Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes conveyance passage forming bodies to define a sheet conveyance passage, a nip forming body to form a conveying nip region in the sheet conveyance passage, and a flexible plate body having a support portion to be attached to another body and having a downstream-side end portion as a free end in a sheet conveying direction. The support portion of the flexible plate body is located on an upstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the conveying nip region. The free end being located on a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the conveying nip region.

Abstract: A sheet container includes a bottom plate, a regulating body, and a holding body. The bottom plate is disposed movable and has a bottom plate-side contact portion. The regulating body regulates a position of a trailing end of a sheet. The holding body has a holding body-side contact portion and to hold the regulating body. The bottom plate and the holding body have a gap between the bottom plate-side contact portion of the bottom plate and the holding body-side contact portion of the holding body in a state in which the bottom plate is not rotated. The bottom plate-side contact portion of the bottom plate and the holding body-side contact portion of the holding body contact with each other along with rotation of the bottom plate. The holding body moves to a downstream side in a sheet feeding direction in conjunction with the rotation of the bottom plate.

Abstract: A drive transmission device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a drive transmission body to which a drive force is applied from a driving source, and a rotary shaft having a press-in portion mounted on one end thereof in the axial direction. The press-in portion has multiple planes disposed parallel to an axial direction and configured to receive the drive transmission body. The multiple planes include upstream and downstream side planes disposed downstream from the upstream side plane in a press-in direction of the drive transmission body. The upstream and downstream side planes are aligned along the press-in direction of the drive transmission body and have respective distances different from each other from an axial center of the rotary shaft. A distance from the downstream side plane to the axial center is greater than a distance from the upstream side plane to the axial center.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes conveyance passage forming bodies to define a sheet conveyance passage, a nip forming body to form a conveying nip region in the sheet conveyance passage, and a flexible plate body having a support portion to be attached to another body and having a downstream-side end portion as a free end in a sheet conveying direction. The support portion of the flexible plate body is located on an upstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the conveying nip region. The free end being located on a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the conveying nip region.

Abstract: A sheet container includes a bottom plate, a regulating body, and a holding body. The bottom plate is disposed movable and has a bottom plate-side contact portion. The regulating body regulates a position of a trailing end of a sheet. The holding body has a holding body-side contact portion and to hold the regulating body. The bottom plate and the holding body have a gap between the bottom plate-side contact portion of the bottom plate and the holding body-side contact portion of the holding body in a state in which the bottom plate is not rotated. The bottom plate-side contact portion of the bottom plate and the holding body-side contact portion of the holding body contact with each other along with rotation of the bottom plate. The holding body moves to a downstream side in a sheet feeding direction in conjunction with the rotation of the bottom plate.

Abstract: A drive transmission device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a drive transmission body to which a drive force is applied from a driving source, and a rotary shaft having a press-in portion mounted on one end thereof in the axial direction. The press-in portion has multiple planes disposed parallel to an axial direction and configured to receive the drive transmission body. The multiple planes include upstream and downstream side planes disposed downstream from the upstream side plane in a press-in direction of the drive transmission body. The upstream and downstream side planes are aligned along the press-in direction of the drive transmission body and have respective distances different from each other from an axial center of the rotary shaft. A distance from the downstream side plane to the axial center is greater than a distance from the upstream side plane to the axial center.

Abstract: A sheet feeding unit that can be incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes an endless belt and a charging member. The charging member may charge the endless belt with an alternating voltage to attract a sheet to separate from multiple sheets and feed the sheet, and may have an electrode contacting the endless belt at an angle thereto and between which a nip is formed. The endless belt and an interior surface of the charging member may define a space across which electric discharge is performed to charge an outer layer of the endless belt. A distance of the gap and a length of the nip in the sheet conveyance direction may define a basic charging region. The distance of the basic charging region may be smaller than a distance of a unit charging region where the electric charge of identical polarity is held on the endless belt.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device that can be incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeder including a belt unit including an attraction belt facing a sheet stack and first and second tension rollers to keep the attraction belt taut, and a side holder to rotatably support the belt unit about the first tension roller that serves as a pivot of the sheet feeder being disposed upstream from the second tension roller in the sheet conveyance direction, a contact and separation drive unit to swing the sheet feeder to make the attraction belt contact with and separate from the sheet stack, and a swing range adjuster to adjust a range of swing of the belt unit with respect to the side holder between contact and separation of the attraction belt with respect to the sheet stack, according to a predetermined condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a sheet feeding unit, a belt pressing member, and a moving unit. The sheet feeding unit includes an endless, dielectric belt to contact and attract the uppermost sheet to a surface thereof and feed in a sheet feeding direction, and an electric potential pattern forming unit to form an electric potential pattern on a surface of the dielectric belt. The moving unit moves the belt pressing member between a sheet attracting position and a sheet feeding position. The dielectric belt attracts the uppermost sheet at the sheet attracting position, the moving unit moves the belt pressing member to the sheet feeding position, and an entire flat portion of the dielectric belt feeds the uppermost sheet in the sheet feeding direction while carrying the uppermost sheet thereon as the dielectric belt rotates.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device that can be incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeder including a belt unit including an attraction belt facing a sheet stack and first and second tension rollers to keep the attraction belt taut, and a side holder to rotatably support the belt unit about the first tension roller that serves as a pivot of the sheet feeder being disposed upstream from the second tension roller in the sheet conveyance direction, a contact and separation drive unit to swing the sheet feeder to make the attraction belt contact with and separate from the sheet stack, and a swing range adjuster to adjust a range of swing of the belt unit with respect to the side holder between contact and separation of the attraction belt with respect to the sheet stack, according to a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A sheet separating and feeding unit incorporable in an image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a sheet container, a sheet feeding unit including an endless, dielectric belt and an electric potential pattern forming unit, a belt supporting mechanism including a first supporting roller and a second supporting roller, and a moving unit. The first supporting roller rotates to rotatably move the second supporting roller between a sheet attracting position and a sheet feeding position so that the flat portion of the dielectric belt moves between the sheet contact position and the sheet pick-up position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device that can be incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeder including a belt unit including an attraction belt facing a sheet stack and first and second tension rollers to keep the attraction belt taut, and a side holder to rotatably support the belt unit about the first tension roller that serves as a pivot of the sheet feeder being disposed upstream from the second tension roller in the sheet conveyance direction, a contact and separation drive unit to swing the sheet feeder to make the attraction belt contact with and separate from the sheet stack, and a swing range adjuster to adjust a range of swing of the belt unit with respect to the side holder between contact and separation of the attraction belt with respect to the sheet stack, according to a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device incorporable in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet holder to hold a stack of sheets including an uppermost sheet, an endless belt, a charging member, a belt supporting unit including a drive roller and a driven roller, a moving mechanism to move the sheet holder, and a controller. The controller alternately controls the moving mechanism to move the sheet holder to a proximal position, the endless belt to contact the uppermost sheet held on the sheet holder, and the driven roller to rotate about the drive roller, to attract the uppermost sheet, and controls the moving mechanism to move the sheet holder to a distal position, the driven roller to rotate about the drive roller, and the endless belt to incline at a predetermined angle of separation, to separate the uppermost sheet from the multiple sheets.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device that can be incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeder including a belt unit including an attraction belt facing a sheet stack and first and second tension rollers to keep the attraction belt taut, and a side holder to rotatably support the belt unit about the first tension roller that serves as a pivot of the sheet feeder being disposed upstream from the second tension roller in the sheet conveyance direction, a contact and separation drive unit to swing the sheet feeder to make the attraction belt contact with and separate from the sheet stack, and a swing range adjuster to adjust a range of swing of the belt unit with respect to the side holder between contact and separation of the attraction belt with respect to the sheet stack, according to a predetermined condition.

