G03G15/00

Exposure head and image forming apparatus
11199788 · 2021-12-14 · ·

An exposure head includes a light emitter, a plurality of switches, a transmission line, and a plurality of delay circuits. In the light emitter, a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a first direction. The switches are provided respectively corresponding to the light emitting elements. The switches are configured to perform switching such that, when a drive signal is input, a drive current flows through a light emitting element corresponding to the drive signal. The transmission line is configured to supply a drive signal to the switches. The delay circuits are provided respectively corresponding to the switches. The delay circuits are configured to delay the drive signal that is supplied to the switches through the transmission line in order from a first end side to a second end side of the light emitting elements arranged in the first direction.

METHOD AND APPARATUS OF DECORATING A METALLIC CONTAINER BY DIGITAL PRINTING TO A TRANSFER BLANKET
20210382414 · 2021-12-09 · ·

An apparatus and methods of decorating a metallic container are provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to provide a decoration or indicia on a predetermined portion of an outer surface of a metallic container body. The decorator includes at least one digital print unit, a transfer blanket, and a support element. The digital print unit transfers a decorating material to the transfer blanket to form a decoration on the transfer blanket. The support element then moves a metallic container into contact with the transfer blanket. In this manner, the decorating material is transferred to an exterior surface portion of the metallic container to decorate the metallic container. In one embodiment, the digital print unit is an electrophotographic system which transfers a toner material to the transfer blanket. In another embodiment, the digital print unit includes an inkjet print head which transfers an ink to the transfer blanket. Optionally, the decorator may include two or more support elements.

CONTROL OF HEATING ELEMENTS FOR MEDIA CONDITIONERS

In some examples, a media conditioner includes a conveying component to convey a sheet of printable media, a heating element to heat the conveying component, a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of the conveying component, a media sensor to detect the sheet of printable media, and a controller to provide a power level to the heating element. A temperature set-point is set to a pre-established value. Based on data from the temperature sensor, the controller is to maintain the temperature of the conveying component at the temperature set-point by varying the power level. The controller is to apply a boost to the power level based on a signal from the media sensor while the temperature set-point remains at the pre-established value.

COLOR REGISTRATION IN REAL-TIME
20210382427 · 2021-12-09 ·

An image forming apparatus and method for color registration are provided. The image forming apparatus according to an example includes a communication device to receive print data, a print engine including a plurality of photosensitive drums, and a processor to control the print engine to print the received print data on a plurality of printing papers, and to form a predetermined pattern for color registration in an inter-paper distance section between two of the plurality of printing papers on a paper feeding path.

DETERMINATION OF REMAINING LIFE OF PHOTOCONDUCTOR
20210382428 · 2021-12-09 ·

An example image forming apparatus includes a charger, a developing device, a sensor, and a controller. The charger may apply a plurality of charging voltages to a photoconductor, the plurality of charging voltages having different magnitudes and respectively corresponding to a plurality of area sections constituting a test pattern and the developing device may supply a developer to the photoconductor. The sensor may sense an image formed by the supplied developer and corresponding to the test pattern. The controller may determine a remaining lifetime of the photoconductor based on the image corresponding to the test pattern.

IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20210382415 · 2021-12-09 ·

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer rotating body, a feeding means and a control means that controls a feeding speed of a recording material in a feeding portion at the feeding means. Wherein a first timing is a timing during when a rear end of the recording material with respect to a feeding direction passes through a transferring portion and a second timing is a timing when the rear end of the recording material is separated from the image bearing member after passing through the transferring portion, the control means can control the feeding means for one recording material so that a feeding speed of the recording material at the second timing in the feeding portion becomes faster than that of at the first timing in the feeding portion.

COOLING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM
20210382418 · 2021-12-09 ·

A sheet cooling device includes a main assembly, a cooling unit, drawable out of the main assembly with respect to a drawing direction and a restricting member. The restricting member is positionable in a first position where the cooling unit is restricted from drawing out of the main assembly and in a second position lower than the first position where said restricting member opposes to an installation surface on which the sheet cooling device is installed.

Interlock circuit

An interlock circuit comprises a plurality of semiconductor switching units electrically connected or connectable in series in a supply line, a plurality of control units electrically connected to the plurality of semiconductor switching units, and a trigger unit electrically connected to the plurality of control circuits. Each control unit activates or deactivates a corresponding semiconductor switching unit in response to trigger signal received from the trigger unit.

Image forming apparatus
11196884 · 2021-12-07 · ·

Provided is an image forming apparatus, in which a recording material is conveyed by a reverse portion rotated in a first direction at a first velocity which is faster than a conveyance velocity of the recording material in a fixing portion after a rear end portion of the recording material passes through the fixing portion, and then, the recording material is conveyed to a conveying portion by the reverse portion rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction through a conveyance path at a second velocity which is faster than the conveyance velocity of the recording material in the fixing portion, and a conveyance velocity of the recording material is set to a third velocity which is slower than the second velocity at a predetermined timing before the rear end portion of the recording material reaches a curved portion of the conveyance path.

Sheet conveyance apparatus and image forming apparatus
11192742 · 2021-12-07 · ·

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a first conveyor, a second conveyor provided downstream of the first conveyor, a first motor configured to drive the first conveyor, a second motor configured to drive the second conveyor, a speed determining unit configured to determine a rotation speed of a rotor of the second motor, a command determining unit configured to determine a command speed representing a target speed of the rotor of the second motor, and a controller configured to control a drive current flowing through a winding of the second motor so that a deviation between the command speed determined by the command determining unit and the rotation speed determined by the speed determining unit is decreased. The command determining unit determines the command speed based on a value corresponding to a rotation speed of a rotor of the first motor.