Abstract: A discharging unit for discharging a printing medium from an image forming apparatus includes an elastic roller and a curl preventing roller to oppose each other in a pressing relationship forming a nip therebetween to reduce curling of a print medium passing through the nip. At least one of the elastic roller and the curl preventing roller is allowed to move towards or away from the other roller so that the nip can be adjusted to accommodate different thicknesses of varying types of printing medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including: a drive roller; an image forming unit; a fixing unit; a sub drive roller provided at the downstream side of the fixing unit, nipping and conveying a continuous-form-paper, on which the toner image is fixed, to the downstream side, a rotational speed of the sub drive roller being changable; a buffer unit provided between the fixing unit and the sub drive roller, being able to increase or decrease a buffer amount of the continuous-form-paper according to expansion or contraction of the continuous-form-paper in the fixing unit; a detection section that detects the buffer amount of the buffer unit; and a control section that controls the rotational speed of the sub drive roller based on the detection result of the detection section such that the buffer amount of the buffer unit is kept substantially constant.

Abstract: A document feeder includes a bidirectional feed path having both ends connected to predetermined positions of the bidirectional feed path, respectively. A document is fed from a downstream side of the image reading position to an upstream side with leading end and trailing end being reversed. The driving force is not transmitted when the rotation of the rotating member of the driving source is switched from one direction to the other, while the driving force is transmitted when an actuator is operated based on the driving system being rotated in the other direction. The actuator is actuated when the driving system is rotated in the other direction and the document is drawn in the bidirectional feed path. If the rotated amount of the driving source during the actuation of the actuator is less than a predetermined value, the actuator is actuated by a predetermined period.

Abstract: A curling device includes a first curling unit configured to curl a sheet in a first direction and a second curling unit. The second curling unit is for curling a sheet which has passed the first curling unit in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction. The curling device also includes an input unit facilitating manual inputting correction values relating to the curling direction and curling amount to be corrected, and a control unit configured to changeably control the curling amount of each of the first curling unit and the second curling unit, to correspond to the correction values input in the first and second input units.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a first and a second sheet feeding sections for accommodating sheets before printing in a stacked manner; a first sheet conveying section including first conveying members and adapted to convey a sheet received from the first sheet feeding section; a second sheet conveying section including second conveying members and adapted to convey a sheet received from the second sheet feeding section; a plurality of image forming units each including driven members and adapted to form toner images of different colors; a first driving source for driving the first conveying members; and a second driving source for driving the second conveying members. Some of the driven members are driven by the first driving source and others are driven by the second driving source.

Abstract: Based on the image size and folding setting, a recording medium storing device is selected among a plurality of the recording medium storing devices, an image is formed on a recording medium in the selected recording medium storing device based on image information, and the recording medium on which the images is formed is folded by a folding device.

Abstract: A cover assembly of an image capturing device is provided. The image capturing device includes a housing having a platen for supporting the document. The cover assembly includes a buffer, a background sheet and a stretching-compressing mechanism. The cover is pivotally connected to the housing and has an inner surface facing the platen. The buffer is disposed on the inner surface, and the background sheet is disposed on the buffer. The stretching-compressing mechanism connects the buffer and the inner surface for being compressed or stretched to apply a force on the buffer and the background sheet to make the buffer and the background sheet press the document on the platen or to make an end of each of the background sheet and the buffer part raised from the document and the other parts of the background sheet and the buffer press the document on the platen.

Abstract: A closing auxiliary device includes an automatic sheet feeder, a closing auxiliary handle, and a magnet and a metal portion. The automatic sheet feeder is provided in the apparatus main body while being openable and closable by a hinge unit. The closing auxiliary handle is rotatably provided in one side portion of the automatic sheet feeder. The magnet and the metal portion fix the closing auxiliary handle and the automatic sheet feeder. When the automatic sheet feeder is opened to form a predetermined angle between the automatic sheet feeder and the apparatus main body, the closing auxiliary handle is released from the automatic sheet feeder to which the closing auxiliary handle is fixed by the magnet and the metal portion. A projection portion and a rotation control portion are provided in the closing auxiliary handle.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus, having: a first sheet feeding member to press a top surface of a sheet for sending out a sheet stored in a sheet storing section; a second sheet feeding member arranged on a downstream side of the first sheet feeding member with respect to a sheet feeding direction to further convey the sheet from the first sheet feeding member downstream; and a first cleaning member rotatably supported in contact with a circumference surface of the first feeding member and a circumference surface of the second feeding member to cleaning a circumference surface of the first feeding member and a circumference surface of the second feeding member by rotation.

Abstract: An ink sheet cartridge, requiring no adhesive, capable of inhibiting the number of components from increase is obtained. This ink sheet cartridge comprises first and second case portions storing an ink sheet as well as a first hook portion and a first hook engaging portion integrally provided on the first and second case portions respectively. Either the first case portion or the second case portion is so slid as to engage the first hook portion with the first hook engaging portion, thereby fixing the first and second case portions to each other.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus, e.g., that is included in an image forming system, includes: a sheet stacking unit configured to stack a plurality of sheets of one or more printable media; a sheet alignment unit configured to align the plurality of sheets stacked in the sheet stacking unit; a pressing mechanism configured to press and hold the plurality of sheets stacked in the sheet stacking unit; and a stapling unit configured to staple the plurality of sheets aligned by the sheet alignment unit, the stapling unit being displaceable to a given position that avoids interference with the pressing mechanism while the sheet alignment unit performs a sheet alignment with respect to the plurality of sheets in the sheet stacking unit.

