Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an open/close member provided to an image forming apparatus body so as to be openable and closable by turning about a turning support point; and a second transfer member attached to the open/close member to be positioned at an operation position with a positioning projecting portion contacting a positioning recessed portion of the image forming apparatus body. A distance between the turning support point and an outer peripheral end of the positioning projecting portion at a time when the open/close member is opened is shorter than the distance with the second transfer member at the operation position. The second transfer member is guided to the operation position, when the open/close member is closed, with the positioning projecting portion first contacting a guide surface of the positioning recessed portion. The guide surface is located on a downstream side along a turning direction of the open/close member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a drive mechanism, a rotating member, an urging member, and a retracting system. The retracting system includes first and second retracting mechanisms. The first retracting mechanism includes a first gap-maintaining member that maintains a gap between the image carrier and the rotating member, and cancels the retracted state at one end in an axial direction by moving the first gap-maintaining member and cancelling a gap-maintaining state established by the first gap-maintaining member. The second retracting mechanism includes a second gap-maintaining member that maintains a gap between the image carrier and the rotating member, and cancels the retracted state at the other end by enabling the rotating member to be rotated by the image carrier, moving the second gap-maintaining member, and cancelling a gap-maintaining state established by the second gap-maintaining member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an open/close member provided to an image forming apparatus body so as to be openable and closable by turning about a turning support point; and a second transfer member attached to the open/close member to be positioned at an operation position with a positioning projecting portion contacting a positioning recessed portion of the image forming apparatus body. A distance between the turning support point and an outer peripheral end of the positioning projecting portion at a time when the open/close member is opened is shorter than the distance with the second transfer member at the operation position. The second transfer member is guided to the operation position, when the open/close member is closed, with the positioning projecting portion first contacting a guide surface of the positioning recessed portion. The guide surface is located on a downstream side along a turning direction of the open/close member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a drive mechanism, a rotating member, an urging member, and a retracting system. The retracting system includes first and second retracting mechanisms. The first retracting mechanism includes a first gap-maintaining member that maintains a gap between the image carrier and the rotating member, and cancels the retracted state at one end in an axial direction by moving the first gap-maintaining member and cancelling a gap-maintaining state established by the first gap-maintaining member. The second retracting mechanism includes a second gap-maintaining member that maintains a gap between the image carrier and the rotating member, and cancels the retracted state at the other end by enabling the rotating member to be rotated by the image carrier, moving the second gap-maintaining member, and cancelling a gap-maintaining state established by the second gap-maintaining member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image carrier, a detachable transfer body on which an image is transferred, a contact and separation mechanism that moves the transfer body into contact with and away from the image carrier, and a coupling member to be coupled to the contact and separation mechanism. When the coupling member is turned forward to a first turn position in a coupled state coupled to the contact and separation mechanism, the contact and separation mechanism contacts the transfer body with the image carrier, and when the coupling member is turned in reverse from the first turn position to a second turn position in the coupled state, the contact and separation mechanism separates the transfer body from the image carrier and the coupling member withdraws in a direction opposite a direction to couple the coupling member to the contact and separation mechanism.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging apparatus including: an apparatus body in which a heat radiating part is disposed; and a heat dissipating section formed at an upper portion of the apparatus body, wherein the heat dissipating section has a recess provided in an upper portion of the apparatus body, and a closing plate so mounted as to close the recess, a space is formed between the recess and the closing plate, the recess is formed with a vent hole through which the inside of the apparatus body and the space communicate with each other, the closing plate is provided with a heat dissipating hole through which the space communicates with the exterior, and the vent hole and the heat dissipating hole are positionally deviated from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image carrier, a detachable transfer body on which an image is transferred, a contact and separation mechanism that moves the transfer body into contact with and away from the image carrier, and a coupling member to be coupled to the contact and separation mechanism. When the coupling member is turned forward to a first turn position in a coupled state coupled to the contact and separation mechanism, the contact and separation mechanism contacts the transfer body with the image carrier, and when the coupling member is turned in reverse from the first turn position to a second turn position in the coupled state, the contact and separation mechanism separates the transfer body from the image carrier and the coupling member withdraws in a direction opposite a direction to couple the coupling member to the contact and separation mechanism.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging apparatus including: an apparatus body in which a heat radiating part is disposed; and a heat dissipating section formed at an upper portion of the apparatus body, wherein the heat dissipating section has a recess provided in an upper portion of the apparatus body, and a closing plate so mounted as to close the recess, a space is formed between the recess and the closing plate, the recess is formed with a vent hole through which the inside of the apparatus body and the space communicate with each other, the closing plate is provided with a heat dissipating hole through which the space communicates with the exterior, and the vent hole and the heat dissipating hole are positionally deviated from each other.

Abstract: A method, for charging anode(s) into a furnace, comprises bending anode(s) having a roughly rectangular plate shape at the end of the charging direction, and charging the anode(s) into a melt stored in the furnace through a slope. When the depth of melt is taken to be D (cm), the height of the slope is taken to be H (cm), the inclination angle of the slope is taken to be &bgr; (°) and the thickness of the anode is taken to be b (cm), the bending angle &agr; (°) of the anode and the length c (cm) of the bent end of the anode are set to satisfy the following relationship: Equation (1): D>A×(c sin &agr;/b)B +0.06(H-190), provided that A and B are given by: Equation (2): A=−1051(sin &bgr;)2 +2028 sin &bgr;−839.3, and Equation (3): B=7.378(sin &bgr;)2−11.64 sin &bgr;+3.806.

