Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus including, for the purpose of removing volatile organic compounds passing through an adsorption filter: a discharge path for discharging air in a main body of the image forming apparatus to an exterior; an adsorption filter provided in the discharge path and capable of removing, by an adsorption, a compound in the air discharged through the discharge path; and a catalyst filter provided in the discharge path and capable of removing, by a catalytic decomposition, a compound in the discharged air; wherein the catalyst filter is provided at a downstream side of the adsorption filter, along a direction of air discharge.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing tray on which sheets are stacked in a bundle form, an intermediate portion stapler which staples the intermediate portion of the sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray, a sheet bundle conveying member which conveys the stapled sheet bundle, a curved sheet bundle conveying path which is downwardly curved on the downstream side of the processing tray with respect to the sheet conveying direction and adapted to guide the sheet bundle conveyed by the sheet bundle conveying member, and a folding device which is arranged in the intermediate portion of the curved sheet bundle conveying path and which folds the stapled sheet bundle, wherein the processing tray is set to be lower on the upstream side than on the downstream side with respect to the sheet conveying direction, and wherein the curved guide path has an extended portion extending to a position under the stacking portion.

Abstract: The sheet processing apparatus is equipped with a process tray on which sheets conveyed are stacked, a return belt which moves the sheets stacked on the process tray, a trailing edge stopper which receives an end portion of the sheets moved by the return belt, and a conveyance assist roller which comes into contact with the sheets on the upstream side of the return belt with respect to the sheet moving direction and imparts a load to the movement of the sheets. The return belt moves the sheets to which a load has been imparted by the conveyance assist roller and causes them to be abutted on the trailing edge stopper.

Abstract: When a sheet bundle is being conveyed by any one pair of plural pairs of rollers independently movable toward and away from the bundle sheet, before the bound portion of the sheet bundle passes the pair of rollers, the pair of rollers on the downstream side nearest to the bound portion are separated from the sheet bundle, and the pairs of rollers more downstream than that pair convey the sheet bundle. Thereby, it happens less often that the pairs of rollers gather the air collected between adjacent ones of the sheets of the sheet bundle to the bound portion to thereby cause a slack to the sheets, and the occurrence of wrinkles or twists in the sheet bundle can be reduced. Also, the pair of rollers are separated from the sheet bundle before the bound portion passes the pair of rollers, whereby it happens less often that the pair of rollers are damaged by the bound portion, and the sheet bundle can be conveyed smoothly.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, includes discharging means for effecting electric discharge for forming the image; an air path portion for guiding both of ozone produced by the electric discharge and volatile organic compounds produced in the image forming apparatus toward outside atmosphere; a first removing member, provided in the air path portion, for decomposing and removing the volatile organic compounds; a second removing member, provided in the air path portion, for removing the ozone, wherein the first removing member and the second removing member are disposed in the air passing portion in series, and the first removing member is disposed upstream of the second removing member with respect to a direction of flow in the air passing portion.

Abstract: A physical property measuring device for measurement of physical properties of a test sample piece in the form of a flexible sheet-like material is provided. The test sample piece is fed to a measuring zone of the device while being interposedly held at a whole upper end thereof between transfer arms so as to be kept hanging, to thereby minimize or substantially prevent application of any unnecessary external force thereto during transferring. In the measuring zone, the test sample piece is kept interposedly held at upper and lower portions thereof between upper clamp arms of an upper clamp mechanism and between lower clamp arms of a lower clamp mechanism and the upper and lower clamp mechanisms are actuated relative to each other to carry out measurement of desired physical properties.