Abstract: An image forming apparatus is swung with a stopper which is swingable simultaneously with a switching member, and which allows rotation of an output gear by being disengaged from the output gear with a swinging movement of the switching member to an ON side, and which stops the rotation of the output gear by being engaged with the output gear with a swinging movement of the switching member to an OFF side. When the switching member is swung to the OFF side, the stopper is engaged with the output gear at the same time as the switching member is disengaged from the triggering member or before the switching member is disengaged from the triggering member. Accordingly, a descent of a pressing plate at the time of stopping the pressing plate is prevented without using a one-way clutch.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: a housing; a supporter located in the housing, a plurality of developing apparatus attachable to and detachable from the supporter; and a restricting unit that restricts movement of the supporter while at least one developing apparatus supported by the supporter is inside the housing. The supporter is movable relative to the housing.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device to feed a sheet in a sheet stack into a sheet feeding path is provided. the sheet feeding device includes a feed roller configured to contact the sheet stack and feed the sheet in a feeding direction, a guide member, having a guide surface, which is configured to contact a side of the sheet fed by the feeding roller, to guide the sheet being fed along a guiding direction, and a shifting unit to shift the feed roller in a direction toward the guide surface before the feed roller is rotated.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device is provided. The sheet feeding device includes a sheet holder to hold a sheet in a position to be fed, a feed roller to pick up the sheet, a first lifter to move a closer portion of the sheet holder by one of a front end and a rear end thereof, a second lifter to move a further portion of the sheet holder by one of a front end and a rear end thereof, and a coordinating system to move the first lifter and the second lifter in cooperation with each other to move the overall sheet holder in a direction to be closer to the feed roller, wherein an amount of the sheet holder to be moved by the first lifter is greater according to a constant rate with respect to an amount of the sheet holder to be moved by the second lifter.

Abstract: A pump includes a case, a rotor, and a partition member. The case has a hollow inside defined by an inner wall surface thereof and includes a suction inlet through which fluid is sucked in the hollow and an exhaust outlet through which the fluid is ejected from the hollow. The rotor is rotatable in the hollow. The partition member is supported with respect to the rotor in the direction across the rotor such that two ends make constant contact with the inner wall surface defining the hollow, and is rotatable with the rotor. When the rotor is rotated, the partition member slides in the direction across the rotor and expands and shrinks in the same direction, thereby the two ends of the partition member make constant contact with the inner wall surface of the case. Accordingly, the fluid is sucked through the suction inlet in the hollow and the sucked fluid is ejected through the exhaust outlet from the hollow.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a feed roller feeding a sheet while rotating in a feeding direction, a driving gear that rotates in a predetermined direction and transmits a driving force, a first gear mechanism transmitting the force to the feed roller to rotate the feed roller in a reverse direction opposite to the feeding direction, and a second gear mechanism transmitting the force to the feed roller to rotate the feed roller in the feeding direction. The driving gear includes a first engaging member that engages with the first gear mechanism and transmits the force to the first gear mechanism at a rotational angle of the driving gear within a first range, and a second engaging member that engages with the second gear mechanism and transmits the force to the second gear mechanism at the rotational angle within a second range having no common range with the first range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: a housing; a supporter located in the housing, a plurality of developing apparatus attachable to and detachable from the supporter; and a restricting unit that restricts movement of the supporter while at least one developing apparatus supported by the supporter is inside the housing. The supporter is movable relative to the housing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: a housing; a supporter located in the housing, a plurality of developing apparatus attachable to and detachable from the supporter; and a restricting unit that restricts movement of the supporter while at least one developing apparatus supported by the supporter is inside the housing. The supporter is movable relative to the housing.

Abstract: A feeding unit is disposed near the lower edge of an access opening formed in a front cover of a main casing. The feeding unit includes a pair of registration rollers and a pair of guide parts. One of the registration rollers and one of the guide parts are retained on the front cover. Thus, when the front cover is pulled to an open position, the registration roller and the guide part retained on the front cover displace together with the front cover, exposing a paper conveying path.

Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism comprises a sheet supporter, a pick-up roller, and a guide. The sheet supporter is capable of supporting a plurality of sheets in a stacked manner. The pick-up roller rotates in contact with a surface of, among the plurality of sheets supported by the sheet supporter, the endmost sheet in the stacking direction, to thereby pick up and convey the sheet. The guide has a surface that extends along a predetermined conveyance direction for the sheet. A line segment, between a center of the pick-up roller with respect to a direction of its rotation axis and a point at which the rotation axis intersects with the surface of the guide, forms an acute angle with a line segment extending forward in the predetermined conveyance direction from the point at which the rotation axis intersects with the surface of the guide.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer is provided with a belt conveying mechanism which includes two rollers and a conveyor belt that is wrapped around the two rollers for carrying paper. The surface of the conveyor belt is formed with a recessed portion into which ink is ejected during flushing. The recessed portion has a non-water-repellent region upstream in a traveling direction of the conveyor belt. The non-repellent region functions as an ink retaining portion retaining. On a rear surface of the conveyor belt is disposed an ink absorber for absorbing ink retained in the non-water-repellent region from the rear surface.

