Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a temperature detector, and a heater. The pressing member contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to form a fixing nip between the fixing member and the pressing member through which a recording medium bearing a toner image passes. The heater heats the fixing member to a predetermined temperature based on a detection result provided by the temperature detector. A circumferential distance A between the temperature detector and the heater along a circumference of the fixing member is defined by the following formula: A?v×(T1+T2) where v is a circumferential velocity of the fixing member rotating in a predetermined direction of rotation, T1 is a response time of the temperature detector, and T2 is a response time of the heater.

Abstract: A charging brush unit includes a brush and a conductive holder. The brush includes a plurality of flexible conductive fibers. The plurality of flexible conductive fibers is supplied with a charging bias to generate electrical discharge between a top of the plurality of conductive fibers and a latent image carrier across a gap formed between the top of the plurality of conductive fibers and the latent image carrier. The gap is provided with an electrode. The electrode includes a plurality of openings opposing the top of the plurality of conductive fibers and is supplied with a bias different from the charging bias applied to the plurality of conductive fibers. The conductive holder holds the brush.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an unfixed toner image on a recording medium includes a rotatable fixing member heated by a heater to contact the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image while rotating, with the heater disposed inside a hollow of the fixing member and turned on and off intermittently at a start of a fixing process to heat the fixing member intermittently, a first pressing member disposed opposite the fixing member to press against and rotate the fixing member to define a fixing nip through which the recording medium passes to fix the unfixed toner image with heat and pressure, and a temperature detector to detect a change in the temperature of the fixing member when the heater turns on and off intermittently. When the temperature detector detects the change in the temperature of the fixing device, the heater is turned on continuously.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member including a recording medium passing area inside thereof through which the recording medium passes, a first heater disposed in the fixing member to heat the fixing member, a first pressing member disposed opposite the fixing member to press against and rotate the fixing member to fix the unfixed toner image on the recording medium, a second heater disposed outside the recording medium passing area and inside the fixing member to heat the fixing member cyclically in a given cycle of heating, a temperature detector to detect a change in the temperature of the fixing member when the fixing member is cyclically heated by the second heater, and a determination unit to evaluate a condition of rotation of the fixing member based on the cycle of heating by the second heater and the cycle of change in the temperature detected by the temperature detector.

Abstract: In a fixing device, a first reflection plate covers a part of an outer circumferential surface of an infrared heater in a circumferential direction of the infrared heater along an axial direction of the infrared heater substantially perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the infrared heater. The first reflection plate reflects light emitted by the infrared heater toward a fixing member. At least one light control mirror is provided in at least one end of the first reflection plate in an axial direction of the first reflection plate. At least one second reflection plate opposes the infrared heater via the at least one light control mirror to reflect the light emitted by the infrared heater and passing through the at least one light control mirror toward a center portion of the fixing member in an axial direction of the fixing member.

Abstract: A sheet feeder including a sheet feed shaft, a partially cut-out semicircular sheet feed roller coaxially provided to the sheet feed shaft, a cam coaxially provided to the sheet feed shaft, a driven gear having a toothless portion coaxially provided to the sheet feed shaft, a bottom plate movable to contact or separate from the cam, a driving unit to move the driven gear relative to the sheet feed shaft in a direction of rotation of the sheet feed shaft, a drive gear to drive the driven gear, a gear stopping unit to stop rotation of the driven gear at a predetermined timing, a coupling unit to drive the driven gear and the sheet feed shaft in conjunction with each other, and a shaft stopping unit to stop rotation of the sheet feed shaft.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed cassette for storing a sheet. The sheet feed cassette includes a protective sheet which is provided on a portion of the sheet feed cassette that contacts the sheet so as to prevent adhesive material from sticking thereto. The image forming apparatus further includes a sheet conveyance path that transports a sheet, and a protective sheet provided on a portion of the sheet conveyance path that contacts the sheet so as to prevent an adhesive material from sticking thereto.

Abstract: A communication transfer apparatus and a communication transfer method can transfer communications at low cost without the need of requesting a global IP network to switch any port number. The local internet protocol address of the origin terminal of transfer described in a record relating to a transfer out of the records of the masquerade table that is utilized for an internet protocol masquerade is rewritten as the local internal protocol address of the destination terminal of transfer, while maintaining the global port number of the record.

Abstract: In a fixing device, a rotatable endless film heats a sheet. A heat source is contacted and surrounded by the endless film to heat the endless film. A pressing member is disposed opposite the heat source. An air current generator generates an air current inside a loop formed by the endless film. The endless film and the pressing member are disposed to sandwich and feed the sheet forward as the sheet passes therebetween. The air current generator concentrates the air current on the endless film to heat the sheet at a given position.

