Abstract: A transport device includes a first transport member that orbits in a predetermined direction and transports a sheet-like medium; a second transport member that forms a first sandwiching region that is curved and a second sandwiching region that is curved in a direction opposite to the first sandwiching region between the first transport member and the second transport member, and sandwiches and transports the medium in the first sandwiching region and the second sandwiching region; and a changing unit that changes a positional relationship between the first transport member and the second transport member so as to increase a width of the other of the first sandwiching region and the second sandwiching region in a transport direction of the medium without increasing a width of one of the first sandwiching region and the second sandwiching region in the transport direction of the medium.

Abstract: A transport device includes a first transport member that orbits in a predetermined direction and transports a sheet-like medium; a second transport member that forms a first sandwiching region that is curved and a second sandwiching region that is curved in a direction opposite to the first sandwiching region between the first transport member and the second transport member, and sandwiches and transports the medium in the first sandwiching region and the second sandwiching region; and a changing unit that changes a positional relationship between the first transport member and the second transport member so as to increase a width of the other of the first sandwiching region and the second sandwiching region in a transport direction of the medium without increasing a width of one of the first sandwiching region and the second sandwiching region in the transport direction of the medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an unfixed image on a sheet; and a fixing unit that includes a first rotary member and a second rotary member, which are in contact with each other to form a nip part, and that fixes the unfixed image formed in the image forming unit to the sheet by allowing the sheet to pass through the nip part. When a large-width sheet having a larger width than a preceding sheet that has previously passed through the nip part is allowed to pass through the nip part, adjustment in which the first rotary member and the second rotary member are displaced in directions away from each other, while forming the nip part, is performed in the fixing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an unfixed image on a sheet; and a fixing unit that includes a first rotary member and a second rotary member, which are in contact with each other to form a nip part, and that fixes the unfixed image formed in the image forming unit to the sheet by allowing the sheet to pass through the nip part. When a large-width sheet having a larger width than a preceding sheet that has previously passed through the nip part is allowed to pass through the nip part, adjustment in which the first rotary member and the second rotary member are displaced in directions away from each other, while forming the nip part, is performed in the fixing unit.

Abstract: A rotary member support structure includes: a rotary member including a shaft; a bearing that rotatably supports the shaft of the rotary member; a pressing member that presses the bearing in one direction; and a support that supports the bearing such that the bearing is movable in a pressing direction of the pressing member. When the rotary member is not rotating, the bearing and the pressing member are in contact with each other such that the bearing is rotatable about the shaft.

Abstract: There is provided a fastening target member attached to an attachment member by a fastening member that includes a head and a shaft. The fastening target member has a surface, at least one insertion hole that allows the shaft of the fastening member to be inserted therethrough, and a fastening member removal structure that is formed in the surface of the fastening target member where the head of the fastening member is disposed and that has a pair of grooves. The pair of grooves face each other with the at least one insertion hole interposed therebetween. The pair of grooves are each formed from an inner circumferential side relative to the outer diameter of the head of the fastening member to an outer circumferential side relative to the outer diameter of the head of the fastening member.

Abstract: A rotatable-member-supporting structure includes a first rotatable member having a shaft portion, a bearing member by which the shaft portion of the first rotatable member is rotatably supported, a pressing member that presses the bearing member in one direction, and a supporting member by which the bearing member is supported in such a manner as to be retractably movable in the direction in which the pressing member presses the bearing member. A pressing force generated by the pressing member is greatest in a portion of the bearing member that is on a downstream side in a direction of rotation of the first rotatable member with respect to an intersection between the bearing member and a first virtual line extending from a center of rotation of the first rotatable member toward the pressing member in the direction in which the supporting member is retractably movable.

Abstract: A roller member includes a rotating shaft and a roller portion. The roller portion includes a first layer provided on at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft, and a second elastic layer provided on at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the first layer. The first layer is made of a material having a coefficient of linear expansion lower than a coefficient of linear expansion of a material of the second elastic layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for driving assisting provided with an ECU which includes an extraction unit extracting a shape and a distribution of a landmark on a plurality of routes leading to a destination on a map, an accuracy calculation unit calculating an estimated accuracy of a vehicle position at each sampling point positioned at predetermined intervals on each route, on the basis of the shape and distribution of each landmark, an operating ratio calculation unit calculating an operating ratio of a driving assistance control on each of the routes, on the basis of the calculated accuracy at each sampling point, and a route selection unit which enables a driver of the vehicle to select a route among the plurality of routes, after the calculated operating ratio is presented to the driver.

Abstract: There is provided a fastening target member attached to an attachment member by a fastening member that includes a head and a shaft. The fastening target member has a surface, at least one insertion hole that allows the shaft of the fastening member to be inserted therethrough, and a fastening member removal structure that is formed in the surface of the fastening target member where the head of the fastening member is disposed and that has a pair of grooves. The pair of grooves face each other with the at least one insertion hole interposed therebetween. The pair of grooves are each formed from an inner circumferential side relative to the outer diameter of the head of the fastening member to an outer circumferential side relative to the outer diameter of the head of the fastening member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body that heats and pressurizes, together with a recording medium, toner having particle diameter of 4.5 [?m] or less and a softening point of 100 [° C.] or higher and 125 [° C.] or lower to fix the toner on the recording medium, a heating unit that heats the fixing rotary body, and a pressurizing unit that sandwiches and pressurizes the toner and the recording medium in a contact part formed by the fixing rotary body, wherein the maximum pressure in the contact part is equal to or more than 2.9×105 [Pa], the width of the contact part in a movement direction of the recording medium is equal to or more than 10 [mm], and the heating time of the toner in the contact part is equal to or more than 20 [msec].

