Abstract: A liquid discharger includes a head including nozzles to discharge liquid from the nozzles, a detachable first container attached to the liquid discharger to accommodate the liquid, a second container connected to the head to accommodate the liquid to be supplied to the head, a supply channel to connect the first container and the second container, an irreversible pump connected to the second container, and a controller to control the irreversible pump to pressurize and decompress the second container to reciprocally move the liquid between the first detachable container and the second container via the supply channel.

Abstract: A liquid discharger includes a head to discharge liquid droplets, a cap to cover a nozzle face of the head; a cap mover to move the cap to a capping position at which the cap faces the nozzle face of the head or to move the cap to an evacuation position at which the cap does not face the nozzle face of the head. Further, there is a belt arranged to face and clean the cap at the evacuation position, the belt having a width and length enough to cover whole area of a rim of the cap; a conveyer to drive the belt, and a belt cleaner which faces the belt to clean the belt.

Abstract: A liquid discharger includes a head including nozzles to discharge liquid from the nozzles, a detachable first container attached to the liquid discharger to accommodate the liquid, a second container connected to the head to accommodate the liquid to be supplied to the head, a supply channel to connect the first container and the second container, an irreversible pump connected to the second container, and a controller to control the irreversible pump to pressurize and decompress the second container to reciprocally move the liquid between the first detachable container and the second container via the supply channel.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transmission-type photosensor including a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part, disposed on opposite sides of a media conveyance path; a sensor retainer to retain the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part; a suspended needle indicator including one end portion freely rotatably disposed on the sensor retainer at a position higher than the photosensor, and an indicator disposed on another end thereof; and an angle viewer with scale marks that mark an angle of an optical axis of the photosensor from a vertical direction. The photosensor is disposed with the optical axis thereof is angled within a predetermined adjusted angle relative to the media conveyance path.

Abstract: A liquid discharger includes a head to discharge liquid droplets, a cap to cover a nozzle face of the head; a cap mover to move the cap to a capping position at which the cap faces the nozzle face of the head or to move the cap to an evacuation position at which the cap does not face the nozzle face of the head. Further, there is a belt arranged to face and clean the cap at the evacuation position, the belt having a width and length enough to cover whole area of a rim of the cap; a conveyer to drive the belt, and a belt cleaner which faces the belt to clean the belt.

Abstract: A device for detecting a state of a liquid droplet discharged from each of nozzles placed in one or more rows, includes a light emitting element to emit a light beam to the liquid droplet from a nozzle in question, and a pair of light receiving elements disposed on both sides of a beam diameter of the light beam via an optical axis to receive scattered light occurring from the liquid droplet for detecting a state of the discharged liquid droplet on the basis of the scattered light. Either of the pair of the light receiving elements is selected for receiving the scattered light from the liquid droplet discharged from the nozzle according to a positional relation between the nozzle and the pair of light receiving elements.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transmission-type photosensor including a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part, disposed on opposite sides of a media conveyance path; a sensor retainer to retain the light-emitting part and the light-receiving part; a suspended needle indicator including one end portion freely rotatably disposed on the sensor retainer at a position higher than the photosensor, and an indicator disposed on another end thereof; and an angle viewer with scale marks that mark an angle of an optical axis of the photosensor from a vertical direction. The photosensor is disposed with the optical axis thereof is angled within a predetermined adjusted angle relative to the media conveyance path.

Abstract: A liquid droplet detecting device includes nozzles arranged in a paper width direction orthogonal to a paper conveying direction to discharge liquid droplets, a light emitting element provided on one side of the paper width direction to emit a light beam for liquid droplet detection, a light receiving element provided on the other side of the paper width direction to receive the light beam, a storage in which correspondence information on each of the nozzles and a scan position of the light beam when discharge of a liquid droplet from each of the nozzles is detected is stored, a controller to allow the light beam to scan according to the correspondence information, and a detector to determine presence or absence a liquid droplet discharged from each nozzle from an output of the light receiving element.

Abstract: A liquid droplet detecting device includes nozzles arranged in a paper width direction orthogonal to a paper conveying direction to discharge liquid droplets, a light emitting element provided on one side of the paper width direction to emit a light beam for liquid droplet detection, a light receiving element provided on the other side of the paper width direction to receive the light beam, a storage in which correspondence information on each of the nozzles and a scan position of the light beam when discharge of a liquid droplet from each of the nozzles is detected is stored, a controller to allow the light beam to scan according to the correspondence information, and a detector to determine presence or absence a liquid droplet discharged from each nozzle from an output of the light receiving element.

Abstract: A device for detecting a state of a liquid droplet discharged from each of nozzles placed in one or more rows, includes a light emitting element to emit a light beam to the liquid droplet from a nozzle in question, and a pair of light receiving elements disposed on both sides of a beam diameter of the light beam via an optical axis to receive scattered light occurring from the liquid droplet for detecting a state of the discharged liquid droplet on the basis of the scattered light. Either of the pair of the light receiving elements is selected for receiving the scattered light from the liquid droplet discharged from the nozzle according to a positional relation between the nozzle and the pair of light receiving elements.