Abstract: A golf ball incorporates nanofiller material in its core, cover, or intermediate layers. Also, a method includes a step of blending into a composition for a golf ball nanocomposite material, nanofiller material or both. The nanocomposite and/or nanofiller materials impart favorable properties to materials used for golf balls, and they provide for greater versatility in usage than materials previously used. Particular compositions incorporating nanocomposite material also are described as suited for use in golf ball compositions.

Abstract: In a gateway, a packet received from a first network contains first address data conforming to the first network in the packet header and second address data conforming to a second network in an auxiliary header. The first address data of the packet is then rewritten with the second address data of the packet and transmitted from the gateway to the second network.

Abstract: In purge processing, ink ejected from a head weeps from a cap unit due to weight of the ink during the movement of a maintenance unit to a retraction position. Then, the ink is absorbed into a primary recovery portion mounted on a movable body. When the maintenance unit reaches the retraction position, the primary recovery portion comes into contact with an ink absorber of the secondary recovery portion so that the ink migrates from the primary recovery portion to the secondary recovery portion due to a capillary phenomenon. Also, when the maintenance unit moves to a maintenance position, the primary recovery portion comes into contact with an ink absorber of the secondary recovery portion so that the ink migrates from the primary recovery portion to the secondary recovery portion due to a capillary phenomenon.

Abstract: In a packet distributing apparatus and a packet distributing method which, in a situation in which a link can be allocated to a specific user or a specific traffic with priority, can effectively utilize any unoccupied link, a packet inputted via first through Nth the input interface circuits 2031 through 203N is provided by a transfer destination searching unit 205 with a transfer destination port and a transfer-admissible port. Usage detecting units 2111 through 211N check the usage of a transfer-admissible port matching the pertinent one of first through Nth output buffer units 2091 through 209N, and distribute the packet to a transfer-admissible port bearing a less load than a prescribed level (less loaded transfer-admissible port). If there is no less-loaded transfer-admissible port, the packet is distributed to the transfer destination port for which it is destined in its own right.

Abstract: In a gateway, a packet received from a first network contains first address data conforming to the first network in the packet header and second address data conforming to a second network in an auxiliary header. The first address data of the packet is then rewritten with the second address data of the packet and transmitted from the gateway to the second network.

Abstract: In a packet distributing apparatus and a packet distributing method which, in a situation in which a link can be allocated to a specific user or a specific traffic with priority, can effectively utilize any unoccupied link, a packet inputted via first through Nth the input interface circuits 2031 through 203N is provided by a transfer destination searching unit 205 with a transfer destination port and a transfer-admissible port. Then usage detecting units 2111 through 211N check the usage of a transfer-admissible port matching the pertinent one of first through Nth output buffer units 2091 through 209N, and distribute the packet to a transfer-admissible port bearing a less load than a prescribed level (less loaded transfer-admissible port), such as an unloaded port. If there is no such less loaded transfer-admissible port, the packet is distributed to the transfer destination port for which it is destined in its own right.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a recovery unit, a reception member, and an arrangement mechanism. The recording head ejects ink therefrom to perform recording on a recording medium. The recovery unit causes the recording head to perform a purge process. The reception member receives the ink ejected in the purge process and has flexibility. The arrangement mechanism stores the reception member, which is in a wound state, outside a recoding area where the recording head performs the recording on the recording medium. The arrangement mechanism pulls out the reception member when the recovery unit causes the recording head to perform the purge process.

Abstract: A golf ball incorporates nanofiller material in its core, cover, or intermediate layers. Also, a method includes a step of blending into a composition for a golf ball nanocomposite material, nanofiller material or both. The nanocomposite and/or nanofiller materials impart favorable properties to materials used for golf balls, and they provide for greater versatility in usage than materials previously used. Particular compositions incorporating nanocomposite material also are described as suited for use in golf ball compositions.

Abstract: An address retrieval apparatus includes a retrieval table having plural table nodes for different hierarchical levels of a hierarchical tree structure, a divided bit string retrieval block, and a transfer destination distribution information acquiring block for acquiring a transfer destination distribution information from a transfer destination distribution information table based on a retrieval result supplied from the divided bit string retrieval block. An original bit string providing an inputted route information is divided into plural divided bit strings correspondent to respective brunches with the different hierarchical levels, thereby to do retrieval processes by a sequential use of the plural divided bit strings in the sequence from the bottom level to the top level with shifting up by one level the hierarchical level until the location designation information is retrieved.