Abstract: A binding unit includes first and second movable bodies. The second movable body includes first and second shaft portions. A stapler is secured to the second movable body, and the second movable body is swingably supported with the stapler by the first movable body. A first groove includes a branch part between a middle area and one end area. A second groove branches off from the branch part and is parallel to the first groove. When in a first position, a movable guide portion guides the first shaft portion from the branch part to the second groove. When the first shaft portion moves to the second groove through the branch part, the movable guide portion swings from the first position to a second position. When the second shaft portion reaches the branch part, the movable guide portion in the second position guides the second shaft portion along the first groove.

Abstract: A document conveyance device includes a sheet feeding tray, a conveyance mechanism, a discharge tray, a document pressing member and a supporting mechanism. The document pressing member comes into contact with an upper face of the document discharged from a conveyance path and presses the document downward. The supporting mechanism is configured to be provided in the sheet feeding tray, to support the document pressing member, to allow a shifting of the document pressing member according to an operation for shifting the document pressing member in a discharge direction of the document or an opposite direction to the discharge direction and to inhibit the shifting of the document pressing member against a force applied to the document pressing member by the discharged document.

Abstract: A binding unit includes first and second movable bodies. The second movable body includes first and second shaft portions. A stapler is secured to the second movable body, and the second movable body is swingably supported with the stapler by the first movable body. A first groove includes a branch part between a middle area and one end area. A second groove branches off from the branch part and is parallel to the first groove. When in a first position, a movable guide portion guides the first shaft portion from the branch part to the second groove. When the first shaft portion moves to the second groove through the branch part, the movable guide portion swings from the first position to a second position. When the second shaft portion reaches the branch part, the movable guide portion in the second position guides the second shaft portion along the first groove.

Abstract: A document conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance part, a document cover, a stopper and a restriction member. One end of the stopper is rotatably supported by the document cover, and the other end of the stopper is movably supported by an elongated hole formed in the conveyance part. The stopper supports the document cover with respect to the conveyance part at a fixed opening angle. The restriction member is attached to the elongated hole. When the restriction member is attached to the elongated hole on the side of the one end edge, a moving amount of the other end of the stopper along the elongated hole at a time of opening the document cover is restricted to be short so that the document cover is supported at an opening angle smaller than the fixed opening angle.

Abstract: A document conveyance device includes a sheet feeding tray, a conveyance mechanism, a discharge tray, a document pressing member and a supporting mechanism. The document pressing member comes into contact with an upper face of the document discharged from a conveyance path and presses the document downward. The supporting mechanism is configured to be provided in the sheet feeding tray, to support the document pressing member, to allow a shifting of the document pressing member according to an operation for shifting the document pressing member in a discharge direction of the document or an opposite direction to the discharge direction and to inhibit the shifting of the document pressing member against a force applied to the document pressing member by the discharged document.

Abstract: A document conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance part, a document cover, a stopper and a restriction member. One end of the stopper is rotatably supported by the document cover, and the other end of the stopper is movably supported by an elongated hole formed in the conveyance part. The stopper supports the document cover with respect to the conveyance part at a fixed opening angle. The restriction member is attached to the elongated hole. When the restriction member is attached to the elongated hole on the side of the one end edge, a moving amount of the other end of the stopper along the elongated hole at a time of opening the document cover is restricted to be short so that the document cover is supported at an opening angle smaller than the fixed opening angle.

Abstract: A document conveying device is used in common for a double-sided reading specification in which images on one face and the other face of a document conveyed along a conveying path are read and for a single-sided reading specification in which the image on the one face of the document is read. The document conveying device includes a recess, a cover member and a supporting part. In the recess, a member dedicated to the double-sided reading specification is supported at the double-sided reading specification. The member dedicated to the double-sided reading specification is used for reading the image on the other face. The cover member closes the recess at the single-sided reading specification. By the supporting part, the member dedicated to the double-sided reading specification is detachably supported at the double-sided reading specification and the cover member is detachably supported at the single-sided reading specification.

