Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a forming part that forms an image on a recording medium; a fixing part that fixes the image formed on the recording medium; a revolving part having a revolving member stretched over multiple rotary members, the revolving member revolving between the forming part and the fixing part to transport the recording medium from the forming part to the fixing part; a feed part that feeds the recording medium to the forming part; a discharge part that discharges the recording medium to which the image has been fixed in the fixing part; a branch part that is provided so as to be split from the discharge part and along which the recording medium, to one side of which the image has been fixed, is transported to the feed part after switching the leading end and the trailing end of the recording medium; a first housing accommodating the forming part, the fixing part, and the revolving part; and a second housing connected to the first housing and accommodating the feed part, the discharg

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus housing, and an imaging module that is removably installed in the apparatus housing. The imaging module includes an image carrier unit that is capable of carrying an image, an image writer unit that writes an image on the image carrier unit, and a module housing that registers and removably holds the image carrier unit and the image writer unit. A fastening unit that registers the module housing with respect to the apparatus housing and that removably fastens the module housing is disposed between the apparatus housing and the module housing.

Abstract: A liquid supply device includes a container, a boring part, an operation lever, a fixing member, and a coupling portion. The container includes a sealing film and is filled with a liquid. The boring part bores the sealing film of the container when the boring part is inserted into the container to discharge the liquid from the container and supply the liquid to a supply destination. The operation lever is connected to the boring part and operates the boring part so that the boring part is pulled out and inserted into the container. The fixing member fixes the operation lever when the boring part is inserted into the container. The coupling portion is installed in the container and is coupled with the operation lever when the operation lever is moved to the position where the boring part is inserted into the container to prevent the boring part from slipping.

Abstract: A liquid bag connecting member includes a support face and a holding part. The support face supports a bottom face of a liquid bag to be filled with a liquid and is arranged so that an opening part of the liquid bag faces in a gravity direction. The holding part is positioned lower than the support face in the gravity direction and holds the opening part. The holding part includes an opening into which the opening part is inserted. The liquid bag connecting member is connected to the liquid bag to have the liquid bag form into a funnel shape by using a difference of position between the support face and the holding part in the gravity direction.

Abstract: A liquid supply device includes a container, a boring part, an operation lever, a fixing member, and a coupling portion. The container includes a sealing film and is filled with a liquid. The boring part bores the sealing film of the container when the boring part is inserted into the container to discharge the liquid from the container and supply the liquid to a supply destination. The operation lever is connected to the boring part and operates the boring part so that the boring part is pulled out and inserted into the container. The fixing member fixes the operation lever when the boring part is inserted into the container. The coupling portion is installed in the container and is coupled with the operation lever when the operation lever is moved to the position where the boring part is inserted into the container to prevent the boring part from slipping.

Abstract: A belt device includes a belt; a driving unit that is provided inside the belt and drives the belt; a supporting unit that is provided inside the belt and supports the belt; and a position determination member that is fixed to one end in an axial direction of the driving unit or the supporting unit and comes in contact with an edge portion of the belt in the case where the belt is mounted so as to determine a position of the belt.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mixture of: a bone/cartilage formation promoting agent containing sulfated galactosaminoglycan having greater than or equal to 0.6 numbers of ester sulfate groups on average per constituent monosaccharide or a salt thereof as an active ingredient; a factor having a bone/cartilage formation promoting action; or a bone filler (BMP, TGF-?, FGF, IGF, insulin, PDGF, HGF, midkine, pleiotrophin, collagen, gelatin, proteoglycan, fibronectin, osteocalcin, osteopontin, osteonectin, bone sialoprotein, hydroxyapatite, dicalcium phosphate anhydride, dicalcium phosphate dehydrate, ?-tricalcium phosphate, amorphous calcium phosphate, octacalcium phosphate, ?-tricalcium phosphate, PLLA, PLGA, titanium, decalcified bone, autogeneous bone, or the like).

Abstract: To obtain an artificial cartilage tissue having high strength and biocompatibility. There is provided an artificial cartilage tissue which is substantially free of heterologous protein and is substantially free of scaffold derived from non-cartilage-derived cells, but contains mammalian cartilage-derived cells and an extracellular matrix formed by the cartilage-derived cells, where: (1) the water retention per mg of tissue dry weight is 17.8 mg or less; (2) collagen of 5.57 ?g or more per mg of tissue wet weight is contained; (3) proteoglycan of 9.22 ?g or more per mg of tissue wet weight is contained.

Abstract: A belt device includes a belt; a driving unit that is provided inside the belt and drives the belt; a supporting unit that is provided inside the belt and supports the belt; and a position determination member that is fixed to one end in an axial direction of the driving unit or the supporting unit and comes in contact with an edge portion of the belt in the case where the belt is mounted so as to determine a position of the belt.

