An image forming apparatus includes a paper feed device and an image forming apparatus main body including a paper feed cassette removable from the image forming apparatus main body and including an image forming unit. The paper feed cassette stores a recording material, and the image forming unit forms an image on the recording material. The paper feed device allows the image forming apparatus main body to be stacked on the paper feed device below the paper feed cassette. The paper feed device is provided with a coupling section. In a space formed in a case where the paper feed cassette is removed from the image forming apparatus main body, the coupling section is fixed to the image forming apparatus main body by a fixing unit to couple the image forming apparatus main body and the paper feed device together.

An image forming apparatus includes a paper feed device and an image forming apparatus main body including a paper feed cassette removable from the image forming apparatus main body and including an image forming unit. The paper feed cassette stores a recording material, and the image forming unit forms an image on the recording material. The paper feed device allows the image forming apparatus main body to be stacked on the paper feed device below the paper feed cassette. The paper feed device is provided with a coupling section. In a space formed in a case where the paper feed cassette is removed from the image forming apparatus main body, the coupling section is fixed to the image forming apparatus main body by a fixing unit to couple the image forming apparatus main body and the paper feed device together.

An image forming apparatus includes a cassette that has a placement plate on which a sheet is set, a paper feed roller, a raising/lowering mechanism that raises and lowers the placement plate, a print unit, a sheet sensor, an upper limit sensor and a control unit. The control unit recognizes, based on an output of the sheet sensor, that the sheet supplied from a paper feed device reaches an installation position of the sheet sensor. The control unit detects, based on an output of the upper limit sensor, that the paper feed roller reaches a predetermined upper limit position or that the raising/lowering mechanism raises the placement plate such that the sheet reaches a feed position and uses the sheet sensor and the upper limit sensor so as to detect that the paper feed device encounters overload.

A card mechanism used in an array with other card mechanisms. Each card mechanism handles plastic cards that are to be personalized and provided to end users. The plastic cards can be cards such as financial cards including credit and debit cards, identification cards, driver's licenses, and other plastic cards that are personalized. The card mechanism(s) can supply cards to be personalized in one or more other card mechanisms and/or in a card personalization machine used with the card mechanism(s) in which case the card mechanism(s) is configured as a card input hopper, collect cards that have been personalized in which case the card mechanism is configured as a card output hopper, and/or perform one or more personalization operations on the cards in which case the card mechanism is configured as a card personalization mechanism.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first feeder, a second feeder, and processing circuitry. The first feeder includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a suction feeder, and a remaining amount detection sensor. The air blower blows air to float an uppermost sheet. The suction feeder sucks and feeds the sheet. The remaining amount detection sensor detects a remaining amount of sheets stacked. The processing circuitry determines whether the remaining amount of sheets in the first feeder is smaller than a threshold, causes the first feeder to perform a feeding operation of feeding the sheet floated by the air blower to the suction feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount is equal to or greater than the threshold, and causes the second feeder to feed a sheet instead of the first feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount is smaller than the threshold.

An automatic document feeder, which is included in an image reading device and an image forming apparatus, includes first and second document trays, a document output tray, a document conveying passage, multiple document conveying bodies, a drive source, a detector, and a controller. The multiple document conveying bodies include a document holding and conveying body to convey and hold the original document sheet on the second document tray. On detection of the original document sheet on the second document tray while conveying a different original document sheet from the first document tray, the controller stops feeding the different original document sheet, causes the different original document sheet downstream from the document holding and conveying body in a document conveying direction to be conveyed to the document output tray, and stops the drive source after the different original document has been conveyed to the document output tray.

The present application provides a merchandiser. The merchandiser may include an ambient compartment with at least one ambient product therein, a temperature controlled compartment with at least one temperature controlled product therein, and a vending module in communication with the temperature controlled compartment such that the vending module dispenses a temperature controlled product in response to an ambient product being placed in the vending module.

A number of variations may include a product comprising a carrousel cartridge comprising a bottom compartment; an inner case, wherein the inner case is rotatably attached to the bottom compartment and is constructed and arranged to accommodate at least one component; and a top compartment, wherein the top compartment and the bottom compartment are slideably attached together, and a carrousel cartridge dispenser comprising a housing; an indexing cam system, wherein the indexing cam system is disposed within the housing; and a dispenser trough, wherein the dispenser trough is attached to the housing.

A conveying device conveys a sheet selectively along a first conveying path and a second conveying path which are connected at a junction into a common path portion. A reading unit reads an image of a sheet conveyed in the common path portion. A shutter is disposed in the second conveying path at a position upstream of the junction in a sheet conveying direction. The shutter is movable between a first position and a second position. The actuator is disposed in the common path portion and movable between a third position and a fourth position in response to the shutter moving between the first position and the second position, respectively. In a case where a detection sensor detects that the actuator is at the fourth position, a controller controls the conveying device to convey the sheet along the second conveying path.

In an image forming system, a hardware processor controls whether the first sheet is conveyed to an upstream side of the image former via a first conveying path which reverses sides of the first sheet or via a second conveying path which does not reverse the sides of the first sheet as well as the first conveying path, when images are formed on both sides of a plurality of the first sheets by the image former, in order to narrow a space between a plurality of the first sheets.