Abstract: A printer is operable for image formation onto a sheet of a sheet width Lp, with a sheet spacing Lg and a printing transfer speed Vg, a constant speed transferrer makes sheet transfer at the printing transfer speed Vg from a register via the printer to a speed change position, a variable speed transferrer makes sheet transfer from the speed change position to the register, and a transfer controller controls sheet transfer speeds, the variable speed transferrer having sections for sheet transfer, including deceleration and acceleration sections for sheet reversal at the sheet reversing path, and a constant speed section for transfer at a constant transfer speed Vr, the transfer controller determining a circulating sheet number N, executing a calculation of transfer speed Vr employing sheet width Lp, sheet spacing Lg, printing transfer speed Vg, and accelerations, to enable sheet transfer for circulation within a time interval of N×(Lp+Lg)/Vg.

Abstract: A media transport apparatus and method includes a first media transport having a first drive unit, configured and operative to convey the substrate media through a marking zone to be marked by a print head. A first motion encoder is operatively connected with the first media transport, configured and operative to output a first signal dependent upon the motion of the first media transport surface. A second media transport with a second drive unit and second motion encoder is configured and operative to receive the substrate media from the first media transport and to convey the substrate media. The second drive unit drives the motion of the second media transport with substantially the same surface velocity as the first media transport.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member bearing a toner image formed by an image forming portion; a transfer part transferring the toner image formed on the image bearing member onto a sheet; a separation/feeding part separating sheets stacked on a sheet stacking member and feeding the sheet while nipping the sheet; and a transport part transporting the sheet fed by the separation/feeding part to the transfer part, in which a transporting operation of the transport part is changed according to a length of the sheet to be transported in a transport direction of the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a first conveying roller conveying the sheet, a second conveying roller conveying the sheet conveyed from the first conveying roller, a first driving gear having a first number of teeth, and a second driving gear having a second number of teeth. When a first meshing frequency defined by multiplication of the first number of teeth and the number of rotations of the first driving gear is defined as A, and a second meshing frequency defined by multiplication of the second number of teeth and the number of rotations of the second driving gear is defined as B, the first meshing frequency A and the second meshing frequency B are set so as to satisfy the following expression (1):A>B.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming system including: an image forming apparatus; finishing apparatuses; and a conveyance unit apparatus; wherein the image forming apparatus include: a control section to judge which of the finishing apparatuses performs finishing and to transmit a judgment result to the conveyance unit apparatus, and the conveyance unit apparatus includes: placement sections, a conveyance path, discharging sections, discharging-section switching sections among which a discharging-section switching section corresponding to a discharging section discharging the sheet is switched, and a control section which judges the discharging section as discharging the sheet based on the judgment result and which switches the discharging-section switching section so that the sheet is discharged to the judged discharging section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members, a developing unit, an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer body, and a registration roller. A linear speed difference between the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer body is variably set based on a basis weight of a recording medium.

