Abstract: A belt positioning system for positioning a movable belt entrained about a plurality of generally parallel rollers for moving in a trans-axial direction perpendicular to an axial direction in which the rollers extend parallel to each other includes a tapered flange. The tapered flange is operatively connected to an axial end of a specific one of the plurality of generally parallel rollers, and includes a generally planar contact surface and an angled guide surface. The generally planar contact surface extends generally perpendicular to the axial direction to contact an adjoining edge of the belt. The angled guide surface extends radially outward from the contact surface and has a diameter increasing outward in the axial direction.

Abstract: A belt tracking system for controlling the lateral position of a movable belt entrained about a plurality of generally parallel rollers for moving in a trans-axial direction perpendicular to an axial direction in which the rollers extend parallel to each other includes a roller shaft, a stationary member, a slidable member, and a biasing mechanism. The roller shaft extends outward in the axial direction from an axial end of a specific one of the plurality of generally parallel rollers. The stationary member is fixed in position adjacent to the roller shaft to define a first interfacial surface therealong. The slidable member is co-movably coupled with the roller shaft to define a second interfacial surface therealong inclined relative to the axial direction. The biasing mechanism is connected to the roller shaft to press the slidable member against the stationary member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a belt cleaning device is provided. The belt cleaning device includes an image bearing belt having an elastic layer, a cleaning member, a cleaning facing member, and a side seal. A surface of the image bearing belt is movable. The cleaning member is in contact with the surface of the image bearing belt to remove a substance adhered thereto. The cleaning facing member is disposed on a back-surface side of the image bearing belt while facing the cleaning member with the image bearing belt therebetween. The side seal is disposed to an axial end part of the cleaning member and pressed against the surface of the image bearing belt. The cleaning facing member is out of contact with the back side of the image bearing belt within an area where the cleaning facing member faces the side seal with respect to an axial direction.

Abstract: A belt positioning system for positioning a movable belt entrained about a plurality of generally parallel rollers for moving in a trans-axial direction perpendicular to an axial direction in which the rollers extend parallel to each other includes a flange. The flange is operatively connected to an axial end of a specific one of the plurality of generally parallel rollers to define a contact surface therealong which extends generally perpendicular to the axial direction to contact an adjoining edge of the belt. The contact surface of the flange is spaced apart from the axial end of the roller in the axial direction.

Abstract: A belt positioning system for positioning a movable belt entrained about a plurality of generally parallel rollers for moving in a trans-axial direction perpendicular to an axial direction in which the rollers extend parallel to each other includes a tapered flange. The tapered flange is operatively connected to an axial end of a specific one of the plurality of generally parallel rollers, and includes a generally planar contact surface and an angled guide surface. The generally planar contact surface extends generally perpendicular to the axial direction to contact an adjoining edge of the belt. The angled guide surface extends radially outward from the contact surface and has a diameter increasing outward in the axial direction.

Abstract: A cleaning device including a normally charged toner cleaning member provided in contact with a cleaning target at a contact position to remove normally charged toner from the cleaning target, a reversely charged toner cleaning member provided in contact with the cleaning target at a contact position upstream from the normally charged toner cleaning member to remove reversely charged toner from the cleaning target, and a pre-cleaning member provided in contact with the cleaning target at a contact position upstream from both the normally and reversely charged toner cleaning members to remove normally charged toner from the cleaning target. The contact position between the pre-cleaning member and the cleaning target has a width wider than a width of the contact position between the normally charged toner cleaning member and the cleaning target and a width of the contact position between the reversely charged toner cleaning member and the cleaning target.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an image carrying member; a developing unit for forming a toner image by developing an electrostatic latent image that has been formed on the image carrying member in a charged state; a cleaning unit for cleaning a toner that remains on the image carrying member after the toner image has been transferred from the image carrying member onto a transfer material; a lubricant applying unit for applying a lubricant on the image carrying member; and a control unit for performing drive control of the image carrying member, the developing unit, the cleaning unit, and the lubricant applying unit. Before the imaging device starts an imaging operation, the control unit controls the image carrying member, the developing unit, and the cleaning unit to perform respective operations; while controls the lubricant applying unit to repeat performing and suspending the operation in an intermittent manner.

Abstract: A novel image forming apparatus including a setting memory storing multiple voltage settings; two or more voltage applying members each contacting a voltage applied member at respective contact positions close to each other, which are simultaneously being applied with respective voltages selected from the voltage settings; two or more current detectors each detecting a current flowing in the respective contact positions; and a setting changer performing a setting changing processing in which the voltage applied to one of the voltage applying members is changed based on the current detected by the corresponding current detector while a predetermined voltage is applied to the other voltage applying members, so that an optimum current flows in the corresponding contact position.

Abstract: A cleaning device including a rotatable cleaning member contacting a rotatable image carrier bearing a toner image to electrostatically remove toner from the image carrier while rotating, and a control unit to control rotation of the cleaning member to satisfy a relation of (60/R)>(L/V) during removal of a toner pattern formed on the image carrier at a predetermined timing and remaining attached to the image carrier without being transferred from the image carrier onto a transfer member using the cleaning member, where R (rpm) is a number of rotations of the cleaning member, L (mm) is a length of the toner pattern in a direction of rotation of the image carrier, and V (mm/s) is a speed of the image carrier.

