Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum; a driving roller that drives a transfer member; a facing roller facing the driving roller; a driver that drives one of the photosensitive drum, the driving roller, and the facing roller; and a hardware processor that: acquires carry-in fluctuation information of speed fluctuation of any one of the photosensitive drum, the driving roller, and the facing roller when a sheet member is carried into the transfer member; detects carry-in fluctuation timing of the speed fluctuation of any one of the photosensitive drum, the driving roller, and the facing roller that occurs when the sheet member is carried into the transfer member; predicts carry-out fluctuation timing of speed fluctuation of any one of the photosensitive drum, the driving roller, and the facing roller that occurs when the sheet member is carried from the transfer member; and performs feedforward control on the driver.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first roller having an elastic part; a second roller configured to form a nip between the first roller and the second roller; a holding member configured to hold the second roller; and a control section configured to control the position of the holding member such that the center distance between the first roller and the second roller is maintained at a constant value when a sheet passes through the nip.

Abstract: A belt tension adjustment mechanism provided on an inner side of an endless intermediate transfer belt and applying a tension to the intermediate transfer belt being rotated when a toner image is transferred on the intermediate transfer belt, said belt tension adjustment mechanism includes a holder having an opening section at one surface thereof; and an elastic member contained to be fixed in the holder while being compressed in a running direction of the intermediate transfer belt and having a convex section, wherein the convex section protrudes from the opening section of the holder toward a direction orthogonal to an image transfer surface of the intermediate transfer belt and is in direct contact with the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A sheet feeder device includes: a sheet feed tray configured to store a sheet stack formed with a plurality of paper sheets; an elastic member capable of expanding and contracting; a contact mechanism configured to bring the elastic member into contact with an edge of the sheet stack; an expansion mechanism configured to expand the elastic member in a direction of stacking of the paper sheets; and a control unit configured to cause the expansion mechanism to expand the elastic member while the elastic member is kept in contact with the edge of the sheet stack by the contact mechanism.

Abstract: Disclosed is a repair agent for a plated base including a plating layer which is disposed on a surface of a metal base and which includes a metal with a stronger tendency to ionization than metal comprising the metal base, the repair agent including a phosphoric acid compound and a phosphonic acid compound.

Abstract: A fine-adjustment synthesizer includes a fractional phase-locked loop having a reference integer frequency divider, a phase comparator, a loop filter, a frequency variable oscillator, a mixer, a hand-pass filter, and a feedback path programmable fractional frequency divider. A coarse-adjustment synthesizer includes an integer-type phase-locked loop having a reference integer frequency divider, a phase comparator, a loop filter, a frequency variable oscillator, a band-pass filter, and a feedback path programmable integer frequency divider. An output of a reference signal source is input in parallel to both the fine-adjustment synthesizer and the coarse-adjustment synthesizer. An output of the frequency variable oscillator in the fine-adjustment synthesizer and an output of the frequency variable oscillator in the coarse-adjustment synthesizer are guided to the mixer and an output signal of the fine-adjustment synthesizer is guided to an output end.

Abstract: An inorganic polysilazane resin of the present invention has a Si/N ratio (i.e. a ratio of contained silicon atoms to contained nitrogen atoms) of 1.30 or more. The inorganic polysilazane resin having such a high Si content can be produced by, for example, a method in which an inorganic polysilazane compound containing both Si—NH and Si—Cl is heated to react NH with Cl, a method in which a silazane oligomer (polymer) that leaves no Si—Cl bond is synthesized and a dihalosilane is added to the synthesized silazane oligomer (polymer) to perform a thermal reaction, and the like. A siliceous film can be formed by, for example, applying a coating composition containing the inorganic polysilazane resin onto a base plate and then dried and the dried product is then oxidized by bringing the dried product into contact with water vapor or hydrogen peroxide vapor and water vapor under heated conditions.

Abstract: A driving device includes: a first driving source; a second driving source; a first gear to which a driving force is transmitted from the first driving source; a second gear to which a driving force is transmitted from the second driving source; a third gear that engages with the first gear and the second gear; and a fixation shaft that pivotally supports the third gear, the fixation shaft being disposed such that a center of the fixation shaft, a rotation center of the first gear and a rotation center of the second gear are disposed on a straight line in which the fixation shaft is provided through the third gear; and a hole having a diameter for compensating eccentricity of the first gear, the second gear and the third gear is formed in the third gear.

Abstract: A sheet conveyor includes: a sheet conveyor; a supporter including a movable guide and having a first and second end portions in a widthwise direction; and a first cover adjacent to the first end portion. The supporter has an upstream edge in the conveying direction. A first-end upstream end portion of the upstream edge is nearer to the sheet conveyor than a second-end upstream end portion of the upstream edge. The first cover has a first region and a second region. The first region has a height greater than or equal to that of the guide and extends to a position located upstream of an upstream, end portion of the guide. The second region is located upstream of the first region, and the second region is less in height than the first region. The first-end upstream end portion overlaps the first region when viewed in the widthwise direction.

