Abstract: An image forming apparatus sequentially transfers toner images formed on a plurality of photosensitive drums onto an intermediate transfer member or a transfer material to form an image. The image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt provided with electrical conductivity, and a power supply for applying a voltage to a secondary transfer roller to pass a current from the secondary transfer roller to the plurality of photosensitive drums via the intermediate transfer belt, thus primarily transferring the toner images from the plurality of photosensitive drums onto the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus sequentially transfers toner images formed on a plurality of photosensitive drums onto an intermediate transfer member or a transfer material to form an image. The image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt provided with electrical conductivity, and a power supply for applying a voltage to a current supply member contacting the intermediate transfer belt to pass a current from the current supply member to the plurality of photosensitive drums via the intermediate transfer belt, thus generating electric discharge on the upstream side of each of primary transfer sections.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus sequentially transfers toner images formed on a plurality of photosensitive drums onto an intermediate transfer member or a transfer material to form an image. The image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt provided with electrical conductivity, and a power supply for applying a voltage to a current supply member contacting the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt to pass a current from the current supply member to the plurality of photosensitive drums via the intermediate transfer belt, thus primarily transferring the toner images from the plurality of photosensitive drums onto the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine cooling system includes: an internal combustion engine; a water pump for circulating a fluid; a flow path for the fluid circulated at least between the internal combustion engine and the water pump; a first sensor disposed on the flow path through which the fluid flows from the internal combustion engine to the water pump; a first flow path provided with a fluid cooling means; a second flow path provided with a heat exchange means; a first valve provided on the flow path and configured to control inflow amounts of the fluid into the first flow path and the second flow path; a second valve provided on the second flow path and configured to control inflow of the fluid into the second flow path; and a controller for performing failure determination of the second valve based on a detection result of the first sensor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable heater for heating a toner image on a recording material in a nip; a rotatable pressor for pressing against the heater to form the nip; a moving mechanism for spacing the heater and the pressor from each other; a detector for detecting a temperature of the pressor; a cooler for cooling the pressor; a changer for changing the rotational speed of the pressor; and an executor for executing, when the temperature of the pressor reaches an upper limit temperature during execution of an image formation job of continuously forming the images, a cooling mode for cooling the pressor by the cooler in a state that the pressor and the heater are spaced from each other while rotating the pressing member at a second rotational speed higher than a first rotational speed which is a speed during the execution of the job.

Abstract: A rotational speed of an image bearing member on a downstream side is controlled so as to reduce a detection time difference between a leading end section of first electrostatic latent image indexes of an image bearing member and a leading end section of second electrostatic latent image indexes of a transfer medium in an area of a leading end margin preceding an effective image area.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine cooling system includes: an internal combustion engine; a water pump for circulating a fluid; a flow path for the fluid circulated at least between the internal combustion engine and the water pump; a first sensor disposed on the flow path through which the fluid flows from the internal combustion engine to the water pump; a first flow path provided with a fluid cooling means; a second flow path provided with a heat exchange means; a first valve provided on the flow path and configured to control inflow amounts of the fluid into the first flow path and the second flow path; a second valve provided on the second flow path and configured to control inflow of the fluid into the second flow path; and a controller for performing failure determination of the second valve based on a detection result of the first sensor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of executing a mode for decelerating a rotation speed of a fixing member and a pressure member between sheets in a continuous print than that during a fixing operation.

Abstract: A rotary valve apparatus includes a casing having a fluid passageway, a rotor rotatably mounted in the casing and configured to control, by rotation thereof, a flow state of fluid flowing in the fluid passageway, a drive mechanism for rotating the rotor, and a lock mechanism configured to allow transmission of a rotational force from the drive mechanism to the rotor and to inhibit rotation of the rotor under non-rotation driving state of the driving mechanism.

Abstract: A rotary valve apparatus includes a casing having a fluid passageway, a rotor rotatably mounted in the casing and configured to control, by rotation thereof, a flow state of fluid flowing in the fluid passageway, a drive mechanism for rotating the rotor, and a lock mechanism configured to allow transmission of a rotational force from the drive mechanism to the rotor and to inhibit rotation of the rotor under non-rotation driving state of the driving mechanism.

