Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080207378 | Friction Drive Device - A friction drive device has first and second rollers, in which the ratio of the transmission power and the pressing power is nearly constant regardless of the magnitude of the transmission power. The rollers have center axes that are spaced apart by prescribed radial distance, and arranged relative to an x y coordinate system when the rollers are not under load such that the x y coordinate system has an origin corresponding to the center axis of the first roller, and the y-axis passes through the center axis of the second roller. The cam surface is located in a first quadrant of the x y coordinate system, and has a concave arc with a single radius, such that the concave arc has a cam surface center located in a third quadrant of the x y coordinate system near or on an imaginary are defined by the prescribed radial distance. | 08-28-2008 |
20080213762 | Method of Gene Sequence Examination - The present invention provides a method for detecting quantitatively a specific nucleic acid sequence and for detecting gene polymorphism or mutation by homogenous system simply, promptly, accurately, and inexpensively, and an oligonucleotide probe used therefor. The nucleic acid having a specific sequence is quantitatively detected and gene polymorphism or mutation is detected in such a way that a probe DNA containing one or two labeling materials is hybridized to the target nucleic acid, and decomposed from the 5′- or the 3′-terminal by exonuclease action to release one of the labeling materials, the signal emitted by which is then detected. | 09-04-2008 |
20090010334 | DECODING DEVICE, DECODING METHOD, RECORDING MEDIUM, AND PROGRAM - A slice decoder control circuit sequentially supplies the parameter of the picture layer and the write pointer of a first slice to a first slice decoder, the parameter of the picture layer and the write pointer of a second slice to a second slice decoder, and the parameter of the picture layer and the write pointer of a third slice to a third slice decoder, and causes the slice decoders to decode the respective parameters and write pointers. On the basis of the input of signals indicating the completion of decoding processing inputted from the slice decoders, the slice decoder control circuit supplies the write pointer of a fourth slice to the second decoder and causes the second slice decoder to decode the write pointer at timing A, and supplies the write pointer of a fifth slice to the third decoder and causes the third slice decoder to decode the write pointer at timing B. Subsequently, the similar processing is repeated until the last slice is decoded. The operations of a plurality of slice decoders are thus controlled. | 01-08-2009 |
20100239292 | Transfer-fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - In a transfer-fixing device for transferring and fixing a toner image on a transfer-fixing side of a recording medium, a transfer-fixing member carries the toner image. A pressing member presses against the transfer-fixing member to form a nip between the transfer-fixing member and the pressing member through which the recording medium passes. A heat transmission member is provided upstream from the nip in a recording medium conveyance direction to heat the transfer-fixing side of the recording medium while guiding the recording medium to the nip. A heating member is connected to the heat transmission member to heat the heat transmission member. A biasing member biases the recording medium guided by the heat transmission member against the heat transmission member. | 09-23-2010 |
20100276246 | DRIVING FORCE DISTRIBUTION DEVICE - An input shaft that transmits torque to rear wheels is formed integrally with a first roller. An output shaft that directs torque to front wheels is formed integrally with a second roller. An inter-roller-axis distance is set smaller than a sum of semidiameters of the rollers, so as to press the rollers 31, 32 in a radial direction into pressing contact with one another, so that a part of torque from the input shaft to the rear wheels is directed through the rollers and the output shaft to the front wheels. The inter-roller-axis distance is set so as to set an inter-roller radial pressing force so that a maximum distribution condition maximum roller-transmitted torque under a front wheel torque maximum distribution condition, which is determined by the radial pressing force, is below a front wheel maximum distribution torque based on an assumption that a maximum torque is transmitted to the input shaft under the front wheel torque maximum distribution condition. | 11-04-2010 |
20110053732 | FRICTION TYPE TRANSMISSION DEVICE AND PRESSING FORCE CONTROL METHOD FOR FRICTION TYPE TRANSMISSION DEVICE - In a friction drive transmission apparatus arranged to transmit power by a frictional transmission force between two roller units pressed against each other, there is provided a pressing force imparting means to increase and decrease a pressing force imparted to a roller pair to vary the frictional transmission force between both roller units smoothly at the time of a shift. | 03-03-2011 |
20110164904 | FUSING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A fusing device includes a rotary fusing part; a heating unit heating the rotary fusing part; a rotary pressure part pressed against the rotary fusing part; nozzles jetting compressed air to paper being conveyed through a nip between the rotary fusing part and the rotary pressure part; and separating parts guiding the paper separated from the rotary fusing part. The nozzles and the separating parts are disposed downstream of the nip in a paper conveying direction so as not to contact the rotary fusing part and the rotary pressure part and are arranged alternately along the length direction of the nip that is orthogonal to the paper conveying direction. The separating parts protrude beyond the tips of the nozzles toward the nip. | 07-07-2011 |
