Abstract: A coordinate measuring probe body includes a rigid probe body structure including an upper mounting portion, a compliant element mounting frame, and an axial extension portion between them. A stylus suspension portion includes compliant elements that suspend a moving element from the compliant element mounting frame. A displacement sensing arrangement that senses displacement of the moving element includes displacement sensors that output a respective displacement signals. A circuit board assembly that receives the displacement signals has three component mounting portions which are interconnected with a flexible circuit component, and located around the axial extension portion. In various embodiments, all of the compliant elements are located on a distal side of the circuit board assembly.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a supporting shaft, a rotating unit removable from an installation portion, a movable shaft, and an interlocking device. The rotating unit includes first and second ends, a holding member that holds a rotating body that conveys a sheet. The supporting shaft supports the rotating unit at the first end in an axial direction of the rotating body. The movable shaft is movable in the axial direction and supports the second end. The interlocking device moves the movable shaft per the rotating unit movement. Where the rotating unit is to be moved at a moving amount towards a side in which the rotating unit separates from the supporting shaft as part of removing the rotating unit from the installation portion, the interlocking device moves the movable shaft in the axial direction at a moving amount that is larger than the moving amount the rotating unit.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus is provided with a disengaging mechanism configured to disengage a conveyance member and a separating member to be apart from each other. Either one of the conveyance member and the separating member is provided in a unit, which is attached to an apparatus body and is configured to be detached from the apparatus body toward a downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction, while the other provided in the apparatus body. A restriction portion is configured to restrict the unit from being attached to and detached from the apparatus body in a state where the conveyance member and the separating member are in contact with each other and to permit the unit to be attached to and detached from the apparatus body in a state where the conveyance member and the separating member are disengaged by the disengaging mechanism.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet containing unit and a sheet feeding device to feed sheets in the sheet containing unit. The sheet containing unit includes a main body to hold sheets, a drawer member capable of being drawn from the main body, a restricting member movable in a direction parallel to a sheet feeding direction, a first retaining member disposed at the main body, and a second retaining member disposed at the drawer member. The drawer member holds the sheets together with the main body when drawn from the main body. The restricting member restricts an upstream end position of the contained sheets. The first retaining member retains the restricting member at a first position. The second retaining member retains the restricting member at a second position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet containing unit and a sheet feeding device to feed sheets in the sheet containing unit. The sheet containing unit includes a main body to hold sheets, a drawer member capable of being drawn from the main body, a restricting member movable in a direction parallel to a sheet feeding direction, a first retaining member disposed at the main body, and a second retaining member disposed at the drawer member. The drawer member holds the sheets together with the main body when drawn from the main body. The restricting member restricts an upstream end position of the contained sheets. The first retaining member retains the restricting member at a first position. The second retaining member retains the restricting member at a second position.

Abstract: A sheet supporting device comprises a first supporting unit, a second supporting unit provided to the first supporting unit and drawable in a draw direction from an insert position, a supporting portion on which sheets are supported and provided ascendably/descendably in the first supporting unit, first and second turning portions configured to turn in linkage with an ascendance and descendance move of the supporting portion, an elevation portion, and an indicator. The elevation portion, whose one end is connected with the first turning portion and another end is connected with the second turning portion, is configured to form a link mechanism together with the first and second turning portions and the first supporting unit. The indicator is provided in the second supporting unit and indicates an amount of the sheets supported on the supporting portion by moving in response to an ascendance and descendance move of the elevation portion.

Abstract: A rare earth magnet capable of reducing an eddy current loss by virtue of a low-cost, simple configuration, when mounted in a motor, is to be provided, where the rare earth magnet comprising: a magnet body comprising a rare earth element and iron; and a resistive layer formed on at least one surface of the magnet body, the resistive layer comprising a rare earth element, iron, and oxygen and having an average volume resistivity of 103 ?cm or more and a thickness of from 3 to 25 ?m, as is shown in FIG. 2.

Abstract: A measuring probe includes two supporting members, each having a rotationally symmetric shape and allowing for an attitude change of a stylus, in an axial direction of a probe housing. Four detection elements are disposed at fourfold symmetric positions in one of the two supporting members that includes four deformable arm parts. A signal processing circuit includes a first processing part that processes outputs of the detection elements to output three displacement signals representing displacement components of a contact part in mutually perpendicular three directions, respectively. The measuring probe capable of reducing measurement directional dependency of sensitivity with a simple configuration while maintaining high sensitivity is thus provided.

Abstract: A measuring probe includes: a stylus having a contact part to be brought into contact with an object to be measured; a probe housing capable of supporting the stylus on an axial center; and a detection element capable of detecting a movement of the contact part. The measuring probe further includes: two supporting members disposed in an axial direction of the probe housing, the supporting member allowing for an attitude change of the stylus; and a coupling shaft for coupling the two supporting members together. The detection element is disposed in one of the two supporting members that is farthest away from a rotational center position of rotation generated in the stylus when a measuring force is applied to the contact part from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, to detect a strain amount of the one of the two supporting members.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet containing unit and a sheet feeding device to feed sheets in the sheet containing unit. The sheet containing unit includes a main body to hold sheets, a drawer member capable of being drawn from the main body, a restricting member movable in a direction parallel to a sheet feeding direction, a first retaining member disposed at the main body, and a second retaining member disposed at the drawer member. The drawer member holds the sheets together with the main body when drawn from the main body. The restricting member restricts an upstream end position of the contained sheets. The first retaining member retains the restricting member at a first position. The second retaining member retains the restricting member at a second position.

