Abstract: An actuator unit of the present invention includes upper and lower frames respectively connectable to a thigh frame and a lower leg frame, an actuator-side rotational connecting part connecting both frames in a rotatable manner around a pivot axis, a driver producing driving force for rotating the lower frame around the pivot axis, upper and lower connecting bodies respectively connecting the upper frame to the thigh frame and the lower frame to the lower leg frame, and an intermediate connecting body connecting the vicinity of the actuator-side rotational connecting part to the vicinity of a brace-side rotational connecting part, the intermediate connecting body having a ball stud and an accommodation depression respectively provided on one and the other of the knee-ankle-foot orthosis and the actuator unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a stacking portion, a pickup roller, a motor, an image forming unit, and a controller. Upon receiving an instruction for starting a first image forming job, the controller performs an initial operation of supplying current to a motor winding of the motor in a stop state and determining a phase of the rotor based on the flowing current. Based on the determined phase, the controller supplies current to rotate the rotor from its stop state and holds the rotor at a first phase when the first job ends. Upon receiving start instructions for a second image forming job within a period until a predetermined time elapses from when the rotor is held at the first phase, the controller rotates the rotor without performing the initial operation. The controller stops supplying current to the winding if no instructions are not received for starting the second job.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus comprises: a first conveyance roller configured to convey a sheet; a second conveyance roller, arranged downstream of the first conveyance roller in the conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed, configured to convey the sheet; a first conveyance path configured to guide the sheet from the first conveyance roller to the second conveyance roller; a second conveyance path, which is branched from the first conveyance path between the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller to guide the sheet, the second conveyance path having a bent portion; a third conveyance roller configured to convey the sheet guided by the second conveyance path; a first motor configured to drive the third conveyance roller; a second motor; a first transmission mechanism configured to transmit a driving force of the second motor to the second conveyance roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a stacking portion, a pickup roller, a motor, an image forming unit, and a controller. Upon receiving an instruction for starting a first image forming job, the controller performs an initial operation of supplying current to a motor winding of the motor in a stop state and determining a phase of the rotor based on the flowing current. Based on the determined phase, the controller supplies current to rotate the rotor from its stop state and holds the rotor at a first phase when the first job ends. Upon receiving start instructions for a second image forming job within a period until a predetermined time elapses from when the rotor is held at the first phase, the controller rotates the rotor without performing the initial operation. The controller stops supplying current to the winding if no instructions are not received for starting the second job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a stacking unit having a stack tray, a conveyance unit, an image forming unit, a direct current (DC) brush motor, a drive unit, a detector, a first determiner, and a second determiner. An image forming unit forms an image on a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit from the stack tray. The drive unit drives the DC brush motor to lift and lower the stack tray in a vertical direction. The detector detects a drive current flowing through a DC brush motor winding. The first determiner determines a DC brush motor rotor rotation amount based on the number of times an absolute value of a current value of the detected drive current changes from a value smaller than a threshold to a value greater than the threshold. The second determiner determines a residual amount of stack tray stacked sheets based on the determined rotation amount.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes first and second rotatable members forming a nip for heating a toner image on a sheet, a first heater for heating the first rotatable member, having a heat generation power higher in a central portion than in opposite end portions with respect to a longitudinal direction of the first rotatable member, and a second heater for heating the first rotatable member, having a heat generation power higher in opposite end portions than in a central portion with respect to the longitudinal direction. A controller controls power supply to the first and second heaters in response to an output of a first sensor. In a stand-by state, the controller controls power supply to the first heater in response to the output of the first sensor and power supply to the second heater in response to an output of a second sensor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which is capable of, even when the density of an image in a color with low reflectivity has decreased, detecting a misregistration of this color with high accuracy. A first image of a first color and a second image of a second value having lower reflectivity than that of the first color are transferred to an image carrier. A first signal corresponds to reflected light from a first measurement image, a second signal corresponds to reflected light from a second measurement image, and a third signal corresponds to reflected light from the image carrier. A threshold value is set based on the second signal and the third signal. A color misregistration between the first and second images is corrected based on information on a positional relationship between the first and second images determined by comparing the first signal and the threshold value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which is capable of, even when the density of an image in a color with low reflectivity has decreased, detecting a misregistration of this color with high accuracy. A first image of a first color and a second image of a second value having lower reflectivity than that of the first color are transferred to an image carrier. A first signal corresponds to reflected light from a first measurement image, a second signal corresponds to reflected light from a second measurement image, and a third signal corresponds to reflected light from the image carrier. A threshold value is set based on the second signal and the third signal. A color misregistration between the first and second images is corrected based on information on a positional relationship between the first and second images determined by comparing the first signal and the threshold value.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus irradiates a conveyed sheet with light from a light source to receive reflected light by a line sensor and detects a side edge position of the sheet based on an output of a reading pixel of the line sensor. The reading pixel within a predetermined range facing the sheet in the line sensor is determined to be used for light quantity adjustment of the light source based on a size in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction, and the light quantity of the light source is adjusted based on the output of the determined reading pixel. A threshold value for detecting the side edge position of the sheet is determined based on outputs of reading pixels within the region facing the sheet and outputs of the reading pixels within the region not facing the sheet in the line sensor.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus irradiates a conveyed sheet with light from a light source to receive reflected light by a line sensor and detects a side edge position of the sheet based on an output of a reading pixel of the line sensor. The reading pixel within a predetermined range facing the sheet in the line sensor is determined to be used for light quantity adjustment of the light source based on a size in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction, and the light quantity of the light source is adjusted based on the output of the determined reading pixel. A threshold value for detecting the side edge position of the sheet is determined based on outputs of reading pixels within the region facing the sheet and outputs of the reading pixels within the region not facing the sheet in the line sensor.

