Abstract: A fastening material for fastening a fastening object material between itself and a screw, said fastening material includes a burred portion forming a screw hole and projecting in a substantially cylindrical shape in a screw inserting direction, wherein said burred portion has a wave-like shape portion waving in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical shape.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: a follower rotating member that is pressed to a conveying rotating member and rotates in a following manner; a bearing that movably supports the follower rotating member to be rotatable; a pressing portion that applies a force to the bearing to press the follower rotating member to the conveying rotating member; and a wire spring that includes both ends locked to locking portions and a middle abutted to the bearing and holds the bearing against a pressing force of the pressing portion.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: a follower rotating member that is pressed to a conveying rotating member and rotates in a following manner; a bearing that movably supports the follower rotating member to be rotatable; a pressing portion that applies a force to the bearing to press the follower rotating member to the conveying rotating member; and a wire spring that includes both ends locked to locking portions and a middle abutted to the bearing and holds the bearing against a pressing force of the pressing portion.

Abstract: A hinge mechanism arranged between a main body and a door, and openably and closably supporting the door, comprising: a fixed-side hinge plate disposed at the main body; and a movable side hinge plate disposed at the door, wherein the fixed-side hinge plate includes a bearing surface and a plurality of projection portions projected from the bearing surface, and the fixed-side hinge plate is mountable to (1) a first mounting portion of the main body, having holes through which the projection portions can be inserted, and being capable of abutting to the bearing surface, and (2) a second mounting portion of the main body, being capable of abutting to end surfaces of the plurality of projection portions.

Abstract: A casing for containing electronic equipment includes a casing member of the metal plate having an opening; a closing member for closing the opening; a first inclined plate portion provided at an edge of the opening, the first inclined plate portion being inclined relative to a plate portion of the casing member and being provided by bending the casing member; a second inclined plate portion provided at a edge of the closing member, the second inclined plate portion being provided by bending the closing member, and the second inclined plate portion being opposed to the first inclined plate portion when the closing member is mounted to close the opening; and an elastic member having an electroconductivity and provided compressed between the first inclined plate portion and the second inclined plate portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an operating portion provided at a front part of a main assembly of the apparatus; a rear cover covering at least a part of a rear part of the main assembly; a holding mechanism for holding the rear cover relative to the main assembly; an opening and closing mechanism for upwardly moving the rear cover from a close position for covering the part of the rear part of the main assembly to an open position for exposing the part of the rear part and for downwardly moving the rear cover from the open position to the close position; a stabilizer for keeping the rear cover at the open position; an electrical component provided inside the rear cover at a position accessible from a front side of the main assembly when the rear cover takes the open position.

Abstract: A shaft of a sheet conveying roller is a pipe shaft. Both ends of the pipe shaft are formed into small-diameter portions, and a mounted portion on which a friction member is provided is formed into a large-diameter portion, which has a diameter larger than a diameter of the both ends of the pipe shaft.

Abstract: A cartridge type HDD unit 20 is mounted on the outside of a back plate panel 2 of an exterior cover rear portion in an image forming apparatus 1. An HDD main body is detachably attachable into a unit case 21. When the HDD main body is attached into the unit case 21, the HDD main body is substantially horizontally inserted from a sideways case opening 22. In the conventional art, there is the problem that the HDD main body is caused to fall carelessly in attachment working in which the HDD main body is mounted to a housing case such that the HDD main body drops into a housing case in a vertical direction. However the problem above described is eliminated, and the attachment working of the HDD main body can be performed easily and safely. With reference to security protection of information stored in the on-board mounted built-in HDD, the information stored in the built-in HDD can be transferred to and stored in the cartridge type HDD.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an operating portion provided at a front part of a main assembly of the apparatus; a rear cover covering at least a part of a rear part of the main assembly; a holding mechanism for holding the rear cover relative to the main assembly; an opening and closing mechanism for upwardly moving the rear cover from a close position for covering the part of the rear part of the main assembly to an open position for exposing the part of the rear part and for downwardly moving the rear cover from the open position to the close position; a stabilizer for keeping the rear cover at the open position; an electrical component provided inside the rear cover at a position accessible from a front side of the main assembly when the rear cover takes the open position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit which has an image bearing member and which is detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus, a guide section for guiding an insertion operation of the image forming unit, a movable locking member for locking the attached image forming unit from moving along a guide direction, a moving member which moves when the moving member comes into contact with the image forming unit which is guided and inserted by the guide section, and a locking member moving portion which starts moving the locking member when a moving amount of the moving member becomes great.

