attributes; and a printing step S113 of printing the actual print data in the printing areas.

Abstract: A paper feed unit, which is provided with a paper feed roller disposed such that an outer circumferential surface thereof contacts stacked sheets of paper so as to feed each sheet of paper by rotating, a separating pad having elasticity configured to press a sheet of paper being forwarded by the paper feed roller against the outer circumferential surface of the paper feed roller from a side of the sheet of paper opposite to the other side contacting the outer circumferential surface of the paper feed roller, a holder that supports the separating pad, and a biasing device that biases the holder so as to press the separating pad against the outer circumferential surface of the paper feed roller, for separating each sheet of paper from the stacked sheets by the rotation of the paper feed roller in cooperation with the separating pad and thus feeding the sheet of paper.

Abstract: A rubber key device is provide with a key top member, multiple rubber keys, a click feel generating mechanism and a load transmitting mechanism. When a depression area of the key top member is depressed by a user, the key top member is rotated to depress a top face of a rubber key via the load transmitting mechanism. The load transmitting mechanism transmits the load caused by the depression of the depression area to the top face of the corresponding rubber key such that the load is transmitted to only a substantially central portion of the top face of the corresponding one of the multiple rubber keys regardless of the depression amount of the depression area.

Abstract: A thermal printer and a control method for a thermal printer enable increasing throughput before a printing process starts by starting a duplex printing process without waiting to convert all print data into the front print buffer and back print buffer, enable executing a duplex printing process on a print medium without using a front print buffer and a separate back print buffer, and enable switching between simplex printing and duplex printing according to a specific command.

Abstract: An electronic method for printing is disclosed, the method including receiving print data from a host computer, the print data including an indicator, wherein the print data does not include supplemental duplex or simplex printing settings, determining that the indicator is within the print data, analyzing the indicator to determine duplex or simplex printing, writing a first portion of the print data to a memory unit, writing a second portion of the print data to the memory unit, printing a first side of a paper according to the first portion of the print data, and printing a second side of the paper according to the second portion of the print data.

Abstract: An oil pan is provided below a crankcase of an engine. The oil pan has an oil reservoir in its upper case. An oil discharge pipe is located within the oil reservoir, the oil discharge pipe extending from an oil separator of a PCV system. The oil reservoir protrudes inward of an inner wall surface of a lower case. The oil reservoir has an oil drain hole on a bottom surface at its inwardly protruding portion. The oil reservoir communicates with a lower chamber through the oil drain hole.

Abstract: An oil pan structure for an internal combustion engine includes: a small-depth portion having a bottom that is positioned at a high level; a large-depth portion formed adjacent to the small-depth portion and having a bottom that is positioned at a lower level than that of the small-depth portion, said large-depth portion defining an interior space in which an oil suction member is housed; and a ridge portion that connects a vertical wall that forms the large-depth portion with a bottom wall that forms the small-depth portion. The ridge portion includes a first connecting portion that connects the vertical wall of the large-depth portion with the bottom wall of the small-depth portion via a curved surface, and a second connecting portion that connects the vertical wall of the large-depth portion with the bottom wall of the small-depth portion at a position lower than that of the first connecting portion.

Abstract: A sheet supplying device is provided with a separation roller having an outer circumferential surface contacting at least a part of the sheets in a stacked state, and a pad located to face the outer circumferential surface of the separation roller. The sheet supplying device is further provided with a holder that holds the pad and is movable relative to the separation roller, and a pressing mechanism that presses the holder in a direction in which the pad held by the holder approaches the separation roller. The pad contacts a first surface of a sheet being fed by rotation of the separation roller, and the first surface of the sheet is opposite to a second surface of the sheet contacting the outer circumferential surface of the separation roller. The holder has a recessed portion formed on an upstream side of a pressurization point at which the sheet being fed is nipped between the separation roller and the pad. Space is formed by the recessed portion and a surface of the pad facing the holder.

Abstract: A sheet feed device has a sheet supply tray in which sheets to be fed are stored, a roller mechanism which ejects each printed sheet on to a sheet holding part, and a cover member which is placed between a sheet supply side on which each sheet is fed before printing and a sheet ejection side on which each sheet is fed after printing. In the sheet feed device, each sheet supplied from the sheet supply tray changes its sheet feed direction approximately 180 degrees before being ejected to the sheet holding part. Part of the cover member on the sheet holding part's side is provided with a first projecting part which lets the ejected sheets be held in the sheet holding part while being bent substantially in an S-shape.

