Abstract: A cutter unit including a cutter for cutting long paper in a direction orthogonal to a paper feeding direction is disposed on one side of a printer body provided with a printing mechanism. A cover is attached to the printer body so as to cover an outer surface of the cutter unit. The cutter unit and the cover are independently pivotable.

Abstract: A printer includes an upper unit which opens and closes about a fulcrum lying at a rear position of a lower unit, and a paper path which is opened by opening the upper unit. A sensor unit is attached to the lower unit and includes a lower sensor holder and an upper sensor holder which are disposed in opposition to each other via the paper path. The paper path can be opened by pivoting the upper sensor holder relative to the lower sensor holder. When the upper unit is closed, the upper sensor holder is also closed in accordance with a closing pivoting motion of the upper unit.

Abstract: In an image forming device, a plurality of division counters associated with each division to which each user belongs, and an undefined counter which is not associated with the division are set in an internal memory. In a case where a request for printing an image is accepted, it is judged whether or not the image to be printed includes a page to be chromatically printed. In a case where the page to be chromatically printed is included, the image forming device identifies the division which has requested the printing, the number of the pages to be chromatically printed is counted in the division counter corresponding to the division which has requested the printing, and the number of pages to be monochromatically printed is counted in the division undefined counter.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus of this invention is capable of detecting a resistance value of an intermediate transferring member at the stabilized sensitivity irrespective of the influences of environmental conditions, disturbing elements, etc. and contributing to the promotion of the image quality when forming images. The image forming apparatus is equipped with an electric potential controller to fix electric potential of the photosensitive surface of a photosensitive drum, a power source to supply prescribed voltage or current to the photosensitive surface through the transferring surface of an intermediate transferring member, and a resistance detector to detect a current value flowing through the intermediate transfer member against prescribed voltage supplied from the power source or a voltage value generated in an intermediate transferring member against prescribed current and detect a resistance value of the intermediate transferring member based on the detected current value or voltage value.

Abstract: A technique suppresses the influence of the components that can give rise to fluctuations in the magnetic field and arranged near the motor for driving the polygon mirror on the operation of driving the motor without obstructing the trend of downsizing image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus comprises a motor that drives a polygon mirror for forming a scanning pattern on the photosensitive surface of a photosensitive material by scanning light, a development section that forms a toner image on the photosensitive surface by means of magnets that can reciprocate relative to the photosensitive surface and a magnetic body that is arranged in a predetermined region between the motor and the development section and shields the magnetic force of the magnets of the development section to prevent it from influencing the motor.

Abstract: An external device judges whether or not a image forming is brought into an operation mode in which the number of pages having an image formed thereon is managed for each division, each user belonging to the division, in a image forming device, when the request for the image forming in the image forming device from a user is accepted. The external device confirms that a division code of the user who has requested the image forming is set, when it is judged that the image forming is brought into the operation mode in which the number of the pages is managed for each division, and transmits the request for the image forming together with the division code to the image forming device, when it is confirmed that the division code of the user who has requested the image forming is set.

Abstract: R, G and B signals read by a 4-line color CCD sensor are converted into C, M and Y color signals. A black-and-white signal is generated from a luminance signal read by the 4-line color CCD sensor. Densities of the C, M and Y color signals are converted on the basis of the black-and-white signal.

Abstract: An optical beam scanning device includes plural light sources, a pre-deflection optical unit, a light deflection unit, a post-deflection optical unit, and a horizontal synchronization unit. One of the formed plural latent images is formed by plural light beams while the other latent images are respectively formed by one light beam, and the light deflection unit deflects the light beams forming the plurality latent images by one surface or integrally processed surface thereof. The horizontal synchronization unit is on a position of an upstream side of scanning lines forming the latent image formed by the plural light beams and detects that the light beam forming the latent image formed by the plural light beams reaches a predetermined position. The image forming apparatus employs the optical beam scanning device and controls timing to form images by the respective light beams with reference to a moment when the light beam to be detected reaches a predetermined position.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a pressure chamber that contains ink, a nozzle communicating with the pressure chamber, which ejects the ink from the pressure chamber, an ink-jet head having an actuator that increases and decreases the capacity of the pressure chamber, and a driving signal generation unit that supplies the actuator with a driving signal to eject an ink drop from the nozzle. When no ink is ejected from the nozzle, the actuator is supplied with a very low pressure driving signal to increase the capacity of the pressure chamber and then return the increased capacity to an original size. The pulse width of the very low pressure driving signal is about twice as long as a pressure propagation time period during which a pressure wave in the ink propagates through the pressure chamber.

