Abstract: A sheet transport device and an image forming apparatus using the sheet transport device are disclosed. The sheet transport device includes a transport belt rotating around rollers that transports a sheet by attaching the sheet to the transport belt by an electrostatic force, and charging unit that is unitized by including a charging member for charging the transport belt. The charging unit includes a unit case containing springs for pushing the charging member onto the transport belt. An Ac bias voltage is applied to the transport belt via the charging member.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet carrying unit, an attraction separation device electrostatically attracting and separating an uppermost sheet from a sheet stack and including multiple rollers, an endless dielectric belt stretched over the multiple rollers, and an elastic member provided inside a loop of the belt to cause the endless dielectric belt to contact the uppermost sheet, a sheet conveying device, and a lifting and lowering device. The lifting and lowering device lifts the sheet stack to a lift position at which the uppermost sheet contacts with the attraction separation device, and the attraction separation device stands by for a predetermined time to attract the uppermost sheet and starts to convey the uppermost sheet after the predetermined time elapses in a state in which the sheet stack remains at the lift position.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes, an endless device which has a circumferential surface, a laminated cover which is arranged onto the circumferential surface of the endless device in an overlapping manner, a rotation mechanism which rotates the endless device, a supply mechanism which supplies a recording medium to the endless device, a recording head unit, and a discharge mechanism. The laminated cover include a metal layer which has the inner surface which comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the endless device, and a dielectric layer which comes into contact with the metal layer. The laminated cover includes a hem portion which is formed to be folded back at least at a part of a circumferential edge region of the laminated cover, with the dielectric layer as the outside of the bending.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device incorporable in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet holder to hold a stack of sheets including an uppermost sheet, an endless belt, a charging member, a belt supporting unit including a drive roller and a driven roller, a moving mechanism to move the sheet holder, and a controller. The controller alternately controls the moving mechanism to move the sheet holder to a proximal position, the endless belt to contact the uppermost sheet held on the sheet holder, and the driven roller to rotate about the drive roller, to attract the uppermost sheet, and controls the moving mechanism to move the sheet holder to a distal position, the driven roller to rotate about the drive roller, and the endless belt to incline at a predetermined angle of separation, to separate the uppermost sheet from the multiple sheets.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, the image forming apparatus includes, an endless device having a plurality of suction holes, and a negative pressure chamber which communicates with the suction holes, a rotation mechanism which rotates the endless device, a suction mechanism which discharges air in the negative pressure chamber, an opening and closing mechanism which has a switching blade which opens and closes the suction holes, a driving mechanism which moves the switching blade to a first position and a second position, a recording head unit, a supply mechanism which supplies the recording medium to the endless device, and a controller. If the switching blade moves to the first position, the suction holes are shut. If the switching blade moves to the second position, the suction holes communicate with the negative pressure chamber. The controller drives the opening and closing mechanism according to the size of the recording medium.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a retaining roller, a nipping device, a retaining device, an image forming head, and a controller. The retaining roller retains a recording medium and rotates. The nipping device is capable of operating to open and close and holds the recording medium between the nipping device and the surface of the retaining roller to mechanically retain the recording medium. The retaining device retains the recording medium on the surface of the retaining roller. The controller controls, on the basis of a condition for use of the recording medium, the nipping device to nip the recording medium between the nipping device and the surface of the retaining roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device that is incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes an endless belt disposed facing an upper surface of a sheet stack to convey sheets of the sheet stack forward in a first moving direction of a surface thereof, an attraction unit to attract an uppermost sheet of the sheet stack to the endless belt, a contact and separation unit to contact and separate the endless belt relative to the sheet stack, and a controller to cause the endless belt to contact or substantially contact the upper surface of the sheet stack to attract the uppermost sheet to the endless belt, perform a pre-separation operation in which the endless belt moves in a reverse direction that is opposite the sheet conveyance direction, and then perform a separating operation in which the endless belt separates from the sheet stack.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an endless device, a power supply unit, an electric charge supplementary unit, and an image forming unit. The endless device is rotated. The power supply unit supplies a recording medium on a surface of the endless device with an electric charge. The electric charge supplementary unit supplements the electric charge to the recording medium which is rotated together with the endless device in the state of being attracted to the surface of the endless device by the electric charge provided by the power supply unit. The image forming unit forms an image on the recording medium attracted to the surface of the endless device.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to achieve increase in feed-out speed while having a freedom of selecting stacked objects from a wide range of objects by securing a stable separating and feed-out function of feeding out stacked objects one by one from a surface thereof. A stacked object feed-out apparatus A1 separates and feeds out the stacked paper sheets P from a paper sheet at a surface position to a business machine 9, the stacked paper sheets P stacked on a paper sheet housing member 1.

