A medium passage switching mechanism disposed on a casing of an image forming device, includes a medium tray, a guiding component and a linking component. An entrance passage, a first exit passage and a second exit passage are formed inside the casing. The medium tray is pivoted to the casing. The guiding component is pivoted to the casing. The linking component is a one-piece structure and movably connected to the medium tray and the guiding component. When the medium tray pivots relative to the casing, the medium tray drives the linking component to drive the guiding component to pivot relative to the casing, so that the guiding component can guide a medium to enter into the first exit passage or the second exit passage selectively from the entrance passage.

The print medium identification method includes (a) a step of obtaining first physical property information about a print medium, (b) a step of obtaining second physical property information which is different from the first physical property information about the print medium, (c) a step of obtaining first discrimination information for discriminating a type of print medium by inputting the first physical property information to a first discriminator, (d) a step of obtaining second discrimination information for discriminating the type of print medium by inputting second physical property information to a second discriminator, and (e) a step of identifying the type of print medium by using the first discrimination information and the second discrimination information.

A medium conveying apparatus includes a conveyance roller to convey a medium, an imaging device to image the medium, a DC motor to drive the conveyance roller, a processor to detect that a front end of the medium reaches between the conveyance roller and the imaging device, set a current limit value of the DC motor to a first limit value until the front end of the medium reaches between the conveyance roller and the imaging device, and change the current limit value to a second limit value larger than the first limit value after the front end of the medium has reached between the conveyance roller and the imaging device, and drive the conveyance roller by rotating the DC motor based on the second limit value when the imaging device performs imaging.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet, a feeding roller for feeding the sheet by rotation thereof in a state in which the feeding roller contacts an uppermost sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodating portion, a detecting portion for detecting a surface property of the sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodating portion, a changing means for changing contact pressure of the feeding roller to the uppermost sheet, and a controller for controlling the changing means so as to change the contact pressure on the basis of a result of the surface property of the sheet detected by the detecting portion.

A printing apparatus determines a change in torque of a motor that moves a pick arm for translating print media, determines based on the change in torque whether a media in present adjacent to the pick arm.

A printing apparatus determines a change in torque of a motor that moves a pick arm for translating print media, determines based on the change in torque whether a media in present adjacent to the pick arm.

The detection unit includes a first contact member, which comes into contact with a first surface of a recording material and a second contact member, which comes into contact with a second surface of the recording material, the first contact member and the second contact member being disposed so as to oppose each other thus being capable of nipping the recording material, and the first contact member and the second contact member are movable in a direction in which the first contact member and the second contact member nip the recording material, and is rotatable about an axis line extending in a predetermined direction, the predetermined direction being orthogonal to the direction in which the first contact member and the second contact member are movable and being orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording material.

The detection unit includes a first contact member, which comes into contact with a first surface of a recording material and a second contact member, which comes into contact with a second surface of the recording material, the first contact member and the second contact member being disposed so as to oppose each other thus being capable of nipping the recording material, and the first contact member and the second contact member are movable in a direction in which the first contact member and the second contact member nip the recording material, and is rotatable about an axis line extending in a predetermined direction, the predetermined direction being orthogonal to the direction in which the first contact member and the second contact member are movable and being orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording material.

Provided are a winding shaft, a cell manufacturing apparatus, and a cell manufacturing method. The winding shaft is used for winding plates and includes: a winding shaft body including a first winding surface; an adjustment member configured to be mounted to the winding shaft body and movable simultaneously in an axial direction of the winding shaft and in a radial direction of the winding shaft, where the adjustment member includes a second winding surface, and the first winding surface and the second winding surface are configured to wind the plates jointly; and an actuator configured to drive the adjustment member to move to change a relative position of the second winding surface with respect to the first winding surface, so as to change a winding circumference of the winding shaft. The winding shaft of the present application can reduce the possibility of or the amount of misalignment between the tabs.

A medium conveying apparatus includes a conveying roller to convey a medium, and a processor to detect transmission information of an ultrasonic wave transmitted through the medium or thickness information of the medium at a plurality of positions in the conveyed medium, calculate a size of an area in which the transmission information or the thickness information is within a predetermined range in the conveyed medium, determine whether a multi-feed of the medium has occurred, by comparing a value based on the transmission information or the thickness information with a threshold, and execute an abnormality processing when it is determined that the multi-feed of the medium has occurred. The processor changes the threshold according to the size.