Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which includes a main body, and a belt unit removable from the main body. The belt unit includes a belt extending between a drive roller and a driven roller and configured to rotate such that a recording medium is fed in a feeding direction. The apparatus further includes a feeding device that feeds the recording medium to the belt, and a positioning section including an engaging portion and an engaged portion, the positioning section being configured to position the belt unit when the engaging portion engages the engaged portion. Also, an urging member is provided that urges the belt unit and causes a pressing force to be applied between the engaging portion and the engaged portion. An urging direction of the urging member has a component in the feeding direction.

Abstract: The automatic document feeder includes a document tray, a document delivery tray, a document feed path, a feed roller, a housing member, and an ion generating unit. The housing member has at least an air intake portion and an air exhaust portion and is designed to accommodate a driving section therein. The ion generating unit is disposed laterally of the driving section within the housing member.

Abstract: A decurler device corrects a curl of a sheet. The decurler device includes a first roller, a second roller and a support unit. The first roller rotates about a first rotational shaft as an axial center. Further, the first roller is elastically deformable. The second roller rotates about a second rotational shaft in parallel with the first rotational shaft as an axial center. Further, the second roller is pressed by the first roller to elastically deform the first roller, thereby forming a curved nip portion between itself and the first roller. The second roller rotates to convey a sheet. The support unit rotatably supports the first and second rollers. Further, the support unit is rotatable about a third rotational shaft in parallel with the first rotational shaft as an axial center. The support unit rotates when a sheet is conveyed with it nipped by the nip portion.

Abstract: A flexible manufacturing system for an article of footwear includes a printing system for printing graphics onto the footwear. The flexible manufacturing system includes a first display device that is transparent and which may be used to superimpose graphics over an article to align the article with the printing system. An optical device and a second display device provide a fixed viewing angle for a user aligning the article under the first display device.

Abstract: To execute printing on a continuous sheet by using a printing unit, a printing control apparatus includes a reversal unit, an input unit, and a printing control unit. The reversal unit reverses the continuous sheet to execute printing on a second surface of the continuous sheet after executing printing on a first surface of the continuous sheet. The input unit inputs an instruction for executing an interruption print job while executing printing by the printing unit. If instruction for executing the interruption print job is input while the printing of a two-sided print job on the continuous sheet has been currently executed, the printing control unit suspends the two-sided print job, causes the printing unit to execute the interruption print job, and resumes processing of the two-sided print job on the continuous sheet that has been held by the reversal unit after the interruption print job is completed.

Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a switchback roller which switches between a normal rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction, first and second gear train for rotating the switchback roller in the normal and reverse rotation directions, respectively, a switching unit including a pendulum gear which is movable among a first engagement position where the pendulum gear is engaged with the first gear train, a second engagement position where the pendulum gear is engaged with the second gear train, and a disengagement position where the pendulum gear is not engaged with the first gear train and the second gear train. The switching unit is switchable among a first mode where the pendulum gear is held at the first engagement position, a second mode where the pendulum gear is held at the second engagement position, and a third mode where the pendulum gear is held at the disengagement position.

Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.

Abstract: A bypass feeder, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes an opening/closing unit opening and closing with respect to an apparatus body between a unit closed state and a unit open state, a bypass tray opening and closing with respect to the opening/closing unit between a tray closed state and a tray open state, a linkage including a flexible-member fixing member and connecting the opening/closing unit to the apparatus body, and a flexible member having one end fixed to the fixing member and the other end fixed to the bypass tray. When the opening/closing unit is changed to the unit open state while the bypass tray is rotated away from the opening/closing unit to the tray open state, the fixing member of the linkage shifts by pulling the flexible member to hold the bypass tray at a substantially horizontal line with respect to a sheet loading surface.

Abstract: In one example, a device for use in a printer includes a flexible piece and a holder configured to removably attach the piece to a platen that has a surface over which a print substrate is moved through the print zone for printing on the substrate. The piece and the holder are configured to place the piece in tension along the platen surface such that, when the piece is attached to the platen, the piece becomes sufficiently rigid to counter substrate edge curl.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a drive source configured to drive a member for forming an image on a recording material, a frame of the image forming apparatus including a planar portion on which the drive source is mounted, wherein a plurality of through holes is formed on the entire planar portion of the frame, and a sheet member configured to cover at least a portion of the plurality of through holes.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a sheet conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet, a transfer unit disposed downstream of the sheet conveyance unit and configured to transfer a toner image onto the sheet, a shifting unit configured to shift the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance unit in a width direction by shifting the sheet conveyance unit, a detection unit configured to detect a position of the sheet in the width direction while the sheet is being conveyed by the transfer unit, and a control unit configured to control the shifting unit. The control unit causes the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance unit to shift in the width direction based on a result detected by the detection unit while the sheet is being conveyed by the transfer unit.

