Abstract: A detecting apparatus includes: a light emitting element which emits light toward a detection material; a light receiving element which receives reflected light from the detection material; and an apparatus main body having an opening/closing member which opens and closes an opening through which light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected light from the detection material pass through, the apparatus main body being capable of moving between a first position where the apparatus main body comes into contact with the detection material and a second position where the apparatus main body separates from the detection material, and the opening/closing member being configured to open when the apparatus main body moves to the first position and to close when the apparatus main body moves to the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly; an door openable and closable relative to the main assembly; a flexible connecting member connecting the door with the main assembly, the connecting member being slidable at least relative to one of the main assembly and the door, wherein the connecting member slides with opening of the door relative to the main assembly; a sliding member swingably supported by the main assembly or the door and slidable relative to the connecting member which slides. When the door is opened, the connecting member contacts, while sliding, a part of the sliding member on one side with respect to a center of swing to press the sliding member, so that the other side with respect to the center of swing of the sliding member urges the connecting member to an urged portion to retard the sliding movement of the connecting member.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an ignition plug and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: (i) execute a lean-burn operation in a first operation region, (ii) execute an operation in a second operation region at an air-fuel ratio lower than an air-fuel ratio during the lean-burn operation, and (iii) control a gas flow in a cylinder so that a ratio of a change in a gas flow speed around the ignition plug during ignition to a change in an engine rotation speed in a first engine rotation speed region within the first operation region is smaller than the ratio in a second engine rotation speed region within the second operation region.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a fuel injector, a spark plug, an evaporated fuel purge device purging evaporated fuel in the fuel tank into an intake passage, and a control device. The control device can perform spark assist control for sequentially injecting premix-forming fuel and injecting ignition assist fuel from the fuel injector, while controlling the fuel injector and spark plug so as to make an air-fuel mixture formed by the injection of ignition assist fuel burn by the spark plug by flame propagation and to make the remaining fuel burn using the heat released by the flame propagation combustion by premixed compression self-ignition, and the control device makes the injection amount of premix-forming fuel decrease without changing the injection amount of ignition assist fuel when purging evaporated fuel into the intake passage by the evaporated fuel purge device compared to when not purging it.

Abstract: An air flow velocity calculating device of a internal combustion engine, has a cylinder, a spark plug, an air intake passage, an air flow controlling valve, an air flow velocity calculating portion, and an electric discharge current controlling portion. An electric discharge between a center electrode and a ground electrode is sustained during an electric discharge sustaining period. The electric discharge sustaining period is a period from when the electric discharge begins to when the electric discharge is intercepted by the air flow. Energy is supplied to the spark plug, so that the electric discharge current is sustained at a constant value by the electric discharge current controlling portion during an ignition period. The ignition period is a sum of an electric discharge sustaining period of a first electric discharge and electric discharge sustaining periods of second and subsequent electric discharges in one cycle of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeding apparatus feeding a recording material and a protruding member that protrudes downward from an apparatus main body; wherein when the feeding apparatus is installed below the apparatus main body, the protruding member is provided in a bottom portion of the apparatus main body so that inside the feeding apparatus the protruding member does not come into contact with a movable unit which is provided in the feeding apparatus so as to be movable with respect to the feeding apparatus, and the protruding member is positioned on an outer side of a feeding path of the recording material in the feeding apparatus, and moreover the protruding member penetrates more inward than an external surface of the feeding apparatus from above the feeding apparatus.

Abstract: Provided is an internal combustion engine including a sparkplug disposed in the vicinity of the center portion of an upper wall surface of a combustion chamber. Tumble flow generated during lean burn operation is controlled such that the tumble flow shape changes according to the engine rotation speed between a first tumble shape (usual tumble shape) in which the flow direction of a gas around the sparkplug at the time of ignition is direction from an intake valve side toward an exhaust valve side in a latter half of a compression stroke, and a second tumble shape (? tumble shape) in which the flow direction of the gas is reversed in the latter half of the compression stroke from the direction from the intake valve side toward the exhaust valve side to the direction from the exhaust valve side toward the intake valve side.

Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine comprising a combustion control part controlling a fuel feed system and ozone feed system so as to form a difference in ozone concentration space-wise or time-wise in a combustion chamber 11 so that premixed gas burns by compression ignition in stages in the combustion chamber and an ozone malfunction judging part judging malfunction of the ozone feed system. The ozone malfunction judging part judges that the ozone feed system is malfunctioning when the self-ignition timing is retarded from the presumed self-ignition timing and the combustion noise is larger than the presumed combustion noise or when the self-ignition timing is advanced from the presumed self-ignition timing and the combustion noise is smaller than the presumed combustion noise.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a third pivoting guide member located between a first pivoting guide member on a side of fixed guide members and a second pivoting guide member on a side of an opening/closing member. In a state in which an upstream conveying path and a re-conveying path are formed, the first pivoting guide member pivots toward the third pivoting guide member to expand the upstream conveying path when pushed by a sheet conveyed from the upstream conveying path, and the third pivoting guide member pivots toward the first pivoting guide member to expand the re-conveying path when pushed by a sheet conveyed from the re-conveying path.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a third pivoting guide member located between a first pivoting guide member on a side of fixed guide members and a second pivoting guide member on a side of an opening/closing member. In a state in which an upstream conveying path and a re-conveying path are formed, the first pivoting guide member pivots toward the third pivoting guide member to expand the upstream conveying path when pushed by a sheet conveyed from the upstream conveying path, and the third pivoting guide member pivots toward the first pivoting guide member to expand the re-conveying path when pushed by a sheet conveyed from the re-conveying path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly; an door openable and closable relative to the main assembly; a flexible connecting member connecting the door with the main assembly, the connecting member being slidable at least relative to one of the main assembly and the door, wherein the connecting member slides with opening of the door relative to the main assembly; a sliding member swingably supported by the main assembly or the door and slidable relative to the connecting member which slides. When the door is opened, the connecting member contacts, while sliding, a part of the sliding member on one side with respect to a center of swing to press the sliding member, so that the other side with respect to the center of swing of the sliding member urges the connecting member to an urged portion to retard the sliding movement of the connecting member.

