Abstract: A polygon mirror that can be manufactured at low cost and high productivity and a method of manufacturing the same, a polygon mirror that can be manufactured at low cost and presents little variations in reflectance in a wide range of angles of incident, an optical scanner and electrophotographic equipment that are less expensive and compact is provided. The polygon mirror has a single layer film formed of a substance having an index of reflection of 1.45 or below on the reflecting surface.

Abstract: A robot controller (10) includes a VGA controller (11) which transmits 15-bit image data at cycles of 25 MHZ. A code converter (12) converts 15-bit image data into 20-bit image data and transmits, to a driver (13), 10-bit image data at cycles of 50 MHZ. The driver (13) converts image data into serial data, and then transmits the serial data to a twisted pair line (30). Image data received by a receiver (21) of a display unit (20) is, by a code converter (22), converted into 15-bit data and transmitted to a liquid crystal display (23) at cycles of 25 MHZ. The driver (13) and the receiver (21) have a phase lock circuit adapted to Fibre Channel (500 Mbps) and arranged for phasing the both with each other.

Abstract: A compact rotary attenuator comprises a housing (1), a terminal board (3) having input and output terminals (20A and 20B) and electronic components connected between the input and output terminals, a driving shaft (13) attached to the terminal board (3) at right angles therewith within the housing (1), input and output contact shoes (11 and 12) for spring contact with the input and output terminals (20A and 20B), and input and output coaxial connectors (9 and 10) each having a central conductor extending into the housing (1), wherein the input and output contact shoes (11 and 12) make contact with the input and output terminals (20A and 20B) on different sides of the terminal board (3).

Abstract: A rotary developing apparatus having a plurality of developing devices mounted along the outer periphery of a cylindrical rotary unit 2 includes a first gear train 81, 6 and 21 for connecting the rotary unit to a drive source 8 to rotate the rotary unit 2, a second gear train 81, 7, 5 and 4 for connecting a developing roller 3 of a developing device revolved and stopped at a developing position, as a result of the rotary unit 2 being rotationally driven, to the drive source 8 to rotate the developing roller 3, and a drive switching means 9 for switching between the first gear train and the second gear train to connect either of them to the drive source 8.

Abstract: A polygon mirror that can be manufactured at low cost and high productivity and a method of manufacturing the same, a polygon mirror that can be manufactured at low cost and presents little variations in reflectance in a wide range of angles of incident, an optical scanner and electrophotographic equipment that are less expensive and compact is provided. The polygon mirror has a single layer film formed of a substance having an index of reflection of 1.45 or below on the reflecting surface.

Abstract: An improvement is proposed in the method for adhesively bonding a decorative overlay film of a plastic resin to the surface of an acrylic resin board with a hot-melt adhesive, by which the overlaid acrylic resin board can be imparted with greatly improved stability of overlaying lamination as well as good machining workability of the board. The improved method comprises the steps of: (a) demoisturizing the acrylic resin board by heating at 60-90.degree. C. for at least 2 hours; (b) forming a layer of a hot-melt adhesive on at least either one of the resin board and the overlay film; (c) laminating the resin board and the overlay film with the adhesive layer therebetween to obtain a laminate by passing between a pair of laminating rollers while the surfaces to be brought into contact with each other are kept at an elevated temperature; and (d) subjecting the laminate to an aging treatment by heating at 30-60.degree. C. for at least 1 hour.

Abstract: A circuit for supplying/interrupting power to robots in a robot control system which controls two robots by use of one controller. This circuit for supplying/interrupting power to robots includes a common power interrupting circuit, which simultaneously interrupts power supplies to two robots, and power interrupting circuits for individual robots, which individually interrupt power supplies to individual robots. When a common cutoff switch circuit in the common power interrupting circuit is operated on the basis of an emergency stop signal or an alarm signal, two relays are deenergized at the same time, thereby simultaneously interrupting power supply to two robots. When one of the cutoff switch circuits in the power interrupting circuit for each robot is operated by an emergency stop signal or an alarm signal, only one corresponding relay is deenergized, thereby interrupting power supply to one appropriate robot.

Abstract: An image processing device and image processing method for expanding code image data to bit map image data for use in image formation. The image processing device includes a storage device, an image interface device and a color space converter. The storage device stores bit map image data to which the code image data is expanded by an expansion device. The image interface device generates a signal indicating an attribute of a color space representing the bit map image data stored in the storage device for each pixel. The color space converter converts the image data from an image data color space to a color space that is dependent on the image formation device being used. The image data includes an image data color space attribute that identifies the color space based on the type of device that generates the image data.

Abstract: In a robot apparatus comprising a robot mechanical unit and a robot controller, the robot apparatus does not need a connecting cable for connecting the robot mechanical unit to the robot controller. The robot mechanical unit includes a connector for receiving a control signal and outputting a sensor signal, in addition to an arm and a drive unit. The robot controller includes a circuit for controlling the robot mechanical unit, a servo amplifier, and a connector capable of being directly coupled with the connector of the robot mechanical unit. Further, the robot controller is installed at a location adjacent to the robot mechanical unit and within a dead space of an operating area of the robot mechanical unit.

