Abstract: A sheet stacker includes a sheet stacking portion, a pair of sheet restrictors, a sheet feeder, and a position detector. A bundle of sheets is stacked on the sheet stacking portion in a stacking direction, and the sheet stacking portion moves in the stacking direction. The pair of sheet restrictors move in a width direction to regulate a position of the bundle of sheets in the width direction. The sheet feeder feeds a top sheet of the bundle of sheets at a sheet feeding position in a sheet feeding direction. The sheet feeding position is disposed at a top of the bundle of sheets in the stacking direction. The position detector is disposed between the pair of sheet restrictors in the width direction and above the sheet feeding position in the stacking direction. The position detector detects a position of the pair of sheet restrictors in the width direction.

Abstract: A sheet stacker includes a sheet stacking portion, a pair of sheet restrictors, a sheet feeder, and a position detector. A bundle of sheets is stacked on the sheet stacking portion in a stacking direction, and the sheet stacking portion moves in the stacking direction. The pair of sheet restrictors move in a width direction to regulate a position of the bundle of sheets in the width direction. The sheet feeder feeds a top sheet of the bundle of sheets at a sheet feeding position in a sheet feeding direction. The sheet feeding position is disposed at a top of the bundle of sheets in the stacking direction. The position detector is disposed between the pair of sheet restrictors in the width direction and above the sheet feeding position in the stacking direction. The position detector detects a position of the pair of sheet restrictors in the width direction.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a guide, and a holder. The sheet stacker stacks sheets. The air blower blows air to the sheets on the sheet stacker. The guide is disposed facing an uppermost sheet of the sheets on the sheet stacker. The holder holds the guide and has a groove along which the guide is inserted. The groove has a plurality of direction switching portions at each of which the guide changes a direction of movement when the groove receives the guide.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, and a guide. The sheet stacker stacks sheets. The air blower blows air to the sheets. The guide faces an uppermost sheet on the sheet stacker.

Abstract: A sheet stacker includes a housing, a fence, a first distance measurement sensor, and a second distance measurement sensor. The fence is movable in a fence moving direction on the housing and is configured to regulate a position of an end of a sheet. The first distance measurement sensor is configured to measure a distance between the fence and a first portion of the housing, the first portion being on one side of the housing with respect to the fence in the fence moving direction. The second distance measurement sensor is configured to measure a distance between the fence and a second portion of the housing, the second portion being on another side of the housing with respect to the fence in the fence moving direction.

Abstract: A sheet stacker includes a housing, a fence, a first distance measurement sensor, and a second distance measurement sensor. The fence is movable in a fence moving direction on the housing and is configured to regulate a position of an end of a sheet. The first distance measurement sensor is configured to measure a distance between the fence and a first portion of the housing, the first portion being on one side of the housing with respect to the fence in the fence moving direction. The second distance measurement sensor is configured to measure a distance between the fence and a second portion of the housing, the second portion being on another side of the housing with respect to the fence in the fence moving direction.

Abstract: A liquid coating device includes a coating roller, a supply roller, a pressure roller, a first separator, a second separator, and a sheet receiver. The coating roller coats a sheet with liquid. The supply roller supplies the liquid to the coating roller. The pressure roller sandwiches the sheet, together with the coating roller. The first separator separates the sheet coated with the liquid, from the coating roller. The second separator separates, from the supply roller, a sheet that has not been separated by the first separator and has reached the supply roller. The sheet receiver forms a storage space to accommodate at least a portion of the sheet that has been separated from the supply roller by the second separator.

Abstract: A liquid coating device includes a coating roller, a supply roller, a pressure roller, a first separator, a second separator, and a sheet receiver. The coating roller coats a sheet with liquid. The supply roller supplies the liquid to the coating roller. The pressure roller sandwiches the sheet, together with the coating roller. The first separator separates the sheet coated with the liquid, from the coating roller. The second separator separates, from the supply roller, a sheet that has not been separated by the first separator and has reached the supply roller. The sheet receiver forms a storage space to accommodate at least a portion of the sheet that has been separated from the supply roller by the second separator.

Abstract: A recording medium heating device that can heat and dry a continuous recording medium, includes multiple heating rollers, including respective heaters, disposed on a conveying path of the recording medium; and a controller to control the heaters of the heating rollers. In a starting period during which the recording medium heating device is started, the controller sets temperatures of the heaters to starting temperatures where a temperature of a heating roller positioned closest to an exit side of the conveying path is lower than a temperature of a heating roller positioned away from the exit side of the conveying path.

Abstract: A pretreatment liquid application drying device includes a conveying unit configured to convey a continuous recording medium; an application device configured to apply a pretreatment liquid on the recording medium; a heating drying device disposed at a downstream side of the application device in a recording medium conveying direction, including first and second drying units that are connected in a separable manner, the first and second drying units respectively configured to dry one side and the other side of the recording medium; and a cockling suppressing mechanism configured to curve the heated recording medium in the conveying direction, the cockling suppressing mechanism being provided on at least one of an upstream and a downstream side in the conveying direction near the heating drying device. A part of the cockling suppressing mechanism moves in conjunction with a separating and connecting movement of the heating drying device.

