Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an inside-air duct having a first inlet to an inside of the image forming apparatus; a first ventilator provided in the inside-air duct; an outside-air duct having a second inlet to an outside of the image forming apparatus; a common duct into which the inside-air duct and the outside-air duct are merged; a second ventilator provided in at least one of the outside-air duct and the common duct; a filter provided in the common duct; and a control section that retrieves information indicative of an flow rate in the inside-air duct and increases a pressure produced by the second ventilator based on the retrieved information such that an flow rate in the outside-air duct is substantially constant with respect to an increase of the flow rate in the inside-air duct.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus includes: a tray on which a stack of sheets can be placed, an air blowing section that blows air towards the stack of sheets to float at least a topmost sheet, a sucking and conveying section, above the tray, that sucks said floating sheet(s) and conveys said sheet(s) in a prescribed direction, and a first light source that emits a first stripshaped slit light having a vertically extending component such that the slit light crosses at least a first edge of a first floating sheet and a second edge of a second floating sheet. An image capture section captures an image of the first slit light, a calculating section calculates a vertical clearance between the first and second sheets, and an air amount adjusting section adjusts an amount of air to be blown by the air blowing section based on the calculated vertical clearance.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device having: a blowing device configured to blow air toward the stack of sheets placed in a predetermined stacking direction, thereby floating at least a top sheet from the stack; a suction/transportation mechanism that includes a suction belt provided above the mounting portion and configured to attract the top sheet floated by the blowing device to transport the attracted sheet in a predetermined transportation direction; and an image pickup device configured to capture images of the top sheet and the next sheet therebelow, and disposed so as to see through an area where a side of the top sheet and the suction belt, when viewed in a plan view in the stacking direction, are close to each other during the floating of the top sheet, to such an extent that the side of the top sheet essentially does not hang downward.

Abstract: A discharge device for generating a corona discharge aimed at an object facing the discharge device, the discharge device comprising: a plate-like main discharge electrode configured to receive an applied direct current voltage and generate the corona discharge aimed at the object; a plate-like auxiliary discharge electrode disposed in parallel with the main discharge electrode and configured to receive an applied direct current voltage which is opposite in polarity to the applied direct current voltage received by the main discharge electrode, thereby causing the corona discharge to occur between the main discharge electrode and the auxiliary discharge electrode; and a plate-like insulating member disposed between the main discharge electrode and the auxiliary discharge electrode, wherein the insulating member is disposed in such a manner that a discharge current from the main discharge electrode flows to both the object and the auxiliary discharge electrode.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus includes: a tray on which a stack of sheets can be placed, an air blowing section that blows air towards the stack of sheets to float at least a topmost sheet, a sucking and conveying section, above the tray, that sucks said floating sheet(s) and conveys said sheet(s) in a prescribed direction, and a first light source that emits a first stripshaped slit light having a vertically extending component such that the slit light crosses at least a first edge of a first floating sheet and a second edge of a second floating sheet. An image capture section captures an image of the first slit light, a calculating section calculates a vertical clearance between the first and second sheets, and an air amount adjusting section adjusts an amount of air to be blown by the air blowing section based on the calculated vertical clearance.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device has a mounting portion allowing a stack of sheets to be mounted in a top-bottom direction, a suction/transportation portion provided above the mounting portion for attracting a first sheet positioned on top of the stack, and a blowing portion for blowing air to a foremost edge of the first sheet in a transportation direction while the first sheet is being attracted by the suction/transportation portion, thereby separating the first sheet from a second sheet next to the first sheet. After the first sheet is separated from the second sheet, the suction/transportation portion transports the first sheet in the transportation direction. The suction/transportation portion sets a suction force applied to the foremost edge of the first sheet smaller when the blowing portion blows air to the first sheet than when the suction/transportation portion transports the first sheet.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device having; a mounting portion capable of accommodating a stack of sheets; a blowing device that blows air onto the stack placed in the mounting portion, thereby floating at least a top sheet from the stack; a suction/transportation mechanism that includes a suction belt provided above the mounting portion and attracting the top sheet floated by the blowing device to transport the attracted sheet toward a transportation path; an image pickup device disposed so as to capture an image of the floated top sheet and the next sheet therebelow; and an illuminating device that emits light toward an area to be captured by the image pickup device. The light emitted by the illuminating device illuminates a plane in a direction approximately normal thereto, the plane including the closest end surface of the stack of sheets to the image pickup device.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device having: a blowing device configured to blow air toward the stack of sheets placed in a predetermined stacking direction, thereby floating at least a top sheet from the stack; a suction/transportation mechanism that includes a suction belt provided above the mounting portion and configured to attract the top sheet floated by the blowing device to transport the attracted sheet in a predetermined transportation direction; and an image pickup device configured to capture images of the top sheet and the next sheet therebelow, and disposed so as to see through an area where a side of the top sheet and the suction belt, when viewed in a plan view in the stacking direction, are close to each other during the floating of the top sheet, to such an extent that the side of the top sheet essentially does not hang downward.

Abstract: When a sheet is transported as passed through a first roller pair equipped with a torque limiter and through a second roller pair, a loop formed in the sheet between the first roller pair and the second roller pair is cleared by a method wherein the amount of sheet loop is decreased by driving the second roller pair and disabling the first roller pair and wherein at the time when the sheet loop is decreased to a predetermined amount, a velocity of clearing the loop is lowered by rotating the first roller pair at a lower peripheral velocity than that of the second roller pair.

