Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an image forming portion to form an image on a sheet; a fixing device to fix the image to the sheet by heating; a conveying path switching member to switch a conveying direction of the sheet, which is provided on downstream of the fixing device in a sheet conveying direction; a first conveying path which has a first curved portion and is provided on downstream of the conveying path switching member; a second conveying path which has a second curved portion and is provided on downstream of the conveying path switching member; a curl applying member which is provided on downstream of the fixing device, and on upstream of the first and second curved portions; and a control unit to control driving of the conveying path switching member and of the curl applying member.

Abstract: A fixing device utilized in an image forming apparatus for fixing an image on a recording sheet comprises a heating member including a heating device, a pressure roller which presses the recording sheet to the heating member, a temperature sensor for detecting the heating member and an entry preventing member provided in an upstream side of the temperature sensor for preventing recording sheet from entering into a place where the temperature sensor is attached.

Abstract: Image forming apparatus having a manual feeding tray on which transfer sheet is placed and an image forming device to form images on the transfer sheet fed from the manual feeding tray, wherein the image forming apparatus has a storage section to store the sheet feeding tray with transfer sheet thereon and the manual feeding tray has a supporting member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: an image forming section for forming a toner image on a transfer sheet; a fixing section for fixing the toner image on the transfer sheet; a sheet ejection section for ejecting the sheet on which the toner image has been fixed; and a sheet guide section, including a first guide member and a second guide member both of which are paired for guiding the sheet from the fixing section to the sheet ejection section; wherein a heat radiation characteristic of the first guide member is greater than that of the second guide member.

Abstract: A recording medium feed device includes: a recording medium feed tray installable to and removable from a main body of the recording medium feed device; a send-out member to send out a recording medium loaded in the recording medium feed tray, the send-out member being in contact with a top face of the recording medium while applying pressure thereto at a time of installing the recording medium feed tray; and a withdrawing mechanism to withdraw the send-out member from the top face of the recording medium in the recording medium feed tray at a time of removing the recording medium feed tray.

Abstract: A power transmission device includes a driving gear having gears over an entire circumferential surface thereof, a follower gear including an intermittent gear having a toothless portion, and a controller for controlling the follower gear to be engaged with or disengaged from the driving gear. Each of the driving gear and the follower gear is a helical gear.

Abstract: A coated substrate for immobilizing a biological substance etc. at high density with low background value. The substrate has a cross-linking reagent represented by general formula A—L—B (wherein, A and B represent an identical or different group which reacts with an active group of the coupling agent comprising an active group, selected from an active ester group, isothiocyanate group, isocyanate group, imidazole group, carbodiimide group or aldehyde group, and wherein L is a linking group linking A and B, selected from a straight chain alkyl group, aryl group, allyl group or alkyl group having an amide group) bound thereonto by means of a coupling agent comprising an active group. An biological substance or the like is immobilized on the substrate.

Abstract: A solution for substrate spotting and spotting method for immobilizing a biological substance or various chemical substances on a substrate at high density. The solution for substrate spotting and the spotting method involve mixing a solution comprising a biological substance or chemical substance to be spotted with a solution to which an inorganic fine powder has been added as a surface tension regulating agent.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus which has a primary sheet feeder, a secondary sheet feeder for conveying a recording sheet which is fed from the primary sheet feeder to an image forming position in timed relationship with image formation, and a controller for controlling the primary sheet feeder and the secondary sheet feeder, the controller selects long and short two kind of sheet feed intervals according to a detection signal of a recording sheet detector provided upstream of the secondary sheet feeder.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: a conveyance path along which a recording sheet is conveyed; a separation roller that separates a recording sheet and conveys it; a registration roller that stops temporarily a recording sheet separated and conveyed by the separation roller and further conveyed along the conveyance path, and conveys the recording sheet again toward the image forming position at the prescribed timing; a detector that is provided in the conveyance path between the separation roller and the registration roller, and detects the recording sheet; a recognizing device that recognizes fluctuation of conveyance timing of the recording sheet based on the results of the detection made by the detector; and a controller that conducts conveyance control for the recording sheet at the upstream side of the registration roller based on the results of the recognition made by the recognizing device.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus which has a primary sheet feeder, a secondary sheet feeder for conveying a recording sheet which is fed from the primary sheet feeder to an image forming position in timed relationship with image formation, and a controller for controlling the primary sheet feeder and the secondary sheet feeder, the controller selects long and short two kind of sheet feed intervals according to a detection signal of a recording sheet detector provided upstream of the secondary sheet feeder.

Abstract: A device for detecting a width of a sheet placed on a manual feeding tray of an image forming apparatus includes a first and a second sheet regulating member for moving in a sheet width direction so as to come in contact with both sides of the sheet and for holding the sheet therebetween, thereby regulating movement of the sheet in the sheet width direction. A first rack member, on which a first rack is arranged in the sheet width direction, moves interlockingly with the first sheet regulating member. A second rack member, on which a second rack and a sheet width-detecting rack are respectively arranged in the sheet width direction, moves interlockingly with the second sheet regulating member. The second rack is positioned so as to face the first rack on the first rack member, and a pinion engages with the first rack and the second rack.

Abstract: A proper frequency of a driving system is shifted to a high frequency side by increasing the rigidity of a photoreceptor drum or the proper frequency of the driving system is shifted to a low frequency side by reducing the rigidity of the photoreceptor drum so that the proper frequency of the driving system is made so as not to conform with a frequency of a speed fluctuation component transmitted to the driving system. With this construction, the photoreceptor drum is prevented from causing the resonance and the speed fluctuation is reduced so that an image quality can be improved.

Abstract: A developing device is provided with a clutch to engage or disengage between a sleeve and a driving motor. When the developing device is used for development, spacing rollers on the sleeve are brought in contact with a photoreceptor drum and the speed of the driving motor is reduced to a lower speed, thereafter the clutch is operated to engage the sleeve and the driving motor and the speed of the driving motor is increased to a rated speed.

Abstract: An apparatus for rotating a photoreceptor of a given length in its axial direction, comprises a driven system including the photoreceptor and a shaft provided at the axis of the photoreceptor and a driving system including a driving source and a transmission mechanism. The driven system and the driving system are arranged so that the proper oscillation frequency of the driven system is made lower than both the frequency of fluctuation component caused per one rotation of the driving system and the frequency of fluctuation component caused per one tooth of the transmission mechanism.