Abstract: In a sheet separator of a sheet supplier, a friction separator and an electrostatic separator separate an uppermost sheet from other sheets of a plurality of sheets loaded on a sheet tray by a friction force and an attraction force generated by a non-uniform electric field, respectively. A conveyance member is provided downstream from the friction separator and the electrostatic separator in a sheet conveyance direction to feed the uppermost sheet separated by at least one of the friction separator and the electrostatic separator in the sheet conveyance direction. The friction separator and the electrostatic separator are arranged in such a manner that planes of projection of the friction separator and the electrostatic separator overlap or coincide in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction in which the conveyance member feeds the uppermost sheet.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes an attractive separation unit and a contacting and separating device. The attractive separation unit includes an attraction belt arranged to face the upper surface of a sheet stack, two rollers that stretch the attraction belt taut, with the upstream-side roller in the sheet conveying direction supported to be movable in substantially upward and downward directions within a predetermined range with respect to the upper surface of the sheet stack, and a charging device which charges a surface of the attraction belt. The contacting and separating device swings the attractive separation unit to make the attraction belt come into contact with and separate from the sheet stack, with a fulcrum of the swing of the attractive separation unit set to a position upstream in the sheet conveying direction of the upstream-side roller in the sheet conveying direction.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes an attraction belt, multiple rollers, a charging device, and a contacting and separating device. The attraction belt is arranged to face the upper surface of a stacked sheet stack. The multiple rollers stretch the attraction belt with tension. The charging device charges a surface of the attraction belt. The contacting and separating device causes the attraction belt to come into contact with and separate from the sheet stack, with different tensions set for the attraction belt at a contact position in contact with the uppermost sheet of the sheet stack and the attraction belt at a separation position separate from the sheet stack.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus transports paper one by one through a transportation mechanism to an image forming unit of an image forming apparatus. The paper feeding apparatus includes a paper feed cassette to contain paper, a paper side guide arranged in the paper feed cassette to position the paper in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a transport direction of the paper, and a dust removing roller arranged in the paper side guide and in contact with the paper contained in the paper feed cassette.

Abstract: A sheet transportation device includes a transportation path for transportation of a sheet, a transportation unit for applying force to a sheet on the transportation path, and an electromagnetic component for driving the transportation unit by receiving supply of electric power. At the sheet transportation device, the absence/presence of a sheet is detected at a downstream side of the region where the transportation unit applies force to a sheet in the transportation path, and counter electromotive force induced in response to electric power being supplied to the electromagnetic component is supplied as the electric power for the detector.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet carrying unit, an attraction separation device electrostatically attracting and separating an uppermost sheet from a sheet stack and including multiple rollers, an endless dielectric belt stretched over the multiple rollers, and an elastic member provided inside a loop of the belt to cause the endless dielectric belt to contact the uppermost sheet, a sheet conveying device, and a lifting and lowering device. The lifting and lowering device lifts the sheet stack to a lift position at which the uppermost sheet contacts with the attraction separation device, and the attraction separation device stands by for a predetermined time to attract the uppermost sheet and starts to convey the uppermost sheet after the predetermined time elapses in a state in which the sheet stack remains at the lift position.

Abstract: A magnetic device having a housing with a front wall. A first magnet assembly includes a north and south pole and a second magnet assembly also includes a north and south pole. The magnet assemblies are pivotally mounted in the housing and pivotal between a first position in which the north pole of the first magnet assembly and the south pole of the second magnet assembly face each other and are positioned adjacent the front wall of the housing, and a second position in which the north pole of the first magnet assembly and the south pole of the second magnet assembly face each other and are retracted from the front wall. An actuator pivots the magnet assemblies between their first and second positions while a spring urges the magnet assemblies toward the second position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet carrying unit and an attraction separation and conveyance device. The sheet carrying unit is configured to carry thereon a sheet stack. The attraction separation and conveyance device is configured to electrostatically attract the uppermost sheet of the sheet stack and separate and convey the uppermost sheet from the sheet stack, and is placed between the upstream end and the central position in a sheet conveying direction of the sheet stack located at a sheet carrying position and having a minimum sheet size compatible with the sheet feeding device.

Abstract: A paper processing apparatus includes: a discharging unit that discharges the paper onto a staple tray; a paper returning unit that reverses the paper discharged by the discharging unit and performs alignment in a conveying direction by abutting the paper against a rear end reference fence; a supporting unit that supports the discharging unit in a state capable of coming in contact with or separating from the paper; a contact and separation unit by which the discharging unit comes in contact with or separates from the paper; and a pressurizing unit that is moved by the contact and separation unit, does not load the discharging unit in a standby state where the discharging unit is held apart from the paper, and applies contact pressure in a state where the discharging unit is in contact with the paper.