Abstract: A sheet feeder device includes: a sheet feed tray configured to store a sheet stack formed with a plurality of paper sheets; an elastic member capable of expanding and contracting; a contact mechanism configured to bring the elastic member into contact with an edge of the sheet stack; an expansion mechanism configured to expand the elastic member in a direction of stacking of the paper sheets; and a control unit configured to cause the expansion mechanism to expand the elastic member while the elastic member is kept in contact with the edge of the sheet stack by the contact mechanism.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes upstream-side and downstream-side detection parts and a control section. The detection parts are disposed on a moving path of an intermediate transfer belt or a conveyor belt and detect a speed of the belt. The control section performs control to correct color misregistration of images composed of colors to be formed on the intermediate transfer belt or a recording medium conveyed by the conveyance belt on the basis of the detection result. The control unit calculates a difference between the speed detected by the upstream-side detection part and the speed detected by the downstream-side detection part after a predetermined time elapses since the upstream-side detection part detects the speed and performs the control on the basis of the difference. The predetermined time is obtained by dividing a distance between the detection parts by a target speed of the belt.

Abstract: A copolymerized polysilazane comprising at least repeating units represented by general formula (I): —Si(R1)(R2)—NR3— and repeating units represented by general formula (II): —Si(R1)(R2)—NH— (in the formulas, R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, hydrocarbon group, hydrocarbon group-containing silyl group, hydrocarbon group-containing amino group, or hydrocarbon oxy group, and R3 represents an alkyl group, alkenyl group, alkoxy group, cycloalkyl group, aryl group or alkyl silyl group), and the NR3/SiH1,2 ratio (SiH1,2 represents the total amount of SiH1 and SiH2) is 0.005-0.3. Said copolymerized polysilazane can be manufactured by reacting Si(R1)(R2)X2 (in the formula, X represents a halogen atom) with a primary amine compound: R3NH2 and then reacting with ammonia, and is able to form a siliceous film that has withstand voltage characteristics and solvent resistance by curing at a low temperature.

Abstract: A belt tension adjustment mechanism provided on an inner side of an endless intermediate transfer belt and applying a tension to the intermediate transfer belt being rotated when a toner image is transferred on the intermediate transfer belt, said belt tension adjustment mechanism includes a holder having an opening section at one surface thereof; and an elastic member contained to be fixed in the holder while being compressed in a running direction of the intermediate transfer belt and having a convex section, wherein the convex section protrudes from the opening section of the holder toward a direction orthogonal to an image transfer surface of the intermediate transfer belt and is in direct contact with the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A sheet conveyor includes: a sheet conveyor; a supporter including a movable guide and having a first and second end portions in a widthwise direction; and a first cover adjacent to the first end portion. The supporter has an upstream edge in the conveying direction. A first-end upstream end portion of the upstream edge is nearer to the sheet conveyor than a second-end upstream end portion of the upstream edge. The first cover has a first region and a second region. The first region has a height greater than or equal to that of the guide and extends to a position located upstream of an upstream, end portion of the guide. The second region is located upstream of the first region, and the second region is less in height than the first region. The first-end upstream end portion overlaps the first region when viewed in the widthwise direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first roller having an elastic part; a second roller configured to form a nip between the first roller and the second roller; a holding member configured to hold the second roller; and a control section configured to control the position of the holding member such that the center distance between the first roller and the second roller is maintained at a constant value when a sheet passes through the nip.

Abstract: A belt tension adjustment mechanism which is provided on an inner side of an endless intermediate transfer belt and applies a tension to the intermediate transfer belt, the intermediate transfer belt being rotated when a toner image is transferred, and the belt tension adjustment mechanism including an elastic member which reduces a load applied to the intermediate transfer belt along with an increase in an inward displacement amount of the intermediate transfer belt.

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 sheet processing apparatus includes: a main body accommodating a controller; an opening and closing member including an electrical part and pivotable about a pivot axis with respect to the main body between a closed position and an open position is exposed; a hinge disposed between the main body and the opening and closing member and at least partly constituting the pivot axis; and a flexible cable connecting between the electrical part and the controller. The opening and closing member includes a side wall for covering the electrical part from a hinge side of the electrical part. The side wall has an opening formed at a position opposite the flexible cable extending from the opening and closing member to the main body. The hinge includes a cover portion configured to cover a portion of the flexible cable which is exposed through the opening.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes: a housing; a movable member; a linear motor; and a cover. The linear motor includes a primary magnetic pole and a secondary magnetic pole each having a facing surface that faces the other and that is a plane along the longitudinal direction of the housing. The cover allows the primary magnetic pole to be located in an atmospheric environment, and the secondary magnetic pole to be located in a vacuum environment or a reduced pressure environment by separating the primary magnetic pole and the secondary magnetic pole from each other. The primary magnetic pole and the secondary magnetic pole face each other so that a direction of a magnetic attraction force generated therebetween and acting on their facing surfaces is different from directions of forces acting, due to an atmospheric pressure outside the housing, on the wall of the housing on which the cover is provided.

Abstract: A document reader is provided that includes a document table at least part of which is configured to swing around a first axis, between a first position to function as the document table and a second position to be more slanted with respect to a first guide than when in the first position, a swing portion configured to form a part of a feeding surface forming a second guide and configured to swing around a second axis, between a third position to function as the second guide and a fourth position to expose a part of a feeding path that is formed by the second guide to the outside of the document reader, and a switching mechanism for swinging the swing portion from the third position to the fourth position with the swing motion of the at least part of the document table.