Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an inside-air duct having a first inlet to an inside of the image forming apparatus; a first ventilator provided in the inside-air duct; an outside-air duct having a second inlet to an outside of the image forming apparatus; a common duct into which the inside-air duct and the outside-air duct are merged; a second ventilator provided in at least one of the outside-air duct and the common duct; a filter provided in the common duct; and a control section that retrieves information indicative of an flow rate in the inside-air duct and increases a pressure produced by the second ventilator based on the retrieved information such that an flow rate in the outside-air duct is substantially constant with respect to an increase of the flow rate in the inside-air duct.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a function to clean exhaust air from inside and to discharge cleaned air. The image forming apparatus has an exhaust air duct configured to guide internal air to outside, and a cleaning filter configured to clean air passing through the exhaust air duct. A cubic measure of an airflow path in the exhaust air duct during normal operation has a first value, and the cubic measure of the airflow path in the exhaust air duct during operation causing a large amount of harmful matters to be contained in the exhaust air from inside has a second value greater than the first value.

Abstract: A sheet feeder having; a base portion configured to support thereon a stack of sheets piled on top of another; a blower configured to blow air to the stack of sheets supported on the base portion so as to float one or more sheets in an uppermost portion of the stack of sheets; a suction/feed system located above the base portion, the suction/feed system configured to suck the sheet floated by the blower and to feed the sheet in a predetermined feeding direction; a photographic device configured to take a picture of the one or more sheets floated by the blower; and an illuminating device configured to emit light to the one or more sheets floated by the blower a plurality of times during one exposure process carried out by the photographic device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: an exhaust air duct capable of forming a first air flow path for an exhaust air cleaning function and a second air flow path for a room air cleaning function, the exhaust air duct having a common use space used in common for the exhaust air cleaning function and the room air cleaning function; a switching member configured to switch a flow path in the exhaust air duct, depending on which of the cleaning functions is activated; a fan configured to discharge air from the common use space in an active state of the exhaust air cleaning function and in an active state of the room air cleaning function; and a control unit configured to control the switching member and to adjust a rotation speed of the fan, depending on which of the cleaning functions is activated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an inside-air duct having a first inlet to an inside of the image forming apparatus; a first ventilator provided in the inside-air duct; an outside-air duct having a second inlet to an outside of the image forming apparatus; a common duct into which the inside-air duct and the outside-air duct are merged; a second ventilator provided in at least one of the outside-air duct and the common duct; a filter provided in the common duct; and a control section that retrieves information indicative of an flow rate in the inside-air duct and increases a pressure produced by the second ventilator based on the retrieved information such that an flow rate in the outside-air duct is substantially constant with respect to an increase of the flow rate in the inside-air duct.

Abstract: An exhaust purification apparatus includes: a purification duct configured to purify air to be discharged from a ventilation port in an image forming apparatus, the purification duct including: at least one inlet communicating with an interior of the purification duct for connection with the ventilation port in the image forming apparatus; an outlet configured to discharge air inside the purification duct to the outside; a fan configured to direct air from the inlet toward the outlet; a filter configured to recover particles in the air, the fan and the filter each being disposed in the purification duct at a position between the inlet and the outlet; an airflow detector configured to detect an airflow at the inlet; and a controller configured to execute a normal mode and an attachment determination mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: an exhaust air duct capable of forming a first air flow path for an exhaust air cleaning function and a second air flow path for a room air cleaning function, the exhaust air duct having a common use space used in common for the exhaust air cleaning function and the room air cleaning function; a switching member configured to switch a flow path in the exhaust air duct, depending on which of the cleaning functions is activated; a fan configured to discharge air from the common use space in an active state of the exhaust air cleaning function and in an active state of the room air cleaning function; and a control unit configured to control the switching member and to adjust a rotation speed of the fan, depending on which of the cleaning functions is activated.

Abstract: A gloss measuring device that measures a gloss of an image formed on a sheet which is being transported, the gloss measuring device includes a light emission portion that emits light toward the sheet, a light reception portion that receives the light reflected specularly off the image formed on the sheet, and a position adjustment unit that performs adjustment such that the sheet being transported is in a measurement reference position.

Abstract: An exhaust purification apparatus includes: a purification duct configured to purify air to be discharged from a ventilation port in an image forming apparatus, the purification duct including: at least one inlet communicating with an interior of the purification duct for connection with the ventilation port in the image forming apparatus; an outlet configured to discharge air inside the purification duct to the outside; a fan configured to direct air from the inlet toward the outlet; a filter configured to recover particles in the air, the fan and the filter each being disposed in the purification duct at a position between the inlet and the outlet; an airflow detector configured to detect an airflow at the inlet; and a controller configured to execute a normal mode and an attachment determination mode.

