Abstract: A light beam emission system includes a blower that forms a flow path in which aerosol flows, an emitter that emits a laser beam, and a light guide that guides the laser beam to the flow path in which the aerosol flows. The light guide is hollow, and at least a part of the laser beam passing through the light guide and guided to the flow path propagates along the flow path of the aerosol.

Abstract: A light beam emission system includes a blower that forms a flow path in which aerosol flows, an emitter that emits a laser beam, and a light guide that guides the laser beam to the flow path in which the aerosol flows. The light guide is hollow, and at least a part of the laser beam passing through the light guide and guided to the flow path propagates along the flow path of the aerosol.

Abstract: A light beam emission system includes: a blower that forms a flow path in which aerosol flows; and an emitter that emits a light beam. At least part of the light beam propagates along the flow path of the aerosol.

Abstract: A light beam emission system includes: a blower that forms a flow path in which aerosol flows; and an emitter that emits a light beam. At least part of the light beam propagates along the flow path of the aerosol.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus which is capable of efficiently stacking sheets of various sizes while efficiently using space therein to thereby realize compactness thereof, and maintaining a high availability. Stacker trays for stacking sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus can be separately removed. It is detected whether any of the stacker trays is removed. When large-size sheets are stacked, a stacker control section causes the stacker trays to operate as one tray to stack the sheets in a state extending on the stacker trays, whereas when small-size sheets are stacked, the section causes one of the stacker trays to stack the sheets. Further, when one stacker tray is removed to make it impossible to stack the large-size sheets, the section causes a display section to display a guide message advising setting of the removed stacker tray.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of improving operability while suppressing an increase in apparatus size. In a front cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a front cover is inserted into a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed, and in a rear cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a rear cover is inserted into the bundle of sheets. Insertion sheets for the front cover and insertion sheets for the rear cover are set with the same orientation in a manual feed tray 105. An insertion sheet for the front cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to a finisher 500 in one of a face-down state and a face-up state. An insertion sheet for the rear cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to the finisher 500 in the other of the face-down state and the face-up state. The insertion sheets for the front cover and for the rear cover conveyed from the manual feed tray 105 and the sheets on which images have been formed are stacked on the finisher 500.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for printing multiple copies of a document, the document having N (where N is an integer) pages, includes an image forming unit configured to print images on a plurality of sheets according to an input print job, a sheet stacking unit configured to stack sheets printed by the image forming unit, and a control unit configured to divide a print job which prints M (where M is an integer) copies of each of the N pages of the document into a plurality of print operations in a case where a group mode in which sheets are stacked into N groups, each group having M copies of a respective page of the document, is set in the print job, wherein each of the plurality of print operations is for printing less than M copies of each of the N pages of the document.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus including first and second stacking trays configured to stack sheets, a detection unit configured to detect a sheet stacking amount on the first stacking tray, a setting unit configured to set an upper limit on stacking amount for controlling the sheet stacking amount that is less than a maximum sheet stacking amount on the first stacking tray, and a control unit configured to stop stacking of sheets on the first stacking tray and stack sheets on the second stacking tray in a case where the sheet stacking amount which is detected by the detection unit reaches the upper limit on stacking amount that is set by the setting unit.

Abstract: There is provided a sheet feeding device in which a sheet is discriminated at preliminary loosening before feeding, and is set to be controlled according to the type of the sheet by a simple configuration without requiring a special configuration. In the sheet feeding device in which air is blown onto a sheet stack, and a sheet floating at the uppermost level by the blowing is absorbed and conveyed, a sheet type is discriminated, based on a moving amount of the tray, at preliminary loosening before sheet feeding after setting the sheet in a tray.

Abstract: A coreless linear motor includes a fixed member and a movable member. The fixed member has groups of permanent magnets arranged in a yoke. The movable member has a coil assembly. The groups of permanent magnets include first and second groups of permanent magnets arranged so as to face each other. Each of the first and second groups of permanent magnets has a plurality of magnets along a longitudinal direction of the yoke. In the plurality of magnets, magnetic poles of magnets facing along the longitudinal direction of the yoke alternate. Magnetic poles of the permanent magnets along the longitudinal direction of the yoke are the same. The coil assembly has at least three coils arranged movably relative to the first and second groups of permanent magnets along the longitudinal directions of the yoke between the first and second groups of permanent magnets.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a stack tray, a stapler, a stapler moving device, and an aligning member. When a stapling process is performed at least two staple positions of the sheet bundle stacked on the stack tray using the stapler, the stapler is moved to the next staple position by relative movement in which the stapler and the sheet bundle are moved in the opposite directions by the stapler moving device and the aligning member respectively. When the number of sheets in the sheet bundle or a weight of the sheet bundle is lower than a predetermined value, a moving speed of the sheet bundle is set faster than a moving speed of the sheet bundle at which the number of sheets in the sheet bundle is not lower than the predetermined value or the weight of the sheet bundle is not lower than the predetermined value.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus for executing image formation by exposing an image carrier with irradiation light emitted from a laser source on the basis of an input signal to drive the laser source includes a correction amount calculation unit configured to calculate, on the basis of a generated correction pattern, a correction amount to control the ON or OFF timing to drive the laser source, and a signal generation unit configured to generate, on the basis of image data and the correction amount calculated by the correction amount calculation unit, a corrected signal obtained by correcting the input signal to drive the laser source so as to form the image data by controlling the ON or OFF timing.