Abstract: Provided is a low-cost electrostatic attraction transfer apparatus which can perform high-speed transfer, stabilizes a contact status of an electrostatic attraction board with a film and the like and does not generate fine defects on an object to be transferred.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a sheet feeding unit, a belt pressing member, and a moving unit. The sheet feeding unit includes an endless, dielectric belt to contact and attract the uppermost sheet to a surface thereof and feed in a sheet feeding direction, and an electric potential pattern forming unit to form an electric potential pattern on a surface of the dielectric belt. The moving unit moves the belt pressing member between a sheet attracting position and a sheet feeding position. The dielectric belt attracts the uppermost sheet at the sheet attracting position, the moving unit moves the belt pressing member to the sheet feeding position, and an entire flat portion of the dielectric belt feeds the uppermost sheet in the sheet feeding direction while carrying the uppermost sheet thereon as the dielectric belt rotates.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device incorporable in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet holder to hold a stack of sheets including an uppermost sheet, an endless belt, a charging member, a belt supporting unit including a drive roller and a driven roller, a moving mechanism to move the sheet holder, and a controller. The controller alternately controls the moving mechanism to move the sheet holder to a proximal position, the endless belt to contact the uppermost sheet held on the sheet holder, and the driven roller to rotate about the drive roller, to attract the uppermost sheet, and controls the moving mechanism to move the sheet holder to a distal position, the driven roller to rotate about the drive roller, and the endless belt to incline at a predetermined angle of separation, to separate the uppermost sheet from the multiple sheets.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus capable of preventing noises generated when picking up and transferring paper, and an image forming apparatus having the same. The paper feeding apparatus according to the present invention comprises a pickup unit, which is disposed upstream of a paper cassette relative to the direction in which the uppermost sheet of paper loaded in the paper cassette moves, to pick up the uppermost sheet of paper, and a lifting unit which lifts the sheet of paper vertically to reduce friction between the paper and the paper beneath it when the pickup unit picks up the sheets of paper.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, including: a recording head; a conveyor belt to convey the medium in a conveyance direction; an attraction device including a first electrode having first extending portions and a second electrode having second extending portions and configured to permit the belt to generate an attractive force to attract the medium to the belt by giving mutually different potentials to the first and second electrodes; and, a pressing device including a contact member having electrical conductivity and disposed at a position where the contact member is opposed to respective upstream sections of the first and second extending portions, which upstream sections are located on an upstream side of the head in the conveyance direction, the contact member being configured to contact the medium placed on the belt, the pressing device being configured to press the medium onto the belt by the contact member.

Abstract: A gripping device for a manipulation system, particularly a robot, for receiving workpieces and feeding them from a readied stack of the workpieces to a manufacturing plant such as a metal sheet folding machine, punching press, welding plant, etc. The device has a gripper head fitted with gripping means such as suction cups, magnets, tongs, etc., and a detection system for detecting characteristics of the workpiece gripped by the gripping means. A pulse emitter excites vibrations in the workpiece and the vibration spectrum of the workpiece is compared to reference vibration data to determine characteristics of the gripped workpiece, such as whether two or more workpieces are stuck together, or whether the workpiece is the correct workpiece.

Abstract: In a sheet separator of a sheet supplier, a friction separator and an electrostatic separator separate an uppermost sheet from other sheets of a plurality of sheets loaded on a sheet tray by a friction force and an attraction force generated by a non-uniform electric field, respectively. A conveyance member is provided downstream from the friction separator and the electrostatic separator in a sheet conveyance direction to feed the uppermost sheet separated by at least one of the friction separator and the electrostatic separator in the sheet conveyance direction. The friction separator and the electrostatic separator are arranged in such a manner that planes of projection of the friction separator and the electrostatic separator overlap or coincide in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction in which the conveyance member feeds the uppermost sheet.

Abstract: Sheets fed out of a cassette supporting the sheets by a pickup roller are separated and fed by a sheet separation feeding unit having a feed roller and a separating roller which is rotatable in a direction opposite to a sheet feeding direction. A charge eliminating mechanism for eliminating charges of the separating roller is arranged on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction in a separation nip portion between the feed roller and the separating roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device including a belt including a dielectric material seamlessly wound about rollers and disposed opposite a top surface of a stack of multiple sheets placed on a sheet storage stand to attract a sheet from the stack of multiple sheets and convey the sheet, and a charger to form a predetermined charge pattern on a surface of the belt. A shaft of one of the rollers provided downstream from the other roller in a direction of sheet feed serves as a pivot of the belt about which the belt swings, and the belt swings around the pivot such that the surface of the belt facing the top surface of the stack of multiple sheets and a surface of the sheet storage stand facing the surface of the belt are substantially parallel to each other.

