Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a scanning device and a printing device. The scanning device and the printing device are configured to be separately arranged when the image forming apparatus is in use. The printing device includes a control unit that transmits and receives signals to and from a plurality of units included in the scanning device, and a power supplying unit that supplies electric power to the units. The scanning device includes a first relay substrate that receives electric power from the power supplying unit and distributes the electric power to the units, and relays signals between each of the units and the control unit.

Abstract: An image scanning device includes a base part; and multiple image sensors each including a substrate, a line sensor including scanning elements arranged on the substrate, and a holder for holding the substrate. The base part holds the image sensors such that the scanning elements of an image sensor partly overlap the scanning elements of an adjacent image sensor in the main-scanning direction. The coefficients of linear expansion of the substrate and the base part are substantially the same; the holder and the base part are fixed together at a first fixing point; the holder and the substrate are fixed together at a second fixing point; and the distance in the main-scanning direction between the first fixing point and the second fixing point and the direction of the second fixing point with respect to the first fixing point are the same for all the image sensors.

Abstract: A first part calculates corrected image data for each pixel in the range in which the reading parts of the adjacent image sensors overlaps in the main scan direction, for correcting the image data for a position shift less than an amount corresponding to one pixel in the main scan direction of the image sensors. A correcting method is determined in such a manner that a position shift amount to be corrected increases in a step-by-step manner as moving from a base portion to an end portion in the range in which the adjacent image sensors overlap in the main scan direction. A second part multiplies the image data corrected by the thus-determined correcting method by a weighting factor determined according to a position in the main scan direction in the adjacent image sensors.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a carriage; a first head group including a recording head and disposed on the carriage; and a second head group including a recording head and disposed on the carriage adjacent the first head group in a staggered manner with respect to a sub-scan direction. The carriage is configured to move in a main scan direction in order to record an image on a recording medium. The recording apparatus further includes a forming unit configured to form plural test patterns including a first pattern formed by the recording head of the first head group and a second pattern formed by the recording head of the second head group. The test patterns are spaced apart from one another in the sub-scan direction. The position of the second pattern relative to the first pattern in the sub-scan direction is varied successively from one test pattern to another.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes a recording head having a plurality of nozzles and scanning in forward and backward scanning directions to form dot images on the recording medium, an imaging unit imaging an image on the recording medium, a detection unit detecting a positional shift amounts of the dot images and inclination amounts of the recording head based on calibration image data obtained by imaging two first marks and two second marks in a single view by the imaging unit, and a correction unit correcting a drive of the recording head based on the detected positional shift amounts and the inclination amounts of the recording head.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus is disclosed that includes a plurality of size sensors configured to be arranged in line and to detect a sheet set into a predetermined position; a feeding part configured to feed the sheet set into the predetermined position to a scan position; and a controller configured to control the feeding part to feed the sheet based on two detect signals output from two size sensors among the plurality of the size sensors.

Abstract: An image scanning device includes a base part; and multiple image sensors each including a substrate, a line sensor including scanning elements arranged on the substrate, and a holder for holding the substrate. The base part holds the image sensors such that the scanning elements of an image sensor partly overlap the scanning elements of an adjacent image sensor in the main-scanning direction. The coefficients of linear expansion of the substrate and the base part are substantially the same; the holder and the base part are fixed together at a first fixing point; the holder and the substrate are fixed together at a second fixing point; and the distance in the main-scanning direction between the first fixing point and the second fixing point and the direction of the second fixing point with respect to the first fixing point are the same for all the image sensors.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a carriage; a first head group including a recording head and disposed on the carriage; and a second head group including a recording head and disposed on the carriage adjacent the first head group in a staggered manner with respect to a sub-scan direction. The carriage is configured to move in a main scan direction in order to record an image on a recording medium. The recording apparatus further includes a forming unit configured to form plural test patterns including a first pattern formed by the recording head of the first head group and a second pattern formed by the recording head of the second head group. The test patterns are spaced apart from one another in the sub-scan direction. The position of the second pattern relative to the first pattern in the sub-scan direction is varied successively from one test pattern to another.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes a recording head having a plurality of nozzles and scanning in forward and backward scanning directions to form dot images on the recording medium, an imaging unit imaging an image on the recording medium, a detection unit detecting a positional shift amounts of the dot images and inclination amounts of the recording head based on calibration image data obtained by imaging two first marks and two second marks in a single view by the imaging unit, and a correction unit correcting a drive of the recording head based on the detected positional shift amounts and the inclination amounts of the recording head.

Abstract: A first part calculates corrected image data for each pixel in the range in which the reading parts of the adjacent image sensors overlaps in the main scan direction, for correcting the image data for a position shift less than an amount corresponding to one pixel in the main scan direction of the image sensors. A correcting method is determined in such a manner that a position shift amount to be corrected increases in a step-by-step manner as moving from a base portion to an end portion in the range in which the adjacent image sensors overlap in the main scan direction. A second part multiplies the image data corrected by the thus-determined correcting method by a weighting factor determined according to a position in the main scan direction in the adjacent image sensors.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a scanning device and a printing device. The scanning device and the printing device are configured to be separately arranged when the image forming apparatus is in use. The printing device includes a control unit that transmits and receives signals to and from a plurality of units included in the scanning device, and a power supplying unit that supplies electric power to the units. The scanning device includes a first relay substrate that receives electric power from the power supplying unit and distributes the electric power to the units, and relays signals between each of the units and the control unit.