Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a discharging portion, a supporting portion, an image reading portion, and a switching portion is provided. The image forming unit is configured to form an image on a sheet. The discharging portion is configured to discharge the sheet on which the image has been formed. The supporting portion is configured to support the sheet discharged by the discharging portion. The image reading portion is configured to read, at a reading position, the image formed on the sheet. The switching portion is configured to switch between causing the sheet discharged by the discharging portion to be conveyed to the supporting portion and causing the sheet discharged by the discharging portion to be conveyed toward the image reading portion. The sheet conveyed toward the image reading portion is conveyed to the reading position after conveyance by the discharging portion is finished.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, first and second discharging portions, first and second supporting portions, an image reading portion, and first and second switching portions is provided. The first switching portion switches between causing a sheet bearing an image formed by the image forming unit to be discharged to the first supporting portion by the first discharging portion and causing the sheet to be conveyed toward the image reading portion that reads the image. The second switching portion switches between causing the sheet whose image has been read to be conveyed toward the second discharging portion that discharges the sheet whose image has been read to the second supporting portion and causing the sheet to be conveyed toward the image forming unit. The image reading portion is disposed above the first discharging portion and further on the inside of the apparatus than the second switching portion.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus, an image reading apparatus, a connecting conveyance path that branches from a second main conveyance path of the image reading apparatus and joins a first sub conveyance path of the image forming apparatus, and configured to convey an original from the image reading apparatus to the image forming apparatus. The system controls conveyance of the original so that a first side becomes a side that faces an image forming unit if the first side of the original is designated as the image formation side or so that a second side becomes the side that faces the image forming unit if the second side of the original iFs designated as the image formation side.

Abstract: A discharge unit discharges the sheet has an image. A switching unit switches between stacking the sheet discharged from the discharge unit on a stacking unit or conveying the sheet the discharge unit toward an image reading apparatus. A conveyance unit conveys the sheet conveyed via the switching unit to a reading unit. A cooling unit cools the sheet discharged from the discharge unit or cools the reading unit.

Abstract: An inclined flange roller is located outward of an end portion of a tension roller in the belt width direction. The inclined flange roller includes a flange surface capable of being in contact with the edge portion of a belt in a region in which the belt is wound around the tension roller and a roller surface capable of being in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the belt between the flange surface and an end portion of the tension roller in the belt width direction.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having good cycle characteristics. The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present invention includes a positive electrode containing a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode containing a negative electrode active material, a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode active material is a layered lithium transition metal oxide, and the positive electrode active material has a crystallite size of 140 nm or less. The negative electrode active material contains at least carbon, and the nonaqueous electrolyte contains 2 to 30% by volume of fluoroethylene carbonate.

Abstract: A gold cluster catalyst is capable of promoting/controlling a chemical reaction with high catalytic activity and selectivity. The gold cluster catalyst has a carrier supporting clusters, each of which is an aggregate of a plurality of gold atoms, which can be obtained by providing the carrier supporting a plurality of gold cluster compounds and then processing the gold cluster compounds on the carrier, in which each of the gold cluster compounds is stabilized by an organic ligand and including a predetermined number of gold atoms. In the gold cluster catalyst, each of the clusters may have a particle diameter of 10 nm or less and be formed substantially only of gold atoms.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding portion configured to feed a sheet to a sheet conveying path; an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet; a sheet discharging portion configured to discharge the sheet; a sheet re-conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed to the sheet conveying path again; an original feeding portion configured to feed an original; an original feeding path configured to guide the original to the sheet re-conveying path; an image reading portion configured to read an image of the original; an original discharging path configured to guide the original guided along the sheet re-conveying path to an original discharging portion; and an original conveying portion configured to convey the original which has been guided along the original feeding path toward the original discharging path.

Abstract: A belt feeding unit includes a rotatable belt, a first stretching roller for stretching the belt, and a second stretching roller including a stretching portion for stretching the belt. A first member is provided at one end portion of the stretching portion with respect to a widthwise direction of the belt and perpendicular to a movement direction of the belt. The first member is movable relative to the stretching portion to change a position of one end of the stretching portion at the one end portion. In addition, a second member is provided at the other end portion of the stretching portion and is movable relative to the stretching portion to change a position of the other end of the stretching portion at the other end portion.

Abstract: An inclined flange roller is located outward of an end portion of a tension roller in the belt width direction. The inclined flange roller includes a flange surface capable of being in contact with the edge portion of a belt in a region in which the belt is wound around the tension roller and a roller surface capable of being in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the belt between the flange surface and an end portion of the tension roller in the belt width direction.