Abstract: A magnetic paper-feeding roller assembly is adapted to feed a piece of paper in a machine that requires paper-feeding and that includes a casing. The magnetic paper-feeding roller assembly includes a first roller and a second roller, both of which are adapted to be pivotably mounted in the casing. The first roller is made of a magnetically attractive material. The second roller produces a magnetic force to magnetically attract the first roller toward the second roller so as to maintain a predetermined gap between the first roller and the second roller.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus can convey a recording paper (12) in a stable condition irrespective of a kind of the material of the recording paper (12). The sheet conveyance apparatus conveys a recording sheet (12) by attaching the recording paper (12) onto an endless conveyance belt (21) by applying electric charges onto a surface of the conveyance belt (21). A charger (26, 83) charges the surface of the conveyance belt (21) in a belt-like alternate voltage pattern (91). A control part (73) controls a charge width (L) of the alternate voltage pattern (91) in a direction of conveyance of the recording paper (12).

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus capable of preventing noises generated when picking up and transferring paper, and an image forming apparatus having the same. The paper feeding apparatus according to the present invention comprises a pickup unit, which is disposed upstream of a paper cassette relative to the direction in which the uppermost sheet of paper loaded in the paper cassette moves, to pick up the uppermost sheet of paper, and a lifting unit which lifts the sheet of paper vertically to reduce friction between the paper and the paper beneath it when the pickup unit picks up the sheets of paper.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus has an image bearing member for bearing a toner, a transfer device which forms a transfer area in cooperation with the image bearing member for transferring the toner on the image bearing member onto a recording material, a charge elimination device which is opposed to the recording material at an upstream side of the transfer area in a conveying direction of the recording material thereby eliminating a charge on the recording material, and a control device which controls the recording material so as to form a loop in a position opposed to the charge elimination device, wherein the recording material forms a loop by the control device thereby approaching to the charge elimination device.

Abstract: The absorption belt capable of absorbing an object such as a printing medium P includes an insulating layer, a plurality of positive electrodes and a plurality of negative electrodes arranged alternately on the insulating layer, and a plurality of absorption layers for covering the electrodes. The absorption layers have different volume resistivities.

Abstract: The invention is a pallet pin which contains an integral floating magnet assembly. The floating magnet assembly is mounted within the internal cavity of the pin and is attached to a longitudinally extending member which is located within the interior space of the fanner housing. The floating magnet assembly is provided with low-friction rollers which engage the longitudinally extending member. The magnet assembly is thereby permitted to traverse freely the length of the interior of the housing of the device, permitting the permanent magnet assembly to automatically reposition itself in relation to an adjoining sheet of magnetic material, and to induce the upper sheets of a stack of magnetic materials to separate. The entire assembly is mounted within a housing having a handle, and one or more locating holes for the purpose of positioning the entire assembly in relation to a pallet on which sheets of magnetic material may be stored.

Abstract: Device for separating, lifting and transporting sheets of aluminium or other non-ferromagnetic material consisting of a spider attraction assembly provided with a series of blocks of magnets and with contact electrodes, which by way of the effects produced by Lorentz forces, together with the action of a series of vacuum pads, is provided with the capacity to attract sheets of aluminium.

Abstract: The invention is a pallet pin which contains an integral floating magnet assembly The floating magnet assembly is mounted within the internal cavity of the pin and is attached to a longitudinally extending member which is coaxial with the fanner housing.

Abstract: A media transport belt with excellent electrostatic absorption, resistance to dielectric breakdown, and ink resistance, which comprises a tubular film made of polymer material, an electrode pattern formed on the surface of the tubular film, and an electrode protective layer with volume resistance of from 109 to 1015 &OHgr;·cm dielectric constant of equal to or greater than 3.0 on the electrode pattern.