Abstract: To obtain an artificial cartilage tissue having high strength and biocompatibility. There is provided an artificial cartilage tissue which is substantially free of heterologous protein and is substantially free of scaffold derived from non-cartilage-derived cells, but contains mammalian cartilage-derived cells and an extracellular matrix formed by the cartilage-derived cells, where: (1) the water retention per mg of tissue dry weight is 17.8 mg or less; (2) collagen of 5.57 ?g or more per mg of tissue wet weight is contained; (3) proteoglycan of 9.22 ?g or more per mg of tissue wet weight is contained.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus registers both sides of sheets with great precision in a sheet transportation direction in both-side image formation. The image forming apparatus includes: photoconductive drums holding toner images; an intermediate transfer belt temporarily holding the toner images; a secondary transfer roll that transfers the toner images to a sheet in a transfer unit; a registration roll rotating toward the transfer unit being in sheet feeding timing; a fixing unit fixing the toner images transferred to a first side of the sheet; reversion transportation paths reversing the sheet and again transporting the sheet to the transfer unit; a first sensor detecting the image of the first side of the sheet; and a second sensor that detects the toner images held in the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: Image formation condition is available, which hardly causes imperfections of the image quality. A full-color image formation system selects plural secondary transfer conditions in a secondary transfer unit within a specific range, forms test charts according to each of the secondary transfer conditions selected, and prints them out. A user checks by viewing the test charts printed on each recording sheet, and selects a page number of the sheet where the user evaluated an image quality as the best; and the image formation system sets the secondary transfer condition for the sheet as a standard secondary transfer condition thereafter.

Abstract: The present invention enables registration adjustments during actual use of an image forming apparatus. A test pattern is formed on a sheet in a full-color image forming apparatus and the test pattern formed on the sheet is read in an image read unit. From the result of reading the test pattern, misregistrations of vertical and horizontal scaling factors, parallelism, squareness, skew, side registration, and lead registration in the test pattern are determined, and mounting positions, drive timings, drive speeds, and the like of constituent members are adjusted.

Abstract: The invention provides a double-faced image formation system that prevents transfer and adhesion of a lubricant to an image retaining conveyer and an intermediate transfer part. The system is provided with, on a return path for reversing and conveying a sheet having toner images fixed on one side thereof, a front face electrifying unit and a rear face electrifying unit. Oil adhered on the rear face of the sheet in a fixation unit by the rear face electrifying unit is electrified to a negative polarity, and the oil adhered on the rear face is made impossible to transfer to an intermediate transfer belt. The oil adhered on the front face of the sheet in the fixation unit by the front face electrifying unit is electrified to a positive polarity, and the oil adhered on the front face is made impossible to transfer to a secondary transfer conveyance belt.

Abstract: The invention provides a double-faced image formation system that prevents transfer and adhesion of a lubricant to an image retaining conveyer and an intermediate transfer part. The system is provided with, on a return path for reversing and conveying a sheet having toner images fixed on one side thereof, a front face electrifying unit and a rear face electrifying unit. Oil adhered on the rear face of the sheet in a fixation unit by the rear face electrifying unit is electrified to a negative polarity, and the oil adhered on the rear face is made impossible to transfer to an intermediate transfer belt. The oil adhered on the front face of the sheet in the fixation unit by the front face electrifying unit is electrified to a positive polarity, and the oil adhered on the front face is made impossible to transfer to a secondary transfer conveyance belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus registers both sides of sheets with great precision in a sheet transportation direction in both-side image formation. The image forming apparatus includes: photoconductive drums holding toner images; an intermediate transfer belt temporarily holding the toner images; a secondary transfer roll that transfers the toner images to a sheet in a transfer unit; a registration roll rotating toward the transfer unit being in sheet feeding timing; a fixing unit fixing the toner images transferred to a first side of the sheet; reversion transportation paths reversing the sheet and again transporting the sheet to the transfer unit; a first sensor detecting the image of the first side of the sheet; and a second sensor that detects the toner images held in the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: The present invention enables registration adjustments during actual use of an image forming apparatus. A test pattern is formed on a sheet in a full-color image forming apparatus and the test pattern formed on the sheet is read in an image read unit. From the result of reading the test pattern, misregistrations of vertical and horizontal scaling factors, parallelism, squareness, skew, side registration, and lead registration in the test pattern are determined, and mounting positions, drive timings, drive speeds, and the like of constituent members are adjusted.

Abstract: Premising a duplex imaging apparatus having an image carrier provided with a plurality of image carrying regions, the image deterioration phenomenon (i.e., the so-called “oil ghost phenomenon”), as might otherwise accompany the local transfer of a releasing agent from a fixing unit to the image carrier, is effectively avoided.

Abstract: Image deterioration (so-called oil ghost) due to local transfer of a release agent from a fuser to an intermediate transfer body is effectively prevented. The fuser has a pair of fixing members, a release supply mechanism, an interlocking mechanism, and an interlocking control mechanism. The fixing members are in contact with each other and roll over each other, thus nipping a sheet. The fixing members fix unfixed images on the sheet. The release agent supply mechanism is mounted to at least the fixing member located on the surface of the sheet carrying an unfixed image. The release agent supply mechanism supplies a release agent to this fixing member at a constant rate. The interlocking mechanism interlocks the fixing members and release agent supply mechanism with each other such that the fixing members are kept in contact with each other and roll over each other and that a release agent is supplied to the fixing members.