Abstract: A curl correcting device includes a first roller, a second roller and a supporting unit. The supporting unit includes a first conveyance path and a second conveyance path. The first roller is rotated about a first rotary shaft and elastically deformable. The second roller is rotated about a second rotary shaft and elastically deforms the first roller by being pressed against the first roller, thereby forming a curved nip portion between the first and second rollers. The supporting unit is rotatable about a third rotary shaft and rotatably supports the first and second rollers. The first conveyance path communicates with the sheet conveyance path by the supporting unit being arranged at a first position about the third rotary shaft. The second conveyance path communicates with the sheet conveyance path by the supporting unit being arranged at a second position about the third rotary shaft.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided that has a roller for dispensing adhesive tape and a printing wheel in association with an ink reservoir, the tape being presented with its adhesive surface presented to the printing wheel for the printing to be applied to the adhesive surface; and hence is reversed so that the adhesive surface with the printing can be applied to a substrate.

Abstract: An rotation angle of a crank arm is calculated on the basis of a period of time in which a recording material is detected or a period of time in which the recording material is not detected and an end position of the recording material is calculated from the calculated rotation angle, so that detection of the end position of the recording material can be started regardless of a stop position of a sensor and the end position of the recording material can be accurately detected without using a dedicated drive source or member to reciprocate the sensor.

Abstract: A printing medium alignment device and an image forming apparatus having the same, the image forming apparatus includes a printing medium supply unit to supply a printing medium, a printing unit to print an image on the printing medium supplied from the printing medium supply unit, and a printing medium alignment device to align the printing medium fed toward the printing unit. The printing medium alignment device includes: a register roller; an idle roller to form a nip with the register roller, to feed the printing medium to the printing unit; a register to move to a first position to block the printing medium from entering the nip, to align the printing medium, and to move to a second position to allow the printing medium to enter the nip; and a shutter roller mounted in the register shutter. When the register shutter is in the second position, the shutter roller rolls while in contact with the printing medium, to decrease a friction between the printing medium and the register shutter.

Abstract: A printing system including: a first printer that forms an image on continuous-form printing paper, and includes a pre-heating unit that preliminarily heats the continuous-form printing paper prior to fixation and a fixing unit that performs the fixation; and a second printer that forms an image on the continuous-form printing paper fed from the first printer. The second printer includes a jam detecting unit that detects, at a detection position upstream of a position where the second printer forms the image on the continuous-form printing paper, and a control unit that controls the jam detecting unit such that the jam detection is not performed for a period of time, over which a deformed portion of the continuous-form printing paper which has been at rest at the pre-heating unit of the first printer passes through the detection position of the jam detecting unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member bearing a toner image, a transfer part transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a sheet, a separation/feeding part separating and feeding sheets stacked on a sheet stacking member, and a transport part transporting the sheet fed by the separation/feeding part to the transfer part, in which a transporting operation of the transport part is changed according to a length of the sheet to be transported in a transport direction of the sheet. A control is configured to control so that a timing to decelerate to the transfer speed by the transport part with respect to a start of image formation is changed according to a length of the transported sheet in a transport direction of the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet binding apparatus which forms concavity and the convexity on a sheet bundle including a plurality of sheets in a thickness direction so as to bind the sheet bundle, the sheet binding apparatus includes: a pair of concave-convex members, each of which has concave-convex portion in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle and which forms the concavity and the convexity on the sheet bundle in the thickness direction while niping the sheet bundle therebetween; wherein in the pair of concave-convex members, one of the concave-convex members has a greater difference in height of the concave-convex portion than that of the other concave-convex member which engages with the above-described concave-convex member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a sheet feeding portion which feeds a topmost sheet of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking portion and an image forming portion which forms an image to the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion. The image forming apparatus also has a moisture-proof member set to a covering position so as to contact with and cover a topmost sheet of sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion, a moisture-proof member detection portion which determines whether the moisture-proof member is available at the covering position, and a notification portion which notifies the presence or absence of the moisture-proof member at the covering position based on a detection result from the moisture-proof member detection portion.