The specification discusses various lacing engine configurations for use in an automated footwear platform. For example, lacing engines with mechanisms to detect lace cable position and/or lace cable tensions are discussed. In an example, the lacing engine can include a housing, a lace spool and a detection mechanism. The lace spool can be at least partially disposed within the housing, and be adapted to collect a portion of the lace cable in response to rotation in a first direction during tightening of the footwear platform. The detection mechanism can detect a state of the lace cable manipulated by the lacing engine.

In an example, a lacing engine apparatus can include a housing and a drivetrain. The housing can be securable within a footwear article. The drivetrain can include a motor, a sun gear, a planet gear, a rotating ring gear, and a spool. The spool can be secured to the ring gear and can be rotatable therewith. The spool can be configured to control a lace of the footwear article and can be configured to wind the lace as the ring gear rotates in a first direction.

In an example, a lacing engine apparatus can include a housing and a drivetrain. The housing can be securable within a footwear article. The drivetrain can include a motor, a sun gear, a planet gear, a rotating ring gear, and a spool. The spool can be secured to the ring gear and can be rotatable therewith. The spool can be configured to control a lace of the footwear article and can be configured to wind the lace as the ring gear rotates in a first direction.

A conveyance control device controls conveyance of a plurality of sheets including an image-formed sheet. The conveyance control device includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain display image data indicating a display image of each of the plurality of sheets; a region-specifying unit configured to specify common color regions having a common display color on the plurality of sheets based on the display image data; and a multiple feed detector configured to detect multiple feed of the sheets based on a light-receiving amount of light irradiated onto the common color regions; wherein the display image data indicating a display image of the image-formed sheet includes predetermined image data indicating a predetermined image to be previously formed and sheet image data indicating a sheet image displayed in a sheet color of the sheet.

Lacing engine systems, apparatus, and methods of operation are discussed. In an example, a lacing engine apparatus can include a housing, a drivetrain, and a lace take-up mechanism for retracting a length of lace cable upon activation. The drivetrain can include various reduction gears to reduce rotational speed out of the motor and power the lace take-up mechanism. The lace take-up mechanism can include structures such as a double-yoke, a radial pulley including an outer rotating disc and an inner stationary disc, a variable take-up spool, or a zip-strip mechanism.

The specification discusses various lacing engine configurations for use in an automated footwear platform. For example, lacing engines with mechanisms to detect lace cable position and/or lace cable tensions are discussed. In an example, the lacing engine can include a housing, a lace spool and a detection mechanism. The lace spool can be at least partially disposed within the housing, and be adapted to collect a portion of the lace cable in response to rotation in a first direction during tightening of the footwear platform. The detection mechanism can detect a state of the lace cable manipulated by the lacing engine.

Lacing engine systems, apparatus, and methods of operation are discussed. In an example, a lacing engine apparatus can include a housing, a drivetrain, and a lace take-up mechanism for retracting a length of lace cable upon activation. The drivetrain can include various reduction gears to reduce rotational speed out of the motor and power the lace take-up mechanism. The lace take-up mechanism can include structures such as a double-yoke, a radial pulley including an outer rotating disc and an inner stationary disc, a variable take-up spool, or a zip-strip mechanism.

An image forming apparatus includes first and second sheet storages, a sheet conveyer, an image reading unit configured to read a surface of a sheet conveyed from the first sheet storage by the sheet conveyer, an image forming unit configured to form an image on the sheet conveyed from the image reading unit, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine an amount of a color material appearing on the surface of the sheet based on image data generated by the image reading unit, determine one of the image forming unit and the second sheet storage as a sheet feeding destination, based on the determined amount of the color material and a threshold value that is associated with at least one of a type and content of an image to be formed on the sheet, and control the sheet conveyer to convey the sheet to the sheet feeding destination.

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a pair of rollers configured to convey a sheet in a sheet conveyance passage, a detector configured to optically detect an attitude of the sheet, one of a rotation device to rotate the pair of rollers in a direction parallel to a plane of the sheet and a moving device to move the pair of rollers in a width direction, and a controller configured to correct the attitude of the pair of rollers at a time interval, based on a detection result obtained by the detector. The controller performs the correcting operation by setting, according to reflectance of the sheet, at least one of a light emission time of the detector, the time interval of the correcting operation, light emission intensity of the detector and a conveying speed of the sheet.

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a pair of rollers configured to convey a sheet in a sheet conveyance passage, a detector configured to optically detect an attitude of the sheet, one of a rotation device to rotate the pair of rollers in a direction parallel to a plane of the sheet and a moving device to move the pair of rollers in a width direction, and a controller configured to correct the attitude of the pair of rollers at a time interval, based on a detection result obtained by the detector. The controller performs the correcting operation by setting, according to reflectance of the sheet, at least one of a light emission time of the detector, the time interval of the correcting operation, light emission intensity of the detector and a conveying speed of the sheet.