20110182609 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a compressed air generator, a nozzle, a tube, a cooling device, and a drain discharging portion. The compressed air generator generates and injects compressed air onto at least one of a recording medium and components in the image forming apparatus. The compressed air is injected from the nozzle. The tube connects the compressed air generator and the nozzle, and the compressed air passes through the tube. The cooling device cools at least a portion of the tube. The drain discharging portion discharges drain generated in the tube during cooling by the cooling device. | 07-28-2011 |
20110206425 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A disclosed image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a developing device configured to form a toner image on the image carrier; a compressed air generating unit configured to generate compressed air; an air nozzle configured to eject the compressed air; a fixing device configured to fix the toner image on a sheet, the sheet being separated from the fixing device by the compressed air ejected from the air nozzle to the sheet; a pressure regulation unit provided between the compressed air generating unit and the air nozzle; and a guide path connected to the pressure regulation unit and configured to guide excess air generated by a pressure regulation of the pressure regulation unit to at least one part in the image forming apparatus. | 08-25-2011 |
20110217091 | Fixing device and image forming apparatus including same - A fixing device includes a heater, a rotary fixing member, and a rotary pressing member pressing against the rotary fixing member to form a nip therebetween through which a recording medium bearing a toner image passes to fix the toner image thereon. The fixing device includes an air supply tube disposed downstream from the nip in the direction of conveyance of the recording medium and connected to an air source of an image forming apparatus, to supply compressed air to a plurality of nozzles disposed on the air supply tube along a long axis of the nip perpendicular to the direction of conveyance and inject pulsed compressed air against the recording medium passing through the nip. The air supply tube includes an exhaust opening disposed at an extreme upstream end of the flow of the compressed air outside the recording medium passing area near the air source. | 09-08-2011 |
20110305491 | Compressed-air sheet separation mechanism and image forming apparatus including same - A sheet separation mechanism including a compressed air generator, a first nozzle to eject compressed air onto a leading edge of a sheet, a control valve provided between the compressed air generator and the first nozzle to control a flow of the compressed air, and a second nozzle provided between the control valve and the first nozzle. The control valve controls the compressed air to be simultaneously ejected from both the first nozzle and the second nozzle. | 12-15-2011 |
20120014725 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus including a fixing device to fix a toner image on a recoding medium; a compressed air generator to generate a compressed air; an air nozzle to inject the compressed air to separate the recording medium having the fixed toner image from the fixing device; a first switching unit to switch the air nozzle between injection and termination, which is provided upstream from the air nozzle; and a buffer unit to retain the compressed air, which is provided upstream from the air nozzle and downstream from the first switching unit. | 01-19-2012 |
20120044516 | MEDIA SEPARATOR, FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A media separator includes air nozzles and separation plates to form a row of members, and is configured to separate a sheet conveyed from a fixing nip formed of a fixing member and a pressure member. In such a media separator, the plurality of air nozzles and at least one separation plate are disposed along a longitudinal direction of the fixing device, and the plurality of air nozzles are disposed at both lateral ends of the row of members in the longitudinal direction of the fixing device, whereby waving of the edge of the sheet in the printing of frequently used sheet can be prevented and the occurrence of jam may be prevented, and a stable sheet separation and conveyance can be realized. | 02-23-2012 |
20120045260 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes a rotary fuser member, a rotary pressure member, a first media stripper, and a second media stripper. The rotary fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotary pressure member is pressed against the fuser member to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium is passed in a media conveyance direction under heat and pressure as the fuser and pressure members rotate together. The first media stripper includes at least one pneumatic nozzle disposed adjacent to the fuser member to direct compressed gas toward the fixing nip along the fuser member for stripping the recording medium from the fuser member. The second media stripper includes at least one contact finger disposed in contact with the pressure member to slide against the pressure member during rotation for stripping the recording medium from the pressure member. | 02-23-2012 |
