A marker transport system and a method of operating the marker transport system. A group of print bars is located with respect to a marker transport platen and a marker transport belt. A vacuum source and a pneumatic solenoid block are associated with the marker transport platen. The marker transport platen includes airflow sections divided into process-direction slots and cross-section direction slots. The cross-section direction slots are located beneath the print bars and are connected to the vacuum source via the pneumatic solenoid block, which facilitates an individual control of each of the cross-process direction slots. Pneumatic valves are associated with the pneumatic solenoid block, which supplies a flow of vacuum to the cross-process direction vacuum slots. The pneumatic vales can be timed to allow the vacuum to be present when a sheet is present over a corresponding vacuum slot among the process-direction slots and the cross-section direction slots.

An image forming apparatus includes a stacking portion including a lifting portion, a feeding member feeding a sheet stacked on the lifting portion to a conveyance passage, a position detector detecting movement of the sheet stacked on to a feedable position to the conveyance passage, a driver including a motor and performing the lifting operation of the lifting portion, a rotation detector detecting rotation of the motor, and a controller. The controller determines a factor that the position detector does not detect the movement of the sheet stacked on the lifting portion to the feedable position within a predetermined time based on a detection result of the rotation detector while controlling the driver to lift up the lifting portion.

An air fan assembly includes a suction box including a wall having an open area distributed across the wall. The suction box is configured to contain an underpressure on an inner side of the wall, so as to cause a cut sheet to adhere to a perforated transport belt. An impingement unit is configured to expel air supplied thereto towards the perforated transport belt. An air fan is arranged to create and maintain the underpressure in the suction box and to supply the air to be expelled by the impingement unit via an air outlet of the suction box. A first valve is arranged upstream of the air fan for conditionally admitting an additional air flow into the suction box. An inkjet printer and a method of operating the air fan assembly include the air fan assembly.

A feeding device includes an accommodating unit, a feeding member, a regulating member, a member-to-be-detected, a detecting device, and a connecting member. The regulating member contacts the member-to-be-detected in a first region with respect to a feeding direction and is spaced from the member-to-be-detected through the connecting member in a second region different from the first region with respect to the feeding direction.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an input unit configured to receive input of folding unit information specifying either one of a first sheet folding unit and a second sheet folding unit, and a control unit configured to selectively perform a first mode and a second mode based on the folding unit information, the first mode being a mode in which the image forming unit forms the image on the sheet such that an orientation of the image becomes a first direction, the second mode being a mode in which the image forming unit forms the image on the sheet such that the orientation of the image becomes a second direction inverted from the first direction.

A groove has a first side surface and a second side surface. The second side surface faces the first side surface and is located downstream of the first side surface in a first direction. The first side surface has a first contact surface configured to contact one side surface of a protrusion. The second side surface having a second contact surface and a guide surface. The second contact surface is smaller than the first contact surface. The second contact surface is configured to contact an other side surface of the protrusion. The guide surface is inclined away from the first contact surface in a direction from a tip-side end of the second contact surface toward a tip end of a drive shaft. The tip-side end is an end facing toward the tip end of the drive shaft. The guide surface is configured to guide the protrusion to the groove.

A document managing method for a printing device is provided. The document managing method includes the following steps. Firstly, a printing mechanism prints a document with plural papers, and transfers the plural papers to a paper collection platform. Then, a management module manages the plural papers from two lateral sides of the plural papers. Then, a paper ejection module ejects a first portion of the plural papers at a first speed, and then ejects a second portion of the plural papers at a second speed. Consequently, the plural papers are exited from the paper collection platform. Then, the management module is separated from the two lateral sides of the plural papers, so that the plural papers fall down to a supporting tray. The first speed is faster than the second speed.

Provided is a sheet conveying device including: a conveying portion; and a first conveying guide, the first conveying guide forming a conveying path above a heating portion and having a curved portion for forming a curved path in the conveying path and a plurality of ribs provided on a surface of the curved portion, the plurality of ribs extending along a conveying direction and including a first rib and a second rib adjacent to the first rib, wherein the second rib is arranged to be deviated from the first rib in a width direction and the conveying direction, and wherein in the conveying direction, a second upstream end of the second rib being positioned between a first upstream end and a first downstream end of the first rib, the first downstream end being positioned between the second upstream end and a second downstream end of the second rib.

A printing apparatus includes a roll paper compartment 15 having a first placement surface 27 on which an outer peripheral surface Ra of a roll paper R around which a recording paper P is wound is placed and accommodating the roll paper R, a thermal head 67 performing printing on the recording paper P pulled out from the roll paper R accommodated in the roll paper compartment 15, a first projecting/retracting portion 77 provided to be configured to project from or retract into the first placement surface 27, pressed by the roll paper R of which the outer peripheral surface Ra is placed on the first placement surface 27 and retracting into the first placement surface 27 when a diameter of the roll paper R is larger than a predetermined diameter, and released from the pressure by the roll paper R and protruding from the first placement surface 27 when the diameter of the roll paper R is smaller than the predetermined diameter, and a detection section detecting projection and retraction of the first projecting/retracting portion 77.

A printing system includes a driving belt configured to drive media through the printing system relative to one or more print heads and a vacuum conveyor system. The vacuum conveyor system includes a vacuum chamber cover having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, as well as a plurality of slots through the cover that form openings from the first surface to the second surface. A seal, disposed within and extending along at least a portion of a length of a respective slot, is drivable to open or close the respective slot. A vacuum chamber below the second surface of the vacuum chamber cover is configured to apply a vacuum to the media through the plurality of slots. The applied vacuum constrains the media on the driving belt by flattening it against the driving belt.