Abstract: A document conveying device is used in common for a double-sided reading specification in which images on one face and the other face of a document conveyed along a conveying path are read and for a single-sided reading specification in which the image on the one face of the document is read. The document conveying device includes a recess, a cover member and a supporting part. In the recess, a member dedicated to the double-sided reading specification is supported at the double-sided reading specification. The member dedicated to the double-sided reading specification is used for reading the image on the other face. The cover member closes the recess at the single-sided reading specification. By the supporting part, the member dedicated to the double-sided reading specification is detachably supported at the double-sided reading specification and the cover member is detachably supported at the single-sided reading specification.

Abstract: A hinge mechanism of the present disclosure includes a pair of hinge units each having a hinge base, a hinge upper member, and a shaft, and the hinge mechanism holds an automatic document feeder to be openable/closable in up/down directions with respect to an image reading unit. The hinge base is supported on the image reading unit which reads a document image. The hinge upper member is supported on the automatic document feeder which feeds a document to the image reading unit. The shaft pivotably couples the hinge base and the hinge upper member together. By attaching the hinge upper member to the automatic document feeder, a groove formed in a circumferential surface of the shaft in an annular shape in a circumferential direction of the shaft and a rib provided on the automatic document feeder engage with each other, whereby axial movement of the shaft is restricted.

Abstract: A hinge mechanism of the present disclosure includes a pair of hinge units each having a hinge base, a hinge upper member, and a shaft, and the hinge mechanism holds an automatic document feeder to be openable/closable in up/down directions with respect to an image reading unit. The hinge base is supported on the image reading unit which reads a document image. The hinge upper member is supported on the automatic document feeder which feeds a document to the image reading unit. The shaft pivotably couples the hinge base and the hinge upper member together. By attaching the hinge upper member to the automatic document feeder, a groove formed in a circumferential surface of the shaft in an annular shape in a circumferential direction of the shaft and a rib provided on the automatic document feeder engage with each other, whereby axial movement of the shaft is restricted.

Abstract: A document conveyance device according to the present disclosure includes a document conveyance path, a first actuator, a second actuator, and an optical sensor. The first actuator is disposed in the document conveyance path. The second actuator is disposed on a more downstream side than the first actuator in the document conveyance path in the document conveyance direction. An output state of the optical sensor is switched based on pivoting of the first actuator and second actuator. A tip end of the document passes the first actuator, whereby the optical sensor outputs a first output indicating a first state, the tip end of the document passes the second actuator, whereby the optical sensor outputs a second output indicating a second state, and a rear end of the document passes the first actuator, whereby the optical sensor outputs the first output.

Abstract: A document conveyance device according to the present disclosure includes a document conveyance path, a first actuator, a second actuator, and an optical sensor. The first actuator is disposed in the document conveyance path. The second actuator is disposed on a more downstream side than the first actuator in the document conveyance path in the document conveyance direction. An output state of the optical sensor is switched based on pivoting of the first actuator and second actuator. A tip end of the document passes the first actuator, whereby the optical sensor outputs a first output indicating a first state, the tip end of the document passes the second actuator, whereby the optical sensor outputs a second output indicating a second state, and a rear end of the document passes the first actuator, whereby the optical sensor outputs the first output.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of rollers, a cleaning unit, a brush unit, and a pressing member. The brush unit is located at the outer circumferential surface part of the intermediate transfer belt in contact with the roller. The brush unit is located at upstream of a contacting part with the cleaning unit in a running direction of the intermediate transfer belt. The brush unit is configured to impart electric charge to the remnant toner by a contact friction with the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt. The pressing member is configured to press the brush unit along a direction of contact/separation with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A cleaning device has housing, cleaning member, pair of bearing portions, toner receiving seal, and end seal. The housing is formed with opening facing, and waste toner retaining portion. The cleaning member is rotatably borne by the pair of bearing portions at both ends of rotation axis. The toner receiving seal is disposed facing to entire area in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning member, and extends to be laid across each end portion of the cleaning member and outer periphery of the bearing portion. The bearing portion has the same outer diameter in contact portion where the toner receiving seal contacts, as outer diameter of the cleaning member. The end seal is disposed, in gap between the housing and each of the bearing portions, facing to the contact portion with the toner receiving seal interposed therebetween, and prevents leakage of waste toner from both end portions of the housing.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a housing, a cleaning member, a contact member, a torque limiter, and an urging member. The housing has an opening that opposes an image carrier and a waste toner receiver. The cleaning member includes a rotation member that is rotated in a forward rotation direction. The cleaning member is positioned near the opening in the housing and removes residual toner from the surface of the image carrier. The contact member is positioned so as to be in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the rotation member. The torque limiter is located on a rotation shaft of the rotation member and is capable of rotating independently of the rotation shaft when a torque that is greater than or equal to a predetermined torque is applied to the torque limiter. The urging member applies an urging force to the torque limiter in a reverse rotation direction.