20120224893 | MEDIA STRIPPER MECHANISM, FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A media stripper mechanism includes a shaft, one or more first stripping members, and one or more second stripping members. The shaft extends in an axial direction thereof parallel to a rotational axis of the rotary member. Each of the one or more first stripping members is a pneumatic nozzle that has a proximal end thereof supported on the shaft, and a distal, free end opposite the proximal end thereof pointing toward the rotary member to direct compressed gas toward the nip along the rotary member for stripping the recording medium from the rotary member. Each of the one or more second stripping members is a non-contact finger that has a proximal end thereof supported on the shaft, and a distal, free end opposite the proximal end thereof pointing toward the rotary member to assist in stripping the recording medium from the rotary member without contacting the rotary member. | 09-06-2012 |
20130131050 | FUSED HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUND AND APPLICATION THEREOF - The present invention provides a compound useful for the prophylaxis or treatment of eicosanoid-associated diseases such as atherosclerosis, atherothrombosis, diabetes, obesity, asthma, fever, pain, cancer, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, atopic dermatitis and the like, and having superior pharmacological action, physicochemical properties and the like. | 05-23-2013 |
20130294802 | SHEET SEPARATING DEVICE, FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet separating device is attached to a fixing device. The fixing device includes: a fixing member that is a rotary body having a heating unit; and a pressing member that is pressed against and is brought into contact with the fixing member. The fixing device conveys a sheet material that carries unfixed toner thereon through a nip section formed by the fixing member and the pressing member so as to fix the unfixed toner image to the sheet material. The sheet separating device includes: at least one nozzle member that discharges compressed gas from the direction of a nip outlet toward the nip section along the fixing member. The nozzle member is rotatably supported by a shaft member that is provided parallel to the fixing member and includes a gas flow passage through which compressed gas is supplied to the nozzle member. | 11-07-2013 |
20140079453 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body and a heater disposed opposite the fixing rotary body. A heat shield is movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body and interposed between the heater and the fixing rotary body to shield the fixing rotary body from the heater. An overheating suppressor is interposed between the heater and the heat shield to shield the heat shield from the heater. The heat shield includes an intermediate portion spanning in the circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body and movable between a shield position where the intermediate portion is disposed opposite the heater directly and a retracted position where the intermediate portion is disposed opposite the heater via the overheating suppressor. | 03-20-2014 |
20140219672 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body, an opposed member, a heater, and a heating controller. The opposed member opposes the fixing rotary body to form a nipping portion therebetween. The heater includes heat generators arranged in a width direction of a recording medium. When the recording medium fed to the nipping portion has an image area and a non-image area, the heating controller controls the outputs of the heat generators based on image information so that a first heat generator of the heat generators corresponding to the image area is higher in temperature and a second heat generator of the heat generators corresponding to the non-image area is lower in temperature. Based on information other than the image information, the heating controller temporarily shifts an area of the fixing rotary body corresponding to the non-image area to a temperature differing from a normal temperature. | 08-07-2014 |
20140219673 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A fixing device includes a rotatable, endless fixing belt; a rotatable contact member configured to contact a circumferential surface of the fixing belt to form a nip in association with the fixing belt; and a heating member disposed at an interior surface of the fixing belt, configured to heat the fixing belt. The heating member includes a multiple heat sources arranged along the width of a sheet of recording media in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction. A controller changes an area to be heated by each heat source based on image data and corresponding to an unfixed image on the sheet. The fixing belt is heated by the heating member so that the unfixed image on the sheet that has been conveyed to the nip is fixed onto the sheet at least with heat. The heating member is disposed at a portion other than the fixing nip. | 08-07-2014 |
20140219696 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body, an opposed member opposing the fixing rotary body to form a nipping portion, and a heater to heat the fixing rotary body. The heater includes heat generators arranged in a width direction of a recording medium and separately supplied with power. When an unfixed image on the medium has an image area and a non-image area, power supplied to each of the heat generators is controlled so that, of the heat generators, a first heat generator corresponding to the image area becomes a higher temperature and second heat generators corresponding to the non-image area becomes a lower temperature. When the second heat generators are adjacent to each other, power supplied to one of the second heat generators closer to the image area is set to be greater than power supplied to another of the second heat generators farther from the image area. | 08-07-2014 |
