The invention relates to a spool for winding a fibrous web, the lateral surface of which is formed by a coated spool core. The aim of the invention is to improve the winding quality by the fact that the outer lateral surface is formed by a plurality of separate coatings which are arranged axially next to one another, of which at least two adjacent coatings are made of different materials.

A core prevents a battery separator wound therearound from moving and becoming misaligned on an outer circumferential surface of the core in a widthwise direction of the core. The core allows a separator to be wound around the outer circumferential surface thereof and is made of resin. The core includes a groove formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof, the groove extending in a direction substantially equivalent to a circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface.

An image forming apparatus includes a first frame member and a second frame member which are aligned in a direction of a rotation axis of an image bearing member and faces each other across an image forming unit and a stacking unit. The first frame member includes a first portion including a first side surface facing the image forming unit and a second portion, which is fixed to the first portion, including a second side surface facing the stacking unit. The second frame member includes a third side surface facing the image forming unit and the stacking unit, and at least a part of the second side surface is provided in a position different from a position of the first side surface in the direction of the rotation axis of the image bearing member.

A transport apparatus includes an accommodating unit that accommodates a recording medium and that is mounted to be capable of reciprocating with respect to a body portion, a loading plate that is provided in the accommodating unit to be movable up and down and that is loaded with the recording medium, a lifting unit that moves up the loading plate to a position where the recording medium is able to be fed by winding wires connected to opposite end portions of the loading plate to suspend the loading plate, and moves down the loading plate by feeding the wires, and a receiving member that is provided on a bottom surface of the accommodating unit and that receives abutments provided on the loading plate when the loading plate moves down.

A conveying apparatus includes: a casing formed with a first sheet-conveyance passage and a second sheet-conveyance passage positioned inwardly as compared with the first sheet-conveyance passage; a cover member including a first resin member having a first guide surface for defining the first sheet-conveyance passage, a second resin member attached to the first resin member and located on an inner side of the casing than the first guide surface and defining the first sheet-conveyance passage, and a third resin member attached to the second resin member at a position opposite to the first resin member with respect to the second resin member and having a third guide surface for defining the second sheet-conveyance passage; and a metal frame attached to the second resin member at a position between the second resin member and the third resin member.

An image forming apparatus includes a tray, a casing having a first outlet, a second outlet above the first outlet, a first path, and a second path, a stack lever, a drive source, and a controller. The second path communicates with the second outlet such that a sheet conveyed along the second path is partially discharged from the second outlet and is reversed along the second path. The first outlet communicates with the first path such that the sheet conveyed along the first path is discharged from the first outlet onto the tray. The stack lever is movable between a first position where the stack lever presses a sheet on the tray and a second position higher than the first position. The controller is configured to control the drive source such that, when the sheet is discharged from the second outlet, the stack lever is at the second position.

A core (u1, u2) around which a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery separator is to be wound. A side surface of the core (u1, u2) has a depression (20). This makes it possible, in a case where cores (separator cores) are stored by being stacked while still wet after cleaning, to prevent damage to a core caused by a problem where cores stick together and an core lower in a stack falls when a core higher in the stack is removed.

A transport apparatus includes an accommodating unit that accommodates a recording medium and that is mounted to be capable of reciprocating with respect to a body portion, a loading plate that is provided in the accommodating unit to be movable up and down and that is loaded with the recording medium, a lifting unit that moves up the loading plate to a position where the recording medium is able to be fed by winding wires connected to opposite end portions of the loading plate to suspend the loading plate, and moves down the loading plate by feeding the wires, and a receiving member that is provided on a bottom surface of the accommodating unit and that receives abutments provided on the loading plate when the loading plate moves down.

A system includes an image forming station, which is configured to apply droplets of one or more printing fluids to a target substrate, so as to form an image thereon, and a substrate conveyor, which includes one or more perforated plates having multiple openings, and is configured to grip and move the target substrate to and from the image forming station for forming the image, the substrate conveyor includes one or more rotatable elements, which are fitted in the respective openings, and are configured to provide mechanical support to the target substrate, and when the target substrate moves over the one or more rotatable elements, at least one of the rotatable elements is configured to rotate in response to a physical contact with the target substrate.

A winding core holder includes a holder main body, a lifter to raise and lower the holder main body, and a roller movably held relative to the holder main body, enabling the winding core to be placed and moved in the winding core axial direction. The roller includes a high-release surface with a higher release property than a surface of the holder main body.