Abstract: An exhaust air cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning duct for cleaning air to be exhausted from an exhaust port of an image forming apparatus. In the cleaning duct, a fan and a filter are provide between an inflow part connected with the exhaust port of the image forming apparatus and a discharge port for discharging air from the inside of the cleaning duct. The exhaust air cleaning apparatus further includes a pressure adjusting part for adjusting the pressure in the cleaning duct. The pressure adjusting part performs pressure adjustment so that the pressure at a pressure adjusting position located between the inflow part and the fan in the cleaning duct falls within an appropriate pressure range determined in advance to be equal to or less than atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having; a fusing unit that heats and presses a recording medium with an image transferred thereto, thereby fixing the image thereon; a first duct section in which air that contains emissions generated by the fusing unit flows; an ion generation unit provided away from the first duct section to generate ions; a second duct section in which air that contains the ions generated by the ion generation unit flows; a third duct section connected to the first and second duct sections, such that air flows in from the first and second duct sections, whereby the emissions are charged by the ions; a filter unit provided in the third duct section to trap the charged emissions; and a blowing unit that generates air flows from the connections with the first and second duct sections in the third duct section toward the filter unit.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating rotating body driven by a motor, a pressing member, a biasing unit, a switching unit that receives rotational power of the motor in order to either separate the pressing member and the heating rotating body or to allow the biasing unit to press the pressing member and the heating rotating body together, a power transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational power of the motor to the switching unit over a first path or a second path, the first path having a larger reduction ratio, and a transmission control unit that establishes and cuts off transmission of rotational power of the motor to the switching unit by the power transmission mechanism and that includes a path selection unit that selects the first path during separation and the second path during pressing by the switching unit.

Abstract: A plurality of first viscoelastic bodies are disposed in insertion holes of a first rotary member. A plurality of second viscoelastic bodies are disposed in guide holes of a second rotary member. Each of the first and the second viscoelastic bodies has an elastic coefficient changing in accordance with aging due to use. A guide member moves a contact member along the insertion hole and the guide hole. The contact member applies a compressive load to the first viscoelastic body. The aging of the second viscoelastic body due to the compressive load applied thereto moves a position of the first viscoelastic body where the compressive load is received from the contact member toward a farther side from a rotational shaft side.

Abstract: A damper device having: an input member into which a rotary drive force is inputted; an output member which rotates in accordance with the inputted rotary drive force; a columnar viscoelastic member provided between the input member and the output member; a driving-side pressing member which is attached to the input member and which applies a pressing force on one end surface of the viscoelastic member in accordance with the inputted drive force; a passive-side pressing member which is attached to the output member and which receives a pressing force from the other end surface of the viscoelastic member; a first supporting member which supports the driving-side pressing member such that the driving-side pressing member can turn freely relative to the input member; and a second supporting member which supports the passive-side pressing member such that the passive-side pressing member can turn freely relative to the output member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating rotating body driven by a motor, a pressing member, a biasing unit, a switching unit that receives rotational power of the motor in order to either separate the pressing member and the heating rotating body or to allow the biasing unit to press the pressing member and the heating rotating body together, a power transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational power of the motor to the switching unit over a first path or a second path, the first path having a larger reduction ratio, and a power transmission targeting unit that switches the target of transmission of rotational power of the motor between the heating rotating body and the switching unit depending on the rotational direction of the motor and that includes a path selection unit that selects the first path during separation and the second path during pressing by the switching unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a driving source, a first rotator, a first power transmission system, at least one second rotator, a second power transmission system, and a damper. The driving source generates power. The first rotator is drivingly rotated by the power generated by the driving source. The first power transmission system transmits the power from the driving source to the first rotator. The second rotator is further downstream than the first rotator in a flow of power transmission. The second power transmission system transmits the power from at least one of the first power transmission system and the first rotator to the at least one second rotator. The damper attenuates oscillation between the first power transmission system and the second power transmission system or between the first rotator and the second power transmission system.

Abstract: An image carrier driver includes an image carrier, a first power transmitter, a rotator, a second power transmitter, and a damper. The image carrier is configured to rotate by power generated by a driving source. The first power transmitter is configured to transmit the power from the driving source to the image carrier. The rotator is disposed further downstream than the image carrier in a flow of power transmission. The second power transmitter is configured to transmit the power from the image carrier to the rotator. The damper is disposed in the image carrier and is configured to attenuate an oscillation associated with the power transmission and transmitted to the image carrier.

Abstract: A sound output device to be mounted in equipment, the device comprises: a memory unit configured to store correction information for at least one from among date, day and time; a sound reproducing unit configured to reproduce a sound signal representing an additional sound for an operation sound of the equipment, to read, from the memory unit, correction information corresponding to at least one of the current date, day, and time from the memory unit, and to then output a reproduced sound signal after correcting its sound pressure level in accordance with the correction information being read; and a sound output unit configured to emit the additional sound based on the sound signal outputted by the sound reproducing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: a rotating member adapted to support an image; a first drive source configured to generate a drive force; a transmission mechanism configured to transmit the generated drive force toward the rotating member, the mechanism including an upstream gear and a downstream gear configured to receive the drive force therefrom; a sensor configured to output a signal indicating a rotational status of the rotating member; a control circuit configured to generate a control signal appropriate for non-uniform rotation of the rotating member, on the basis of the signal outputted by the sensor; and an actuator configured to cause a rotation axis of the first drive source or the transmission mechanism to pivot, in accordance with the control signal, thereby changing a force with which the upstream gear pushes the downstream gear into rotation such that the non-uniform rotation is cancelled out.

Abstract: A fixing member according to the present invention is such one as is brought into pressure contact with a conveyed sheet to fix an image onto the sheet. The fixing member comprises a cylindrical or annular base material, a rubber layer provided so as to cover an outer surface of the base material and having elasticity, and an outer layer provided so as to cover an outer surface of the rubber layer for aiding release of the sheet. A siloxane content in a central section of the rubber layer is less than twice the siloxane content in an end portion of the rubber layer with respect to a width direction vertical to a circumferential direction on the base material.