Abstract: A pretreatment liquid application drying device includes a conveying unit configured to convey a continuous recording medium; an application device configured to apply a pretreatment liquid on the recording medium; a heating drying device disposed at a downstream side of the application device in a recording medium conveying direction, including first and second drying units that are connected in a separable manner, the first and second drying units respectively configured to dry one side and the other side of the recording medium; and a cockling suppressing mechanism configured to curve the heated recording medium in the conveying direction, the cockling suppressing mechanism being provided on at least one of an upstream and a downstream side in the conveying direction near the heating drying device. A part of the cockling suppressing mechanism moves in conjunction with a separating and connecting movement of the heating drying device.

Abstract: A recording medium heating device that can heat and dry a continuous recording medium, includes multiple heating rollers, including respective heaters, disposed on a conveying path of the recording medium; and a controller to control the heaters of the heating rollers. In a starting period during which the recording medium heating device is started, the controller sets temperatures of the heaters to starting temperatures where a temperature of a heating roller positioned closest to an exit side of the conveying path is lower than a temperature of a heating roller positioned away from the exit side of the conveying path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an access cover that opens/closes relative to an apparatus body, a carriage that includes an image forming device and moves in a moving area which is exposed when the cover is opened, a first detector that detects that the cover has been opened from a fully closed position to a first position, a second detector that detects that the cover has been opened to a second position at which the cover is more open than at the first position, a drive source that drives the carriage to move, and a controller that brakes the drive source while the drive source is supplied with power when the first detector detects that the cover has been opened to the first position, and cuts off power supply to the drive source when the second detector detects that the cover has been opened to the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an access cover that opens/closes relative to an apparatus body, a carriage that includes an image forming device and moves in a moving area which is exposed when the cover is opened, a first detector that detects that the cover has been opened from a fully closed position to a first position, a second detector that detects that the cover has been opened to a second position at which the cover is more open than at the first position, a drive source that drives the carriage to move, and a controller that brakes the drive source while the drive source is supplied with power when the first detector detects that the cover has been opened to the first position, and cuts off power supply to the drive source when the second detector detects that the cover has been opened to the second position.

Abstract: A voice recognition device is provided with a sentence selecting unit for selecting sentences each having a predetermined number or less of acoustic units as sentences to be recognized from candidates for the sentences to be recognized. According to an exemplary embodiment, the sentence selecting unit may define the selected sentences as sentences to be recognized. According to another exemplary embodiment, when a candidate for a sentence to be recognized has a number of acoustic units exceeding the predetermined number, one or more acoustic units may be trimmed from the candidate, and the trimmed candidate may be defined as one of the sentences to be recognized.

Abstract: A voice recognition apparatus 10, which performs voice recognition of an input voice by referring to a voice recognition dictionary and outputs a voice recognition result, has an external information acquiring section 14 for acquiring from externally connected devices 20-1-20-N connected thereto a type of each externally connected device, and for acquiring data recorded in each externally connected device; a vocabulary extracting analyzing section 15 and 16 for extracting a vocabulary item from the data as an extracted vocabulary item, and for producing analysis data by analyzing the extracted vocabulary item and by providing the extracted vocabulary item with reading; and a dictionary generating section 17 for storing the analysis data in the voice recognition dictionary corresponding to the type. For each type of the externally connected devices, one of the voice recognition dictionaries 13-1-13-N is assigned.

Abstract: A voice recognition device is provided with a sentence selecting unit 22 for selecting sentences each having a predetermined number or less of acoustic units as sentences to be recognized from candidates for the sentences to be recognized.

Abstract: An alkaline storage battery including a strip-shaped porous metal substrate and a material mixture filled into the substrate. The substrate has an unfilled portion where the material mixture is not filled along at least one of two longitudinal sides of the substrate. The substrate has a weight per unit area of 150 to 350 g/m2. The material mixture contains an active material and an elastic polymer.

Abstract: An alkaline storage battery including a strip-shaped porous metal substrate and a material mixture filled into the substrate. The substrate has an unfilled portion where the material mixture is not filled along at least one of two longitudinal sides of the substrate. The substrate has a weight per unit area of 150 to 350 g/m2. The material mixture contains an active material and an elastic polymer.

Abstract: An alkaline storage battery including a strip-shaped porous metal substrate and a material mixture filled into the substrate. The substrate has an unfilled portion where the material mixture is not filled along at least one of two longitudinal sides of the substrate. The substrate has a weight per unit area of 150 to 350 g/m2. The material mixture contains an active material and an elastic polymer.