20140294473 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit and a cleaning unit. The fixing unit includes multiple local heaters configured to separately heat multiple portions of a recording medium carrying toner to fix the toner on the recording medium. The cleaning unit removes unfixed toner adhering to the recording medium after the fixing of the toner performed by the fixing unit. | 10-02-2014 |
20140341623 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation, a heater disposed opposite the fixing rotator to heat the fixing rotator, and an opposed rotator contacting an outer circumferential surface of the fixing rotator. A heat shield interposed between the heater and the fixing rotator shields the fixing rotator from the heater. A support supports the heat shield. The heat shield includes a first section supported by the support and having a decreased thermal conductivity and a second section abutting the first section in an axial direction of the heat shield and having an increased thermal conductivity greater than the decreased thermal conductivity of the first section. | 11-20-2014 |
20140341624 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body and a heater disposed opposite and heating the fixing rotary body. A nip formation assembly presses against an opposed body via the fixing rotary body to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotary body and the opposed body, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A movable heat shield movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotary body is interposed between the heater and the fixing rotary body to shield the fixing rotary body from the heater in a variable axial span of the fixing rotary body. A stationary heat shield, interposed between the heater and the fixing rotary body to shield the fixing rotary body from the heater, is disposed outboard from a lateral edge of a heat generator of the heater in an axial direction of the fixing rotary body. | 11-20-2014 |
20140341625 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND FIXING METHOD - A fixing device includes a fixing rotator heated by a heater and a pressing rotator pressed against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A heat shield interposed between the heater and the fixing rotator is movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotator to shield the fixing rotator from the heater in a variable axial shield span of the fixing rotator. The fixing rotator performs fixing rotation to convey the recording medium through the fixing nip while heating the recording medium and supplemental rotation other than fixing rotation. The heat shield moves to a decreased shield span position where the heat shield shields the fixing rotator from the heater in a decreased axial shield span of the fixing rotator during supplemental rotation thereof. | 11-20-2014 |
20140341626 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND FIXING METHOD - A fixing device includes a fixing rotator heated by a heater and a pressing rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween. A heating span adjuster, interposed between the heater and the fixing rotator, is movable in a circumferential direction of the fixing rotator. The heating span adjuster moves to a retracted position where the heating span adjuster allows the heater to heat the fixing rotator in an increased axial heating span of the fixing rotator after the heater starts heating the fixing rotator until the fixing rotator and the pressing rotator start conveying the recording medium through the fixing nip. The heating span adjuster at the retracted position is outboard from a circumferential, direct heating span of the fixing rotator where the heater heats the fixing rotator directly. | 11-20-2014 |
20140341627 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation assembly contacting an inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotator. An opposed rotator presses against the nip formation assembly via the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the opposed rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A support, disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotator, supports the nip formation assembly. A heater, disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotator, heats the fixing rotator. A reflector, disposed opposite an outer circumferential surface of the fixing rotator, reflects heat radiated from the fixing rotator onto the fixing rotator. The reflector spans a circumferential span of the fixing rotator where the fixing rotator is spaced apart from the support with a decreased interval therebetween. | 11-20-2014 |
20140356036 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a first heat generator and a second heat generator that heat a fixing rotator. A support is disposed inside the fixing rotator. A reflector is mounted on the support and interposed between the support and each of the first heat generator and the second heat generator to reflect light radiated from the first heat generator and the second heat generator toward the fixing rotator. The reflector includes a body mounted on the support and a shield portion projecting from the body toward the first heat generator and the second heat generator to shield the fixing rotator from the first heat generator and the second heat generator. The shield portion includes a wing disposed opposite a non-conveyance span of the fixing rotator in the axial direction thereof where a recording medium is not conveyed over the fixing rotator. | 12-04-2014 |