Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a food ingredient having strong milk taste-enhancing action without providing coarse taste, a production method thereof, a method of improving milk taste, a milk-based hard candy, in particular a milk-based nonsugar hard candy, having a delicious milk taste that is produced with a food ingredient that can replace part or most of the dairy product at low cost. The present invention relates to a food ingredient having milk taste-enhancing action, prepared by heating an aqueous solution containing an amino acid mixture containing at least three kinds of amino acids selected from valine, proline, isoleucine, lysine, glutamic acid and arginine as the principal components and a carbohydrate. The total amount of the at least three kinds of amino acids selected from valine, proline, isoleucine, lysine, glutamic acid, and arginine is preferably 70 wt % or more with respect to the total amount of all amino acids.

Abstract: A sheet curl correcting device and an image forming apparatus incorporating the same. The image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit for fixing a toner image transferred by an electrophotographic image forming unit to a sheet, a pair of rollers having different hardnesses for correcting a sheet curl, a controlling unit for controlling a deformation amount of one of the rollers in accordance with a table of curl correction amounts, and a curl correction limiter for limiting the curl correction amount if the sheet is to be discharged to a stacker.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for irradiating a surface to be scanned with laser light comprises rotary deflecting means for deflecting laser light emitted by a laser emitting means in a shape of a plane, a mirror for reflecting the laser light, an enclosure for housing the mirror, a first mirror supporting part capable of moving in a direction parallel to the laser light irradiated toward the mirror and supporting the mirror; and a second mirror supporting part capable of supporting the mirror in such a way that the mirror can rotate around an axis where the laser light is in close agreement with a scanning line with which the mirror is scanned.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for irradiating a surface to be scanned with laser light comprises rotary deflecting means for deflecting laser light emitted by a laser emitting means in a shape of a plane, a mirror for reflecting the laser light, an enclosure for housing the mirror, a first mirror supporting part capable of moving in a direction parallel to the laser light irradiated toward the mirror and supporting the mirror; and a second mirror supporting part capable of supporting the mirror in such a way that the mirror can rotate around an axis where the laser light is in close agreement with a scanning line with which the mirror is scanned.

Abstract: A sheet curl correcting device and an image forming apparatus incorporating the same. The image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit for fixing a toner image transferred by an electrophotographic image forming unit to a sheet, a pair of rollers having different hardnesses for correcting a sheet curl, a controlling unit for controlling a deformation amount of one of the rollers in accordance with a table of curl correction amounts, and a curl correction limiter for limiting the curl correction amount if the sheet is to be discharged to a stacker.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having an electrophotographic image forming means for fixing a toner image formed on a sheet to the sheet by heating the toner image, wherein an interval between the sheets when the sheets are continuously sent to the image forming means to form images on both surfaces of plural sheets is selected to become smaller than an interval between the sheets when the sheets are continuously sent to the image forming means to form images on one surfaces of the plural sheets.

Abstract: The present invention aims to improve productivity when a sheet is discharged while surface-reversing the sheet. When a curl removing means also acts as a convey means, excessive curl or wrinkle can be prevented from being formed in the sheet being conveyed. An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a first curl removing roller pair and a second curl removing roller pair (convey means/curl correcting means) which are disposed in a re-supply convey path, so that, when the sheet is surface-reversed, the first curl removing roller pair is retarded from the re-supply convey path in accordance with a length of the sheet (to be surface-reversed) in a conveying direction.