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt member, a secured member disposed to contact the belt member, a heating unit that heats the belt member, and a rotary pressurizing roller including an elastic layer that is elastically deformed when the belt member is pressed against a pressing surface of the secured member to form a fixing part. The pressurizing roller is curved such that a center portion is smaller in outside diameter than end portions along the axial direction. The pressing surface is curved such that a center portion projects toward the pressurizing roller more than end portions along the longitudinal direction. On the pressing surface, an amount of projection of the center portion with respect to the end portions along the longitudinal direction is set to be larger on an output side than on an input side of the fixing part along a moving direction of the belt member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable pressure member; a heating member that is provided so as to oppose the pressure member, and that includes a heat source; a fixing member that fixes an image to a recording medium as a result of transporting the recording medium while the recording medium is nipped at a nip when the fixing member is pressed by the pressure member, the image being formed of toner including a separating agent; a cooling unit that cools the pressure member at a location that is situated downstream of the nip; a removing roller that, while being driven and rotated by the pressure member, removes the separating agent from the pressure member, the separating agent being transferred from the fixing member; and a removing member that contacts the removing roller and removes the separating agent adhered to the removing roller from the removing roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming units forming toner images with first toners having different colors and a second toner having a different softening point from the first toners, an image transfer unit superposing the toner images one on top of another and transferring the superposed toner images onto a recording medium at least such that the toner image formed of the second toner is at the top of the superposed toner images, an image fixing unit fixing the transferred toner images, and an image controller that causes the image forming unit that uses the second toner to form the toner image over at least part of an image area and also causes the image transfer unit to perform the transfer such that the toner image formed of the second toner is at the top of the superposed toner images in the at least part of the image area.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt member, a secured member disposed to contact the belt member, a heating unit that heats the belt member, and a rotary pressurizing roller including an elastic layer that is elastically deformed when the belt member is pressed against a pressing surface of the secured member to form a fixing part. The pressurizing roller is curved such that a center portion is smaller in outside diameter than end portions along the axial direction. The pressing surface is curved such that a center portion projects toward the pressurizing roller more than end portions along the longitudinal direction. On the pressing surface, an amount of projection of the center portion with respect to the end portions along the longitudinal direction is set to be larger on an output side than on an input side of the fixing part along a moving direction of the belt member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body that heats and pressurizes, together with a recording medium, toner having particle diameter of 4.5 [?m] or less and a softening point of 100 [° C.] or higher and 125 [° C.] or lower to fix the toner on the recording medium, a heating unit that heats the fixing rotary body, and a pressurizing unit that sandwiches and pressurizes the toner and the recording medium in a contact part formed by the fixing rotary body, wherein the maximum pressure in the contact part is equal to or more than 2.9×105 [Pa], the width of the contact part in a movement direction of the recording medium is equal to or more than 10 [mm], and the heating time of the toner in the contact part is equal to or more than 20 [msec].

Abstract: A recording material processing apparatus includes a recording material supplying device supplying a recording material, an image recording device recording an image on the recording material, a recording material transporting mechanism and a burr curing device including a pressurizing member for curing the burrs at the edge of the recording material. The recording material transporting mechanism changes a transporting state of the recording material at a predetermined transportation changing position. The pressurizing member is provided on a recording material transporting path between the recording material supplying device and the transportation changing position and is provided on the side nearer to the recording material supplying device than a trailing end position. The trailing end position indicates a position of the trailing end of the recording material in the transporting path when a leading end of the recording material in the transporting direction passes the transportation changing position.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable pressure member; a heating member that is provided so as to oppose the pressure member, and that includes a heat source; a fixing member that fixes an image to a recording medium as a result of transporting the recording medium while the recording medium is nipped at a nip when the fixing member is pressed by the pressure member, the image being formed of toner including a separating agent; a cooling unit that cools the pressure member at a location that is situated downstream of the nip; a removing roller that, while being driven and rotated by the pressure member, removes the separating agent from the pressure member, the separating agent being transferred from the fixing member; and a removing member that contacts the removing roller and removes the separating agent adhered to the removing roller from the removing roller.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable pressure member; a heating member that is provided so as to oppose the pressure member, and including a heat source; a fixing member that is contacted by the heating member, and fixing an image to a recording medium as a result of transporting the recording medium while the recording medium is nipped at a nip when the fixing member is pressed by the pressure member, the image being formed of toner including a separating agent, the nip being formed between the fixing member and the pressure member; a cooling unit that cools the pressure member at a location that is situated downstream of the nip; and a removing member that contacts the pressure member and removes the separating agent from the pressure member, the separating agent being transferred from the fixing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming units forming toner images with first toners having different colors and a second toner having a different softening point from the first toners, an image transfer unit superposing the toner images one on top of another and transferring the superposed toner images onto a recording medium at least such that the toner image formed of the second toner is at the top of the superposed toner images, an image fixing unit fixing the transferred toner images, and an image controller that causes the image forming unit that uses the second toner to form the toner image over at least part of an image area and also causes the image transfer unit to perform the transfer such that the toner image formed of the second toner is at the top of the superposed toner images in the at least part of the image area.