Abstract: A jam detection section detects a sheet jam on a conveyance path based on results of detection by a sheet detection sensor. A printing stop section stops an image formation operation upon the sheet jam detection by the sheet jam detection section. Upon detection of completion of an operation of resolving the sheet jam by a user by a resolving operation detection section, a sheet breakage confirmation section judges, for the sheet taken out from the conveyance path by the user in the operation of resolving the sheet jam and then loaded on a document stand, whether or not there is any sheet lacking portion, based on image data generated by an image reading section. The stopping release section, upon judgment by the sheet breakage confirmation section that there is no sheet lacking portion, permits execution of image formation.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a lifting plate, a pickup roller, a lifting and lowering mechanism of the lifting plate and an end cursor. The end cursor has a cursor main body and a turning cursor plate. The turning cursor plate is coupled to the cursor main body turnably around a turning shaft extending in a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction and slidably along a lifting and lowering direction of the lifting plate. The turning cursor plate is configured to be turned toward the downstream side in the conveying direction around the turning shaft by being pushed up with the lifting of the lifting plate while the turning shaft is moved upward so that the sheet is shifted toward the downstream side along an upper surface of the lifting plate with respect to the lifting plate.

Abstract: A sheet process device includes a processing part unit and a leg part unit. The processing part unit performs post process for a sheet ejected from an image forming apparatus. The leg part unit supports the processing part unit height-adjustably. The leg part unit includes a leg member, a fixed supporting member, and a movable supporting member. The leg member is extendable/contractable in upward and downward directions. The fixed supporting member is extended from a lower end of the leg member in a horizontal direction. The movable supporting member is stored in the fixed supporting member at the lower end of the leg member and extended in another horizontal direction being different from the extending direction of the fixed supporting member.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a tray configured to load a sheet to be fed thereon. The tray has a tray upper face and a pair of cursors. The tray upper face has a recessed portion, a guide plate and a feeding route. The recessed portion extends along the width direction on an upstream side from the pair of cursors in the feeding direction. The guide plate is configured to cover an upper side of the recessed portion. The feeding route is formed between the recessed portion and the guide plate and extending from an inlet port positioned on an upstream side to an outlet port positioned on a downstream side along the feeding direction. The sheet in a state of being passed through the feeding route is aligned with the pair of cursors on the tray upper face and then fed.

Abstract: A sheet process device includes a processing part unit and a leg part unit. The processing part unit performs post process for a sheet ejected from an image forming apparatus. The leg part unit supports the processing part unit height-adjustably. The leg part unit includes a leg member, a fixed supporting member, and a movable supporting member. The leg member is extendable/contractable in upward and downward directions. The fixed supporting member is extended from a lower end of the leg member in a horizontal direction. The movable supporting member is stored in the fixed supporting member at the lower end of the leg member and extended in another horizontal direction being different from the extending direction of the fixed supporting member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a wide first main body, a narrow second main body below the first main body, and a cover on at least on one side of the second main body. The cover includes first and second walls. The first wall connects a side edge of the first main body and a lower side edge of the second main body. The second wall is a substantially inverted triangle that extends obliquely from the front edge of the first wall.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided in image forming apparatuses such as a printer and the like and performs a fixing by heating to a recording sheet on which a toner image is transferred. The fixing device includes: a heating source adapted for performing fixing of a toner image onto a recording medium by heat; a fixing roller including a thin-wall cylinder rotatable about an axis thereof and carrying the heating source therein, the recording medium being placed on a peripheral surface of the cylinder; an annular heat-insulating member coaxially mounted on an outside surface of the fixing roller; and a C-shaped stopper attached to the peripheral surface of the fixing roller for preventing the annular heat-insulating member from moving out of the fixing roller, the C-shaped stopper including at least three engaging portions.

Abstract: An image reading device having a recessed part which is located at a backward end with respect to a home-position of an image reading unit and extending downwardly with respect to a flat surface. When the image reading unit is located in the home-position, the recessed part receives a bent part of a flexible flat cable. With the image reading device, an upward pushing force applied to the image reading unit because of a repulsive force generated by the flexible flat cable trying to straighten itself is reduced.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a wide first main body, a narrow second main body below the first main body, and a cover on at least on one side of the second main body. The cover includes first and second walls. The first wall connects a side edge of the first main body and a lower side edge of the second main body. The second wall is a substantially inverted triangle that extends obliquely from the front edge of the first wall.

Abstract: A turbocharger having a variable nozzle mechanism, which is accommodated in an accommodating chamber, is disclosed. The variable nozzle mechanism has a nozzle ring, a nozzle vane, a nozzle vane drive mechanism, and a support ring. The nozzle ring defines a gas passage through which exhaust gas is guided to a turbine wheel. The nozzle vane is supported by the nozzle ring and varies the flow area of the gas passage. The nozzle vane drive mechanism drives the nozzle vane. The support ring is connected to the nozzle ring. The nozzle vane drive mechanism is accommodated in the accommodating chamber as spaced from the nozzle ring through the support ring. The turbocharger has a drain passage that extends through a lower portion of the support ring and reaches the gas passage. The drain passage is located downward from the nozzle vane drive mechanism.

