Abstract: A belt device for use in an image forming apparatus includes two side frames supported by two slide rails disposed at the body of the image forming apparatus on the outside of the outer periphery of the belt member, a rear frame constructed between two sub-frames and having a box-shaped structure, a front frame having a smaller projecting surface than the inner periphery of the belt member as viewed from the front, a support frame that cantilever-supports the front frame with respect to the rear frame, and triangular reinforcing frames constructed across the side frames and the rear frame.

Abstract: A belt meandering preventing device includes a belt displacement detection unit detecting the amount of displacement in a belt width direction of an endless belt rotatably stretched over support parts; and a belt meandering correction unit correcting the displacement in the belt width direction of the endless belt based on the amount of displacement detected by the belt displacement detection unit. The belt displacement detection unit includes a moving part moving in association with the displacement of the endless belt or an edge of the endless belt in the belt width direction and optical sensors outputting signals with output levels corresponding to the proportions of the moving part in optical paths of the optical sensors. The optical sensors are arranged such that the output levels of the optical sensors change as the endless belt is displaced in the belt width direction in a predetermined high-resolution detection range.

Abstract: A steering controller uses a photointerrupter that detects the position of a filler when a steering roller is in a predetermined reference inclined position. The steering controller drives a steering motor to bring the steering roller to the reference inclined position based on a detection result obtained by the photointerrupter every time predetermined adjustment timing arrives or every time the power is turned on. Using the rotation angle of the steering motor in this condition as a reference rotation angle, the steering controller controls the rotation of the steering motor.

Abstract: A belt device for use in an image forming apparatus includes two side frames supported by two slide rails disposed at the body of the image forming apparatus on the outside of the outer periphery of the belt member, a rear frame constructed between two sub-frames and having a box-shaped structure, a front frame having a smaller projecting surface than the inner periphery of the belt member as viewed from the front, a support frame that cantilever-supports the front frame with respect to the rear frame, and triangular reinforcing frames constructed across the side frames and the rear frame.

Abstract: A belt conveying device includes an endless belt stretched by a plurality of rollers; a drive unit that is connected to one of the plurality of rollers and drives the roller; a plurality of belt velocity detectors that are arranged at a plurality of locations along a belt width direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the endless belt and detect conveyance velocities of the endless belt; and a belt-inclination calculating unit that calculates an inclination of the endless belt in the moving direction from a difference between conveyance velocities of the endless belt detected by the plurality of belt velocity detectors.

Abstract: A control unit calculates a difference between a displacement of a belt detected by an encoder and a predetermined target value, calculates a pulse frequency of a driving pulse signal based on a feedback control based on the difference and a feed-forward control based on a reference driving pulse frequency, sets a control range of the feedback control to be equal to or smaller than a frequency of one rotation of a driven roller, and controls driving of a pulse motor such that the belt moves at a constant speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes an image carrier, a driving source, a rotation detection unit, and a control unit that performs fluctuation pattern recognition processing, control pattern construction processing, speed fine-adjustment processing, and remaining pattern recognition processing. The control unit is configured to perform control pattern correction processing for setting a frequency band of a remaining speed fluctuation to be detected by the remaining pattern recognition processing narrower than a frequency band of a speed fluctuation to be detected by the fluctuation pattern recognition processing and correcting the speed control pattern so as to be a pattern capable of reducing even the remaining speed fluctuation based on a remaining speed fluctuation pattern recognized by the remaining pattern recognition processing.

Abstract: A gear train assembly includes a first gear, a second gear, a first lubricant receiver, and a second lubricant receiver. The first gear meshes with the second gear at an engagement portion. The first lubricant receiver is configured to catch lubricant from the first gear before the engagement portion. The second lubricant receiver is configured to catch lubricant from the first gear after the engagement portion. A minimum distance between the second lubricant receiver and the first gear is less than a minimum distance between the first lubricant receiver and the first gear. An image forming apparatus for forming an image includes the gear train assembly.

Abstract: A starting unit starts, in parallel with a blowing operation for a first tray, a blowing operation for a second tray that is to perform a feeding operation next. When a predetermined time elapses after starting the blowing operation for the second tray, a feeding unit switches from the first tray to the second tray, and feeds the recording medium from the second tray. When the blowing operation is performed for a number of trays before switching the trays and the number of trays is equal to or larger than a predetermined number, a control unit limits the number of trays for performing the blowing operation.

Abstract: A belt device for use in an image forming apparatus includes two side frames supported by two slide rails disposed at the body of the image forming apparatus on the outside of the outer periphery of the belt member, a rear frame constructed between two sub-frames and having a box-shaped structure, a front frame having a smaller projecting surface than the inner periphery of the belt member as viewed from the front, a support frame that cantilever-supports the front frame with respect to the rear frame, and triangular reinforcing frames constructed across the side frames and the rear frame.

Abstract: A nonwoven fabric 10 has a first layer 1 containing crimped fibers 11. In the layer 1, the crimped fibers gather in parts to form a large number of fiber clusters 12 that are distributed all over the layer 1. The clusters 12 interconnect to each other to form a network structure in the layer 1. The nonwoven fabric 10 further has another fiber layer as a second layer 2 disposed on a side of the first layer 1. The two layers are partly joined at a large number of joints 3. The second layer 2 protrudes outwardly between the joints 3 to form a large number of protrusions 20.

Abstract: A telephone service method and apparatus for providing a business advertisement to a caller of a telephone, comprising receiving a request for line connection from a phone of a caller, determining an identifier of the phone of a called party for which line connection is requested, judging whether the identifier of the called party is registered in a management table linking called party identifiers and business advertisements, and, when judging that the identifier of the called party is registered, sending a business advertisement linked with that identifier from business advertisements stored in a content database to the phone of the caller.

Abstract: An apparatus for searching for recommended music in the internet for a listener includes a genre list database, a selection history database, an artist's genre database, and an extracting section for extracting the corresponding genre names to the given music titles or artist names in the selection history database, by using the artist's genre database. This extraction is initiated by receiving a request for internet-search. The apparatus further includes a search request section for sending a search request to the predefined WWW server to download the music, with searching keyword of the genre names which are included in the genre list database, but which are not included in the extracted genre names by the extracting section. The apparatus further includes a result display unit for receiving a search result from the WWW server and displaying the search result on the apparatus.

Abstract: A telephone service method and apparatus for providing a business advertisement to a caller of a telephone, comprising receiving a request for line connection from a phone of a caller, determining an identifier of the phone of a called party for which line connection is requested, judging whether the identifier of the called party is registered in a management table linking called party identifiers and business advertisements, and, when judging that the identifier of the called party is registered, sending a business advertisement linked with that identifier from business advertisements stored in a content database to the phone of the caller.

Abstract: A one-main pipe type centralized lubrication apparatus having a pump device, one main oil feed pipe and a plurality of distributors, wherein the pump device is provided with a depressurization passage for opening a discharge passage connected to the main pipe into a tank and a depressurization valve. The direction of rotation of a motor for driving a pump element of the pump device is reversible so that the depressurization valve is operated in association with the motor and, when the motor normally rotates, the depressurization valve is controlled to be closed and, when the motor rotates in reverse, the depressurization valve is controlled to be open, thereby enabling forcible depressurization.

Abstract: A band type strapping machine comprises a swing lever, pivotally supporting a gripper for gripping a band, adapted to swing according to the rotation of a cam mounted on a cam shaft, a control bar engaged with the swing lever to follow the movement of the swing lever, a driving roller operating to engage with a band tightening roller, the driving roller being strongly brought into contact with the band tightening roller rotated at a low speed, high torque by actuation of a solenoid.