Abstract: A transfer roller lies opposite to a supporting roller across an image carrying belt and abuts against the outer surface of the image carrying belt to form a transfer nip. A driving force transmission unit transmits driving force from a driving source to a driving roller. A drive control unit performs drive control of the driving source. A feedforward control unit performs feedforward control on the driving source via the drive control unit. An entry detecting unit detects entry of a sheet in the transfer nip. The feedforward control unit considers an entry detection signal output by the entry sensor as a trigger for performing feedforward control after a predetermined time.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a plurality of medium feed units configured to feed a recording medium on respective carrying routes, an image forming unit configured to form an image on the recording medium fed from one of the plurality of medium feed units, a first roller provided on a common route of the carrying routes, the first roller being configured to rotate at a first circumferential velocity and carry, to the image forming unit, the recording medium fed from one of the plurality of medium feed units, and a control unit configured to control the first circumferential velocity of the first roller depending on from which of the plurality of medium feed units the recording medium is fed.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus is provided with: a toner image carrying member that moves while carrying a toner image; a transferring member that transfers, on a recording medium, the toner image that the toner image carrying member carries; a transporting unit that transports the recording medium along a transport path that passes through a transfer region where the transferring member transfers the toner image onto the recording medium; and a controller that controls a movement speed of the toner image carrying member. The controller changes the movement speed of the toner image carrying member in accordance with a position, on the transport path, of the recording medium that the transporting unit transports.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: an image holder that is movably provided; a first image forming unit that forms a first image on the image holder; a second image forming unit that forms a second image on the image holder including the first image formed thereon; a transfer portion that transfers, onto a recording medium, the first image and the second image formed on the image holder; a supply unit that transports the recording medium and that supplies the recording medium to the transfer portion; an acquisition unit that acquires information on a position of displacement on the recording medium in a transport direction of the recording medium, the displacement occurring between the first image and the second image transferred onto the recording medium; and an adjustment unit that changes a supply speed of the recording medium at the supply unit on the basis of the information on the position.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus is provided with a decurling mechanism to correct a curl formed on a sheet; a pair of guides including a first guide member and a second guide member arranged to oppose to the first guide member, the pair of guides constituting a conveyance passage to guide a sheet discharged from the decurling mechanism toward the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction; and an auxiliary guide arranged to protrude obliquely in the sheet conveying direction from the side of the first guide member toward the second guide member to a predetermined position in the conveyance passage.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a reading unit configured to read an open document. The open document includes a first page including a first image and a second page including a second image. The apparatus also includes a storing unit configured to store the first page read by the reading unit as first page image data including the first image, and to store the second page read by the reading unit as second page image data including the second image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes at least one image carrier and a recording medium conveyor forming a transfer nip therebetween, a conveyance member disposed closest to the transfer nip on an upstream side of the transfer nip to convey the recording medium to the transfer nip, and a conveyance control mechanism to deactivate the conveyance member to stop providing a conveyance force to the recording medium after the leading edge of the recording medium has entered the transfer nip and before the trailing edge of the recording medium passes a point of force application and remaining in the inactive state until the recording medium passes the point of force application. The conveyance force remains unapplied to the recording medium from when the conveyance control mechanism deactivates the conveyance member to when the trailing edge of the recording medium passes the transfer nip.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided and includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording sheet at an image forming position; a regulating roller that conveys the recording sheet; a supply path from the regulating roller to the image forming position; an inversion path that is configured to merge with a position on the supply path between the regulating roller and the image forming position and bends and inverts the sheet; a return path that is configured on an opposite side of the regulating roller from the supply path to return the recording sheet to the supply path; and a control unit which rotates the regulating roller in a return rotational direction to convey the inverted recording sheet into the return path, and in a feed rotational direction to convey the recording sheet to the image forming position.

Abstract: A method of measuring and correcting the Young's Modulus inline to eliminate its impact on image length variation during print runtime. The method includes intentionally perturbing the nominal operating condition of the web printing system which is controlled by the double reflex printing controller. The perturbation creates misregistration in a control target printed image that is detectable by in-situ sensors, from which Young's Modulus is estimated. Specifically, the web tension before the print zone is set differently from the web tension in the print zone to create misregistration. The error is detected by the inline sensors, and it is used to calculate the actual Young's Modulus. The implementation of the method consists of measuring the Young's Modulus at various frequencies. The correct Young's Modulus in then incorporated into the double reflex printing algorithm.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for forming images on recording media of different sizes are provided. The image forming procedure may include reading setting information which includes the size of a substitute recording medium for each user from a memory and, when the size of the recording medium specified by the print instruction is not available, executing a print instruction by automatically changing the size of a recording medium to be used to the size of the substitute recording medium based on the setting information. Additional computer-readable storage media storing image forming procedures are also provided.

Abstract: Apparatuses useful in printing, printing apparatuses and methods of fixing marking material on media are provided.