Abstract: A duplex image forming apparatus including a main body, a recording medium receiving unit disposed on one side of the main body to receive at least first and second recording media, a recording medium supplying unit to feed the first recording medium to a recording medium supplying path, an image forming unit to form an image on a first side of the fed first recording medium, an exiting and reversing unit to discharge the first recording medium formed with the image on the first side from the main body through a direct exiting path in an exiting mode, or to reverse a feeding direction of the first recording medium in a reversing mode, and a duplex feeding unit to resupply the image forming unit with the first recording medium, a rear end of the first recording medium and a front end of the second recording medium being overlapped, to feed the overlapped first and second recording media along the duplex feeding path, and to separate the first recording medium and the second recording medium on the duplex feedi

Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus includes a pair of rollers for transporting a sheet and a sheet detection device for detecting the sheet transported by the pair of rollers. The sheet detection device includes a flag that is displaceable when urged by the sheet transported by the pair of rollers and a single-chip acceleration sensor attached to the flag to detect the arrival of the sheet. When the sheet is brought into contact with the flag to rotate the flag, the acceleration sensor detects the roll acceleration of the flag so as to determine the timing of stopping the pair of rollers on the basis of a detection signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body and an original reading device disposed on top of the apparatus main body. A sheet supply cassette, a sheet discharge tray, an original feed tray, and the original discharge tray are oriented such that their lengthwise directions are aligned with the first horizontal direction, and are arranged to overlap with one another in the vertical direction. A pair of side walls is disposed at both widthwise ends of the sheet supply cassette, the sheet discharge tray, the original feed tray, and the original discharge tray. The both widthwise ends of these components are formed as edge portions. The pair of side walls covers an entire length of each of the edge portions, thereby supporting all of the sheet supply cassette, the sheet discharge tray, the original feed tray, and the original discharge tray.

Abstract: A unit drawing mechanism according to the invention is adapted for installation in a main unit. The mechanism includes a first and a second units, a plurality of supports, and a load-applying member. The first unit is movable along a first direction toward front of the main unit, to be drawn out thereof. Mounted in the first unit, the second unit is movable, with the first unit drawn out of the main unit, along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, to be drawn out of the first unit. The supports are arranged at different positions along the second direction, for supporting the first unit movably along the first direction. The load-applying member is mounted in the first unit in such a manner that center of gravity of the first unit along the second direction is located between the supports whether the second unit is retracted in, or drawn out of, the drawn-out first unit.

Abstract: A guide body for guiding the back surface of toner-image-bearing paper is formed from an insulating material and is disposed so as to face a paper transport path. A paper-transport-path-facing portion of the guide body, which faces the paper transport path, has guide ribs projecting upward toward the paper. A covering metal sheet is configured such that a covering portion thereof partially covers a guide surface of the paper-transport-path-facing portion which faces the paper transport path. The covering metal sheet has slits formed therein and corresponding to the guide ribs. The slits allow the guide surface to be partially exposed therethrough.

Abstract: A structure and method of using a reusable master printing plate is described. In one embodiment, the method uses an electric field to control a series of microvalves. The microvalves control a fluid flow that raises or lowers selected regions on a flexible printing surface to create a desired relief pattern. After creating the relief pattern, the pattern is fixed and used for printing. After completion of printing, the relief pattern is removed from the master printing plate and the printing plate may be reused by applying a new pattern.

Abstract: An adjustable paper cassette is provided that may be expanded and contracted by sliding movable frames relative to a base frame and then coupling fixing protrusions to desired fixing holes. Therefore, paper sheets having various sizes may be loaded in the paper cassette, and the size of an image forming apparatus with the paper cassette and the packing size of the image forming apparatus may be reduced without limitation on the size of the paper cassette.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for forming a predetermined pattern on a substrate using a gravure offset printing method. The apparatus for forming a pattern using a gravure offset printing method comprises a gravure on which a pattern to be filled with a color resist is formed; a roller brought into contact with the gravure to transfer the pattern formed on the gravure to the roller and then to print the transferred pattern onto a substrate; a roller driving means for rotating and horizontally driving the roller to transfer the pattern formed on the gravure to the roller and then to print the transferred pattern onto the substrate as it is; and a substrate support on which the substrate is placed.

Abstract: A palm rest with a detachable assembly mechanism attaches to a keyboard via the detachable assembly mechanism. The palm rest has a shell and at least one assembly mechanism. The shell forms a concave portion. The assembly mechanism has a base and a joint arm. The base is disposed in the concave portion of the shell. One end of the joint arm is pivotally mounted on the base so that the joint arm is rotatable and retractable in order to be received in the concave portion. The other end of the joint arm can extend outside the shell for assembly with the keyboard.