Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including an image carrier and a development device, a transfer unit to transfer an image formed on the image carrier onto a sheet, a fixing device to fix the image on the sheet, a sheet transport unit, a sheet stack portion, an air duct, and a first liquid-cooling device. The first liquid-cooling device includes a first heat receiving member disposed in thermal contact with a first heated portion, a first heat releaser, a first circulation pipe connecting the first heat receiving member and the first heat releaser to circulate a coolant therebetween, a first transport member to transport the coolant through the first circulation pipe, and an airflow generator to generate an airflow with external air to cool the first heat releaser. The air duct guides the air taken in by the airflow generator to a second heated portion.

Abstract: Provided is a technique of reducing a force required to couple a receptacle connector and a plug connector. A receptacle assistant fitting of the receptacle connector includes a cantilevered lock beam having a deflection part extending in a direction substantially parallel to a connector mounting surface of a receptacle side substrate and in the outside of a receptacle housing. A plug assistant fitting of the plug connector includes an engagement part that pushes aside the free end of the lock beam and rides over the free end of the lock beam so as to be engaged with the free end of the lock beam when the plug connector and the receptacle connector are coupled to each other.

Abstract: A starting unit starts, in parallel with a blowing operation for a first tray, a blowing operation for a second tray that is to perform a feeding operation next. When a predetermined time elapses after starting the blowing operation for the second tray, a feeding unit switches from the first tray to the second tray, and feeds the recording medium from the second tray. When the blowing operation is performed for a number of trays before switching the trays and the number of trays is equal to or larger than a predetermined number, a control unit limits the number of trays for performing the blowing operation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cooling device that includes a cooling part that is movably provided between a first position and a second position different from the first position with respect to an image forming apparatus main body and cools a periphery thereof with a cooling medium to be supplied; a cooling medium supply part that is provided in the image forming apparatus main body and cools and supplies the cooling medium to the cooling part; and a connecting member that connects the cooling part to the cooling medium supply part to circulate the cooling medium between the cooling part and the cooling medium supply part; wherein the connecting member is configured to include a flexible member and spirally provided with a moving direction of the cooling part as an axis center.

Abstract: A cooling device includes a cooling roller having a dual tube structure including an inner tube disposed inside an outer tube, an outside flow passage and an inside flow passage in which a cooling medium flows, and an opening that allows the outside flow passage to communicate with the inside flow passage, a cooling medium transport unit, and a rotating tube joint unit mounted to one end side of the cooling roller. One end of the outer tube is coaxially rotatably fitted to a first fitting section of the rotating tube joint unit. One end of the inner tube is coaxially fitted into and rotatably or fixedly supported to a second fitting section of the rotating tube joint unit, and the other end is coaxially fitted into and rotatably or fixedly supported to a fitting section on the other end of the outer tube.

Abstract: A cooling device is disclosed. The cooling device includes a cooling section which is moveably provided with respect to an image forming device body between a first location and a second location, the second location being different from the first location, and which cools surroundings with a cooling medium to be supplied; a cooling medium supply section which is provided at the image forming device body and which cools the cooling medium to supply the cooled cooling medium to the cooling section; and a connecting member which connects the cooling section and the cooling medium supply section to circulate the cooling medium between the cooling section and the cooling medium supply section, wherein the connecting member includes a flexible member and is supported by a guiding member which guides an operation of tracking the connecting member in conjunction with movement of the cooling section.

Abstract: In a cooling device that includes a cooling roller that comprises a hollow tubular member and a cooling medium transport unit for transporting a cooling liquid to the inside of the cooling roller and contacts a sheet-like member to cool down the paper, a turbulence generating unit that generates turbulence in a cooling liquid is disposed near an inner wall of the outer tube.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a target part to be cooled detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus, a cooling device including a heat receiving part provided to contact the target part to be cooled to receive heat from the target part to be cooled with a cooling medium provided within the heat receiving part, and a contact/separation mechanism to cause the heat receiving part to contact and separate from the target part to be cooled. The contact/separation mechanism includes a pressing unit to press the heat receiving part against the target part to be cooled. A reaction of a pressing force of the heat receiving part applied to the pressing unit when the heat receiving part is pressed against the target part to be cooled is directed onto a predetermined portion of the target part to be cooled.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including an image carrier and a development device, a transfer unit to transfer an image formed on the image carrier onto a sheet, a fixing device to fix the image on the sheet, a sheet transport unit, a sheet stack portion, an air duct, and a first liquid-cooling device. The first liquid-cooling device includes a first heat receiving member disposed in thermal contact with a first heated portion, a first heat releaser, a first circulation pipe connecting the first heat receiving member and the first heat releaser to circulate a coolant therebetween, a first transport member to transport the coolant through the first circulation pipe, and an airflow generator to generate an airflow with external air to cool the first heat releaser. The air duct guides the air taken in by the airflow generator to a second heated portion.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus hierarchically compresses and codes image data by subjecting pixel values of the image data to a discrete wavelet transform, quantization and coding for each of one or a plurality of rectangular regions into which the image data is divided. The image processing apparatus includes a hierarchical coding unit to compress and code the image data in a state where the image data is divided for each hierarchical layer, to obtain compressed codes, and a distributively storing unit to distributively store the compressed codes that are divided for each hierarchical layer by the hierarchical coding unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for coding and decoding includes a decoding unit which decodes compressed and coded data to restore original image data, a storing unit which stores additional information other than the image data in memory, and a coding unit which encodes at least a portion of the additional information stored in said memory as information additional to the image data when performing second-time encoding of the image data decoded by said decoding unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating codes includes a quantization unit which generates quantization coefficients by performing discrete wavelet transform with respect to each of tiles into which an image is divided, a block division unit which divides the quantization coefficients into blocks, a Hash conversion unit which performs Hash conversion based on the quantization coefficients of each of the blocks so as to produce a Hash value for each of the blocks, a digital watermark embedding unit which adjusts a parity of a quantization coefficient of interest equal to a parity of the Hash value of a block to which the quantization coefficient of interest belongs, and a coding unit which generates code sequence data by coding the quantization coefficients including the quantization coefficient whose parity is adjusted.

Abstract: An image processing method includes the steps of: dividing digital content into run-lengths each including one or more consecutive pixels having an identical color; and embedding digital watermark information in the run-lengths while saving topology (first topology preservation law).