Abstract: A fuser device includes a first motor for rotatably driving one of a heating member and a pressure-applying member, a second motor rotating either in a forward direction or a reverse direction in order to switch a pressure-application-switching mechanism between an applied-pressure state and a released-pressure state, a first detector for detecting whether the first motor is rotating, and a second detector for detecting the forward-direction or reverse-direction rotation of the second motor. The first detector has a first sensor for detecting the rotation of the first detector plate caused to rotate by the first motor. The second detector has a second sensor for detecting changes in the rotational state of the second detector plate caused to rotate in the forward and reverse directions by the second motor. A single sensor constitutes the first sensor and the second sensor.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of rollers, a cleaning unit, a brush unit, and a pressing member. The brush unit is located at the outer circumferential surface part of the intermediate transfer belt in contact with the roller. The brush unit is located at upstream of a contacting part with the cleaning unit in a running direction of the intermediate transfer belt. The brush unit is configured to impart electric charge to the remnant toner by a contact friction with the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt. The pressing member is configured to press the brush unit along a direction of contact/separation with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a housing, a cleaning member, a contact member, a torque limiter, and an urging member. The housing has an opening that opposes an image carrier and a waste toner receiver. The cleaning member includes a rotation member that is rotated in a forward rotation direction. The cleaning member is positioned near the opening in the housing and removes residual toner from the surface of the image carrier. The contact member is positioned so as to be in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the rotation member. The torque limiter is located on a rotation shaft of the rotation member and is capable of rotating independently of the rotation shaft when a torque that is greater than or equal to a predetermined torque is applied to the torque limiter. The urging member applies an urging force to the torque limiter in a reverse rotation direction.

Abstract: A cleaning device has housing, cleaning member, pair of bearing portions, toner receiving seal, and end seal. The housing is formed with opening facing, and waste toner retaining portion. The cleaning member is rotatably borne by the pair of bearing portions at both ends of rotation axis. The toner receiving seal is disposed facing to entire area in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning member, and extends to be laid across each end portion of the cleaning member and outer periphery of the bearing portion. The bearing portion has the same outer diameter in contact portion where the toner receiving seal contacts, as outer diameter of the cleaning member. The end seal is disposed, in gap between the housing and each of the bearing portions, facing to the contact portion with the toner receiving seal interposed therebetween, and prevents leakage of waste toner from both end portions of the housing.

Abstract: An color image forming apparatus 1 has photosensitive units 5 and developing units 6 that can be drawn out of an apparatus main body along a direction of a photosensitive drum 15 and has an intermediate transfer unit 7 that can be drawn out of the apparatus main body along a moving direction of an intermediate transfer belt 10. The color image forming apparatus 1 includes a pressing release mechanism 41 that releases pressing against the photosensitive drum 15 by a primary transfer roller 8 in conjunction with an operation required at a time of drawing out any of the photosensitive unit 5, the developing unit 6, and the intermediate transfer unit 7.