Abstract: A fluid control valve is provided. The fluid control valve is interposed in a fluid flow passage, and includes a temperature sensing part which is provided in a fluid of the fluid flow passage, and which is configured to operate based on a temperature of the fluid; a heating element which is configured to heat the temperature sensing part; and a shielding part which is capable of shielding the temperature sensing part from the fluid.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image heating member for heating a toner image on a recording material in a nip; a rotatable pressing member for pressing against the image heating member to form the nip; a moving mechanism for relative movement between the heating member and the pressing member toward and away from each other; a temperature detecting member for detecting a temperature of the pressing member; cooling means for cooling the pressing member; rotational speed changing means for changing a rotational speed of the pressing member; and an executing portion for executing, when the temperature of the pressing member reaches an upper limit temperature during execution of an image formation job of continuously forming the images, a cooling mode for cooling the pressing member by the cooling means in a state that the pressing member and the heating member are spaced from each other while rotating the pressing member at a second rotational speed higher than a first rotational speed which is

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of executing a mode for decelerating a rotation speed of a fixing member and a pressure member between sheets in a continuous print than that during a fixing operation.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotatable member for heating an image on a recording material in a nip, a nip forming member for cooperating with the heating rotatable member to form the nip, and a rubbing rotatable member. The rubbing rotatable member rubs, by its rotation, the heating rotatable member. The rubbing rotatable member has an elastic layer to provide a microhardness [GPa] of not less than 0.03 and not more than 1.0.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotatable member for heating an image on a recording material in a nip; a nip forming member for cooperating with said heating rotatable member to form the nip; a rubbing rotatable member having a rubbing material for rubbing said heating rotatable member; the following is satisfied: 7×10?3?(P/?H tan ?) (|V?v|/V)?68×10?3 where P: load [N] by said rubbing member to said heating rotatable member, V: peripheral speed of said heating rotatable member [mm/sec], v: peripheral speed [mm/sec] the of said rubbing member, h: microhardness [GPa] of said heating rotatable member, and ?: a half-apex-angle [°] of said rubbing material.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable heating member configured to heat an image on a recording medium at a nip, driving means configured to drive the heating member, an endless belt configured to form the nip with the heating member, and a driving roller configured to drive the endless belt. In the image heating apparatus, the following expressions are satisfied: ?2<?1 0.005<?2<0.3 V1<V2 where ?2 is a friction coefficient between the endless belt and the driving roller, ?1 is a friction coefficient between the heating member and the endless belt, V1 is a peripheral speed of the heating member, and V2 is a peripheral speed of the driving roller.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotatable member for heating an image on a recording material in a heating nip; a belt for cooperating with the heating rotatable member to form a heating nip; a pad for urging the belt toward the heating rotatable member at the heating nip; and a sheet covering a surface of the pad opposed to the heating rotatable member, the sheet being slidable on the belt, wherein includes a surface layer having a low friction property and a base layer having a tensile strength of 300-600 MPa.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotatable member for heating an image on a recording material in a nip; a nip forming member for cooperating with said heating rotatable member to form the nip; a rubbing rotatable member for rubbing, by its rotation, said heating rotatable member; wherein said rubbing rotatable member has an elastic layer to provide a microhardness the GPa] of not less than 0.03 and not more than 1.0.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotatable member for heating an image on a recording material in a nip; a nip forming member for cooperating with said heating rotatable member to form the nip; a rubbing rotatable member having a rubbing material for rubbing said heating rotatable member; the following is satisfied: 7×10?3?(P/?H tan ?) (|V?v|/V)?68×10?3 where P: load [N] by said rubbing member to said heating rotatable member, V: peripheral speed of said heating rotatable member [mm/sec], v: peripheral speed [mm/sec] the of said rubbing member, h: microhardness [GPa] of said heating rotatable member, and ?: a half-apex-angle [°] of said rubbing material.

Abstract: A data transmission apparatus is disclosed, which includes a first terminal for use with variable-rate data, a second terminal for use with constant-rate data, a processing unit for input of data from the first and second terminals, a modulator unit for modulating the output of the processor unit, a control unit for controlling the modulator, and a transmitter unit. The processor has a first buffer for writing thereinto data from the first terminal, a second buffer for writing therein data from the second terminal, and a selector for reading data from either one of the first and second buffers while switching therebetween at a predetermined rate, thereby allowing the switching of the selector to be performed under the control of the control unit.