Abstract: A light beam scanning apparatus according to an embodiment of this invention includes a reflection unit for reflecting a light beam, a rotation unit for rotating the reflection unit, a rotation control unit for controlling rotation of the rotation unit, a rotational speed detection unit for detecting a rotational speed of the rotation unit, a light amount control unit for, before the rotational speed detection unit detects that the rotational speed has reached a predetermined rotational speed, controlling light emission of the light beam and controlling the light amount of the light beam to a predetermined value, and a light emission control unit for, after the rotational speed detection unit detects that the rotational speed has reached the predetermined rotational speed, controlling a light emission timing of the light beam.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for printing print data described in a page description language in a specific format has a multi-dimensional Lut color conversion processing unit configured to carry out color conversion processing of a device color space by using a multi-dimensional lookup table.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus determines whether or not facsimile data with transmission terminal identification data added thereto is transferred on the basis of received transmission terminal identification data when receiving the facsimile data with the identification data. The apparatus retrieves whether or not a box to which the identification data is put as a name and to which a setting to transfer the received facsimile data is set is created in a storage unit when determining to transfer the received facsimile data. The apparatus transfers the received facsimile data in accordance with the setting of the box, when it is determined that the box is present.

Abstract: A technique can define a right position for forming a toner image on the transfer surface of an intermediate transfer body regardless of the size and the number of the sheets on which toner images are to be transferred. An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on the transfer surface of an intermediate transfer body by correcting the position for forming the toner image comprises a data acquisition section that acquires predetermined data relating to the printing data for forming an image on a sheet and a correction section that corrects the predefined value for defining the position for forming the toner image on the transfer surface according to a predetermined correction value corresponding to the predetermined data acquired in the data acquisition section.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus according to the invention is provided with a heating roller 2 including an elastic member 2b and a metal conductive layer 2c. The elastic member has a greater outer diameter at its end portions than at its central portion. At least one air hole 100 is formed through the metal conductive layer 2c at a predetermined position opposing the small-diameter central portion of the elastic member. The air hole connects the outside to a clearance formed between the elastic member 2b and the metal conductive layer 2c.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present invention allows a portable type external storage medium that can store image data to be attached to or detached from the apparatus main body. The image forming apparatus has a data protection means. In a normal operation, the data protection means allows image data stored in an internal storage device (HDD, etc.) or image data stored in the external storage medium to be processed in the image processor and outputs the processed image data to a printer section for printing. In the case where confidential image data is processed, the data protection means inhibits the image data from being saved in the internal storage device and allows only the image data from the external storage medium to be processed in the image processor after attachment of the external storage medium to the apparatus main body has been detected.

Abstract: An air removing device is connected to a tank to contain ink through a first supply tube, and an ink-jet head is connected to the air removing device through a second supply tube. The first supply tube and ink-jet head are heated and controlled. Air dissolved in ink is sucked out through a hollow fiber membrane provided in a housing by operating a vacuum pump by supplying ink to the hollow fiber membrane while heating and controlling atmosphere in the housing. Thus, air dissolved in ink is removed, and ink heated to a temperature suitable for ejection is supplied to the ink-jet head.

Abstract: A waiting tray is provided in a sheet-conveying path and holds sheets if the sheets need to be post-processed. A processing tray receives sheets conveyed from the waiting tray. It may receive sheets conveyed through the sheet-conveying path and coming not via the waiting tray, before the sheets are post-processed. A conveying mechanism is provided, which causes the sheets to fall, due to gravity, from the waiting tray onto a processing tray. A sheet-aligning mechanism aligns the sheets on the processing tray, at their transverse edges and longitudinal edges. On the processing tray, the sheets are post-processed, forming a bundle. The conveying mechanism conveys the bundle of sheets to a storage tray. A top cover is provided above the waiting tray and can be opened and closed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for protecting a hard disk drive in a hardcopy device includes detecting an abnormal condition during operation of the hardcopy device, and moving a head of the hard disk drive to a safe position in response to the detection of the abnormal condition. An indication of the abnormal condition is generated after the head of the hard disk drive has been moved to the safe position.

Abstract: A developing agent comprising color toners and a cyan toner, the color toners including a yellow toner, a magenta toner, and a black toner, wherein the black toner comprises a binder resin containing a crystalline polyester resin, and the yellow toner, the magenta toner and the cyan toner each comprise a binder resin containing no crystalline polyester resin.

Abstract: An image compression apparatus includes a color region judging section which judges a color region of a color image signal and outputs the judgment information as the judgment result, a switch which chooses one compression parameter from a plurality of compression parameters corresponding to the judgment information supplied from the color region judging section, and a compressing section which compresses color image signals corresponding to the compression parameter chosen by the switch, wherein image compression and decompression with general color balance satisfactorily adjusted by appropriately setting the compression ratio that varies in accordance with color regions as required.