Abstract: An image forming system includes: an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet; one or more sheet carrying devices successively disposed on the downstream side of the image forming apparatus; and a control device that controls the image forming apparatus and the one or more sheet carrying devices based on a job that designates a page configuration containing a page order and sheet types, wherein the sheet carrying device includes a bypass conveyance path along which the sheet output from an upstream device is conveyed toward a downstream device, and a sheet tray unit that temporarily stores the sheet output from the upstream device and discharges the sheet toward the bypass conveyance path, and the control device divides the job into sheet types and determines a printing order of the divided sheet types and sheet types to be stored in the sheet carrying device.

Abstract: The present invention realizes a polymer substrate with hard coating layer comprising a high level of environmental resistance and a high level of abrasion resistance. A polymer substrate with hard coating layer is provided that comprises a polymer substrate (60) having a thickness of 1 mm to 20 mm and a hard coating layer (70,80) on the surface thereof. Here, in this polymer substrate with hard coating layer, the hard coating layer (70,80) is laminated on the surface of the polymer substrate, contains as a main component thereof a hydrolysis-condensation product of an organic silicon compound, has a thickness of 0.1 ?m to 20 ?m, makes direct contact with a cured underlayer on the opposite side of the polymer substrate, is formed from an organic silicon compound by PE-CVD, and satisfies all of the following requirements (a) to (c): (a) film thickness of the silicon oxide layer is within the range of 3.5 ?m to 9.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an image carrier driver which rotates the image carrier, a rotation detector which detects rotation of the image carrier, a rotary member in contact with the image carrier, a rotary member driver which rotates the rotary member, a first controller which controls the rotary member driver, and a second controller. The second controller controls the image carrier driver based on an output of the rotation detector and also controls the image carrier driver in a manner which attenuates a fluctuation component at a specific frequency. When the first controller changes a surface velocity of the rotary member, the second controller controls the image carrier driver in a manner that attenuates a fluctuation component at a specific frequency related to the changed surface velocity of the rotary member.

Abstract: A hydroponic apparatus includes: a cultivation tank inside which a plant is held, and into a lower portion of which a nutrient solution is introduced; a separator that separates a first space where aboveground portions of the plant are positioned and a second space where underground portions of the plant are positioned; an environmental control unit that performs control of adjusting a temperature of the first space to a first temperature in a first period and adjusting the temperature of the first space to a second temperature lower than the first temperature in a second period; and a humidity control unit that performs control to decrease a humidity of the second space when the growing period for the plant shifts from the first period to the second period.

Abstract: There is provided a mower in which a guide member does not easily protrude on the side of the mower, and a grass mowing machine including the same. A mower for discharging mowed grasses from a discharge port provided in a side part of a mower deck to an exterior of the mower deck includes a flexible rubber sheet formed in a flat plate shape, a pivot frame, support frames, and a pivot shaft for attaching the rubber sheet to the mower deck oscillatably in the up and down direction, and fixing members for fixing the rubber sheet to the mower deck in a state that the rubber sheet is bent into a shape capable of guiding the mowed grasses discharged from the discharge port.

Abstract: An image forming system includes: an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet; one or more sheet carrying devices successively disposed on the downstream side of the image forming apparatus; and a control device that controls the image forming apparatus and the one or more sheet carrying devices based on a job that designates a page configuration containing a page order and sheet types, wherein the sheet carrying device includes a bypass conveyance path along which the sheet output from an upstream device is conveyed toward a downstream device, and a sheet tray unit that temporarily stores the sheet output from the upstream device and discharges the sheet toward the bypass conveyance path, and the control device divides the job into sheet types and determines a printing order of the divided sheet types and sheet types to be stored in the sheet carrying device.

Abstract: A hydroponic cultivation apparatus, wherein a plant that stores nourishment in an underground portion thereof is raised by hydroponics, including: a nutrient solution flow path provided at a bottom portion of a cultivating container; a partitioning member arranged above the nutrient solution flow path, including a through-hole having a size that a root and a stolon produced from the underground portion of the plant pass therethrough, and supporting the stolon and a tuber extended from underground portion with an upper surface thereof. The hydroponic cultivation apparatus makes the root produced from the underground portion pass through the through-hole from an upper surface side toward a lower surface side of the partitioning member, and immerses the root in the nutrient solution flow path and grows the stolon on the upper surface of the partitioning member and produces the tuber of the plant on the upper surface of the partitioning member.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus comprises a fixing nip width adjustment unit configured to adjust the fixing nip width of a fixing nip portion; a braking force generation motor configured to generate an effective braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of an upper pressure roller; and a control unit configured to perform restore control for rotating the upper pressure roller and a lower pressure roller by driving a drive motor and speed keeping control for keeping the rotational speed of the braking force generation motor no higher than a predetermined speed during the restore control in a non-fixing period in which the fixing nip width adjustment unit is controlled to decrease the fixing nip width smaller than in a fixing period and a braking force is applied to the fixing side member by the braking force generation motor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs a serviceman call detection mode during its idling time. In this time, a control portion controls upper and lower pressuring rollers to be clamped, controls a driving motor, and controls a change-over mechanism to switch a braking motor off. A torque detection portion detects a torque value Y of the driving motor at this time. The control portion then controls the upper and lower pressuring rollers to be clamped, controls the driving motor, and controls the change-over mechanism to switch the braking motor on. The torque detection portion detects a torque value Z of the driving motor at this time. The control portion subtracts the torque value Y from the torque value Z to calculate a difference value. The control portion determines that the braking motor is broken down when the difference value does not exceed the threshold value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a belt member configured to be rotationally operated at least during performance of a job; an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the position of the belt member; a detection unit configured to detect the position of the belt member; and a control unit configured to control the adjustment mechanism during performance of a job, and perform steering control for correcting deviation of the belt member, the control unit comparing the position of the belt member at the end of a job, and a determination threshold for determining deviation of the belt member from a belt reference position, and selecting a control mode relating to the steering control, according to a result of the comparison.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a drive motor configured to rotate the lower pressure roller, a torque generation unit for generating a braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of a fixing belt in order to adjust the differential speed between the surface speed of the fixing belt and the surface speed of the lower pressure roller, and a control unit for adjusting the braking force generated by the torque generation unit. The control unit adjusts the braking force generated by the torque generation unit to decrease if the rotational torque of the drive motor is larger than a predetermined target torque, and increase if the rotational torque of the drive motor is smaller than the predetermined target torque.

