Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus nicely performs an aligning operation for a sheet conveyed onto a process tray with a simple configuration. A switching member performs an operation of switching an aligning member from a non-contact state to a contact state before the sheet reaches a contact position on the tray or performs an operation of, while the sheet on the tray is being conveyed toward a sheet edge regulating member by the aligning member, switching the aligning member from the contact state to the non-contact state, and further switching the aligning member from the non-contact state to the contact state. Thus, the sheet processing apparatus reduces an occurrence of a conveyance failure caused by collision of a leading edge of thick paper with a return roller and a return guide member, and maintains good conveyance performance by preventing sheet stick caused by a coating material coated on coat paper.

Abstract: A sheet punching device including: a die which has a die hole and is configured to be driven to rotate; a punch configured to move in and out of the die hole to punch a hole in a sheet; and a punch operating unit configured to reciprocate the punch with respect to the die hole in a state in which the punch is opposed to the die hole of the die, to move the punch in and out of the die hole.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a recording unit configured to form an image on a recording medium conveying in a conveying direction; a main body portion configured to support the recording unit in an openable and closable manner; a conveying unit configured to convey, in the conveying direction, the recording medium on which an image is to be formed by the recording unit, the conveying unit being disposed below the recording unit; a holder configured to contain the recording medium on which an image is to be formed by the recording unit, the holder being disposed upstream of the conveying unit in the conveying direction; and a raising and lowering mechanism configured to raise and lower the holder between a first position for feeding the recording medium to the recording unit and a second position placed above the first position.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus, including: a light source; a reflection member changing a traveling direction of the light reflected from an original; an optical system imaging the light; a photoelectric converter receiving the light from the optical system to convert the light into an electric signal; and a light passing and blocking member disposed between the optical system and the photoelectric converter, and provided with an aperture through which the light from the optical system imaged on the photoelectric converter passes, the blocking member blocking non-convergent light which is not imaged on the photoelectric converter, wherein the blocking member has an inclined surface surrounding the aperture so that the aperture gets smaller from the optical system toward the photoelectric converter, and a hypothetical extension plane extending from the inclined surface toward the photoelectric converter intersects with an optical axis of the optical system without intersecting with photoelectric converter.

Abstract: A sheet cutting apparatus, including: a conveying member configured to convey a half-folded sheet bunch in a conveyance path in which the conveying member is provided; a registration member which comes into contact with a leading edge portion of the sheet bunch to correct a skew feed of the sheet bunch; a cutting member positioned upstream of the registration member to cut a trailing edge portion of the sheet bunch; and a discharging member provided at an outlet of the conveyance path to discharge the sheet bunch, wherein the leading edge portion of the sheet bunch is positioned outside the discharging member when, after the skew feed is corrected, the sheet bunch is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction by the conveying member and the trailing edge portion of the sheet bunch is conveyed to a cutting position of the cutting member to cut the trailing edge 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: An inkjet printing apparatus which can perform cost-down and an improvement on a print quality by simplification of an apparatus construction is realized. For realizing such an apparatus, a gas-liquid separation is achieved by the construction where air bubbles generated in an ejection portion or a reservoir can rise to a liquid surface, and a negative pressure control and at the same time, discharge of the air bubbles are performed by a fan.

Abstract: An objective of the invention is to provide an improved ink storage apparatus and an inkjet print head including the ink storage apparatus. Furthermore, an effective elimination of the air bubbles flowed into or generated in the print head is realized by an ink storage apparatus and an inkjet print head including the ink storage apparatus.

Abstract: A static-electricity-blocking mounting unit, including: a mounting sheet metal in which a female screw portion is formed, the female screw portion being configured to threadably engage with a male screw configured to fix a member to be fixed to a housing; and an insulating member made of an insulating material and configured to support the mounting sheet metal, wherein the mounting sheet metal is fixed to the housing via the insulating member, and the member to be fixed is fixed to the housing by the male screw threadably engaging with the female screw portion of the mounting sheet metal.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head, a liquid supply apparatus, a liquid ejection apparatus, and a liquid supply method can enable the channel resistance and pressure loss of liquid in the liquid ejection head to be reduced to increase the speed at which liquid is supplied to the nozzles. To achieve this, an ink supply chamber is placed so as to be laminated on a main ink supply chamber. A filter interposed between the main ink supply chamber and the ink supply chamber extends along a surface substantially parallel to a nozzle arrangement plane on which a plurality of nozzles are arranged.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus of the invention has: an ejecting unit that is capable of receiving a sheet on which a toner image has been heated and fixed, and ejecting the sheet for a predetermined normal ejecting time; and a processing unit that processes the sheet ejected by the ejecting unit according to obtained sheet information, wherein the ejecting unit ejects the sheet for an ejecting time longer than the normal ejecting time.

