Abstract: A fixing device includes a belt member that cyclically moves, a pressing unit that comes into contact with the belt member and presses a recording medium moving between the belt member and the pressing unit, and a heat source that includes a base material, a resistance heating element disposed on a surface of the base material along a longitudinal direction of the base material, and an insulator covering the resistance heating element and that comes into contact with the pressing unit via the belt member to heat an inner surface of the belt member, in which the insulator is formed to cover a corner portion of the base material in a direction of movement of the belt member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to heat a recording material at a use position, an opening and closing member, and a drawer unit. In a state where the fixing device is at the use position, part of the fixing device is located in a space for the drawer unit to pass through when moved from a first inner position to a first outer position so that movement of the drawer unit from the first inner to the first outer position is restricted. The fixing device is retracted from the use position to a retracted position so that the movement of the drawer unit from the first inner to the first outer position is allowed. Part of the fixing device at the retracted position is at a position higher than a position of an upper cover portion of the opening and closing member at a closed position.

Abstract: A distance measurement device includes: a mirror disposed so as to be tilted relative to a rotation center axis; a drive unit configured to rotate the mirror about the rotation center axis; a photodetector configured to detect reflected light, of laser light, reflected in a distance measurement region; and a condensing lens disposed on the rotation center axis and configured to condense the reflected light reflected by the mirror, on the photodetector. The mirror has a shape elongated in one direction and is disposed such that a short axis thereof is tilted relative to the rotation center axis in a direction parallel to a plane including the rotation center axis. A width in a short-axis direction of the mirror is smaller than a width of a lens portion of the condensing lens as viewed in a direction parallel to the rotation center axis.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus to form an image on a recording material includes an apparatus main body having a first end provided with an opening and having a second end, a fixing device to heat the recording material, an opening and closing member, a drawer unit having a first photosensitive drum, and a transfer device. When being moved from a first inner position inside the apparatus main body to a first outer position outside the apparatus main body through the main body opening, the drawer unit is to be moved in a moving direction intersecting with a rotation axis of the first photosensitive drum, and is to be moved away from the second end. When being moved from a second inner position inside the apparatus main body to a second outer position outside the apparatus main body, the transfer device is moved away from the second end.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a drawer unit, and a transfer device including a belt. The drawer unit includes a first cartridge, a support member to which the first cartridge is detachably attached, and a first photosensitive drum disposed on the support member or the first cartridge. The drawer unit is moved to a first inner position inside the apparatus main body and to a first outer position outside the apparatus main body. The transfer device is moved to a second inner position inside the apparatus main body and to a second outer position outside the apparatus main body. The belt contacts the first photosensitive drum with the transfer device at the second inner position. The transfer device is moved from the second inner to the second outer position when the drawer unit is moved from the first inner to the first outer position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a drawer unit, and a transfer device a including a belt. When image formation on a recording material is performed, the drawer unit is at a first apparatus main body inner position and the transfer device is at a second apparatus main body inner position. In this drawer unit state, (a) a part of the transfer device is disposed downstream of the drawer unit in a moving direction in which the drawer unit moves from the first inner position to a first apparatus main body outer position, and (b) in a vertical direction, an area where the part of the transfer device is positioned overlaps, at least in part, with an area where the drawer unit is positioned. The transfer device includes a cleaning member to clean the belt and is accommodated in the part of the transfer device.

Abstract: Provided are a method for using a white light source, and a white light source, wherein precise control of daily rhythm and pleasant lighting can be safely and easily realized in a place of living such as a general home. An embodiment provides a method for using a white light source.

Abstract: When trial printing is executed in a repeat printing mode, trial printing is performed in size of an image of one piece in a layout in which a plurality of images are supposed to be printed in the repeat printing mode normally. A user who has checked a finished state of the trial printing sets, when the finished state is in a desired state, the recording paper on which the trial printing is performed to the paper feed portion again and executes the repeat printing. Thereby, in a blank space excluding a print image which is printed with a first time trial printing, a scheduled quantity of a plurality of images are repeatedly printed.

Abstract: When trial printing is executed in a repeat printing mode, trial printing is performed in size of an image of one piece in a layout in which a plurality of images are supposed to be printed in the repeat printing mode normally. A user who has checked a finished state of the trial printing sets, when the finished state is in a desired state, the recording paper on which the trial printing is performed to the paper feed portion again and executes the repeat printing. Thereby, in a blank space excluding a print image which is printed with a first time trial printing, a scheduled quantity of a plurality of images are repeatedly printed.

Abstract: When trial printing is executed in a repeat printing mode, trial printing is performed in size of an image of one piece in a layout in which a plurality of images are supposed to be printed in the repeat printing mode normally. A user who has checked a finished state of the trial printing sets, when the finished state is in a desired state, the recording paper on which the trial printing is performed to the paper feed portion again and executes the repeat printing. Thereby, in a blank space excluding a print image which is printed with a first time trial printing, a scheduled quantity of a plurality of images are repeatedly printed.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory apparatus includes a control unit, a main storage medium with an electrically reloadable nonvolatile memory adapted to be operable even when faulty memory cells exist therein, and a storage region storing registered address values of faulty regions of the main storage medium containing the faulty memory cells. Data which is stored in the electrically reloadable nonvolatile memory is divided into blocks, each block having a plurality of data to be administrated and which is assigned an access address by the control unit. An administrative information region is provided in each block. The control unit carries out access requests of the main storage medium and the administration of faulty regions and the number of occurrences of reloading of respective memory cells of the main storage medium.