Abstract: A communication transfer apparatus and a communication transfer method can transfer communications at low cost without the need of requesting a global IP network to switch any port number. The local internet protocol address of the origin terminal of transfer described in a record relating to a transfer out of the records of the masquerade table that is utilized for an internet protocol masquerade is rewritten as the local internal protocol address of the destination terminal of transfer, while maintaining the global port number of the record.

Abstract: An adaptor serving for both a mobile phone unit and a private IP telephone unit is disclosed. A mobile phone unit is connected to the adaptor through a low power wireless system or a wired cable. A telephone unit controller manages resource data (data such as telephone directory, telephone history, and mail). A memory editor links a telephone directory of a mobile phone unit and a telephone directory of an IP-PBX in cooperation with a telephone directory controller of the IP-PBX. A VoIP extension line section provides the mobile phone unit with a function of an extension telephone unit in cooperation with the IP-PBX. A QoS controller is a circuit that performs control for minimizing loss of audio data due to communication congestion on a communication path (intranet/Internet). A charging circuit is a circuit that charges a battery of the mobile phone unit. The charging circuit contains a protecting circuit that protects the battery from being overcharged.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, a contact member, and a heater. The fixing member is provided in a width direction of a recording medium and to heat and fuse a toner image on the recording medium. The pressure member is to press against the fixing member. The contact member is provided inside the fixing member and to contact the pressure member through the fixing member to form a nip portion between the pressure member and the fixing member. The heater includes a heating element and is to heat the contact member. The heating element of the heater is a mold member of a relatively thin plate extending in a width direction of the fixing member and includes a flat surface that faces the contact member. An image forming apparatus for forming an image includes the fixing device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) system which overcomes a troublesome operation and process of setting QoS needed for each LAN at the time of using various LANs in a home, an office, countless Hotspots and so forth. The wireless LAN system has a terminal and LAN control section. The terminal has a QoS (Quality of Service) analyzing/setting section which requests of the LAN control section for a QoS management table as a QoS policy to manage QoS of communication data at the time of establishing connection to a wireless LAN, analyzes the table sent from the LAN control section in response to the request, sets QoS setting data based on the result of that analysis, and sends the data to the LAN control section.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a flexible fixing member that heats a toner image to fuse, a contact member fixedly disposed internal to the fixing member and comes into contact with a pressure member via the fixing member to form a nip part, a plurality of heating devices that heats the contact member, wherein the contact member always maintains the contact state with the pressure member via the fixing member, the plurality of heating devices generally remain disposed in the fixing device under an operational state for heating and are freely removable for replacement under a non-operational state for heating.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a contacting member fixed in an interior of the fixing member, and a heating unit that emits infrared ray. A mechanism concentrates the infrared ray emitted by the heating unit into a nip portion between the fixing member and the pressing member and into an area narrower than a width of the nip portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism for forming a toner image on a recording medium, and a fixing device for fixing the toner image on the recording medium. The fixing device including a fixing film, a pressure member, a contact member, a heating device, a holding member, and at least one of a low friction member and a thermal conductivity improving member provided between the fixing film and the contact member. The fixing film heated by the heating device via the contact member comes into contact with the recording medium. The pressure member comes into pressure contact with the fixing film. The contact member comes into pressure contact with the pressure member via the fixing film to form, between the fixing film and the pressure member, a nip portion through which the recording medium is passed. The holding member holds the contact member and the heating device.

Abstract: When an infra-red heater is to be taken out from a fixing device for maintenance of the infra-red heater, screw-fastening is first released and one holder is extracted from a holding member. The infra-red heater is then pulled out from the side the holder was extracted from. This process is then reversed when a new or repaired infra-red heater is to be mounted on the fixing device.

Abstract: A charging brush unit includes a brush and a conductive holder. The brush includes a plurality of flexible conductive fibers. The plurality of flexible conductive fibers is supplied with a charging bias to generate electrical discharge between a top of the plurality of conductive fibers and a latent image carrier across a gap formed between the top of the plurality of conductive fibers and the latent image carrier. The gap is provided with an electrode. The electrode includes a plurality of openings opposing the top of the plurality of conductive fibers and is supplied with a bias different from the charging bias applied to the plurality of conductive fibers. The conductive holder holds the brush.

Abstract: An internet connection service providing method and internet connection service system for carrying out the method are provided. The method comprises presetting a service class for a user, among a plurality of service classes, where the service class is selected by the user, authenticating the user according to the preset service class when the user logs-in to a network, recognizing the preset service class for the user, and providing a service corresponding to the recognized service class.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed cassette for storing a sheet. The sheet feed cassette includes a protective sheet which is provided on a portion of the sheet feed cassette that contacts the sheet so as to prevent adhesive material from sticking thereto. The image forming apparatus further includes a sheet conveyance path that transports a sheet, and a protective sheet provided on a portion of the sheet conveyance path that contacts the sheet so as to prevent an adhesive material from sticking thereto.