Abstract: An air bag mounting structure is formed of an air bag mounting plate having a through opening; an inflator disposed in the through opening and having a flange disposed under the air bag mounting plate around a periphery of the through opening; an air bag having a receiving opening in a rear portion thereof for receiving the inflator therein; and a mounting piece connected to a periphery of the receiving opening of the air bag. The mounting piece is disposed between a rear surface of the air bag mounting plate and an upper surface of the flange of the inflator. A fastening device passes through the air bag mounting plate, the mounting piece and the flange to connect the air bag mounting plate and the flange. The mounting piece is firmly fixed between the air bag mounting plate and the flange, while the inflator is attached to the air bag mounting plate.

Abstract: An emergency robot shutdown circuit reliably stops a movable component of a robot which has suffered an overtravel condition. The emergency robot shutdown circuit has three relays, and detects an overtravel condition of the robot with a dog located in a limit position of a normal operation range of the movable component of the robot to command an emergency shutdown of the robot. The second relay holds an overtravel signal which is outputted from a detecting circuit. A switching transistor is connected parallel to a make contact of the second relay, and an overtravel cancel switch is connected parallel to another make contact of the second relay. The base of the switching transistor is supplied with an overtravel unlatching pulse in synchronism with the closing of the overtravel cancel switch. The third relay, which is connected in series with the other make contact of the second relay, has three make contacts which make up a power cutoff circuit.

Abstract: An emergency stop circuit of a teaching operation panel by which the teaching operation panel can be connected to and disconnected from a robot control device under predetermined conditions and the operation of a robot is not stopped even if the teaching operation panel is disconnected from the robot control device. When the robot, which has already been taught and is automatically operated, comes into contact with a connection cable between the teaching operation panel and the robot control device and disconnects the teaching operation panel from the robot control device, the emergency stop function of the robot is effected. When, however, the teaching operation panel is disconnected from a port while a connecting/disconnecting switch is turned ON, the emergency stop function of the robot is not effected. With this arrangement, the teaching operation panel can be disconnected from the robot control device while the robot is automatically operated.

Abstract: An opening for discharging toner is formed in a lower part of a cartridge body containing toner. A shutter mounting body is mounted on the opening. A first shutter is slidably mounted on the shutter mounting body. A second shutter is slidably mounted on the first shutter. A front end of a sealing member for sealing the opening is extended, the extended front end being inserted through a seal traction opening formed in a front end of the second shutter, and fixed to a front end of the first shutter. When the second shutter is pulled out of the shutter mounting body, the sealing member is towed by the seal traction opening. In addition, the first shutter is further towed by the sealing member, to be also pulled out. Consequently, nearly half of the sealing member from its front end is stripped.

Abstract: It is a major object of the present invention to break down and level a heap-up of toner built in the hopper through dropping from the cartridge when feeding toner into the hopper and to prevent toner from leakage from the cartridge due to erroneous operation with a remarkably simple and cheap construction. Namely, the leveling member moves a plurality of number of times in line with engaging and disengaging operation of the cartridge for the hopper and opening and closing operation of the cartridge in the same direction of the shutter, thereby causing a heap-up of toner built in the hopper housing of the hopper to be effectively broken down and leveled. Furthermore, only when the shutter is in its closed status for the cartridge, the cartridge can be removed from the opening of the hopper.

Abstract: An opening for discharging toner is formed in a lower part of a cartridge body containing toner. A shutter mounting body is mounted on the opening. A first shutter is slidably mounted on the shutter mounting body. A second shutter is slidably mounted on the first shutter. A front end of a sealing member for sealing the opening is extended, the extended front end being inserted through a seal traction opening formed in a front end of the second shutter, and fixed to a front end of the first shutter. When the second shutter is pulled out of the shutter mounting body, the sealing member is towed by the seal traction opening. In addition, the first shutter is further towed by the sealing member, to be also pulled out. Consequently, nearly half of the sealing member from its front end is stripped.

Abstract: A toner recovery roller having at least its outer peripheral part made of an insulator and rotated and driven in a predetermined direction is disposed in the vicinity of a position where an image carrier and a developing roller interact with each other, and a triboelectric charging member for triboelectrically charging an outer peripheral surface of the toner recovery roller to a polarity opposite to that of toner particles is so provided as to be brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the toner recovery roller.The rotation of the toner recovery roller in a predetermined direction causes friction between the friction charging member and the insulating outer peripheral surface of the toner recovery roller, so that the insulating outer peripheral surface of the toner recovery roller is triboelectrically charged to a polarity opposite to that of toner particles. Therefore, toner particles scattered from the developing roller are attracted to the toner recovery roller to adhere thereto.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which facilitates the input and output of copy paper. One embodiment includes an image forming apparatus with paper supply trays, a development area, a console and a sorter. By pressing a transparent paper mode key on the console, normal and projector paper are sequentially fed from the trays to the development area and then to the sorter. The sorter is set in one of three modes by a sorter instructor. A manual key on the console allows an operator to set the instructor to position the sorter in any one of the three modes. The pressing of the transparent paper mode key or the detection by a detector of transparent paper in the feeding tray results in the instructor setting the sorter in a non-sort mode despite the sort instructor having been previously set in a different mode.

Abstract: When documents fed by an automatic document feeder are subjected to the first copying operation, the documents are counted one by one. Alternately, the total number of documents are calculated by dividing the number of copy paper sheets sent to an intermediate tray, by the preset number of copies. Page entry is made in the copy paper sheets taken out from the intermediate tray, based on the total number of documents thus obtained. The total number of documents may be automatically counted. Accordingly, even though the documents are successively fed, starting from the last-page document, page entry may be made. The operator is not required to manually count the total number of documents.