Abstract: The present invention provides a print module, an information processing device, a print system, a print unit, an ink supply unit, a print method and program, all capable of quickly and easily meeting demands for a print medium size change, particularly to increased sizes, while at the same time coping with demands for faster printing speed. To this end, this invention constructs the print heads (811) in the form of print modules (M) so that their ink systems and signal systems are independent among the print modules. Each print module is set with identity information for its identification.

Abstract: In a bookbinding apparatus, an adhesive applying portion applies an adhesive to an end face of a sheet bundle allowed to stand in the substantially vertical direction, a storage portion that gathers and stores the sheet bundle which is applied with the adhesive and bound in the adhesive applying portion while letting the sheet bundle stand in the substantially vertical direction, transport means for conveying the sheet bundle while letting the sheet bundle stand in the substantially vertical direction from the adhesive applying portion to the storage portion along a substantially vertical transport path, and a cutting portion which is provided on the transport path between the adhesive applying portion and the storage portion, and which cuts an end face of the sheet bundle while letting the sheet bundle stand in the substantially vertical direction.

Abstract: To provide a pigment dispersion liquid which provides an ink capable of recording an image having high fixability and fastness such as scratch resistance and excellent quality stably for a long time in any conditions. A pigment dispersion liquid mainly containing a polymer dispersant, a coloring material and water, in which the polymer dispersant is formed of at least a hydrophobic unit and a hydrophilic unit, the hydrophobic unit having a block portion formed of at least one hydrophobic monomer, the coloring material is formed of a pigment having on its surface an acid form anionic group, and the pigment dispersion liquid further contains a basic compound capable of forming a complex with an alkaline metal.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus of the invention has: an ejecting unit that is capable of receiving a sheet on which a toner image has been heated and fixed, and ejecting the sheet for a predetermined normal ejecting time; and a processing unit that processes the sheet ejected by the ejecting unit according to obtained sheet information, wherein the ejecting unit ejects the sheet for an ejecting time longer than the normal ejecting time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: an image bearing member; a charging device which charges the image bearing member; a developing device which develops an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with toner; a transferring device which transfers a toner image formed on the image bearing member by the developing device onto a recording medium; a separation charge-eliminator disposed opposite to the image bearing member, for separating the medium from the image bearing member after transfer; a current detecting device which detects a separation current flowing through the charge-eliminator; and a control device which outputs a control signal regarding the charge-eliminator based on a first current value detected by the current detecting device with a charging voltage being applied to the charging device and a second current value detected by the current detecting device with a transfer voltage being applied to the transferring device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a print module, an information processing device, a print system, a print unit, an ink supply unit, a print method and program, all capable of quickly and easily meeting demands for a print medium size change, particularly to increased sizes, while at the same time coping with demands for faster printing speed. To this end, this invention constructs the print heads (811) in the form of print modules (M) so that their ink systems and signal systems are independent among the print modules. Each print module is set with identity information for its identification.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a control portion which controls a bias to be applied to a charging roller for charging a photosensitive member to a predetermined potential or a developing roller for supplying toner to the photosensitive member, in which the control portion performs a developer install mode for controlling the bias to be applied to the charging roller or the developing roller during replenishment of toner to a developing container to be used for the first time, and at a time of the developer install mode, controls the bias to be applied to the charging roller or the developing roller so as to obtain a developing electric field (Vcont2) for developing toner having an excessive charge amount onto the photosensitive member, which is smaller than a developing electric field (Vcont1) for developing toner onto the photosensitive member at a time of image formation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus in which even if the apparatus includes a gripping apparatus gripping one side of a sheet bundle to be stapled, the sheet bundle can be stapled in a portion thereof in which the gripping apparatus is located. A gripper unit is moved in a direction crossing one side of sheets and placed in a discharge position in which the gripper unit discharges the gripped sheets and in a coupling position where the gripper unit is coupled to a staple unit. The gripper unit is thus moved in the same direction as that in which the staple unit coupled to the gripper unit at the coupling position moves. Thus, the staple unit can be moved to a stapling position without the need to ensure a retract space.