Abstract: A cartridge type HDD unit 20 is mounted on the outside of a back plate panel 2 of an exterior cover rear portion in an image forming apparatus 1. An HDD main body is detachably attachable into a unit case 21. When the HDD main body is attached into the unit case 21, the HDD main body is substantially horizontally inserted from a sideways case opening 22. In the conventional art, there is the problem that the HDD main body is caused to fall carelessly in attachment working in which the HDD main body is mounted to a housing case such that the HDD main body drops into a housing case in a vertical direction. However the problem above described is eliminated, and the attachment working of the HDD main body can be performed easily and safely. With reference to security protection of information stored in the on-board mounted built-in HDD, the information stored in the built-in HDD can be transferred to and stored in the cartridge type HDD.

Abstract: A bearing includes: an outside portion; an inside portion which is rotatably assembled to the outside portion; a rotating body arranged in a space formed when the outside portion and the inside portion are assembled; a first sealing portion which is integrally molded with the outside portion and seals the space by abutting against the inside portion through elastic deformation caused when assembled; and a second sealing portion which is integrally molded with the inside portion and seals the space by abutting against the outside portion through elastic deformation caused when assembled.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: an image forming unit which has an image bearing member and which is detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus; a guide section for guiding an insertion operation of the image forming unit; a movable locking member for locking the attached image forming unit from moving along a guide direction; a moving member which moves when the moving member comes into contact with the image forming unit which is guided and inserted by the guide section; and a locking member moving portion which starts moving the locking member when a moving amount of the moving member becomes great.

Abstract: A shaft of a sheet conveying roller is a pipe shaft. Both ends of the pipe shaft are formed into small-diameter portions, and a mounted portion on which a friction member is provided is formed into a large-diameter portion, which has a diameter larger than a diameter of the both ends of the pipe shaft.

Abstract: A bearing includes: an outside portion; an inside portion which is rotatably assembled to the outside portion; a rotating body arranged in a space formed when the outside portion and the inside portion are assembled; a first sealing portion which is integrally molded with the outside portion and seals the space by abutting against the inside portion through elastic deformation caused when assembled; and a second sealing portion which is integrally molded with the inside portion and seals the space by abutting against the outside portion through elastic deformation caused when assembled.

Abstract: A cartridge type HDD unit 20 is mounted on the outside of a back plate panel 2 of an exterior cover rear portion in an image forming apparatus 1. An HDD main body is detachably attachable into a unit case 21. When the HDD main body is attached into the unit case 21, the HDD main body is substantially horizontally inserted from a sideways case opening 22. In the conventional art, there is the problem that the HDD main body is caused to fall carelessly in attachment working in which the HDD main body is mounted to a housing case such that the HDD main body drops into a housing case in a vertical direction. However the problem above described is eliminated, and the attachment working of the HDD main body can be performed easily and safely. With reference to security protection of information stored in the on-board mounted built-in HDD, the information stored in the built-in HDD can be transferred to and stored in the cartridge type HDD.

Abstract: A laser scanner with excellent productivity is provided in which most parts can be commonly used so as to recycle individually costly and expensive components once used in one product from the points of view of ecology, resource savings and recycling. The laser scanner includes a light source with a laser diode, a polygon motor with a polygon mirror mounted on a rotating shaft thereof, scanning lenses, a BD detection device, and a scanner casing with the BD detection device being held thereby and received therein. The single scanner casing is provided therein with a mounting bearing surface, which serves to permit a plurality of mirror configurations to be housed and arranged therein in accordance with the presence or absence of a reflection mirror, whereby it is possible to selectively form optical paths for irradiating a plurality of laser beams onto a photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A laser scanner with excellent productivity is provided in which most parts can be commonly used so as to recycle individually costly and expensive components once used in one product from the points of view of ecology, resource savings and recycling. The laser scanner includes a light source with a laser diode, a polygon motor with a polygon mirror mounted on a rotating shaft thereof, scanning lenses, a BD detection device, and a scanner casing with the BD detection device being held thereby and received therein. The single scanner casing is provided therein with a mounting bearing surface, which serves to permit a plurality of mirror configurations to be housed and arranged therein in accordance with the presence or absence of a reflection mirror, whereby it is possible to selectively form optical paths for irradiating a plurality of laser beams onto a photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A bind tape abutted against a bound edge of a sheet bundle for book-binding the sheet bundle includes a tape substrate and an adhesive layer coated on one surface of the tape substrate to bond the sheet bundle. The bind tape is provided at both longitudinal end portions thereof with areas on which the adhesive layer is not coated.

Abstract: A process cartridge is mountable to an image forming system and includes an image bearing member; a developing bias contact for applying a developing bias to a developing device; an earthing contact for earthing the image bearing member; and a charging bias contact for applying a charging bias to a charging device. The developing bias contact, the earthing contact, and the charging bias contact are arranged in an area corresponding to an end portion of the image bearing member in a longitudinal direction of the image bearing member, such that (i) the developing bias contact is arranged at a first side of the image bearing member in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the image bearing member, and (ii) the earthing contact and the charging bias contact are arranged at a second side of the image bearing member in the orthogonal direction.