Abstract: A control apparatus includes a lower layer control unit configured to perform control of a load, an upper layer control unit configured to control the lower layer control unit, a communication unit configured to perform communication between the upper layer control unit and the lower layer control unit via a communication line, a detection unit configured to detect power supply voltage of the lower layer control unit, wherein the upper layer control unit detects communication abnormality of the communication unit and notifies the communication abnormality, the upper layer control unit notifying abnormality of power supply voltage of the lower layer control unit, in such a manner as to be identified from the communication abnormality of the communication unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus capable of preventing occurrence of skew feeding when correcting sheet lateral deviation. A pair of lateral-shift correcting rollers 305 to correct positional deviation in the sheet width direction based on positional deviation quantity detected by a lateral-registration detection sensor 204c is controlled after controlling a skew feeding correcting roller 203 so as to correct sheet skew feeding based on skew-feeding quantity at a sheet leading edge detected by skew-feeding detection sensors 204a and 204b. Then, skew-feeding quantity of the sheet leading edge to be detected by the skew-feeding detection sensors 204a and 204b for correcting skew feeding of the next sheet is adjusted with skew-feeding quantity at the sheet trailing edge detected by the lateral-registration detection sensor 204c after positional deviation in the sheet width direction is corrected.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus is capable of individually setting a threshold value for use in making a check of a resistivity during a rinsing process on a recipe setting screen in each process step. Thus, by setting each threshold value depending on the type of liquid chemical to be used immediately before the rinsing process, the substrate cleaning apparatus can use an optimum threshold value during the rinsing process in each process step to make a check of the resistivity. This allows the proper completion of the rinsing process in each process step.

Abstract: A control apparatus includes a lower layer control unit configured to perform control of a load, an upper layer control unit configured to control the lower layer control unit, a communication unit configured to perform communication between the upper layer control unit and the lower layer control unit via a communication line, a detection unit configured to detect power supply voltage of the lower layer control unit, wherein the upper layer control unit detects communication abnormality of the communication unit and notifies the communication abnormality, the upper layer control unit notifying abnormality of power supply voltage of the lower layer control unit, in such a manner as to be identified from the communication abnormality of the communication unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus capable of preventing occurrence of skew feeding when correcting sheet lateral deviation. A pair of lateral-shift correcting rollers 305 to correct positional deviation in the sheet width direction based on positional deviation quantity detected by a lateral-registration detection sensor 204c is controlled after controlling a skew feeding correcting roller 203 so as to correct sheet skew feeding based on skew-feeding quantity at a sheet leading edge detected by skew-feeding detection sensors 204a and 204b. Then, skew-feeding quantity of the sheet leading edge to be detected by the skew-feeding detection sensors 204a and 204b for correcting skew feeding of the next sheet is adjusted with skew-feeding quantity at the sheet trailing edge detected by the lateral-registration detection sensor 204c after positional deviation in the sheet width direction is corrected.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus is capable of individually setting a threshold value for use in making a check of a resistivity during a rinsing process on a recipe setting screen in each process step. Thus, by setting each threshold value depending on the type of liquid chemical to be used immediately before the rinsing process, the substrate cleaning apparatus can use an optimum threshold value during the rinsing process in each process step to make a check of the resistivity. This allows the proper completion of the rinsing process in each process step.