Abstract: The printing apparatus of the present invention comprises a scanner unit for reading an image in an original; an instruction unit for receiving an instruction from a user and instructing operation of reading the image with the scanner unit; and a printer unit for printing the image that has been read on a medium. In the printing apparatus of the present invention, each reading operation with the scanner unit is started by receiving an instruction from the user with the instruction unit when the reading operation is to be performed with the scanner unit for a plurality of number of times and a plurality of the images that have been read are to be printed in their respective predetermined positions on the medium. The printing apparatus makes it possible to perform N-up printing of a new procedure that is different from conventional N-up printing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus adjusts a size of the loop of the sheet between the fixing unit and the transfer unit, according to a signal from a loop detection unit provided in a sheet conveyance path between a transfer unit and a fixing unit and configured to detect a loop of a sheet. The loop detection unit includes a detecting lever that is provided protrudably and retractably from and into the sheet conveyance path and abuts against the sheet, and a loop detection sensor that is turned on or off by the detecting lever. If the sheet is to be conveyed only by the transfer unit, the detecting lever moves to a retracting position from the sheet conveyance path.

Abstract: A fluctuation detecting unit detects a fluctuation of an endless belt generated when a sheet is brought into contact with a predetermined position of the endless belt at an upstream side in a conveying direction from a nip portion based on fluctuation information acquired by a fluctuation information acquiring unit. An entry timing estimating unit estimates entry timing of the sheet into the nip portion based on a detection of the fluctuation. A correction control unit corrects a speed fluctuation of the endless belt generated when the sheet enters the nip portion by performing a feedforward control of a first driving unit based on the entry timing.

Abstract: For a sheet circulating transfer route that includes a sheet transfer portion of a printing mechanism provided with a transfer belt for transfer of a sheet as positioned thereto, a transfer section provided with drive rollers for transfer of a sheet as image-formed by an image former of the printing mechanism, and a sheet invert portion operable for inversion of the sheet as image-formed, there is a drive controller adapted, in conformity to a condition that a sheet to be positioned in the printing mechanism is equal in length to or longer than a path distance from the image former to the drive rollers, to set a transfer speed of the sheet as image-formed by the drive rollers up as an identical speed to a transfer speed of the sheet as positioned by the transfer belt, and in non-conformity to the condition, to set it up as a greater speed than the transfer speed by the transfer belt.

Abstract: In a beltless tandem-type image forming apparatus, a plurality of pairs of transfer rollers are placed side by side at intervals along a conveying direction of sheets. A control section independently conveys sheets in sequence through nip sections of respective pairs of transfer rollers driven by a driving section while sequentially transferring images formed by an imaging section onto the sheets. Conveying speeds of the respective pairs of transfer rollers controlled by the driving section are gradually decreased for every pair of transfer rollers from an upstream side toward a downstream side along a conveying direction of the sheets, and consequently, a driving period for driving the respective pairs of transfer rollers to convey each sheet is gradually increased for every pair of transfer rollers from the upstream side toward the downstream side along the conveying direction of the sheets.

Abstract: One embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus in which registration rollers are arranged immediately before an electrostatic latent bearing member and, after a carried paper is caused to temporarily stop by the registration rollers, carrying of the paper recommences with a timing enabling a leading edge of image information visualized on the electrostatic latent bearing member and a leading edge of the paper that has been stopped by the registration rollers to correspond, wherein, at a time of successive printing of multiple sheets, a carrying recommencement timing of an immediately subsequent paper is determined using information of a carrying recommencement timing of an immediately preceding carried paper.

Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus that can highly accurately position and convey, even if an inter-sheet distance of sheets to be conveyed is reduced, the sheets from registration rollers to a transfer position when a toner image on an image bearing member moving at process speed is transferred onto the sheet in the transfer position. A sheet fed from a paper feeding cassette by a pulse-motor driven paper feeding roller is conveyed to pulse-motor driven registration rollers by pulse-motor driven conveying rollers. When the sheet is conveyed to the transfer position according to restart of the registration rollers, the sheet is conveyed by the registration rollers at sheet conveying speed different from the process speed before the leading end of the sheet reaches the transfer position and is conveyed at the process speed after that.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductive seamless belt, which is obtained from a polyamide acid solution containing a tertiary amine having a boiling point of 200° C. or higher and an acid dissociation constant pKa of 4 to 9.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a paper cassette feeding a recording material, an image forming unit forming an image on a photosensitive member, a primary transfer roller transferring the image onto an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer roller transferring the image onto the recording material, and a sensor detecting the size of the recording material. The timing of starting feeding the recording material is later than the timing of starting forming the image. When image formation on the recording material is started, until the sensor detects the size of the recording material, a plurality of images are formed on the intermediate transfer belt at a first interval according to a predetermined recording material size, and after the sensor detects the size of the recording material, a plurality of images are formed on the intermediate transfer belt at a second interval according to the detected recording material size.