Abstract: A discharge device for generating a corona discharge aimed at an object facing the discharge device, the discharge device comprising: a plate-like main discharge electrode configured to receive an applied direct current voltage and generate the corona discharge aimed at the object; a plate-like auxiliary discharge electrode disposed in parallel with the main discharge electrode and configured to receive an applied direct current voltage which is opposite in polarity to the applied direct current voltage received by the main discharge electrode, thereby causing the corona discharge to occur between the main discharge electrode and the auxiliary discharge electrode; and a plate-like insulating member disposed between the main discharge electrode and the auxiliary discharge electrode, wherein the insulating member is disposed in such a manner that a discharge current from the main discharge electrode flows to both the object and the auxiliary discharge electrode.

Abstract: A sound output device for masking an operation sound generated by equipment, having: an operation determining unit that determines an operation mode to be executed by the equipment; and a sound output unit that outputs a masking sound on the basis of the operation mode determined by the operation determining unit, the masking sound changing at least in sound pressure level over time.

Abstract: A sound output device for masking an operation sound generated by equipment, having: a BGM output unit that outputs a BGM; and a masking sound output unit that outputs a masking sound after the BGM output unit outputs the BGM.

Abstract: A sound output device for masking an operation sound generated by equipment, having: a sound reproducing unit that starts reproducing a masking sound before the operation sound is generated; and a sound output unit that outputs the masking sound reproduced by the sound reproducing unit.

Abstract: When a sheet is transported as passed through a first roller pair equipped with a torque limiter and through a second roller pair, a loop formed in the sheet between the first roller pair and the second roller pair is cleared by a method wherein the amount of sheet loop is decreased by driving the second roller pair and disabling the first roller pair and wherein at the time when the sheet loop is decreased to a predetermined amount, a velocity of clearing the loop is lowered by rotating the first roller pair at a lower peripheral velocity than that of the second roller pair.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for measuring the concentration of liquid developer, and an apparatus and method for controlling the concentration of liquid developer in which the concentration of a highly concentrated developer is easily and accurately measured or controlled without controlling the liquid amount. An opening is provided in the developer container for concentration measurement in which a liquid developer for concentration measurement is stored and stirred for concentration measurement. The developer container for concentration measurement is configured such that the stored liquid developer for concentration measurement overflows through the opening at the time of stirring.

Abstract: In order to conform a specific correction table to the characteristics of a liquid developer to be used, the specific correction table is created by calibrating a standard correction table stored in advance by using a viscosity property value of a liquid developer for calibration at a current temperature. A concentration adjustment is performed by comparing a measured viscosity property value with a target viscosity property value which is temperature-corrected based on the specific correction table. Further, the viscosity property value of a liquid developer is detected by measuring the current of a motor for stirring the liquid developer, where a no-load stirring current value is measured in the absence of a liquid developer, and one or both of a measured current value and target current value is corrected based thereon.

Abstract: In order to conform a specific correction table to the characteristics of a liquid developer to be used, the specific correction table is created by calibrating a standard correction table stored in advance by using a viscosity property value of a liquid developer for calibration at a current temperature. A concentration adjustment is performed by comparing a measured viscosity property value with a target viscosity property value which is temperature-corrected based on the specific correction table. Further, the viscosity property value of a liquid developer is detected by measuring the current of a motor for stirring the liquid developer, where a no-load stirring current value is measured in the absence of a liquid developer, and one or both of a measured current value and target current value is corrected based thereon.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for measuring the concentration of liquid developer, and an apparatus and method for controlling the concentration of liquid developer in which the concentration of a highly concentrated developer is easily and accurately measured or controlled without controlling the liquid amount. An opening is provided in the developer container for concentration measurement in which a liquid developer for concentration measurement is stored and stirred for concentration measurement. The developer container for concentration measurement is configured such that the stored liquid developer for concentration measurement overflows through the opening at the time of stirring.

Abstract: A color printer including, a conductive brush roller to contact a photosensitive drum at a position downstream of a transferring apparatus and upstream of a charging apparatus, wherein at least part of residual toner is collected after temporarily transferring on the photosensitive drum, and the collected toner is expelled onto the photosensitive drum, a charge electrode facing the brush roller at a position other than the contact position of the photosensitive drum and the brush roller, and a power source to apply voltage to the charge electrode, wherein the polarity of the voltage applied from the power source to the charge electrode with respect to the average voltage of the surface of the photosensitive drum after transferring is the same as a charging polarity of the toner at developing.

Abstract: It is intended to provide an image forming apparatus capable of conducting charge adjustment of post-transfer residual toner appropriately by securing a contact area of a temporarily-collecting member and an electrode, without applying excessive deformation load to the temporarily-collecting member. There are arranged a brush roller for temporarily collecting post-transfer residual toner, and an electrode of which inwardly-curved face being in contact with the brush roller in a toner charge apparatus. Thereby, charged-in-opposite-polarity toner, out of post-transfer residual toner, is collected by the brush roller, polarity of the toner is reversed to original polarity, and then, returned to a photosensitive drum. The inner face of the electrode, i.e., a contact face of the electrode and the brush roller is formed in an inwardly-curved face. Thereby, a large contact area and light pushing force of the electrode to the brush roller can go together.