Abstract: A sheet-handling device comprising an intermediate conveyer passage, an intermediate tray, introduction rollers, conveying rollers and a controller. The controller rotates the introduction rollers and the conveying rollers forward and reverse so as to convey two pieces of sheets successively introduced into the intermediate conveyer passage until their trailing ends separate away from the introduction rollers. The conveying rollers are halted in a state where the leading ends are nipped. After the leading ends of the two pieces of sheets have been nipped in an overlapped manner by the conveying rollers, the conveying rollers are rotated forward to convey the two pieces of overlapped sheets into the intermediate tray.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus-information indicator, which includes an indication surface, an underlying segment formed on the indication surface by a first dot pattern, and a character area formed on the underlying segment by a second dot pattern different from the first dot pattern to indicate given apparatus information. Respective colors of the underlying segment and the character area are substantially equal in hue, and substantially different in lightness.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided in image forming apparatuses such as a printer and the like and performs a fixing by heating to a recording sheet on which a toner image is transferred. The fixing device includes: a heating source adapted for performing fixing of a toner image onto a recording medium by heat; a fixing roller including a thin-wall cylinder rotatable about an axis thereof and carrying the heating source therein, the recording medium being placed on a peripheral surface of the cylinder; an annular heat-insulating member coaxially mounted on an outside surface of the fixing roller; and a C-shaped stopper attached to the peripheral surface of the fixing roller for preventing the annular heat-insulating member from moving out of the fixing roller, the C-shaped stopper including at least three engaging portions.

Abstract: A sheet-feeding device is used in an apparatus main body having a box-shaped apparatus external surface and includes a sheet feeding cassette having an outer side surface and detachably mounted to the apparatus main body; and an elastic member provided on the outer side surface of the sheet feeding cassette. The outer side surface of the sheet feeding cassette constitutes a part of the apparatus external surface in a state where the sheet feeding cassette is mounted to the apparatus main body. At least a part of the elastic member projects outward from the apparatus external surface farther than the outer side surface.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided in image forming apparatuses such as a printer and the like and performs a fixing by heating to a recording sheet on which a toner image is transferred. The fixing device includes: a heating source adapted for performing fixing of a toner image onto a recording medium by heat; a fixing roller including a thin-wall cylinder rotatable about an axis thereof and carrying the heating source therein, the recording medium being placed on a peripheral surface of the cylinder; an annular heat-insulating member coaxially mounted on an outside surface of the fixing roller; and a C-shaped stopper attached to the peripheral surface of the fixing roller for preventing the annular heat-insulating member from moving out of the fixing roller, the C-shaped stopper including at least three engaging portions.

Abstract: An operation section (28) of an image forming apparatus main body (2) comprises an operation display panel (30) for displaying letters and/or symbols representing various functions with respect to an image forming operation to allow an operator to select a desired function, and a status display panel (40) for displaying an image representing a growth stage and/or an appearance of a living thing such as a fish to show a current status of the main body (2). Accordingly, the current status of main body (2) is visually displayed on a display panel by association with a growth stage and/or an appearance of an actual living thing or an imaginary living thing, thereby enabling the operator to quickly see the present status of the apparatus.

Abstract: A cursor position determination unit 101 determines that a cursor 201 has been aligned, for instance, on an object 206 among a plurality of objects 202 to 209. Then, an object selection determination unit 105 receives selection instruction information indicating the selection of the object onto which the cursor 201 has been aligned, and determines that the object has been selected, while at the same time, an adjacent object determination unit 106determines an adjacent object, which is adjacent to the selection object. An object validation determination unit 107 does not accept validation instruction information about to be mistakenly input for the adjacent object, as the validation instruction information for the adjacent object.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided in image forming apparatuses such as a printer and the like and performs a fixing by heating to a recording sheet on which a toner image is transferred. The fixing device includes: a heating source adapted for performing fixing of a toner image onto a recording medium by heat; a fixing roller including a thin-wall cylinder rotatable about an axis thereof and carrying the heating source therein, the recording medium being placed on a peripheral surface of the cylinder; an annular heat-insulating member coaxially mounted on an outside surface of the fixing roller; and a C-shaped stopper attached to the peripheral surface of the fixing roller for preventing the annular heat-insulating member from moving out of the fixing roller, the C-shaped stopper including at least three engaging portions.

Abstract: A sheet-handling device comprising an intermediate conveyer passage, an intermediate tray, introduction rollers, conveying rollers and a controller. The controller rotates the introduction rollers and the conveying rollers forward and reverse so as to convey two pieces of sheets successively introduced into the intermediate conveyer passage until their trailing ends separate away from the introduction rollers. The conveying rollers are halted in a state where the leading ends are nipped. After the leading ends of the two pieces of sheets have been nipped in an overlapped manner by the conveying rollers, the conveying rollers are rotated forward to convey the two pieces of overlapped sheets into the intermediate tray.

Abstract: An operation section (28) of an image forming apparatus main body (2) comprises an operation display panel (30) for displaying letters and/or symbols representing various functions with respect to an image forming operation to allow an operator to select a desired function, and a status display panel (40) for displaying an image representing a growth stage and/or an appearance of a living thing such as a fish to show a current status of the main body (2). Accordingly, the current status of main body (2) is visually displayed on a display panel by association with a growth stage and/or an appearance of an actual living thing or an imaginary living thing, thereby enabling the operator to quickly see the present status of the apparatus.