Abstract: A sheet conveyance unit includes first and second conveyance rollers facing each other, a first stopper provided at an axial end portion of the first conveyance roller, projecting radially beyond a circumferential surface of the first conveyance roller, downstream rollers positioned downstream from the first and second conveyance rollers in a sheet conveyance direction, an engaging and disengaging unit to disengage the first and second conveyance rollers from each other, and a controller. The first stopper rotates to a contact position projecting into the sheet conveyance path and to a non-contact position away from the sheet conveyance path as the first conveyance roller rotates. The first stopper moves to the non-contact position after stopping a sheet. The first and second conveyance rollers are disengaged from each other after a leading end of the sheet reaches the downstream rollers, before the first stopper moves to the contact position.

Abstract: A first longitudinal registration correcting unit corrects a misalignment of a recording medium in its conveying direction. A lateral registration correcting unit corrects a misalignment of the recording medium in its width direction after the misalignment in the conveying direction is corrected by the first longitudinal registration correcting unit. A second longitudinal registration correcting unit corrects the misalignment of the recording medium in the conveying direction again after the misalignment in the width direction is corrected by the lateral registration correcting unit.

Abstract: A stator includes a stator core, slots, coils, an interphase insulation sheet, and wedges. The interphase insulation sheet is provided between coil ends of adjacent coils having different phases among the coils. The interphase insulation sheet includes a first sheet body portion, a second sheet body portion, and a first bridge portion. The first and second sheet body portions respectively have first and second retaining pieces. The first retaining piece projects from the first sheet body portion toward the second sheet body portion in the developed state of the interphase insulation sheet. The second retaining piece projects from the second sheet body portion toward the first sheet body portion in the developed state of the interphase insulation sheet. The first and second retaining pieces are retained by projecting portions of the wedges.

Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus includes a transport unit configured to transport a recording medium along a transport path, a transport status detection unit disposed on the transport path and configured to detect a transport status of the recording medium, a control unit configured to control transport by the transport unit according to the transport status of the recording medium detected by the transport status detection unit, and a container unit configured to hold the recording medium. If the transport status detection unit detects a delay in transporting the recording medium, the control unit controls the transport unit to discharge the recording medium or another recording medium in the transport path into the container unit.

Abstract: A cooling device includes: a cooling roller that cools down a sheet-like member by coming into contact with the sheet-like member; a belt member that is rotatably extended by a plurality of extending members, presses the sheet-like member against the cooling roller, and holds and carries the sheet-like member; and a driving roller that serves as one of the plurality of extending members and drives to rotate the belt member, wherein the driving roller is axially divided into a plurality of rollers and each of the plurality of rollers has a crown-like shape whose outer diameter continuously becomes larger from both end parts to a center part in an axial direction.

Abstract: A moving unit includes first and second transportation paths that can selectively link to main transportation path of a recording sheet, a first roller arranged between the first and the second transportation paths, second and third rollers capable of making contact with the first roller across the first and the second transportation paths, respectively. When the moving unit moves to a position at which the first transportation path or the second transportation path is linked to the main transportation path, a mechanism varies a pressing force of the second roller or the third roller with respect to the first roller.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance unit includes first and second conveyance rollers facing each other, a first stopper provided at an axial end portion of the first conveyance roller, projecting radially beyond a circumferential surface of the first conveyance roller, downstream rollers positioned downstream from the first and second conveyance rollers in a sheet conveyance direction, an engaging and disengaging unit to disengage the first and second conveyance rollers from each other, and a controller. The first stopper rotates to a contact position projecting into the sheet conveyance path and to a non-contact position away from the sheet conveyance path as the first conveyance roller rotates. The first stopper moves to the non-contact position after stopping a sheet. The first and second conveyance rollers are disengaged from each other after a leading end of the sheet reaches the downstream rollers, before the first stopper moves to the contact position.

Abstract: A conveying device that conveys a recording medium includes an aligning member into which the leading edge of a recording medium bumps and a control unit that changes conveyance speed of the recording medium moving on a conveying path to bump into the aligning member.

Abstract: A sheet feed apparatus, e.g., coupled to an image forming apparatus, can include: a main frame; a storage unit mounted on the main frame and configured with a capacity to store a large quantity of sheet-like material; a transporter mounted on the main frame and configured to supply the sheet-like material to the image forming apparatus; an additional unit adapted to be mounted on the main frame and operable to enhance a functionality of at least one of the sheet feed apparatus and an image forming apparatus; and a supporting frame mounted on the main frame in place of the additional unit, and further adapted such that the additional unit is mountable thereon; the additional unit being mounted on the supporting frame.