Abstract: A sheet transport device includes: a registration roller pair that includes a first roller and a second roller lower in abrasion resistance than the first roller, and nips and transports a recording medium; and a drive mechanism that provides a rotation to the first roller to rotate at the first circumferential speed, and provides a rotation to the second roller to rotate at the second circumferential speed different from the first circumferential speed.

Abstract: A sheet finisher having a post-processing section that conducts post-processing on a sheet on which an image has been formed by an image forming apparatus, the sheet finisher comprising: an intermediate storing section in which a plurality of sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus are superposed to be stored temporarily; a pair of conveyance rollers that convey the plurality of sheets stored in the intermediate storing section to the post-processing section while the plurality of sheets are superposed; each of two drive motors which drives one of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with one sheet of the plurality of sheets and the other of the pair of conveyance rollers that comes in contact with the other sheet of the plurality of sheets, separately; and a correction controller that controls a rotation speed of at least one of the two drive motors.

Abstract: A system and method for avoiding paper jams and possible shutdown in an image forming device by automatically executing a series of re-feed cycles for a sheet of image receiving media in a multi pass image forming device. The sheet transport section of the image forming device includes a hold section and a sensor associated with the hold section to provide input to a control unit to execute one or more re-feed cycles based on a failure to sense a sheet of image receiving media in the hold section at an appropriate time in operation of the image forming device. The control unit also controls a hold duration for the sheet of image receiving media at the hold section to synchronize a final feed of the sheet of image receiving media with the operation of the marker unit in the image forming device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus belt includes a belt main body; a guiding member that is fixed to the belt main body along at least a side edge on one side of the belt main body; and a detected portion for position detection that is provided in a slit of the guiding member.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus which conveys a recording sheet fed from a sheet feeding section toward a transfer position with controlled timing, including: a pair of registration rollers; a pair of loop rollers to form a loop of the recording sheet, the loop rollers being disposed upstream of the registration rollers in a sheet feeding direction; and a movable conveying unit configured such that the registration rollers and the loop rollers move as a unified body when correcting at least a lateral misalignment, which is a misalignment in a vertical direction to the sheet feeding direction, and inclination of the recording sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with: an image forming unit that forms an image on a medium according an image forming condition; a speed changing unit that changes an image forming speed of the image forming unit between a plurality of image forming speeds including a first image forming speed; an adjusting unit that adjusts the image forming condition set in the image forming unit; a measuring unit that measures an elapsed state after the image forming condition is adjusted for the last time at the first image forming speed in the image forming unit, and outputs a measured value indicative of the elapsed state; and a determination unit that determines, according to the elapsed state, whether or not to adjust the image forming condition before the image forming unit starts forming an image at the first image forming speed.

Abstract: According to the present invention, skew feeding of a sheet is corrected while conveying the sheet, positioning of a side edge of the sheet in the width direction is carried out, and an image is formed on the sheet by an image forming portion 90. Two steering mechanisms 120a and 120b are disposed upstream of the image forming portion along the conveying direction, and the steering mechanisms 120a and 120b can feed a sheet on the skew in any direction with respect to the sheet conveying direction. Two CISs 100a and 100b are disposed along the sheet conveying direction corresponding to the steering mechanisms. A skew feeding angle and a skew feeding velocity of each of the steering mechanisms is changed according to differential value between a side edge position detected by the CISs 100a and 100b and a target position of a side edge of a sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pre-transfer conveying portion that conveys a recording medium, an image bearing member that moves while bearing a toner image, a conveying belt that attracts the recording medium conveyed from the pre-transfer conveying portion and conveys the recording medium at the same speed as the image bearing member, a detecting portion that detects the recording medium attracted to the conveying belt, and a control unit that controls the speed at which the pre-transfer conveying portion conveys the recording medium. On the basis of the detection of the recording medium, the control unit changes the speed of the pre-transfer conveying portion from a speed slower than the speed of the conveying belt to a speed equal to or faster than the speed of the conveying belt, and thereby causes the leading edges of the toner image and the recording medium to coincide.