Abstract: A signal processing device includes a control unit that suspends supplying of a signal to an A/D conversion unit which performs A/D conversion, during an A/D conversion period in which the A/D conversion is performed on the signal that depends on an electric charge read from a pixel; and a maintenance unit that maintains a signal value of the signal in a state where the signal is supplied by the control unit to the A/D conversion unit and that supplies the maintained signal value to the A/D conversion unit in a state where the supplying of the signal to the A/D conversion unit is suspended by the control unit.

Abstract: An improved image forming apparatus is described which can inhibit the quality of printed images from being degraded. A control unit performs a steering operation to shift an intermediate transfer belt toward a target belt position by controlling the inclination angle of a steering roller. Also, a memory stores the inclination angle of the steering roller in association with the operational states of rotary members facing the intermediate transfer belt. The control unit updates the values stored in the memory with an update value. When the result of detecting the belt edges indicate that the intermediate transfer belt falls in a predetermined range around the target belt position during the steering operation, the control unit determines the update value on the basis of the steering duration time and the inclination angle of the steering roller.

Abstract: A signal processing device includes a control unit that suspends supplying of a signal to an A/D conversion unit which performs A/D conversion, during an A/D conversion period in which the A/D conversion is performed on the signal that depends on an electric charge read from a pixel; and a maintenance unit that maintains a signal value of the signal in a state where the signal is supplied by the control unit to the A/D conversion unit and that supplies the maintained signal value to the A/D conversion unit in a state where the supplying of the signal to the A/D conversion unit is suspended by the control unit.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes: comparators; counters; and a control portion for carrying out control in such a way that in a phase of an addition mode, the two comparators and the two counters corresponding to the two pixel columns, respectively, are set as a unit, 1 is added to a second digit of one counter of the two counters when both the comparison results from the two comparators has a first logic, 1 is added to a first digit of the one counter when one of the comparison results from the two comparators has the first logic, and 1 is added to none of the first digit and the second digit of the one counter when both the comparison results from the two comparators has a second logic.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an upper pressure roller, a fixing belt, a lower pressure roller which cooperates with the upper pressure roller and the fixing belt for forming a fixing nip portion which holds and conveys a sheet with a toner image therebetween; a drive motor which rotates the lower pressure roller; a plurality of motors each of which is capable of generating a braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of the upper pressure roller and an assist force in the direction to assist rotation of the upper pressure roller; a torque generation unit which generate an effective braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of the fixing side member as a combination of the braking and assist forces; and a control unit which switches the motor used to generate the braking force among the plurality of motors in accordance with a predetermined condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs a serviceman call detection mode during its idling time. In this time, a control portion controls upper and lower pressuring rollers to be clamped, controls a driving motor, and controls a change-over mechanism to switch a braking motor off. A torque detection portion detects a torque value Y of the driving motor at this time. The control portion then controls the upper and lower pressuring rollers to be clamped, controls the driving motor, and controls the change-over mechanism to switch the braking motor on. The torque detection portion detects a torque value Z of the driving motor at this time. The control portion subtracts the torque value Y from the torque value Z to calculate a difference value. The control portion determines that the breaking motor is broken down when the difference value does not exceed the threshold value.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes: comparators; counters; and a control portion for carrying out control such that in an addition mode, the two comparators and the two counters corresponding to the two pixel columns, respectively, are set as a unit, and pixel signals are added in a horizontal direction within column processing circuitry. A reduction in power consumption is achieved and the frame rate is enhanced.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus comprises a fixing nip width adjustment unit configured to adjust the fixing nip width of a fixing nip portion; a braking force generation motor configured to generate an effective braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of an upper pressure roller; and a control unit configured to perform restore control for rotating the upper pressure roller and a lower pressure roller by driving a drive motor and speed keeping control for keeping the rotational speed of the braking force generation motor no higher than a predetermined speed during the restore control in a non-fixing period in which the fixing nip width adjustment unit is controlled to decrease the fixing nip width smaller than in a fixing period and a braking force is applied to the fixing side member by the braking force generation motor.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an upper pressure roller, a fixing belt, a lower pressure roller which cooperates with the upper pressure roller and the fixing belt for forming a fixing nip portion which holds and conveys a sheet with a toner image therebetween; a drive motor which rotates the lower pressure roller; a plurality of motors each of which is capable of generating a braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of the upper pressure roller and an assist force in the direction to assist rotation of the upper pressure roller; a torque generation unit which generate an effective braking force in the direction to hinder rotation of the fixing side member as a combination of the braking and assist forces; and a control unit which switches the motor used to generate the braking force among the plurality of motors in accordance with a predetermined condition.