Abstract: A paper supply apparatus for conveying paper to an image forming apparatus has a paper accommodating unit to accommodate paper and to be drawn out from an accommodating space in a main body of the image forming apparatus. The apparatus also has a handle to rotate about an axis extending in the width direction of the paper in the paper accommodating unit. The handle includes a first edge that moves toward the paper accommodating unit upon rotation of the handle and a second edge that opposes the first edge. A link on the first edge of the handle releases engagement with the main body when the first edge moves toward the paper accommodating unit. A flapper is disposed on the second edge of the handle and forms a point where a force acts to move the first edge toward the paper accommodating unit.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device has a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet stack, a sheet carrying plate for carrying the sheet stack and a pickup roller that dispatches the uppermost sheet of the stack. An elevator displaces the sheet carrying plate between a sheet feeding position where an upper face of the sheet stack contacts the pickup roller and a separating position where the upper face of the sheet stack is separated from the pickup roller. A first warm air mechanism blows warm air toward a side face of the sheet stack. A controller causes the first warm air mechanism to blow warm air to the side face of the sheet stack and causes the elevator to displace the sheet carrying plate between the sheet feeding position and the separating position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet stack. A sheet carrying plate carries the sheet stack and has an upstream end supported in the sheet accommodating portion for rotation. A pickup roller contacts an upper face of the sheet stack and dispatches an uppermost sheet. An elevator displaces the sheet carrying plate between a feeding position where the upper face of the sheet stack contacts the pickup roller and a separating position where the upper face of the sheet stack is separated from the pickup roller. A first warm air mechanism blows warm air toward a side of the sheet stack in the sheet accommodating portion, the side being parallel to the sheet feeding direction. A controller controls the elevator so that the sheet carrying plate is displaced between the feeding position and the separating position during a warm air blowing operation.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device for feeding a sheet-form recording medium includes: a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet stack constituted by a plurality of sheets of the sheet-form recording medium; and a first warm air unit having a first blowing port for blowing warm air toward an upper face of the sheet stack accommodated in the sheet accommodating portion. The sheet feeding device preferably further includes a second warm air unit having a second blowing port for blowing warm air onto a side face of the sheet stack that is parallel to a sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide plant cultivator for research purposes for finding the optimum cultivation environment for plants, using LEDs as light source and a control system therefor. An illumination window 6 is provided in top face 5a of a cabinet body 2 surrounded by thermally insulating walls. In addition, an LED illumination element 16 is arranged in this illumination window 6 and in the vicinity of LED illumination element 16, there is provided LED control means that controls the LED illumination element 16. In addition, in cabinet body 2, there are provided at least some of a growth detection sensor that detects the state of growth of the plants, cultivation environment monitoring means that monitors the cultivation environment of the plants and cultivation environment generating means that generates the cultivation environment; and cultivation environment control means is provided that controls the cultivation environment generating means.

Abstract: A sheet member discharge mechanism comprising an upper discharge roller and a lower discharge roller for conveying a sheet member in a predetermined direction while nipping it therebetween. A push-down member is disposed downstream of the nipping portion between the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller as viewed in a direction of conveying the sheet member, the push-down member being allowed to move between an ascended position and a descended position and is urged to the descended position. The push-down member is moved to the ascended position by the sheet member acting upon the push-down member while the sheet member is being conveyed by the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller that work in cooperation. The push-down member moves to the descended position to push down the trailing edge of the sheet member after the trailing edge of the sheet member has passed the nipping portion between the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide plant cultivator for research purposes for finding the optimum cultivation environment for plants, using LEDs as light source and a control system therefor. An illumination window 6 is provided in top face 5a of a cabinet body 2 surrounded by thermally insulating walls. In addition, an LED illumination element 16 is arranged in this illumination window 6 and in the vicinity of LED illumination element 16, there is provided LED control means that controls the LED illumination element 16. In addition, in cabinet body 2, there are provided at least some of a growth detection sensor that detects the state of growth of the plants, cultivation environment monitoring means that monitors the cultivation environment of the plants and cultivation environment generating means that generates the cultivation environment; and cultivation environment control means is provided that controls the cultivation environment generating means.

Abstract: A sheet member discharge mechanism comprising an upper discharge roller and a lower discharge roller for conveying a sheet member in a predetermined direction while nipping it therebetween. A push-down member is disposed downstream of the nipping portion between the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller as viewed in a direction of conveying the sheet member, the push-down member being allowed to move between an ascended position and a descended position and is urged to the descended position. The push-down member is moved to the ascended position by the sheet member acting upon the push-down member while the sheet member is being conveyed by the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller that work in cooperation. The push-down member moves to the descended position to push down the trailing edge of the sheet member after the trailing edge of the sheet member has passed the nipping portion between the upper discharge roller and the lower discharge roller.