Abstract: A disc brake having a support member secured to a vehicle with a first guide pin located in a first bore and a second guide pin located in a second bore in support member. The first and second bores are complimentary and define first and second bearing surfaces to align a caliper over a rotor associated with a wheel of the vehicle. A first friction member is connected to the piston retained by the caliper while a second friction member is connected to an arm extending from a bridge member is located on a second side of the rotor. To effect a brake application pressurized fluid acts on the piston to develop a force for moving the first and second friction members into engagement with the rotor to effect a brake application. The caliper is characterized by a first ear that extends from the actuation section while a second ear extends from the arm. The first and second ears being located on opposite sides of the rotor.

Abstract: In tapping method in which molten iron (16) and molten slag (18) are discharged from a blast furnace, a conducting pipe (30) is connected to the external side of a molten iron taphole (12), and an electromagnetic energy supply body (32) is disposed around the outer periphery of the conducting pipe (30), whereby a turning motion or a magnetic pressure due to an electromagnetic repulsive force to the molten iron flowing in the conducting pipe (30) for separating the molten iron (16) from the molten slag (18) thus controlling the discharge rates thereof. With this tapping method, it becomes possible to keep substantially constant the discharged amounts of molten iron and molten slag from the blast furnace during a period from the starting to the completion of the tapping and significantly reduce the number of drilling/blocking upon tapping, and hence to stabilize quality of products and save the tapping work.

Abstract: A copper smelting apparatus for processing of copper concentrates to produce blister copper requiring relatively low capital cost and land area. The apparatus combines batch smelting processing to produce copper matte with continuous processing to produce blister copper, and all the components of the facility are built above ground level. The apparatus includes a batch operated smelting furnace, a transport facility for transporting molten matte, and a continuous converting furnace for continuous production of blister copper by continuously receiving and processing the matte received from the transport facility. A holding container may be provided for temporarily holding the molten matte transported by the transport facility. The matte is delivered by gravity from the transport facility or the holding container to the continuous converting furnace through a first launder.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for smelting copper which includes a smelting furnace, a separating furnace, a converting furnace, and launders connecting these furnaces in series. In the smelting furnace, copper concentrate is melted and oxidized to produce matte and slag. In the separating furnace, the matte is separated from the slag. In the converting furnace, the matte separated from the slag is oxidized to produce blister copper. A plurality of anode furnaces are provided for refining the blister copper produced in the converting furnace into copper of higher quality. A blister copper launder assembly, which has a main launder and a plurality of branch launders branched off from the main launder, is provided to connect the converting furnace and the anode furnaces together. A selecting device may be attached to the launder assembly for selectively bringing the main launder into fluid communication with one of the branch launders.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for smelting copper which includes a blister copper-producing device. A plurality of anode furnaces are provided for refining the blister copper produced in the blister copper-producing device into copper of higher quality. A blister copper launder assembly, which has a main launder and a plurality of branch launders branched off from the main launder, is provided to connect the converting furnace and the anode furnaces together. A selecting device may be attached to the launder assembly for selectively bringing the main launder into fluid communication with one of the branch launders.

Abstract: There is disclosed a copper smelting process. At first, blister copper is produced in a blister copper-producing facility. Then, the blister copper is caused to flow through blister copper launders into one of anode furnaces, and refined into copper of higher quality in the anode furnace. In the refining operation at the anode furnace, the receiving step and the oxidizing step are carried out at least partly in an overlapping fashion.

Abstract: An optical fiber is laid in a spiral shape on a surface of an iron skin of a hot-air oven constituting a blast furnace facility, and one end of the optical fiber is connected to a temperature measuring apparatus. A temperature distribution of an optical fiber laid area is measured based on the intensity of Raman back scattering light of a light pulse transmitted into the optical fiber and based on a time interval until the Raman back scattering light returns to the transmission end of the optical fiber. The temperature distribution is displayed on a display screen to monitor the temperature distribution of the whole area of the iron skin of the hot-air oven to detect an abnormal condition thereof.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for smelting copper which includes a smelting furnace, a separating furnace, a converting furnace, and launders connecting these furnaces in series. In the smelting furnace, copper concentrate is melted and oxidized to produce matte and slag. In the separating furnace, the matte is separated from the slag. In the converting furnace, the matte separated from the slag is oxidized to produce blister copper. A plurality of anode furnaces are provided for refining the blister copper produced in the converting furnace into copper of higher quality. A blister copper launder assembly, which has a main launder and a plurality of branch launders branched off from the main launder, is provided to connect the converting furnace and the anode furnaces together. A selecting device may be attached to the launder assembly for selectively bringing the main launder into fluid communication with one of the branch launders.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for continuous copper smelting. At first, a smelting furnace, a separating furnace, a converting furnace, melt launders for connecting the smelting furnace, the separating furnace and the converting furnace in series, a plurality of anode furnaces and blister copper launders for connecting the converting furnace and the anode furnaces are provided. Then, copper concentrate is introduced in the smelting furnace, and melted and oxidized into a mixture of matte and slag. The mixture is received in the separating furnace and the matte is separated from the slag. Subsequently, the matte separated from the slag is oxidized to produce blister copper. Subsequently, the blister copper is caused to flow through the blister copper launders into one of the anode furnaces, and refined into copper of higher quality in the anode furnace. In the refining operation at the anode furnace, the receiving step and the oxidizing step are carried out at least partly in an overlapping fashion.