Abstract: A transmission including: a sun gear forwardly and reversely rotatable by a driving force; a rotary member being forwardly and reversely rotatable, and having a projecting portion; a clutch causing the rotary member to be forwardly rotated and reversely rotated, and not causing the rotary member to be reversely rotated when a predetermined torque is applied; a planetary gear rotatably supported by the rotary member, meshed with and revolved around the sun gear, and rotated by a rotation of the sun gear; a transmission gear meshed with the planetary gear and rotated when the planetary gear is positioned at a predetermined revolution position; a stopper inhibiting the rotary member from being reversely rotated at a rotation position; a switch including a switch lever which the projecting portion contacts when the rotary member is rotated, and detecting a rotational position of the rotary member, the switch permitting the swinging of the switch lever caused by the projecting portion when the rotary member is for

Abstract: An image forming device providing a document image reading mode, image recording mode, copying mode, recording sheet feeding mode, and recording sheet discharge mode. When interruption of feeding of a document or a recording sheet is detected by a sensor, the current driving force transmission path is switched and set to another driving force transmission path corresponding to an operation mode different from the current operation mode at which the interruption occurs.

Abstract: An oil pan is provided below a crankcase of an engine. The oil pan has an oil reservoir in its upper case. An oil discharge pipe is located within the oil reservoir, the oil discharge pipe extending from an oil separator of a PCV system. The oil reservoir protrudes inward of an inner wall surface of a lower case. The oil reservoir has an oil drain hole on a bottom surface at its inwardly protruding portion. The oil reservoir communicates with a lower chamber through the oil drain hole.

Abstract: An image formation device (facsimile machine, printer, copier, etc.) is provided, which is capable of reducing the amount of ink ribbon rolled up for the removal of slack of the ribbon. When a ribbon roll-up process is started, the operation mode of the image formation device is first set to a ribbon roll-up mode in which a ribbon roll-up spool is driven without driving a platen. The slack of the ribbon is removed by driving the ribbon roll-up spool to roll up the ribbon without driving the platen, which can reduce the amount of ribbon rolled up for the removal of the slack (the amount of ribbon wasted).

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first detector for detecting if conveyed work that has passed or is passing a specific position is or is not present at a first position; a calculator for calculating a distance traveled by the conveyed work based on the specific position; and an evaluator that determines the conveyed work was removed if the first detector does not detect the conveyed work when the conveyed work is determined to be present at the first position based on the calculated traveled distance.

Abstract: In a gear changing device, when a sun gear rotates in a forward direction, a rotating member is rotated in the same direction as the sun gear and planetary gears are pivotally rotated around the sun gear. When the sun gear rotates in a reverse direction, the rotating member stops rotating and allows the planetary gears to rotate on axes thereof to a plurality of predetermined positions on a path of the planetary gear that pivotally rotates. A plurality of transmission gears are provided at a plurality of predetermined positions along the path of the planetary gear pivotally rotating, so as to engage with each of the planetary gears. A plurality of recesses and projections that are recessed and protruded, respectively, in the diametrical direction of the rotating member are alternately formed in an outer periphery of the rotating member. Each of the recesses and projections has a specific width. A sensor switch that detects the recesses and the projections at a predetermined position is provided.

Abstract: A rubber key device is provide with a key top member, multiple rubber keys, a click feel generating mechanism and a load transmitting mechanism. When a depression area of the key top member is depressed by a user, the key top member is rotated to depress a top face of a rubber key via the load transmitting mechanism. The load transmitting mechanism transmits the load caused by the depression of the depression area to the top face of the corresponding rubber key such that the load is transmitted to only a substantially central portion of the top face of the corresponding one of the multiple rubber keys regardless of the depression amount of the depression area.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first detector for detecting if conveyed work that has passed or is passing a specific position is or is not present at a first position; a calculator for calculating a distance traveled by the conveyed work based on the specific position; and an evaluator that determines the conveyed work was removed if the first detector does not detect the conveyed work when the conveyed work is determined to be present at the first position based on the calculated traveled distance.