Abstract: In a sheet separator of a sheet supplier, a friction separator and an electrostatic separator separate an uppermost sheet from other sheets of a plurality of sheets loaded on a sheet tray by a friction force and an attraction force generated by a non-uniform electric field, respectively. A conveyance member is provided downstream from the friction separator and the electrostatic separator in a sheet conveyance direction to feed the uppermost sheet separated by at least one of the friction separator and the electrostatic separator in the sheet conveyance direction. The friction separator and the electrostatic separator are arranged in such a manner that planes of projection of the friction separator and the electrostatic separator overlap or coincide in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction in which the conveyance member feeds the uppermost sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers and an optical writing device including light sources that emit light beams of different wavelengths, a deflector that deflects the light beams emitted from the light sources and synthesized on an identical axis in a sub-scanning direction, a first beam separator, a second beam separator, a first imaging device, and a second imaging device. The first beam separator and the second beam separator are located between the first imaging device and the second imaging device and transmit or reflect the light beams according to travel directions or wavelengths thereof. One of the targets is scanned with the light beam transmitted through the second beam separator. Another target is scanned with the light beam reflected by the second and first beam separators. The first and second imaging devices narrow the beams in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, respectively.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a sheet feeding unit, a belt pressing member, and a moving unit. The sheet feeding unit includes an endless, dielectric belt to contact and attract the uppermost sheet to a surface thereof and feed in a sheet feeding direction, and an electric potential pattern forming unit to form an electric potential pattern on a surface of the dielectric belt. The moving unit moves the belt pressing member between a sheet attracting position and a sheet feeding position. The dielectric belt attracts the uppermost sheet at the sheet attracting position, the moving unit moves the belt pressing member to the sheet feeding position, and an entire flat portion of the dielectric belt feeds the uppermost sheet in the sheet feeding direction while carrying the uppermost sheet thereon as the dielectric belt rotates.

Abstract: A sheet separating and feeding unit incorporable in an image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a sheet container, a sheet feeding unit including an endless, dielectric belt and an electric potential pattern forming unit, a belt supporting mechanism including a first supporting roller and a second supporting roller, and a moving unit. The first supporting roller rotates to rotatably move the second supporting roller between a sheet attracting position and a sheet feeding position so that the flat portion of the dielectric belt moves between the sheet contact position and the sheet pick-up position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding unit that can be incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes an endless belt and a charging member. The charging member charges the endless belt with an alternating voltage to attract a sheet to separate from multiple sheets and feed the sheet, and has an electrode contacting the endless belt at an angle thereto and between which a nip is formed. The endless belt and an interior surface of the charging member define a space across which electric discharge is performed to charge an outer layer of the endless belt. A distance of the gap and a length of the nip in the sheet conveyance direction define a basic charging region. The distance of the basic charging region is smaller than a distance of a unit charging region where the electric charge of identical polarity is held on the endless belt.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device incorporable in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet holder to hold a stack of sheets including an uppermost sheet, an endless belt, a charging member, a belt supporting unit including a drive roller and a driven roller, a moving mechanism to move the sheet holder, and a controller. The controller alternately controls the moving mechanism to move the sheet holder to a proximal position, the endless belt to contact the uppermost sheet held on the sheet holder, and the driven roller to rotate about the drive roller, to attract the uppermost sheet, and controls the moving mechanism to move the sheet holder to a distal position, the driven roller to rotate about the drive roller, and the endless belt to incline at a predetermined angle of separation, to separate the uppermost sheet from the multiple sheets.