Abstract: A sheet supporting device comprises a first supporting unit, a second supporting unit provided to the first supporting unit and drawable in a draw direction from an insert position, a supporting portion on which sheets are supported and provided ascendably/descendably in the first supporting unit, first and second turning portions configured to turn in linkage with an ascendance and descendance move of the supporting portion, an elevation portion, and an indicator. The elevation portion, whose one end is connected with the first turning portion and another end is connected with the second turning portion, is configured to form a link mechanism together with the first and second turning portions and the first supporting unit. The indicator is provided in the second supporting unit and indicates an amount of the sheets supported on the supporting portion by moving in response to an ascendance and descendance move of the elevation portion.

Abstract: A detection apparatus includes a rotating member which rotates in a rotation direction from a standby posture by being pushed by a conveyed sheet, a sensor of which an output is changed as the rotating member rotates from the standby posture, an elastic member which elastically applies a force to the rotating member in a direction opposite to the rotation direction, a first abutting portion which abuts onto the rotating member applied by a force by the elastic member to maintain the rotating member in the standby posture, and a regulation unit which allows the rotating member to rotate in the rotation direction by being pushed by the conveyed sheet and regulates the rotating member not to rotate in the rotation direction by a repulsion force when the rotating member rotated in the opposite direction by an elastic force of the elastic member abuts onto the first abutting portion.

Abstract: A detection apparatus includes a rotating member which rotates in a rotation direction from a standby posture by being pushed by a conveyed sheet, a sensor of which an output is changed as the rotating member rotates from the standby posture, an elastic member which elastically applies a force to the rotating member in a direction opposite to the rotation direction, a first abutting portion which abuts onto the rotating member applied by a force by the elastic member to maintain the rotating member in the standby posture, and a regulation unit which allows the rotating member to rotate in the rotation direction by being pushed by the conveyed sheet and regulates the rotating member not to rotate in the rotation direction by a repulsion force when the rotating member rotated in the opposite direction by an elastic force of the elastic member abuts onto the first abutting portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a sheet conveyance apparatus, and a control unit. The main body includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet. The sheet conveyance apparatus and the main body are detachable from each other and the sheet conveyance apparatus may convey the sheet to the image forming unit. The sheet conveyance apparatus includes a sheet conveyance path through which the sheet passes and a detection unit. The detection unit includes light emitting and receiving units that transmit light across the sheet conveyance path therebetween. The detection unit detects a reference and an edge position of the conveyed sheet in a width direction of the sheet orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction. The control unit determines a position of the sheet based on detections of the reference and the edge position of the conveyed sheet by the detection unit.

Abstract: A probe microscope includes a cantilever having a probe for contact with an object, first and second displacement detection optical systems, and an object lens. The first displacement detection optical system includes a first light source and a first displacement detecting section that detects displacement of the cantilever. The second displacement detection optical system includes a second light source and a second displacement detecting section that detects displacement of the object. The object lens is provided between the cantilever and the first light source and between the cantilever and the second light source. The object lens has a focal position for the light that is emitted from the first light source and has a first wavelength at the position of the cantilever and has a focal position for the light that is emitted from the second light source and has a second wavelength at the position of the object.

Abstract: A probe microscope includes a cantilever having a probe, a displacement detecting optical system, an observation optical system, an objective lens, and a parallel glass. The displacement detecting optical system includes a first light source and a light detecting element. The observation optical system includes a second light source, an image forming lens, and a camera. The objective lens is disposed between the cantilever and the first and second light sources, and is commonly used by the displacement detecting optical system and the observation optical system. The parallel glass is capable of being inserted and retracted freely between the cantilever and the objective lens to adjust a focal point of the objective lens.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a sheet conveyance apparatus, and a control unit. The main body includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet. The sheet conveyance apparatus and the main body are detachable from each other and the sheet conveyance apparatus may convey the sheet to the image forming unit. The sheet conveyance apparatus includes a sheet conveyance path through which the sheet passes and a detection unit. The detection unit includes light emitting and receiving units that transmit light across the sheet conveyance path therebetween. The detection unit detects a reference and an edge position of the conveyed sheet in a width direction of the sheet orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction. The control unit determines a position of the sheet based on detections of the reference and the edge position of the conveyed sheet by the detection unit.

Abstract: A shape measuring apparatus includes a probe for scanning across a surface to be measured, while vibrating up and down; a minute-vibration generation section for vibrating the probe up and down; a vertical movement control section for moving the probe up and down to keep a constant contact force or a constant distance between the surface to be measured and the probe; a scanning section for scanning the surface to be measured with the probe; a displacement sensor for measuring the vertical displacement of the probe and outputting a probe displacement signal; and a signal processing section for obtaining information about the contact force or the distance between the surface to be measured and the probe from a high-frequency component of the probe displacement signal, and for obtaining information about profile of the surface to be measured from a low-frequency component of the signal obtained when the surface to be measured is scanned such that the distance or the contact force is kept constant.

Abstract: A probe microscope includes a cantilever having a probe for contact with an object, first and second displacement detection optical systems, and an object lens. The first displacement detection optical system includes a first light source and a first displacement detecting section that detects displacement of the cantilever. The second displacement detection optical system includes a second light source and a second displacement detecting section that detects displacement of the object. The object lens is provided between the cantilever and the first light source and between the cantilever and the second light source. The object lens has a focal position for the light that is emitted from the first light source and has a first wavelength at the position of the cantilever and has a focal position for the light that is emitted from the second light source and has a second wavelength at the position of the object.

Abstract: A probe microscope includes a cantilever having a probe, a displacement detecting optical system, an observation optical system, an objective lens, and a parallel glass. The displacement detecting optical system includes a first light source and a light detecting element. The observation optical system includes a second light source, an image forming lens, and a camera. The objective lens is disposed between the cantilever and the first and second light sources, and is commonly used by the displacement detecting optical system and the observation optical system. The parallel glass is capable of being inserted and retracted freely between the cantilever and the objective lens to adjust a focal point of the objective lens.