Abstract: In response to a read command received by a system interface unit for accessing a plurality of blocks of data stored in said non-volatile semiconductor memory, a controller carries out selective read operations of blocks of data to two memories from the non-volatile semiconductor memory. The controller also carries out parallel operations of data transferring a first block of data, which has already been subjected to error detection and error correction operations by an error correction unit, from one of the two memories to a host system via said system interface unit and of data transferring of a second block of data to be subjected to the error detection and error correction operation, from said non-volatile semiconductor memory to the other of the two memories.

Abstract: In response to a read command received by a system interface unit for accessing a plurality of blocks of data stored in said non-volatile semiconductor memory, a controller carries out selective read operations of blocks of data to two memories from the non-volatile semiconductor memory. The controller also carries out parallel operations of data transferring a first block of data, which has already been subjected to error detection and error correction operations by an error correction unit, from one of the two memories to a host system via said system interface unit and of data transferring of a second block of data to be subjected to the error detection and error correction operation, from said non-volatile semiconductor memory to the other of the two memories.

Abstract: In a nonvolatile memory apparatus, a system bus receives address, command, and/or control signals. Memory cells store bits of data by shifting a threshold voltage to one of plural ranges. In writing a first page, the threshold voltage of a first memory cell remains in a first range or shifts into a second range. In writing a second page, the threshold voltage remains in the first or second voltages, or shifts into a third range from the first range or into a fourth range from the second range. Before writing the second page, the memory reads data from the first memory cell for generating the second page writing data. A shifting direction of the threshold voltage from the first to the second range is the same as a shifting direction from the first to the third range.

Abstract: In response to a read command received by a system interface unit for accessing a plurality of blocks of data stored in said non-volatile semiconductor memory, a controller carries out selective read operations of blocks of data to two memories from the non-volatile semiconductor memory. The controller also carries out parallel operations of data transferring a first block of data, which has already been subjected to error detection and error correction operations by an error correction unit, from one of the two memories to a host system via said system interface unit and of data transferring of a second block of data to be subjected to the error detection and error correction operation, from said non-volatile semiconductor memory to the other of the two memories.

Abstract: In a nonvolatile memory apparatus, a system bus receives address, command, and/or control signals. Memory cells store bits of data by shifting a threshold voltage to one of plural ranges. In writing a first page, the threshold voltage of a first memory cell remains in a first range or shifts into a second range. In writing a second page, the threshold voltage remains in the first or second voltages, or shifts into a third range from the first range or into a fourth range from the second range. Before writing the second page, the memory reads data from the first memory cell for generating the second page writing data. A shifting direction of the threshold voltage from the first to the second range is the same as a shifting direction from the first to the third range.

Abstract: In an apparatus for producing a spark plug, approach driving conditions are calculated on the basis of a specified thrust feeding amount so that, while a temporal overlap occurs between a time period of feed-driving toward a rolling position P2 of a workpiece supporting portion (11) and an approach driving time period, in a circumferential direction of a workpiece W, a positional relationship between the starting position of the threaded portion which is rolling-formed, and the joining position of the ground electrode to the tip end face of the workpiece W is constant. The operation of an approach driving portion is controlled on the basis of the calculated approach driving conditions.

Abstract: An electrically alterable non-volatile multi-level memory device and a method of operating such a device, which includes setting a status of at least one of the memory cells to one state selected from a plurality of states including at least first to fourth level states, in response to information to be stored in the one memory cell, and reading the status of the memory cell to determine whether the read out status corresponds to one of the first to fourth level states by utilizing a first reference level set between the second and third level states, a second reference level set between the first and second level states and a third reference level set between the third and fourth level states.

Abstract: An electrically alterable non-volatile multi-level memory device and a method of operating such a device, which includes setting a status of at least one of the memory cells to one state selected from a plurality of states including at least first to fourth level states, in response to information to be stored in the one memory cell, and reading the status of the memory cell to determine whether the read out status corresponds to one of the first to fourth level states by utilizing a first reference level set between the second and third level states, a second reference level set between the first and second level states and a third reference level set between the third and fourth level states.

Abstract: In response to a read command received by a system interface unit for accessing a plurality of blocks of data stored in said non-volatile semiconductor memory, a controller carries out selective read operations of blocks of data to two memories from the non-volatile semiconductor memory. The controller also carries out parallel operations of data transferring a first block of data, which has already been subjected to error detection and error correction operations by an error correction unit, from one of the two memories to a host system via said system interface unit and of data transferring of a second block of data to be subjected to the error detection and error correction operation, from said non-volatile semiconductor memory to the other of the two memories.