Abstract: A laser printer forms images on a recording sheet fed from a paper cassette. A conveying gap between consecutively fed recording sheets is adjusted such that a conveying gap between consecutively fed thin sheets is larger than a conveying gap between consecutively fed thick sheets.

Abstract: In a transport device, a first speed control unit controls a rotating speed of a first roller driving unit to reach a first target speed, and a second speed control unit controls a rotating speed of a second roller driving unit to reach a second target speed. The second speed control unit is arranged to perform, when a print medium is transported by both a first transport roller unit and a second transport roller unit, a follower control having a response sensibility to speed fluctuations in a predetermined frequency region of a control system, which is smaller than a response sensibility when the print medium is transported by the second transport roller unit solely.

Abstract: If a velocity calculated by a velocity calculating unit deviates from a normal range, a target velocity is used as a feedback amount, an actuation amount corresponding to a deviation Ve=0 between the feedback amount Vf=Vt and the target velocity Vt is calculated, and a driving power corresponding to this actuation amount is supplied to a motor. A conveyor belt can be driven stably without causing irregularity in a speed of the conveyor belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of always performing image registration adjustment with a high accuracy and realizing a higher image quality without lowering the productivity and deteriorating a cleaning member. A first conveying speed of a sheet being conveyed on a conveying path is changed to a second conveying speed at a predetermined position to thereby perform registration of an image on an image bearing member with the sheet, at a position of the image being transferred to the sheet. Detecting an registration-use image on the image bearing member causes a first reference signal to be generated, and detecting a top end of the sheet conveyed on the conveying path causes a second reference signal to be generated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to form a toner image on a sheet, including: a transfer belt configured to bear and transfer the toner image to the sheet conveyed at given conveying speed; a drive roller configured to drive the transfer belt; a speed detection roller held in contact with the transfer belt and configured to output roller information on rotational speed of the speed detection roller when the speed detection roller rotates as the transfer belt runs; a motor configured to drive the drive roller; a motor speed output portion configured to output motor information on rotational speed of the motor; and a control element configured to control the rotational speed of the motor.

Abstract: A continuous feed (CF) printing module, printing system, and method is provided. The CF printing module comprising an image transfer system configured to selectively mark a media web, and a media web transport system configured to selectively advance a media web without image marking by the image transfer system at a first speed and selectively route a media web for image marking by the image transfer system at a second speed. The first speed greater than the second speed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a speed detection device comprising: a detected body that includes a plurality of marks arranged along a first direction with intervals therebetween; a detection section that detects intervals of times of appearance of the marks when the detected body relatively moves in the first direction; and a calculation section that calculates a speed of relative movement of the detection section and the detected body on the basis of results of measuring displacements from a reference plane in a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction, of locations of the detected body along the first direction and the detected intervals of times of appearance of the marks.

Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus wherein, when forming an image on transfer sheet, the transfer sheet is shifted across the width immediately before transfer of the image onto transfer sheet based on the position of a toner image formed on an intermediate transfer member as an image carrier, and the misalignment across the width is adjusted, thereby ensuring high-speed and high-precision adjustment of the position of the image formed on a single side or both sides.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an intermediate transfer member onto which a image is primarily transferred from an image forming unit; a transfer unit to secondarily transfer the image from the intermediate transfer member to a media at a secondary-transfer position; a conveying unit configured to convey the media to the secondary-transfer position; and a conveying speed controller to control a speed of conveying the media. The conveying unit includes a first detector and a second detector downstream the first detector and upstream the secondary-transfer position. Based on a detection of the media by the first detector and a timing at which the image forming unit forms the image, the conveying speed controller changes the conveying speed until the second detector detects the media and changes, after the second detector detects the media, the conveying speed to a speed substantially the same as the intermediate transfer member speed.

