Patent classifications
B65H2403/40
Image Forming Apparatus Provided with Transmission Mechanism for Transmitting Drive Force to Reconveying Roller
An image forming apparatus includes a reconveying unit including a reconveying roller; and a second transmission mechanism. The second transmission mechanism transmits a drive force to the reconveying roller and includes an input gear; an output gear; an intermediate gear including first and second gears; and first and second swinging gears. The first toothless part of the first gear and the second toothless part of the second gear are provided at such a position that, when the intermediate gear is rotated by a drive force transmitted from the input gear through the second swinging gear while the second swinging gear meshes with the second toothed part of the second gear and the output gear meshes with the first toothed part of the first gear, the first toothless part reaches a position confronting the output gear and then the second toothless part reaches a position confronting the second swinging gear.
Drive device, image forming apparatus, and grease composition
A drive device includes a gear having a hole; a shaft that passes through the hole; and a grease composition that is held in a clearance between the shaft and an inner peripheral surface of the hole. The gear rotates on a peripheral surface of the shaft. At least one of the gear and the shaft is made of a resin. The clearance is in a range of 10 to 110 m. The grease composition contains a hydrocarbon base oil and lithium soap serving as a thickener. A weight ratio of the hydrocarbon base oil to the lithium soap is in a range of 94.5:5.5 to 96.0:4.0. A consistency of the grease composition is in a range of 360 to 400.
Input handling for media processing devices
A media processing device includes: a hopper for supporting a stack of media units (e.g. cards), the hopper including (i) a gate wall configured to abut leading edges of the media units and (ii) an outlet defined at an end of the gate wall; a pick roller at the outlet for engaging an outer one of the media units in the stack and dispensing the outer media unit from the hopper to a media processing path; the gate wall including a flexible gate at the outlet, the flexible gate configured to deflect toward the media processing path responsive to the outer media unit being driven into the flexible gate by the pick roller, wherein the outer media unit deflects when passing by the flexible gate, permitting the outer media unit to be dispensed from the hopper.
Sheet Feeding Apparatus and Image Forming Apparatus
A sheet feeding apparatus includes a feed roller, a roller holder supporting the feed roller rotatably about a rotation axis, a frame supporting the roller holder pivotably about a first axis parallel to the rotation axis of the feed roller, a force-transmitting device configured to transmit, to the roller holder, a force with which to cause the roller holder to pivot in a direction where the feed roller is pressed against a tray, a force-applying member movable between a force applying position where the force-applying member contacts the force-transmitting device to apply the force thereto and a force-free position where the force-applying member is spaced apart from the force-transmitting device, and a cushioning member configured to, when the force-applying member is at an initial contact positon located between the force applying position and the force-free position, be sandwiched in contact between the force-transmitting device and the force-applying member.
Image forming apparatus provided with transmission mechanism for transmitting drive force to reconveying roller
An image forming apparatus includes: a reconveying unit including a reconveying roller; and a second transmission mechanism. The second transmission mechanism transmits a drive force to the reconveying roller and includes: an input gear; an output gear; an intermediate gear including first and second gears; and first and second swinging gears. The first toothless part of the first gear and the second toothless part of the second gear are provided at such a position that, when the intermediate gear is rotated by a drive force transmitted from the input gear through the second swinging gear while the second swinging gear meshes with the second toothed part of the second gear and the output gear meshes with the first toothed part of the first gear, the first toothless part reaches a position confronting the output gear and then the second toothless part reaches a position confronting the second swinging gear.
Centering mechanism and paper sheet handling apparatus
In a centering mechanism and a paper sheet handling apparatus including the centering mechanism, a centering unit conveys a paper sheet in a pinched state, and centers a position of the paper sheet in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the paper sheet by inclining with respect to the conveyance direction. In addition, the paper sheet is delivered to a downstream side conveyance unit from the centering unit in a state in which the centering unit pinches the paper sheet, and the downstream side conveyance unit conveys the paper sheet while pinching the paper sheet at pinch pressure stronger than pinch pressure at which the centering unit pinches the paper sheet.
Autolacing footwear motor having rotary drum encoder
An article of footwear, method, and motorized lacing system includes a motor, including a motor shaft, a spool, coupled to the motor shaft, configured to spool and unspool the lace based on the turning of the motor shaft, a processor circuit, and a three-dimensional encoder. The three-dimensional encoder defines a major axis and has a surface having a tabs extending from a drum, an optical sensor, positioned within optical range of the cylindrical encoder, configured to output a signal to the processor circuit indicative of a detected one of the tabs, and a beam break, positioned between the three-dimensional encoder and the optical sensor, forming a pair of slits. The optical sensor is positioned to view the tabs through the pair of slits, wherein the processor circuit is configured to operate the motor based, at least in part, on the signal as received from the optical sensor.
Image reading apparatus
An apparatus main body of an image reading apparatus is capable of being switched between a first posture and a second posture in which an inclination angle is smaller than that of the first posture. The image reading apparatus is capable of switching between a separation state in which a separation roller separates a document and a non-separation state in which the separation roller does not separate the document. The image reading apparatus puts the separation roller in the separation state when the apparatus main body is in the first posture and puts the separation roller in the non-separation state when the apparatus main body is in the second posture.
SHEET STORAGE DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME
A sheet storage device includes a lift plate, a push-up member, a first gear, a second gear which meshes with the first gear, a transmission mechanism which includes a third gear that meshes with the second gear and a turning restriction member. The first gear includes a support portion. The turning restriction member includes: an annular portion which is slidable on the outer circumferential surface of the support portion in a direction of rotation; and a protrusion portion which protrudes outward in a radial direction from the annular portion to be able to engage with the second gear. The protrusion portion has a shape such that the protrusion portion cannot pass through a gap between the second gear and the annular portion and is located, relative to the gap, on a downstream side in a direction of rotation of the second gear caused by the power of a motor.
Image forming apparatus and sheet conveyance device
A manual feed tray is located at a side surface of a main housing. A supply roller conveys a sheet on the manual feed tray toward a print engine. A pressure plate is movable between a contact position at which the sheet on the manual feed tray contacts the supply roller and a separated position at which the sheet on the manual feed tray is separated from the supply roller. A push-up cam pushes up the pressure plate from the separated position to the contact position. The push-up cam includes a contact portion configured to contact the pressure plate. A controller is configured to: when performing printing on a plurality of sheets, after moving the pressure plate from the separated position to the contact position, convey the plurality of sheets by intermittently driving the supply roller while maintaining the pressure plate at the contact position.