Abstract: The invention is a magnet for facilitating separation of individual sheets from a stack of ferro-magnetic sheets; the invention is in the form of an elongate housing containing an elongate array of magnets which may be selectively positioned in relation to the housing so as to bring the array in proximity to the edge of the stack of ferro-magnetic sheets, thereby inducing a magnetic field in said sheets and causing the sheets to separate, thereby facilitating manipulation of the uppermost sheet from the stack.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device for attracting a sheet by electric power and for conveying the sheet, the sheet conveying device comprising a belt arranged with an electrode and a plurality of electric supplying members being aligned in a sheet conveying direction for supplying electric voltage to the electrode. An electric voltage value for an electric supplying members arranged at a primary area upstream in a sheet conveying direction is lower than an electric voltage value for an electric supplying members arranged at a secondary area downstream of the primary area in a sheet conveying direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the transport of workpieces (W), in particular of suspended, panel-shaped workpieces (W), such as sheets or plates. This apparatus has at least one rotationally driven conveyor belt (1, 2) for the workpieces (W) to be laid onto the latter and a holding device (3), past which the conveyor belt (1, 2) is led. The holding device (3) retains the workpieces (W) on the conveyor belt (1, 2) by means of a magnetic field passing through the latter (1, 2) and/or by generating a vacuum at suction orifices (4) of the conveyor belt (1, 2). The holding device (3) possesses at least one magnetic device (3a), with a magnetic conveyor belt (1), and at least one vacuum device (3b) separated from this and having a vacuum conveyor belt (2). The magnetic device (3a) and/or the vacuum device (3b) can be displaced with their respective conveyor belt (1, 2) relative to a common reference member (5) and can be brought into contact with the workpieces (W) to be transported.

Abstract: A magnetic sheet fanner consisting of an elongated horseshoe magnet or bar magnet having an upper end and a lower end, the poles of such elongated magnet extending from the upper end to the lower end; a support frame having an interior space and having a sheet contact side; an axle and axle bearing assembly interlinking the elongated magnet and the support frame so that the elongated magnet may pivotally move between a first position “on” and a second “off” position within the interior space, the elongated magnet directing a magnetic field through the sheet contact side of the housing while the elongated magnet is in its first “on” position, the elongated magnet directing the magnetic field away from the sheet contact side upon pivotal motion to its second “off” position; and a pneumatic actuator adapted for selectively pivoting the elongated magnet between its first and second positions.

Abstract: A method is proposed for separating flat, stacked products, which are preferably fed individually, at a distance from one another and lying one behind another, to a further processing process, first of all the uppermost product being lifted, at least partially and preferably completely, off the stack of products and subsequently transported away in the transport direction to the further processing process, the transport direction forming an angle (&agr;), preferably in the range from 30° to 150° with the vertical axis of the stack of products, wherein the products are transported away in such a way that as a product that still partially overlaps the stack with its trailing edge region is being transported away, a following product is already being lifted off the stack of products, in its trailing edge region, to be transported away.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus comprising a conveyance belt, on which stripe shaped electrodes each fed to a voltage different from that fed to one another are alternatively arranged, for conveying a sheet in attracting the sheet with electrostatic force and power supplying means disposed on an inner side of the conveyance belt for supplying voltage to the electrodes.

Abstract: A magnetic fanner for providing a gap between stacked, magnetically permeable sheets has a housing formed of non-magnetically permeable material defining a sealed chamber within which a piston is reciprocable between a first position in which magnets carried by the piston are adjacent the stacked sheets to another position in which the magnets are remote from the stacked sheets. The piston is movable in response to the presence of unequal fluid pressures in the housing on opposite sides of the piston and pressurized fluid may be delivered to a selected side of the piston in controlled relation to the exhaust of pressure fluid from the opposite side of the piston. Pressure fluid delivery and exhaust is obtained via passages in rods which span the housing chamber and guide the piston during its movements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating flexible flat objects from the top of a stack. The objects are lifted upward from the stack one at a time and separated therefrom by progressive adhesive action starting from the trailing end of the object in a transport direction. Once lifted by the adhesion device, the objects are transported in the transport direction by the transport device. The adhesion device may be magnetic for magnetizable articles or may be a suction device. Various techniques for moving suction and/or adhesion progressively along the object to be lifted in the transport direction are disclosed, including progressive application of suction, suction chamber arrangements for accomplishing that and the use of blown air to create a vacuum condition for lifting the sheets. The transport device might comprise a belt for moving the lifted objects. The transport of one object may be occurring while the next object is being lifted.

Abstract: A device for conveying thin workpieces for machines used in the printing technology field having at least one movable conveying element having an electrically insulating contact surface supporting at least one workpiece as it is being conveyed, the contact surface of the conveying element being formed with regions of varying charge density by electric charges applied thereto, and the workpiece being held on the contact surface by electrostatic forces, includes a multiplicity of contacts engaging the surface of the conveying element, the multiplicity of contacts including at least one given group thereof, the multiplicity of contacts being disposed transversely to a direction in which the thin workpiece is conveyable by the conveying element and being distributed across the entire width of the workpiece, the multiplicity of contacts being connected to at least one d.c. voltage source.