Abstract: In the present invention, a staple processing section for collectively stapling a predetermined number of paper sheets, on which an image have been fixed, is contained in a main body housing containing an image forming section, a transfer section, a fixing section, and a conveying path. The staple processing section is integrated with a main body of an image forming apparatus, so that the degree of freedom of design of the paper conveying path is increased, the appearance of the main body of the image forming apparatus can neatly be designed.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus having a sheet tray, a sheet transportation path for guiding a sheet into the sheet tray, a bypass path bypassing a part of the sheet transportation path for guiding a sheet into the sheet tray, a post-processing mechanism for performing a post-processing operation on one set of sheets retained in the sheet tray, and a sheet transportation mechanism for feeding the sheet into the sheet tray. During the post-processing operation performed on the one set of sheets previously fed into the sheet tray, the first sheet of the next sheet set is once stopped in one of the transportation path and the bypass path, and the second sheet of the next sheet set is introduced into the other of the bypass path and the transportation path. Upon completion of the post-processing operation performed on the one sheet set, the first and second sheets of the next sheet set are fed into the sheet tray.

Abstract: A sheet stack handling apparatus discharges sheet stacks from a bin of a sorter disposed on the side of an image forming apparatus, and includes a sheet stocker, a sheet stack transporting route, and a sheet grasping mechanism. The stack handling or discharge apparatus is disposed on the front side of the sorter. The sheet stocker is disposed in the bottom of the discharging apparatus and stores the sheet stacks. The sheet stack transporting route is provided in the discharging apparatus and extends laterally from the side of the bin and downward to the sheet stacker. The sheet stack grasping mechanism is disposed under the sheet stack transporting route. The sheet stack grasping mechanism grasps a sheet stack in a bin of the sorter, then moves length-wise away from the image forming apparatus, and then moves width-wise to transfer the stack from the bin into the sheet stocker.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting sheets out is provided with a bin unit including a plurality of bins having specified length and width and a bin shifting mechanism for shifting the bin unit upward and downward. The respect ire bins are vertically spaced apart and adapted for placing the sorted sheets thereon. The sorter is further provided with a first detector for detecting that the bin unit has been moved down to a home position region defined in a lower portion of the sorter, and a shift controller for controlling the bin shifting mechanism. The shift controller shifts the bin unit downward until the first detector conducts the detection when the bin unit is not in the home position region when the power is applied the sorter. Accordingly, the home position of the bin unit can be detected accurately with a simple structure.

Abstract: An automatic sheet processing device mountable on a sorting unit of an image forming apparatus includes a sheet processor for applying a sheet processing to a sheet having a specified length and width, a moving unit capable of supporting the sheet processor for moving the sheet processor along a side of the sheet, and a controller having a storage unit for storing sheet processing data, a calculator for calculating a processing position from the sheet processing data, and a control portion for controlling the moving unit so as to move the sheet processor to the calculated processing position. The processing position is calculated from the stored sheet processing data, and the sheet processor is moved to the calculated processing position, so that sheet processing can be automatically.

Abstract: A multiple sorter includes several sorter units disposed in series at a paper discharge outlet of an image forming apparatus. Each of the sorter units includes a paper distributing mechanism for distributing paper to several sort bins, and a first path change-over mechanism for changing over the connection of a paper lead-in path to either a paper feeding path to the paper distributing mechanism or a paper discharging path to a non-sort bin. The sorter also includes several bypass carrying paths, each provided across the paper discharging path of each of the sorter units and the paper lead-in path of another one of the sorter units which is adjacent to the one sorter unit in a serially connecting direction of the sorter units. The non-sort bin is provided on an upper portion of the bypass carrying path of each one of the sorter units so that the non-sort bin serves another one of the sorter units upstream of the one sorter unit.

Abstract: A sorter comprising plural movable bin trays vertically arranged, a shifting mechanism for moving one ends of the bin trays upwardly or downwardly one after another and a holder for accommodating the other ends of the bin trays. Noise eliminating members or elastic members are provided at at least one portion of a contacting portion of the shifting mechanism with the bin trays and a contacting portion of each of the bin trays with the shifting mechanism, and/or in the holder.

Abstract: An editing area setting method and an editing area setting apparatus in an image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of rectangular areas for trimming and masking are set under a condition whereby partial overlapping does not occur, co-ordinates corresponding to a plurality of diagonal points are sequentially inputted whereby a plurality of rectangular areas are set, and an area inside or outside of one of the rectangular areas is set as an image forming area and the other area is set as a non-image forming area.

Abstract: An editing area setting method and an editing area setting apparatus in an image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of rectangular areas for trimming and masking are set, under a condition whereby partial overlapping does not occur, co-ordinates corresponding to a plurality of diagonal points are sequentially inputted whereby a plurality of rectangular areas are set, and an area inside or outside of one of the rectangular areas is set as an image forming area, the other area is set as a non-image forming area.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a display for image forming apparatus to enable indication of the number of processing sheets and also indication of impossible paper feeding on the paper feed pass on one display by time-sharing at different times, and particularly concerning the point that indication of disabled paper feeding and indication of the above mentioned number of processing sheets are made alternatively when the indication of disabled paper feeding is given by providing a paper sensing switch in the paper supplying mechanism.