Abstract: A feeding apparatus includes a feeding member, first and second conveying members, a separation member, and drive and control units. The feeding member feeds a recording material placed on a tray. The separation member and the first conveying member form a nip portion and separates recording materials at the nip portion. The second conveying member conveys a conveyed recording material. The drive unit drives at least the feeding member. The control unit controls to feed first and second recording materials such that a second recording material front edge passes the nip portion before a first recording material rear edge passes the nip portion, and controls to stop the second recording material after the second recording material front edge has passed the nip portion such that the first recording material rear edge reaches the second conveying member before the second recording material front edge reaches the second conveying member.

Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine is provided with a combustion control part, an operating state judging part judging if an engine operating state is a steady state or a combustion noise is a noise transition state where the combustion noise increases over a predetermined allowable noise value when burning fuel by an ignition-assist self-ignition combustion, and an ozone supply control part controlling the amount of ozone supplied to the combustion chamber by the ozone supply system. The ozone supply control part controls the amount of supply of ozone to a predetermined reference amount when the state is judged to be the steady state and controls the amount of supply of ozone to an amount of supply smaller than the reference amount or makes the amount of supply of ozone zero when the state is judged to be the noise transition state.

Abstract: A roller member includes an endless belt elastically deformable and configured to convey a sheet and a holding unit holding the endless belt. The holding unit includes a first holding portion being in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt, a second holding portion being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt and movable with respect to the first holding portion, and an engage portion engaging with an engaged portion. The second holding portion is moved with respect to the first holding portion by resilient force of the endless belt in a state in which the second holding portion is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt in response to a disengagement of the engage portion from the engaged portion.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a third pivoting guide member located between a first pivoting guide member on a side of fixed guide members and a second pivoting guide member on a side of an opening/closing member. In a state in which an upstream conveying path and a re-conveying path are formed, the first pivoting guide member pivots toward the third pivoting guide member to expand the upstream conveying path when pushed by a sheet conveyed from the upstream conveying path, and the third pivoting guide member pivots toward the first pivoting guide member to expand the re-conveying path when pushed by a sheet conveyed from the re-conveying path.

Abstract: A refillable container including an outer container (3), a lid member (4), an inner container (5), and a pump (6). The outer container has an opening formed in an upper part thereof, and the lid member is configured to close the opening of the outer container. The inner container is made of paper, configured to store the liquid content therein, and replaceably accommodated in the outer container. The pump is configured to pump up the liquid content in the inner container stored in the outer container and to dispense the liquid content outside of the refillable container. When the opening of the outer container is closed by the lid member, a suction tube (15) of the pump, which is arranged below the lid member, is inserted from a suction port (8), which is formed in an upper surface of the inner container, into the inner container.

Abstract: A roller member includes an endless belt elastically deformable and configured to convey a sheet and a holding unit holding the endless belt. The holding unit includes a first holding portion being in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt, a second holding portion being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt and movable with respect to the first holding portion, and an engage portion engaging with an engaged portion. The second holding portion is moved with respect to the first holding portion by resilient force of the endless belt in a state in which the second holding portion is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt in response to a disengagement of the engage portion from the engaged portion.

Abstract: A roller member includes an endless belt elastically deformable and configured to convey a sheet and a holding unit holding the endless belt. The holding unit includes a first holding portion being in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt, a second holding portion being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt and movable with respect to the first holding portion, and an engage portion engaging with an engaged portion. The second holding portion is moved with respect to the first holding portion by resilient force of the endless belt in a state in which the second holding portion is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt in response to a disengagement of the engage portion from the engaged portion.

Abstract: An air flow velocity calculating device of a internal combustion engine, has a cylinder, a spark plug, an air intake passage, an air flow controlling valve, an air flow velocity calculating portion, and an electric discharge current controlling portion. An electric discharge between a center electrode and a ground electrode is sustained during an electric discharge sustaining period. The electric discharge sustaining period is a period from when the electric discharge begins to when the electric discharge is intercepted by the air flow. Energy is supplied to the spark plug, so that the electric discharge current is sustained at a constant value by the electric discharge current controlling portion during an ignition period.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an ignition plug and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: (i) execute a lean-burn operation in a first operation region, (ii) execute an operation in a second operation region at an air-fuel ratio lower than an air-fuel ratio during the lean-burn operation, and (iii) control a gas flow in a cylinder so that a ratio of a change in a gas flow speed around the ignition plug during ignition to a change in an engine rotation speed in a first engine rotation speed region within the first operation region is smaller than the ratio in a second engine rotation speed region within the second operation region.