Abstract: A common driving source transmits a drive force to a driving unit that drives a feeding unit and a conveying unit. The driving source is a motor that rotates in either of a normal direction and a reverse direction. The feeding unit includes a mechanical drive-blocking mechanism in its driving sequence. The conveying unit includes a two-system driving sequence and a mechanical drive-blocking mechanism in the driving sequence so as to rotate in one direction regardless of a rotating direction of the driving source. A reduction ratio of each driving sequence in the conveying unit is identical.

Abstract: A computer terminal changes the non-evaluation property of one of the reference timings to the evaluation property based on a result of the evaluation conducted by comparing one of the reference timings having the evaluation property with the timing of the input performed by the operator.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, during a rotation of an intermediate transfer belt performed after a contact-state-changing rotation in which the number of photoconductors contacting the intermediate transfer belt has changed, a control unit of a belt driving device controls the driving speed of a belt driving motor based on a period of the intermediate transfer belt determined in the rotation immediately before the contact-state-changing rotation instead of a period determined in the contact-state-changing rotation.

Abstract: A driving control device for use in an image forming apparatus includes a control unit that analyzes any one of a speed variation pattern and a thickness variation pattern of an endless belt member of the image forming apparatus per at least one rotation of the endless belt member while endlessly moving the endless belt member by a driving rotating unit, and starts to execute, based on a result of analysis, a driving-speed-control-pattern updating process to update a driving speed control pattern of the driving rotating unit per at least one rotation of the endless belt member, after a power of an image forming apparatus is turned on and within a preparation period in which a predetermined preparation process is completed so that an image forming operation can be started based on an image formation command from an operator.

Abstract: A driving-force transmitting member is formed of a material having a linear expansion coefficient larger than that of a sleeve bearing, and ?x1>r1×?t×a?R1×?t×b is satisfied, where R1 is inner radius of the sleeve bearing, r1 is outer radius of a rotary shaft unit, ?x1 is difference between the inner radius R1 and the outer radius r1 at a reference temperature, ?t is maximum amount of temperature change of the driving-force transmitting member relative to the reference temperature, a is linear expansion coefficient of the sleeve bearing, and b is linear expansion coefficient of the driving-force transmitting member.

Abstract: A rotary drive device includes a motor including a rotary shaft, a planetary gear mechanism, and a rotation position detector. The planetary gear mechanism decelerates a rotation output of the motor at a reference reduction ratio and includes an outer gear, multistage gears, and an output shaft. The outer gear is fixed to a housing of the motor. The multistage gears are provided inside the outer gear. The output shaft transmits the decelerated rotation output of the motor to an outside of the rotary drive device. The rotation position detector detects a rotation position of the output shaft to control rotation of the motor. The motor, the planetary gear mechanism, and the rotation position detector are combined into a single integrated unit and aligned in an axial direction of the rotary shaft of the motor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member, an endless belt configured to transfer and carry the toner image thereon, a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image carried by the endless belt onto a recording sheet, a sensing unit configured to sense the toner image transferred onto the endless belt, a blocking unit mounted between the sensing unit and the endless belt and configured to block the sensing unit, a contact and separation unit configured to cause the transfer unit to reciprocally contact and separate from the endless belt. With this configuration, the blocking unit and the contact and separation unit are configured to be driven by an identical drive source.

Abstract: A triplate planar slot antenna formed by laying a ground plate, a lower layer side dielectric layer, a lower layer side copper-clad film substrate, an upper layer side dielectric layer, a slot plate and an upper layer side copper-clad film substrate sequentially from the bottom side, wherein a lower layer side copper foil piece is secured to the surface of a lower layer side insulating film by a joining technique not using adhesive, and an upper layer side copper foil piece is secured to the surface of an upper layer side insulating film by a joining technique not using adhesive. In a state where the copper foil pieces are removed, each insulating film has a dielectric constant in the range of 2.0-4.0, a tan ? in the range of 0.001-0.01, and a thickness of 25 ?m or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt stretched across rollers and a resist rotary member that feeds out a recording medium on the belt. A correlation between a velocity of the belt and the resist rotary member is obtained. A target velocity of the belt or the resist rotary member, at which a difference between the velocity when the recording medium is in contact with both the belt and the resist rotary member and the velocity when the recording medium is not in contact with at least either the belt or the resist rotary member is minimum, is determined based on the correlation.

Abstract: A common driving source transmits a drive force to a driving unit that drives a feeding unit and a conveying unit. The driving source is a motor that rotates in either of a normal direction and a reverse direction. The feeding unit includes a mechanical drive-blocking mechanism in its driving sequence. The conveying unit includes a two-system driving sequence and a mechanical drive-blocking mechanism in the driving sequence so as to rotate in one direction regardless of a rotating direction of the driving source. A reduction ratio of each driving sequence in the conveying unit is identical.

