Abstract: A suction muffler receives low-temperature refrigerant gas discharged into a hermetic container from a suction pipe by a gas catcher, and feeds the gas to a compressor. The lower end of an opening of the gas catcher is located at a position lower than the lower end of an orifice of the suction pipe so as to catch the refrigerant gas falling obliquely downward inside the hermetic container.

Abstract: A current mode controlled DC/DC converter that includes an adaptive clamp voltage circuit at an error amplifier output to significantly reduce overshoot in the output of the converter if the target voltage changes rapidly. If a current limiter is active, the clamp level of the adaptive clamp voltage circuit is decreased at an appropriate rate. Similarly, if the current limiter is not activated, the adaptive clamp voltage circuit is restored to an initial clamp level. The operation of the adaptive clamp circuit at the output of the error amplifier enables a relatively faster reduction in both overshoot and the amount of time before the converter's output voltage and output current settle back down to a relatively constant state.

Abstract: A timer circuit includes a storage unit to store a series of first data content relating to a time into a specified address area, a target value generation unit to read the first data content from a read address of the storage unit and to generate, as a target value, third data content in which second data content is added to the first data content, a counter to perform counting and to output a count-up signal when the counting is performed up to the target value, and a control unit to sequentially designate a next read address of the storage unit at each count-up and to cause the series of operations of the target value generation unit and the counter to be executed.

Abstract: An excitation phase pattern used to manage only the number of phases being excited in W1-2 phase excitation, and an excitation phase pattern used to manage only the number of phases being excited in 2W1-2-phase excitation are generated. The excitation phase patterns thus generated are monitored on the monitor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the invention includes plural photoconductive bodies for forming a color image, an exposure unit to scan a laser light in a main scanning direction of each of the plural photoconductive bodies and to perform exposure, and a light amount correction unit to create, for each of the plural photoconductive bodies, light amount correction data for correcting a light amount of the laser light outputted from the exposure unit so that a light receiving sensitivity of each of the plural photoconductive bodies in the main scanning direction becomes uniform, and the light amount correction unit includes a first storage unit to store reference correction data, a second storage unit to store relative correction data represented, when the reference correction data is made an absolute amount, by a relative amount correspondingly to each of the plural photoconductive bodies, and a combining unit to combine the reference correction data and the relative correction data to create the light amount c

Abstract: A data converting circuit to receive an input data and convert the input data into an output data is disclosed. An output data group corresponding to the value of the input data is stored beforehand in an output data table. A multiplexer receives the input data and in accordance with the input data, selectively outputs one data out of the output data group stored in the output data table. A specific digit output circuit receives the input data and in accordance with the result of comparing the input data with the boundary information stored in advance, outputs a specific digit output data included in the output data but not output by the multiplexer.

Abstract: A control device for a stepping motor of the present invention stores setting data for controlling a state of the stepping motor in a data storage unit for each of a plurality of basic control items obtained by classifying control from activation to stoppage of the stepping motor. In addition, the control device for the stepping motor includes a plurality of modules that execute processing with respect to the basic control items and a module control unit that specifies the order of executing the processing by the plurality of modules in advance, and controls the stepping motor by operating the modules in accordance with the specified executing order based on the setting data stored in the data storage unit.

Abstract: An excitation phase pattern used to manage only the number of phases being excited in W1-2 phase excitation, and an excitation phase pattern used to manage only the number of phases being excited in 2W1-2-phase excitation are generated. The excitation phase patterns thus generated are monitored on the monitor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a function selection/designation section that obtains the designation of selection of a signed-document creation mode for creating at least signed authentic documents and/or copies thereof, a signature position designation section that obtains the designation of a signature position on printing sheets, a signature input section that obtains signature information input by handwriting, a signature temporary storage section that temporarily stores the signature information from the signature input section, an image obtaining section that obtains image data of an original to be provided with the signature, a signature/image synthesizing section that synthesizes the signature information in the signature temporary storage section and the image data in the image obtaining section so that the signature is provided at the designated signature position on the printing sheet, and a printout section that prints out signed documents based on the data synthesiz

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a housing, a unit removably provided in the housing and configured to perform a specific operation in cooperation with components provided in the housing while being provided in the housing, an accessory circuit included in the unit, a cover that covers the unit provided in the housing, a first detector that detects a state in which the unit is set in the housing, a second detector that detects whether the cover is opened or closed, and a control section for controlling the supply of power to the unit in accordance with the results of detection made by the first and second detectors. The control section applies an operating voltage to the entire unit while the unit remains set in the housing and the cover remains closed, applies the operating voltage to the accessory circuit while the cover remains opened, and stops the application of the operating voltage to the entire unit when the unit is removed from the housing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises an image forming section which forms an toner image on a transported sheet; a fixing section which includes a heat source and fixes the toner image on the sheet; a coupling unit which electrically couples the image forming apparatus main unit and the fixing equipment to each other; and a circuit which detects the temperatures of various portions of the fixing equipment, controls the energization condition to the heat source depending on the temperature detection results and stops the energization of the heat source if a temperature beyond a predetermined temperature range is detected by either the first or second temperature detection element, if the coupling unit is disconnected, or if the second temperature detection element is broken.