Abstract: A roll medium holding unit is disclosed that includes a core part configured to be inserted in a core pipe of a roll medium; and plural diameter-increasing members configured to be variably arranged at corresponding first positions provided along a periphery of the core part and arranged at corresponding second positions provided away from the core part. The roll medium holding unit is capable of being set in a first holding state where the diameter-increasing members arranged at an outer peripheral surface of the core part support the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding first positions and capable of being set in a second holding state where the core part of a holding member supports the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding second positions.

Abstract: A sheet-supply device internally defining a supply route through which to supply a sheet. The sheet-supply device includes a supply member to supply the sheet from a rolled long sheet, a guide member to guide the sheet to the supply member, provided upstream in a direction in which the sheet is moved to the supply member and, movable between a guide position at which the sheet is guided to the supply member and an escape position at which the guide member is away from the supply route of the sheet.

Abstract: A liquid drop ejection state detection device includes a plurality of nozzle sequences configured to have a plurality of nozzles, a light-emitting element configured to emit a light beam incident on a liquid drop from each nozzle of each nozzle sequence, a light-receiving element provided at a position outside a beam diameter of the light beam and configured to receive scattered light from the liquid drop and detect an ejection state of the liquid drop based on an amount of the scattered light, a light-emitting element movement part configured to move the light-emitting element in a direction intersecting with a light axis of the light beam, and an adjustment part configured to adjust an amount of light of the light beam emitted from the light-emitting element.

Abstract: A sheet-supply device internally defining a supply route through which to supply a sheet. The sheet-supply device includes a supply member to supply the sheet from a rolled long sheet, a guide member to guide the sheet to the supply member, provided upstream in a direction in which the sheet is moved to the supply member and, movable between a guide position at which the sheet is guided to the supply member and an escape position at which the guide member is away from the supply route of the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet-supply device internally defining a supply route through which to supply a sheet. The sheet-supply device includes a supply member to supply the sheet from a rolled long sheet, a guide member to guide the sheet to the supply member, provided upstream in a direction in which the sheet is moved to the supply member and, movable between a guide position at which the sheet is guided to the supply member and an escape position at which the guide member is away from the supply route of the sheet.

Abstract: This invention provides a latent image pattern formed body that allows to observe a latent image having excellent visibility and authenticity discrimination and design properties than those of related arts when observed from the oblique direction. The latent image pattern formed body includes, in at least part of one surface of a substrate, a latent image region, an outline region arranged on an outline of at least part of the latent image region, and a background region arranged on a background of the latent image region and the outline region. In the latent image region, a plurality of first elements having a concave or convex shape are arranged at a first pitch in a first direction. In the background region, the plurality of first elements are arranged at the first pitch in the first direction in a phase different from that of the first elements in the latent image region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image reading unit disposed in an upper portion of the image forming apparatus, an image forming unit disposed below the image reading unit to form an image on a sheet fed from a sheet roll, a pair of flange members attached to both lateral ends of the sheet roll in a width direction of the sheet roll, a sheet roll supporter disposed below the image reading unit in a rear portion of the image forming apparatus to support the sheet roll, an opening through which the sheet roll is set to the sheet roll supporter, and a guide assembly provided at upper and lower parts of the opening to position at least one of the pair of flange members attached to the sheet roll in the width direction to guide the sheet roll to the sheet roll supporter.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for transporting a sheet unreeled from a roll includes a feed roller to unreel the sheet from the roll, a registration roller to transport the sheet unreeled by the feed roller to the image forming unit, a pressure roller pressing against the registration roller, forming a registration nip together with the registration roller, a movable sheet guide to guide the sheet to the registration roller, disposed between the feed roller and the registration roller in a sheet conveyance path, a support member to movably support the movable sheet guide relative to an apparatus body in which the sheet feeder is disposed, and a bias member to bias the sheet guide toward the sheet. The movable sheet guide wraps more of the sheet around the registration roller as a degree of tension of the sheet increases by moving against a bias force exerted by the bias member.

Abstract: A roll-sheet feeding device having a roll sheet wound in a roll to feed a portion of the roll sheet to an image forming unit, includes a progressive mechanism to transmit a drive force from a drive source to transfer the portion of the roll sheet from the roll in a progressive direction, a roll-sheet drive mechanism to receive the drive force transmitted via the portion of the roll sheet transferred in the progressive direction, a rewinding mechanism to transfer the portion of the roll sheet in a direction opposite to the progressive direction via the roll-sheet drive mechanism to rewind the roll sheet, and a regenerating mechanism to obtain the drive force from the roll-sheet drive mechanism and transmit the obtained drive force to the progressive mechanism to regenerate the transmitted drive force as another drive force in addition to the drive force from the drive source.

Abstract: This invention provides a latent image pattern formed body that allows to observe a latent image having excellent visibility and authenticity discrimination and design properties than those of related arts when observed from the oblique direction. The latent image pattern formed body includes, in at least part of one surface of a substrate, a latent image region, an outline region arranged on an outline of at least part of the latent image region, and a background region arranged on a background of the latent image region and the outline region. In the latent image region, a plurality of first elements having a concave or convex shape are arranged at a first pitch in a first direction. In the background region, the plurality of first elements are arranged at the first pitch in the first direction in a phase different from that of the first elements in the latent image region.