Abstract: In a method for control of an electrophotographic printer or copier, information that refer to a single sheet are determined from print data supplied to the printer or copier. Dependent on said information, a transport path of the single sheet through the printer or copier to generate at least one print image on at least one side of the sheet is determined. A system time of the printer or copier is provided that is the same for at least first and second control units of the printer or copier. At least one desired point in time at or until which at least one sensor signal is expected or at least one actuator is activated is established dependent on the transport path, the desired point in time referring to the system time of the printer or copier.

Abstract: The method or system for controlling a printing or copying system for processing single sheets, a first single sheet and at least a second single sheet immediately following the first single sheet is processed with aid of n processing units. A required minimum distance between the first and the second single sheet is determined for each processing unit. A delay distance is determined for the first and at least for each of the n?1 following processing units. A difference between the minimum distance of a processing unit and a sum of the delay distances of the preceding processing units is formed. A smallest possible distance with which the second single sheet is fed to the first processing unit after the first single sheet is determined by a highest value of the determined minimum distance of the first processing unit and the determined differences.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member; an exposure device for exposing the image bearing member after being electrically charged; a developing device for developing, with toner, a latent image formed on the image bearing member by the exposure device; and a movable intermediary transfer member for receiving a toner image from the image bearing member, wherein the toner image on the intermediary transfer member is transferred onto a transfer material, wherein the transfer material is fed at a first speed, a moving speed of the image bearing member, an exposure speed of the exposure device in a moving direction of the image bearing member, and a moving speed of the intermediary transfer member are equal to the first speed, and wherein when the transfer material is fed at a second speed which is lower than the first speed, the moving speed of the image bearing member is equal to the first speed, and the speed of the exposure device and the moving speed of intermediary transfer member

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image reading apparatus are capable of stably correcting the delay or the advance of a sheet even if sheet conveying rollers such as a skew feeding correction roller and the like are decentered. The delay amount or the advance amount of the sheet being conveyed is detected by a deviation amount detection unit and a control amount setting unit sets the sheet conveying speed and the correction time of a sheet conveying roller which corrects the delay or the advance of the sheet based on the delay amount or the advance amount of the sheet detected by the deviation amount detection unit. The control amount setting unit sets the sheet conveying speed and the correction time of the sheet conveying roller so that the delay or the advance of the sheet is corrected when the sheet conveying roller rotates integer multiple.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured so that a first detection position and a second detection position are set along the direction of conveying a transfer material between adjacent conveyance rollers. The image forming apparatus has four sensors, two of which are disposed in the first detection position at a predetermined interval, and the remaining two of which are disposed in a second detection position at a predetermined interval. An actual length of the transfer material can be detected with high accuracy by performing (1) cancellation of an error in detection caused by variation in a speed at which the transfer material is conveyed, (2) cancellation of an error in detection caused by a skew, and (3) cancellation of an error in detection caused by oblique passing.

Abstract: An image scanning apparatus with a preview function includes a scanning unit that scans a plurality of documents to obtain scanned images of the plurality of documents; a display unit; and a control unit that controls the display unit to display the scanned images of the plurality of documents as preview images of the plurality of documents.

Abstract: One of aspects of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member rotating at a first circumferential speed, and an image carrier capable of having a plurality of toner images formed thereon in turn, each of the toner images having a color different from one another, for transferring the toner images onto the intermediate transfer member, the image carrier rotating at a second circumferential speed. At least one of the first and second circumferential speeds are adjustable in accordance with a driving mode selected from a group consisting of a monochrome mode and a color mode. Also, a first difference between the first and second circumferential speeds in the monochrome mode is greater than a second difference between the first and second circumferential speeds in the color mode.