Abstract: An inclined flange roller is located outward of an end portion of a tension roller in the belt width direction. The inclined flange roller includes a flange surface capable of being in contact with the edge portion of a belt in a region in which the belt is wound around the tension roller and a roller surface capable of being in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the belt between the flange surface and an end portion of the tension roller in the belt width direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first conveying path guiding a sheet such that the sheet passes through the image forming portion, a second conveying path guiding the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming portion to the first conveying path. A document is fed to the second conveying path and the image forming apparatus includes a first drive transmission portion transmitting a drive force to the image forming portion and a second drive transmission portion transmitting the drive force to a document feeding portion, a conveyance portion and a document discharge portion.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery etc. which are capable of suppressing the generation of gas during charge by suppressing a reaction between a positive electrode and an electrolyte decomposition product moved from a negative electrode and a reaction between the positive electrode and the electrolyte, and which are thereby capable of significantly improving battery characteristics such as cycling characteristics. The positive electrode active material includes a compound composed of sodium, fluorine, and erbium and adhered to a surface of lithium cobalt oxide, and can be produced by adding, while adjusting pH, an aqueous solution prepared by dissolving erbium nitrate pentahydrate to a suspension containing lithium cobalt oxide and sodium fluoride.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material according to an aspect of the present invention for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries contains a lithium transition metal composite oxide that has a compound in contact with its surface, the compound containing a rare earth metal and silicic acid and/or boric acid. A positive electrode according to an aspect of the present invention has a positive electrode collector and a positive electrode mixture layer formed on at least one surface of the positive electrode collector. The positive electrode mixture layer contains a positive electrode active material, a binder, and a conductive agent. The positive electrode active material contains a lithium transition metal composite oxide that has a compound in contact with its surface, the compound containing a rare earth metal and silicic acid and/or boric acid.

Abstract: A rotating member provided on an end of a stretching member is rotatable around a rotating axis inclined with respect to the shaft of the stretching member. In order that, when a belt end winds around the rotating member, the belt end winds around an outer side of an entry position where the belt end enters the rotating member, an outer circumferential surface of the rotating member in an area in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the belt is inclined with respect to a belt contact surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding portion configured to feed a sheet to a sheet conveying path; an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet; a sheet discharging portion configured to discharge the sheet; a sheet re-conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed to the sheet conveying path again; an original feeding portion configured to feed an original; an original feeding path configured to guide the original to the sheet re-conveying path; an image reading portion configured to read an image of the original; an original discharging path configured to guide the original guided along the sheet re-conveying path to an original discharging portion; and an original conveying portion configured to convey the original which has been guided along the original feeding path toward the original discharging path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding portion configured to feed a sheet to a sheet conveying path; an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet; a sheet discharging portion configured to discharge the sheet; a sheet re-conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed to the sheet conveying path again; an original feeding portion configured to feed an original; an original feeding path configured to guide the original to the sheet re-conveying path; an image reading portion configured to read an image of the original; an original discharging path configured to guide the original guided along the sheet re-conveying path to an original discharging portion; and an original conveying portion configured to convey the original which has been guided along the original feeding path toward the original discharging path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first conveying path which connects between a sheet feed portion and a sheet discharging portion, and on which a image forming portion is arranged. The image forming apparatus further includes a second conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed on one surface thereof by the image forming portion to the first conveying path again, a document conveying path, and a reading portion. The document conveying path includes a document feeding path, a document discharging path, and a common conveying path which serves as at least a part of the second conveying path, and guides the document from a document feed portion to a document discharging portion through the document feeding path, the common conveying path and the document discharging path without causing the document to pass through the image forming position. The reading portion reads a first face and a second face of the document which is fed from the document feed portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding unit, an image forming unit, a first conveyance path configured to guide the sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit, a second conveyance path configured to guide the sheet on one surface of which an image has been formed by the image forming unit to the first conveyance path again, a document feeding unit configured to feed a document to the second conveyance path, an image reading unit configured to read the document, a third conveyance path branching off from the second conveyance path and configured to guide the document, a switch back conveyance unit configured to convey the document in the third conveyance path, a fourth conveyance path configured to guide the document conveyed by the switch back conveyance unit, and a document discharge unit configured to discharge the document guided by the fourth conveyance path.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a reading unit, first and second original sheet conveyance paths, a common conveyance path in which a recording material or the original sheet is conveyed to form an image, a third original sheet conveyance path that connects the first original sheet conveyance path and the second original sheet conveyance path and is used for conveying the original sheet conveyed in the second original sheet conveyance path to the common conveyance path, and a control unit that controls so as to convey the original sheet conveyed in the second original sheet conveyance path to the common conveyance path via the third original sheet conveyance path, and form an image on the original sheet.