Abstract: A belt driving control apparatus, the belt driving control apparatus having an endless belt, a driving roller driving the endless belt, a driving motor driving the driving roller, at least one idler roller being dependent on the endless belt, and an encoder attached to one idler roller. The belt driving control apparatus includes a structure where a control target value of the driving motor is set so that an effective speed of the endless belt is constant and the driving motor is drive-controlled so that the control target value is satisfied.

Abstract: A mark detecting unit detects a mark that is a reference position of an endless belt. An angular-displacement-error detecting unit detects an angular displacement error of an encoder caused by thickness fluctuation of the endless belt. A first calculating unit calculates a phase and a maximum amplitude to the mark. A second calculating unit calculates correction data according to a distance from the mark on the endless belt. A belt-drive control device controls a belt driving unit by adding the correction data to a preset control target value to stabilize speed fluctuation of the endless belt due to the thickness fluctuation.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus including a plurality of photosensitive drums on which toner images of different colors are respectively formed. An endless belt confronts the plurality of photosensitive drums. A drive source drives rotation of the endless belt, or alternatively plural drive sources drive the photosensitive drums to individually rotate. A memory stores pre-measured characteristics of a color misregistration of a color image in a sub-scanning direction of the apparatus, the color image formed by transferring images from respective of the plurality of photosensitive drums. Further, a control unit changes an average running speed of the endless belt, or alternatively an average running speed of at least some of the photosensitive drums, by controlling the drive sources, to compensate for color misregistration, based on the stored characteristics of color misregistration. The belt can either transport a paper sheet or have a color image formed thereon as an intermediate transfer device.

Abstract: A triplate planar slot antenna formed by laying a ground plate, a lower layer side dielectric layer, a lower layer side copper-clad film substrate, an upper layer side dielectric layer, a slot plate and an upper layer side copper-clad film substrate sequentially from the bottom side, wherein a lower layer side copper foil piece is secured to the surface of a lower layer side insulating film by a joining technique not using adhesive, and an upper layer side copper foil piece is secured to the surface of an upper layer side insulating film by a joining technique not using adhesive. In a state where the copper foil pieces are removed, each insulating film has a dielectric constant in the range of 2.0-4.0, a tan ? in the range of 0.001-0.01, and a thickness of 25 ?m or less.

Abstract: An optical scanner includes a light source that emits a light beam, a deflection unit that deflects the light beam, an optical unit that introduces the light beam to a target surface, a housing unit that stores these components, and a member that contacts the light source and/or the optical unit. The light source and/or the optical unit changes in attitude due to a temperature change while the optical scanner is operating. The member extends or contracts according to the temperature change so as to reduce the change of the attitude.

Abstract: To compensate for the variation in the output signal from an encoder due to the variation in the thickness of an endless belt, an apparatus includes: a detector that detects a reference position on the endless belt; a correction-value calculating unit that calculates a correction value for each position on the endless belt based on the thickness; and a target-value calculating unit that adjusts a target value for controlling a driving motor based on the correction value corresponding to a distance from the reference position to the current position.

Abstract: A belt driving control apparatus, the belt driving control apparatus having an endless belt, a driving roller driving the endless belt, a driving motor driving the driving roller, at least one idler roller being dependent on the endless belt, and an encoder attached to one of the idler roller, the belt driving control apparatus includes a structure where a control target value of the driving motor is set so that an effective speed of the endless belt is constant and the driving motor is drive-controlled so that the control target value is satisfied.

Abstract: A mark detecting unit detects a mark that is a reference position of an endless belt. An angular-displacement-error detecting unit detects an angular displacement error of an encoder caused by thickness fluctuation of the endless belt. A first calculating unit calculates a phase and a maximum amplitude to the mark. A second calculating unit calculates correction data according to a distance from the mark on the endless belt. A belt-drive control device controls a belt driving unit by adding the correction data to a preset control target value to stabilize speed fluctuation of the endless belt due to the thickness fluctuation.

Abstract: An optical scanner includes a light source that emits a light beam, a deflection unit that deflects the light beam, an optical unit that introduces the light beam to a target surface, a housing unit that stores these components, and a member that contacts the light source and/or the optical unit. The light source and/or the optical unit changes in attitude due to a temperature change while the optical scanner is operating. The member extends or contracts according to the temperature change so as to reduce the change of the attitude.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt stretched across rollers and a resist rotary member that feeds out a recording medium on the belt. A correlation between a velocity of the belt and the resist rotary member is obtained. A target velocity of the belt or the resist rotary member, at which a difference between the velocity when the recording medium is in contact with both the belt and the resist rotary member and the velocity when the recording medium is not in contact with at least either the belt or the resist rotary member is minimum, is determined based on the correlation.