Abstract: In a screen printing apparatus, a squeegee is slid on a mask contacting a board to print paste onto the board via pattern holes formed in the mask. The screen printing apparatus includes: a box-like member including a top-plate portion in which first suction hole and a second section hole are formed and which is allowed to contact the board; a blower suction pipe communicating with an internal space of the box-like member and extending outside the box-like member; a blower suction source sucking air through the blower suction pipe to generate a blower suction force in the first suction hole; a vacuum suction pipe connected to the second suction hole and extending through the internal space to an outside of the box-like member; and a vacuum pressure supplying device supplying a vacuum pressure to the second suction hole through the vacuum suction pipe.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus, including a main unit including a placement plane and an image reader, a document cover swingably supported by the main unit via a hinge to move between a closed position and an open position, and a conveyer unit to convey a document sheet, is provided. The hinge includes an in-main-unit joint section attached to an end of the main unit, an on-cover joint section attached to an end of the document cover, and an urging member arranged in between the in-main-unit joint section and the on-cover joint section. A coupling device to couple the end of the document cover and the end of the main unit together and to restrict the end of the document cover and the end of the main unit from being separated from each other is disposed in an intermediate position between the document cover and the conveyer unit.

Abstract: In a screen printing apparatus, a squeegee is slid on a mask contacting a board to print paste onto the board via pattern holes formed in the mask. The screen printing apparatus includes: a box-like member including a top-plate portion in which first suction hole is formed and which is allowed to contact a lower surface of the board; a blower suction pipe which communicates with an internal space of the box-like member, and which extends outside the box-like member; a motor which sucks air through the blower suction pipe to generate a blower suction force in the first suction hole; and an inverter which changes frequencies of the motor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms an image with an image forming section includes: a casing in which the image forming section is arranged; a cover which is displaceably attached to the casing; a first elastic portion which is elastically deformable, and which is provided on one of the casing and the cover, the first elastic portion having an engage-objective portion which is engageable with an engaging portion provided on the other of the casing and the cover; and a second elastic portion which is elastically deformable, and which applies, to the first elastic portion, a force in a direction returning the first elastic portion to an original state when the first elastic portion is deformed.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a conveyance roller and a register roller configured to convey an image receiving medium taken out from a paper feed cassette; a rotation detection device configured to detect the backward rotation of the conveyance roller; and a control section configured to stop the rotation of the conveyance roller to align the image receiving medium after the image receiving medium abuts against the register roller that is in a stopped state, restart the rotation of the register roller and the conveyance roller after the aligning process, and control to restart, when the conveyance roller rotates backward during the aligning process, the rotation of the register roller after the conveyance roller is rotated ahead.

Abstract: Variable-format offset printing units are provided in which each of the two supporting members of the intermediate cylinder is connected to the respective supporting member of the impression cylinder by a respective linear actuation device which includes a first element and a second element that are movable relative to each other along a direction of relative movement, wherein the first element of each linear actuation device is hinged to a respective supporting member of the intermediate cylinder and wherein the second element of each linear actuation device is hinged to a respective supporting member of the impression cylinder.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are materials and methods used to form a three dimensional (3D) article having a printed layer thereon. The 3D articles are capable of displaying rear projected images, effectively as a 3D “screen” for displaying an image or a movie. The 3D articles are used as standalone articles or as a portion of an animatronic figure. The articles are made by forming a substantially planar thermoformable laminate including a rear projection screen material, printing and curing a radiation curable ink onto one or both sides of the laminate, and thermoforming to impart a shape to the laminate.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that executes image forming processing and stores sheets in a sheet storage location of the image forming apparatus even when the image forming processing results in needing to store more sheets that the amount of sheets storable in the sheet storage location.

Abstract: A method for printing an image at multiple positions on a golf ball is disclosed herein. The plurality of locations for the image is preferably ten. The image is preferably a pentagon. The image is alternatively a hexagon or a circle.

Abstract: A contact printing system comprising a gravure cylinder having first, second, and third pluralities of discrete cells disposed in a respective first, second, and third distribution upon the outer surface of the gravure cylinder is disclosed. The first, second, and third pluralities of discrete cells each receives a respective first, second, and third portion of a respective first, second, and third fluid from a respective first, second, and third at least one channel disposed internal to the gravure cylinder. The first, second, and third at least one channels each have a single entry point at the respective first, second, and third positions external to the gravure cylinder and a discrete exit point at the respective first, second, and third plurality of discrete cells. The first, second, and third plurality of discrete cells are disposed adjacent each other and are randomly distributed upon the outer surface of the gravure cylinder.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit which forms a toner image on an image carrier; a conveying unit which conveys a recording medium; a transfer unit which transfers the toner image formed on the image carrier to the recording medium conveyed by the conveying unit in a transfer nip; a pre-transfer charging unit which imparts an electrical charge, having a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity of a toner, to the recording medium conveyed by the conveying unit on an upstream side of the transfer nip in a conveyance direction; and a destaticizing unit which removes a part of the electrical charge that is imparted to a surface of the recording medium by the pre-transfer charging unit and corresponds to unevenness on the surface of the recording medium on an upstream side of the transfer nip in the conveyance direction.