Abstract: The present invention, when a fraction for a bus width of a storage area is changed, stores a RAM address storing data immediately before or a RAM address for inputting the changed information in an exclusive register, thereby saves the storage area of data. When calculating stored data together, there is no need to always add the high-order address which is a fraction to calculation, so that the processing time is shortened.

Abstract: A current detecting device and method that detects a variation in a current being supplied to a load in supplying variable DC power to the load via an inductor from a synchronous rectification DC-DC converter in which a high-side switch is connected to one electrode of a DC input voltage source and a low-side switch connected to the other electrode. The switches are turned on and off alternately during a prescribed switching period. A low-pass filter is connected to a signal line that leads from a connecting point of the inductor and the switches. An operation circuit detects an output current of the DC-DC converter by performing an operation on the difference between an output voltage of the low-pass filter and an output voltage of the DC-DC converter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus decreases the speed of moving an optional position in the circumference of a photoconductor, the speed of moving the surface of a transfer belt, and the speed of moving an optional position in the circumference of a roller body of a fixing unit, in a period from a moment when a part of the surface of a transfer belt corresponding to the rear end of the last one of a plurality of overlaid toner images passes a primary transfer position, to a moment when a part of the surface of a transfer belt corresponding to the front end of a toner image held in the transfer belt in the overlaid state reaches the primary transfer position.

Abstract: A power system causes no variation in output voltage during switching from a linear regulator to a DC-DC converter. The power system switches off a drive circuit of a DC-DC converter and supplies voltage to a load from a linear regulator if the load is light, while the power system halts voltage supply to the load from the linear regulator and switches the drive circuit of the DC-DC converter on if the load is heavy. During a set period of time after the load changes from light to heavy, the linear regulator continues to supply voltage to the load while the DC-DC converter supplies a pseudo feedback signal to a control circuit in place of a feedback signal, with the drive circuit left off to control the time ratio at switching elements and, thus minimizing output voltage variations.

Abstract: A current detecting device and method that detects a variation in a current being supplied to a load in supplying variable DC power to the load via an inductor from a synchronous rectification DC-DC converter in which a high-side switch is connected to one electrode of a DC input voltage source and a low-side switch connected to the other electrode. The switches are turned on and off alternately during a prescribed switching period. A low-pass filter is connected to a signal line that leads from a connecting point of the inductor and the switches. An operation circuit detects an output current of the DC-DC converter by performing an operation on the difference between an output voltage of the low-pass filter and an output voltage of the DC-DC converter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus decreases the speed of moving an optional position in the circumference of a photoconductor, the speed of moving the surface of a transfer belt, and the speed of moving an optional position in the circumference of a roller body of a fixing unit, in a period from a moment when a part of the surface of a transfer belt corresponding to the rear end of the last one of a plurality of overlaid toner images passes a primary transfer position, to a moment when a part of the surface of a transfer belt corresponding to the front end of a toner image held in the transfer belt in the overlaid state reaches the primary transfer position.

Abstract: A power system causes no variation in output voltage during switching from a linear regulator to a DC-DC converter. The power system switches off a drive circuit of a DC-DC converter and supplies voltage to a load from a linear regulator if the load is light, while the power system halts voltage supply to the load from the linear regulator and switches the drive circuit of the DC-DC converter on if the load is heavy. During a set period of time after the load changes from light to heavy, the linear regulator continues to supply voltage to the load while the DC-DC converter supplies a pseudo feedback signal to a control circuit in place of a feedback signal, with the drive circuit left off to control the time ratio at switching elements and, thus minimizing output voltage variations.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a function selection/designation section that obtains the designation of selection of a signed-document creation mode for creating at least signed authentic documents and/or copies thereof, a signature position designation section that obtains the designation of a signature position on printing sheets, a signature input section that obtains signature information input by handwriting, a signature temporary storage section that temporarily stores the signature information from the signature input section, an image obtaining section that obtains image data of an original to be provided with the signature, a signature/image synthesizing section that synthesizes the signature information in the signature temporary storage section and the image data in the image obtaining section so that the signature is provided at the designated signature position on the printing sheet, and a printout section that prints out signed documents based on the data synthesiz

Abstract: A data converting circuit to receive an input data and convert the input data into an output data is disclosed. An output data group corresponding to the value of the input data is stored beforehand in an output data table. A multiplexer receives the input data and in accordance with the input data, selectively outputs one data out of the output data group stored in the output data table. A specific digit output circuit receives the input data and in accordance with the result of comparing the input data with the boundary information stored in advance, outputs a specific digit output data included in the output data but not output by the multiplexer.