Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a detection unit, and a determination unit. The conveyance unit conveys a sheet. The detection unit detects a sound that emanates when the conveyance unit operates. The determination unit performs state determination. In a case where a volume of a sound detected by the detection unit is not higher than or equal to a predetermined sound volume, the determination unit determines that the conveyance unit is not normally operating. In a case where the detected sound volume is higher than or equal to the predetermined sound volume, the determination unit determines that the conveyance unit is normally operating.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a driving roller, a driven roller rotated by the rotation of the driving roller, a non-conductive feeding guide, a conductive frame, a conductive bearing and an urging member to urge the driven roller toward the driving roller. The feeding guide includes a supporting portion to displaceably support the rotation shaft in an urging direction. The frame includes a positioning portion to position the driven roller in the urging direction by contact with the rotation shaft in a state in which the driving roller is urged by the driven roller.

Abstract: The invention relates to a suction brake for use with a sheet conveyor configured to convey a succession of flat elements in sheet form along a conveying path between a first location and a second location, the suction brake comprising: a hollow body having an interior cavity and a face that defines a plurality of suction apertures that communicate with the interior cavity; an obturator arrangement coupled to the hollow body and moveable with respect to the suction apertures; the obturator arrangement being moveable between an open position, in which the obturator arrangement exposes the suction apertures to a maximum extent, and a restricted position, in which the obturator arrangement occludes the suction apertures to a maximum extent. The obturator may rotate or be linearly translated in moving between the open and restricted positions.

Abstract: The present application relates to a device for conveying flat pieces. The device comprises a belt with a transport surface, wherein the belt is movable along a transport axis; a support element with a support surface for supporting the belt; and a vacuum supply for providing vacuum suction; wherein a suction distributing structure at the support surface of the support element is in fluid connection with the vacuum supply; and wherein the suction distributing structure has a belt suction region and a card suction region, wherein the belt suction region is configured to provide suction to the belt and the card suction region is configured to provide suction to flat pieces on the transport surface of the belt. The present application also relates to a system for treating flat pieces, the system comprising a treatment device, for example a print head.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a conveyance guide, a driven rotary member, and a support portion. The support portion supports a shaft portion of the rotary member driven to rotate by a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit and guided by the conveyance guide. The support portion includes first and second contact portions that support the shaft portion of the driven rotary member while being in contact with the shaft portion. With respect to a cross section of the shaft portion perpendicular to an axial direction of the shaft portion, the driven rotary member is disposed so that a portion, of the driven rotary member, that is on a lower side in a vertical direction relative to a horizontal line and is on one side in a horizontal direction relative to a vertical line comes into contact with the sheet.

Abstract: An ultrasonic apparatus includes a first ultrasonic sensor that transmits an ultrasonic wave to an object and receives the ultrasonic wave reflected by the object, a second ultrasonic sensor that transmits an ultrasonic wave to the object and receives the ultrasonic wave reflected by the object, an determination circuit that outputs an error signal when the difference between a first distance between the first ultrasonic sensor and the object calculated based on ultrasonic wave transmission and reception processing using the first ultrasonic sensor and a second distance between the second ultrasonic sensor and the object calculated based on ultrasonic wave transmission and reception processing using the second ultrasonic sensor is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

Abstract: A document managing method for a printing device is provided. The document managing method includes the following steps. Firstly, a printing mechanism prints a document with plural papers, and transfers the plural papers to a paper collection platform. Then, a management module manages the plural papers from two lateral sides of the plural papers. Then, a paper ejection module ejects a first portion of the plural papers at a first speed, and then ejects a second portion of the plural papers at a second speed. Consequently, the plural papers are exited from the paper collection platform. Then, the management module is separated from the two lateral sides of the plural papers, so that the plural papers fall down to a supporting tray. The first speed is faster than the second speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a discharging tray for supporting a sheet, an operation panel and a supporting member. The sheet is discharged toward a sheet discharging direction that is a direction toward which the sheet is discharged. The operation panel is located at a position which is different from the position of the discharging tray in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction and above the discharging tray. The supporting member is disposed at the discharging tray and capable of supporting the discharged sheet with the discharging tray. A front end portion of the supporting member is located above an upper surface of the discharging tray. At least a part of the front end portion of the supporting member overlaps the operation panel when viewed in the width direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet accommodation unit, a feed roller to feed a sheet along a conveyance path, a first encoder to detect rotation of the feed roller, a conveying roller downstream of the feed roller, a second encoder to detect rotation of the conveying roller, and a motor to drive the feed roller and the conveying roller. A first clutch switches between connecting and disconnecting the paper feed roller to the motor. A second clutch switches between connecting and disconnecting the motor to the conveying roller. A first sensor detects the sheet at a first position. A second sensor detects the sheet at a second position. A control unit controls the motor based on output from the first encoder when the sheet is at the first position and output from the second encoder when the sheet is at the second position.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet in a conveying direction includes a pair of conveying rollers receiving and conveying a sheet; an endless conveying belt conveying the sheet; a plurality of balls to be rotatable in any direction while nipping the sheet with the conveying surface; a pair of regulating guides disposed on both sides of the conveying belt; a guide moving unit that moves the pair of regulating guides; and a roller moving unit that moves at least one of the pair of conveying rollers to a nip position and a nip release position. Before a rear end of the sheet passes the pair of conveying rollers, the pair of conveying rollers is moved to the nip release position by the roller moving unit, and then, the guide moving unit makes each of the pair of regulating guides reach the guide position from the retracting position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding sheets is provided with a multi feed detecting section for detecting multi feed of conveyed sheets in a predetermined detection position of a conveyance path, and first and second discharge sections to which multi-fed sheets with the multi feed detected are discharged, and corresponding to one of a front end position of the multi-fed sheets at the time the multi feed detecting section detects the multi feed of sheets, a sheet storage state of the second discharge section, sheet storage states of the first and second discharge sections, a size of sheets and weighing, selects one of the first and second discharge sections to discharge the multi-fed sheets to the selected discharge section.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes a conveyor and a conveyed object receptor. The conveyor includes a conveyance surface facing downward and configured to convey a conveyed object having a sheet-like shape. The conveyed object receptor is arranged below the conveyor and configured to receive the conveyed object having fallen from the conveyor.

Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus conveyable a passport includes a guide pair including a first guide, and a second guide located so as to sandwich a medium conveyance path together with the first guide, to regulate a vertical direction of the medium conveyance path, a light emitting element located on an outside of the medium conveyance path with one of the first guide or the second guide in between to detect the medium, a light receiving element located on an outside of the medium conveyance path with the first guide in between, to receive a light emitted by the light emitting element, and an opening provided in the first guide, to pass the light emitted from the light emitting element. A reflectivity in a periphery of the opening of the first guide is 55% or less.

Abstract: A sheet container to contain a sheet includes a support unit including a plurality of engaged portions and supports the contained sheet, a moveable regulation unit that contacts a sheet end to regulate the sheet in position. The regulation unit includes an operating member held by a holding member and a fixing member movable with the operating member covered by a cover. The fixing member is movable between an engaging position at which the fixing member engages with one of the plurality of engaged portions and a non-engaged position at which the fixing member does not engage with one of the plurality of engaged portions. The operating member is engageable with the cover. The regulation unit is kept fixed to the support unit by the fixing member engaging with one of the plurality of engaged portions, with the cover engaging with the operating member.

Abstract: A stacker includes a medium stacking portion for receiving and stacking a medium processed and discharged by a processing unit, a medium butting portion for aligning the medium by contacting a leading end of the medium, and a paddle that includes a feeding portion and is for transporting the medium received by the medium stacking portion in a direction toward the medium butting portion by rotating. Furthermore, the stacker has a first mode in which the paddle stops in a state in which the feeding portion does not contact the medium on the medium stacking portion and a second mode in which the paddle stops in a state in which the feeding portion comes into contact with the medium on the medium stacking portion and is deformed.

Abstract: A substrate printing system is disclosed having a perforated conveyor belt adapted for transporting on the same a substrate to be printed, wherein the perforated conveyor belt has a set of perforations; a perforated grill which has a set of perforations and which is configured such that the perforated conveyor belt can be moved over the perforated grill; and a suction chamber which has a suction element, the suction chamber being in communication with the perforated conveyor belt and with the perforated grill such that the suction flow created by the suction element is adapted for passing through perforations of the perforated conveyor belt and of the perforated grill to secure the substrate to the perforated conveyor belt.

Abstract: A medium transport portion includes a main body portion, a tray unit, and a support guide member. The main body portion includes a first manual feed path and a second manual feed path. The tray unit can be accommodated in the main body portion in a non-use state, and a medium is mounted thereon in a use state. The support guide member is movable in a Z-direction, and supports the tray unit such that a first position that the tray unit is positioned in the first manual feed path, a second position of being positioned in the second manual feed path, and a third position of being accommodated in the main body portion are switched.

Abstract: A sheet suction device includes a drum including multiple suction holes in a circumferential surface of the drum, the drum configured to bear a sheet on the circumferential surface and rotate, a suction device configured to suck the sheet through the multiple suction holes, a rotary valve between the multiple suction holes of the drum and the suction device, the rotary valve configured to rotate relative to the drum to change a number of the multiple suction holes communicating with the suction device, and a driver configured to relatively rotate the drum and the rotary valve.

Abstract: A medium-transporting device includes: a medium-support section that has a first mounting surface inclined relative to a horizontal plane; a transport path for transporting a medium; a discharge stacker that is configured to switch between an extended state in which a second mounting surface that is inclined relative to the horizontal plane and that receives the medium discharged along the transport path is formed and a stored state in which the second mounting surface is stored in the medium-transporting device, a control section is configured to perform first control of switching the discharge stacker from the extended state to the stored state after the medium is discharged to the second mounting surface and second control of not switching the discharge stacker from the extended state to the stored state such that the medium remains mounted on the second mounting surface.

Abstract: A medium transport device includes a transport belt that is disposed in such a manner as to face an image holding unit holding an image and that is capable of moving circularly so as to transport a medium, a first stretching roller that stretches a portion of the transport belt and that is disposed in such a manner as to face the image holding unit, the first stretching roller being configured to transport the medium by nipping the medium between the image holding unit and the transport belt and configured to transfer the image held by the image holding unit onto the medium, a second stretching roller that stretches a portion of the transport belt that is located downstream from the portion of the transport belt stretched by the first stretching roller in a transport direction of the medium, a contact adjusting unit that causes a second end of the first stretching roller in an axial direction of the first stretching roller to swing while a first end of the first stretching roller serves as a fulcrum and adjus