Abstract: A cleaning device including a normally charged toner cleaning member provided in contact with a cleaning target at a contact position to remove normally charged toner from the cleaning target, a reversely charged toner cleaning member provided in contact with the cleaning target at a contact position upstream from the normally charged toner cleaning member to remove reversely charged toner from the cleaning target, and a pre-cleaning member provided in contact with the cleaning target at a contact position upstream from both the normally and reversely charged toner cleaning members to remove normally charged toner from the cleaning target. The contact position between the pre-cleaning member and the cleaning target has a width wider than a width of the contact position between the normally charged toner cleaning member and the cleaning target and a width of the contact position between the reversely charged toner cleaning member and the cleaning target.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for transporting a recording medium on which an image is formed includes a guide plate. The guide plate guides the recording medium to a predetermined position in the image forming apparatus and includes a flexible sheet member and a rigid holding member. The rigid holding member holds the flexible sheet member such that the flexible sheet member projects from a front end of the rigid holding member. The projecting portion of the flexible sheet member includes at least three flexible sub-portions having a different bend-stiffness per unit area from each other, and the bend-stiffness per unit area is reduced toward a downstream side in a sheet guide direction.

Abstract: A cleaning device including: multiple cleaning members arranged consecutively in a direction of movement of a cleaning target to remove adhered substances from the cleaning target; multiple casings to individually hold and at least partially enclose the multiple cleaning members, respectively, the casings and the cleaning members together constituting multiple sub-units; and a sub-unit holder to hold the multiple sub-units, from which the sub-units are individually removable.

Abstract: The soil-water coupled analysis program of the invention computes a global L matrix and a modified global L matrix regarding a volume change rate of a soil skeleton over time, a global H matrix regarding a water permeability of soil, a global M matrix regarding a mass, and a global K matrix regarding a tangent stiffness of the soil skeleton, based on input settings of soils, such as clay, intermediate soil, and sand, to respective elements of a soil foundation, input settings of a solid soil model, and input settings of analysis conditions (steps S140 to S165). The soil-water coupled analysis program formulates a global tangent stiffness equation (simultaneous linear equations) using all these computed matrixes and determines an unknown ‘jerk field’ and a ‘pore water pressure field’ under given boundary conditions, for example, a given deformation condition and a given stress rate condition (step S170).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms high precision full color image by correcting the adhesion quantity of an image visualizing agent and a position shift of a visible image while performing printing process. The image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer unit; plural photoconductors; plural charging units; plural exposure units; plural developing units; plural first transferring units; and plural second transferring units. The intermediate transfer unit has a correction pattern image formed in a region outside a predetermined maximum document region in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction. A detector in the intermediate transfer unit detects the correction pattern image. A correction controller performs correcting, based on detection results of the detector, setting values of one or more of the charging units, the exposure units, and the developing units when a region corresponding to an interval between the visible images passes a position beneath one of the units.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an image carrying member; a developing unit for forming a toner image by developing an electrostatic latent image that has been formed on the image carrying member in a charged state; a cleaning unit for cleaning a toner that remains on the image carrying member after the toner image has been transferred from the image carrying member onto a transfer material; a lubricant applying unit for applying a lubricant on the image carrying member; and a control unit for performing drive control of the image carrying member, the developing unit, the cleaning unit, and the lubricant applying unit. Before the imaging device starts an imaging operation, the control unit controls the image carrying member, the developing unit, and the cleaning unit to perform respective operations; while controls the lubricant applying unit to repeat performing and suspending the operation in an intermittent manner.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a image forming unit, a measurement unit and a controller. The image carrier includes a central region on which a target image as an object of an image forming is formed and a peripheral region placed outward of the central region. The image forming unit forms a reference image on the peripheral region and the central region, before the image forming is started. Also, the image forming unit forms the target image on the central region based on a preset condition and a third reference image on the peripheral region, during the image forming. The measurement unit measures a physical quantity for the reference images.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for transporting a recording medium on which an image is formed includes a guide plate. The guide plate guides the recording medium to a predetermined position in the image forming apparatus and includes a flexible sheet member and a rigid holding member. The rigid holding member holds the flexible sheet member such that the flexible sheet member projects from a front end of the rigid holding member. The projecting portion of the flexible sheet member includes at least three flexible sub-portions having a different bend-stiffness per unit area from each other, and the bend-stiffness per unit area is reduced toward a downstream side in a sheet guide direction.

Abstract: The soil-water coupled analysis program of the invention computes a global L matrix and a modified global L matrix regarding a volume change rate of a soil skeleton over time, a global H matrix regarding a water permeability of soil, a global M matrix regarding a mass, and a global K matrix regarding a tangent stiffness of the soil skeleton, based on input settings of soils, such as clay, intermediate soil, and sand, to respective elements of a soil foundation, input settings of a solid soil model, and input settings of analysis conditions (steps S140 to S165). The soil-water coupled analysis program formulates a global tangent stiffness equation (simultaneous linear equations) using all these computed matrixes and determines an unknown ‘jerk field’ and a ‘pore water pressure field’ under given boundary conditions, for example, a given deformation condition and a given stress rate condition (step S170).

Abstract: A film loading method of an image forming apparatus, includes: loading an endless film which was stored in a container box, using at least two support members, to a film frame of the image forming apparatus, wherein the film is supported by the support members in a different form with respect to a condition of the film when loaded and fitted to the film frame. The support members are initially stored in the container box and serve as a packaging member for use in transporting and storing the film. The support members are attached to respective portions of the film frame and guide the film to be loaded and fitted onto the film frame. The film frame includes holding rollers, and the support members are attached to the respective portions of the film frame, coaxially with the holding rollers.

Abstract: A film loading method of an image forming apparatus, includes: loading an endless film which was stored in a container box, using at least two support members, to a film frame of the image forming apparatus, wherein the film is supported by the support members in a different form with respect to a condition of the film when loaded and fitted to the film frame. The support members are initially stored in the container box and serve as a packaging member for use in transporting and storing the film. The support members are attached to respective portions of the film frame and guide the film to be loaded and fitted onto the film frame. The film frame includes holding rollers, and the support members are attached to the respective portions of the film frame, coaxially with the holding rollers.