Abstract: A coreless linear motor having a high rigidity, a high heat radiation effect, and a light weight is provided. The coreless linear motor includes a fixed member and a movable member moving relative with respect to the fixed member. The fixed member has a yoke and groups of permanent magnets arranged in the yoke. The movable member has a coil assembly. The groups of permanent magnets include first and second groups of permanent magnets arranged so as to face each other. Each of the first and second groups of permanent magnets has a plurality of magnets along a longitudinal direction of the yoke. In the plurality of magnets, magnetic poles of magnets facing along the longitudinal direction of the yoke alternate. Magnetic poles of the permanent magnets along the longitudinal direction of the yoke are the same.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus capable of reliably superposing a sheet to be buffered and a following sheet in a manner displaced by an allowable displacement amount, thereby making it possible to suppress generation of misalignment. A sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus is temporarily held back, and a following sheet is superposed on the held-back sheet in a state displaced in a conveying direction. A length in the conveying direction of the sheet to be held back and a length in the conveying direction of a sheet bundle of the superposed sheets are measured. A displacement amount provided between the superposed sheets, computed as a difference between the measured length of the sheet and the measured length of the sheet bundle, is adjusted such that the displacement amount becomes a target displacement amount.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus capable of detecting a sheet end portion in a short time period even if sheets are conveyed at a narrow interval and at high speed, thus making it possible to expedite the start timing of a subsequent sheet alignment operation. In accordance with results of detection by lateral registration detection sensors performed when a sheet reaches a lateral registration detection sensor unit, the sensor unit is moved in a width direction for sheet end detection. Based on a moving distance of the sensor unit from a standby position to a position where the sheet end is detected, a shift amount to be shifted the sheet in the width direction, i.e., a lateral registration error, is computed.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which enable users to easily set the cutting amount of sheets according to the intended purpose of use. A folding unit folds the sheets. A cutting unit cuts off ends of the folded sheets. A setting unit sets details of processing of the sheets to be executed at least by the center-folding unit and the cutting unit. The setting unit is capable of selecting a first cutting amount-setting mode in which a cutting amount is set using a cutting width of the at least one end, and a second cutting amount-setting mode in which the cutting amount is set using a sheet size which the sheets should have after being cut. The setting unit sets the cutting amount in a selected one of the first cutting amount-setting mode and the second cutting amount-setting mode, when setting details of processing of the sheets to be executed by the cutting unit.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a stapler configured to staple a bundle of sheets by driving a staple into the sheet bundle; a cutting mechanism configured to cut off portions of staples driven into the sheet bundle; a storage portion configured to store cut-off portions of staples; a lid mounted on the storage portion capable of opening and closing; an open and closed state detecting portion configured to detect open and closed state of the lid; a collecting portion configured to collect cut-off portions of staples from the storage portion; and a lid opening and closing portion configured to open the lid when cut-off portions of staples are collected, wherein after the lid opening and closing portion has performed a lid opening and closing motions, if the open and closed state detecting portion detects that the lid is not closed, the lid opening and closing portion repeats a lid opening and closing operation.

Abstract: A discharged sheet is conveyed, by a sheet conveying portion movable above sheet stacking portions while supporting a sheet, to selected one among plural sheet stacking portions. When the sheet is conveyed to the selected sheet stacking portion by the sheet conveying portion, a member for preventing a bringing-together provided in the main body of the apparatus prevents a sheet bundle, stacked in a sheet stacking portion at the upstream side of the selected sheet stacking portion, from being brought together by the sheet conveyed above the upstream sheet stacking portion by the sheet conveying portion.

Abstract: Provided is a sheet processing apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus, including: an intermediate process tray which receives sheets delivered from the image forming apparatus as a sheet stack; a process unit which applies a predetermined process for the sheet stack received on the intermediate process tray; a pair of rollers which nips and delivers the sheet stack subjected to the predetermined process by the process unit; a stack tray which receives the sheet stack delivered by the pair of rollers; and a controller moves one roller of the pair of rollers to a standby position corresponding to a thickness of the sheet stack to be delivered onto the stack tray.

Abstract: A punching apparatus having a punching member which effects punching on a sheet, and a driving mechanism which moves the punching member in a sheet width direction intersecting with a sheet conveying direction. On the basis of the difference between the position of a current sheet and the position of a next sheet succeeding thereto detected by a detecting sensor which detects the position of each conveyed sheet in the sheet width direction, at a position upstream of the punching member, the punching member is moved by the driving mechanism along the sheet width direction from a punching position for the current sheet to a punching position for the next sheet.