Abstract: A cam unit includes three cams fixed on a common cam shaft for moving a pair of feeding rollers, a pair of lateral registration rollers, and a stopper unit, respectively. A control unit corrects a lateral registration of a sheet whose skew is corrected by the stopper unit, based on a detection result of a detecting unit that detects a position of a side edge of the sheet, while conveying the sheet, controls the rollers not nip the sheet at least during the lateral registration, and controls rotations of the cams according to a length of the sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus that includes a recording medium feeding unit that feeds a recording medium to a predetermined conveyance path; a conveyance unit that conveys the recording medium fed from the recording medium feeding unit on the conveyance path; a conveyance status detection unit that detects a conveyance status of the recording medium placed on the conveyance path; a control unit that controls operations of the recording medium feeding unit, the conveyance unit, and the conveyance status detection unit; and an accommodation unit that accommodates the recording medium. The control unit controls the feeding of the recording medium with the recording medium feeding unit and the conveyance of the recording medium with the conveyance unit based on a detection result of the conveyance status detection unit, thereby discharging the recording medium present in the image forming apparatus to the accommodation unit.

Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus includes an image transferring unit configured to transfer an image to a recording medium; a fusing unit provided downstream of the image transferring unit and configured to fuse the image transferred by the image transferring unit with the recording medium; a recording medium conveying unit provided between the image transferring unit and the fusing unit and configured to convey the recording medium from the image transferring unit to the fusing unit; a conveyance failure detecting unit configured to detect a conveyance failure of the recording medium; and a recording medium evacuation unit to which the recording medium can be evacuated in the event that the conveyance failure detecting unit detects the conveyance failure. Plural recording medium evacuation units are provided and plural recording media can be evacuated to each of the recording medium evacuation units.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image transfer unit, a straight conveying path including a lateral registration correcting unit, a feeding unit, a feeding path, and a reversing unit. The feeding path links to a junction in the straight conveying path, and conveys a recording medium from a feeding unit to the junction. The feeding path is arranged on an inner side of the image forming apparatus than an end of an upstream side of the straight conveying path in the conveying direction is.

Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus includes a main conveyance path configured to convey a recording medium from a paper feeding unit to a sheet discharge unit; a double-side reversing conveyance path configured to switch back a recording medium, one side of which has an image formed, so as to reverse the sides of the recording medium for double-sided image formation; a sheet resending conveyance path configured to resend the recording medium reversed in the double-side reversing conveyance path to the main conveyance path; and a double-side reversing open-space unit configured to provide a space for switching back the recording medium on the double-side reversing conveyance path. The double-side reversing open-space unit also serves as a temporary tray for storing misfed recording media and remaining recording media left inside the image forming apparatus when a jam occurs.

Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus includes a transport unit configured to transport a recording medium along a transport path, a transport status detection unit disposed on the transport path and configured to detect a transport status of the recording medium, a control unit configured to control transport by the transport unit according to the transport status of the recording medium detected by the transport status detection unit, and a container unit configured to hold the recording medium. If the transport status detection unit detects a delay in transporting the recording medium, the control unit controls the transport unit to discharge the recording medium or another recording medium in the transport path into the container unit.

Abstract: A moving unit includes first and second transportation paths that can selectively link to main transportation path of a recording sheet, a first roller arranged between the first and the second transportation paths, second and third rollers capable of making contact with the first roller across the first and the second transportation paths, respectively. When the moving unit moves to a position at which the first transportation path or the second transportation path is linked to the main transportation path, a mechanism varies a pressing force of the second roller or the third roller with respect to the first roller.

Abstract: A cam unit includes three cams fixed on a common cam shaft for moving a pair of feeding rollers, a pair of lateral registration rollers, and a stopper unit, respectively. A control unit corrects a lateral registration of a sheet whose skew is corrected by the stopper unit, based on a detection result of a detecting unit that detects a position of a side edge of the sheet, while conveying the sheet, controls the rollers not nip the sheet at least during the lateral registration, and controls rotations of the cams according to a length of the sheet.

Abstract: In a sheet aligning device, a pair of first rollers provided upstream of a stopper unit moves a sheet in an axial direction thereof after a pair of second rollers provided upstream of the first rollers is separated, and is returned to its home position just after the sheet passes therethrough.

Abstract: A conveying device that conveys a recording medium includes an aligning member into which the leading edge of a recording medium bumps and a control unit that changes conveyance speed of the recording medium moving on a conveying path to bump into the aligning member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt-shaped image carrier that carries an image, an image transfer unit that transfers the image onto a recording medium, and a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium to the image transfer unit. The image carrier has a sloping surface that slopes down from upstream of the image transfer unit in a conveying direction. The conveying unit includes a linear conveying path that is arranged upstream of the image transfer unit in the conveying direction, below the sloping surface and above a horizontal line passing through the image transfer unit.