Abstract: An apparatus wherein a hot stamp transfer roller can be quickly removed from the metal core after the hot stamp transfer roller is used up and immediately replaced with another hot stamp transfer roller so that the process can continue without having to return the central hub and the remaining portion of the hot stamp transfer roller to a facility where the hot stamp transfer roller is ground away from the central hub.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a curling correction portion, a curling direction determination portion, and a rotation control portion. The image forming portion forms an image on a recording medium. The curling direction determination portion determine a direction of curling in a recording medium in which images forms on both surfaces thereof, based on an image density of each of both surfaces of the recording medium in which the images forms on both surfaces thereof. The rotation control portion is configured to rotate the curling correction portion such that the curling correction portion is set in an orientation for correcting the curling that has occurred in the recording medium, in a direction opposite to the direction of the curling determined by the curling direction determination portion.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of orienting and decorating container end closures is provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to position container end closures in a predetermined orientation and then decorate a predetermined portion of the end closures.

Abstract: A lithographic printing plate support of the invention includes an aluminum plate and an anodized aluminum film which has micropores extending from a surface of the anodized film opposite from the aluminum plate in a depth direction of the anodized film; the micropores each have a large-diameter portion extending from the anodized film surface to an average depth (depth A) of 75 to 120 nm and a small-diameter portion which communicates with the bottom of the large-diameter portion; the average diameter of the large-diameter portion at the anodized film surface is at least 10 nm but less than 30 nm; a ratio of the depth A to the average diameter (depth A/average diameter) of the large-diameter portion is more than 4.0 but up to 12.0; and an average diameter of the small-diameter portion at the communication level is more than 0 but less than 10 nm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an image forming portion, a curling correction portion, and a speed control portion. The image forming portion forms an image on a recording medium. The curling correction portion has one pair of rollers composed of members that respectively have different elasticities and are pressed against each other, and corrects curling that has occurred in the recording medium after image formation performed thereon by the image forming portion, by conveying the recording medium sandwiched with the roller pair. The speed control portion changes a conveyance speed of the recording medium by the roller pair based on a density value of an image formed on the recording medium.

Abstract: Blanket replacement systems and methods useable with an image forming apparatus are provided herein. The blanket replacement system removes the blanket from the image transfer member and attaches the blanket to the image transfer member. The blanket replacement system includes a frame member, an engagement motor, and a rotation motor. The frame member holds a blanket having a lead edge portion on one edge and a trail edge portion on an opposing edge. The frame member further includes a lead edge clamp unit and a trail edge clamp unit that holds the lead edge and trail edge portions of the blanket and engages with an image transfer member. The engagement motor engages with the frame member and moves the frame member laterally in relation to the engagement motor. The rotation motor is connected to the engagement motor and rotates the engagement motor and the frame member.

Abstract: An SMT screen printer 100 is disclosed herein. In a described embodiment, the screen printer 100 comprises: i) a stencil 110 with a plurality of apertures; ii) a paste dispenser arranged to dispense a paste material through the plurality of apertures of the stencil to form a print pattern of the stencil to form a print pattern of the paste material on an electronic device; iii) an image capturing device in the form of a fiducial camera 176 arranged to capture at least one image of the plurality of apertures 114 of the stencil 110; iv) a processor 180 arranged to select which of the apertures 114 require cleaning based on the at least one captured image; and v) a cleaning device 138 arranged to clean the selected apertures 114. A method of cleaning a stencil 110 of an SMT screen printer 100 is also disclosed.

Abstract: A printing apparatus comprises supports for holding a roll of print media during printing, said supports being accessible from one side of the printer to insert a roll of print media, and an auxiliary media tray suitable for holding in a stable position a roll of print media placed with its outer surface resting on the tray, said auxiliary tray being attached to the printer on the same side of the printer from where the supports for the roll of print media are accessible.

Abstract: A board printing apparatus includes a board working table, a first printing table, a second printing table, and a control portion controlling printing operations. The control portion is configured to perform second printing on a board held by the board working table by a large component mask of the second printing table after a first printing performed on the board held by the board working table by a small component mask of the first printing table.