A conveying apparatus for feeding sheets into a processing apparatus is discloses which comprises a plurality of nips within which sheets are gripped and driven along a conveying direction towards the processing apparatus, each nip being defined between a respective drive wheel and an opposing reaction surface. The drive wheels are omni-wheels configured to apply a frictional force to advance the sheets in the conveying direction while permitting free movement of the sheets in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, the reaction surfaces permitting free movement of the sheets in the transverse direction, and an elongate guide is arranged on one side of the conveying apparatus, to extend generally parallel to the conveying direction, the conveying apparatus being configured to urge conveyed sheets in the transverse direction into contact with the guide. A control system is provided to move the guide generally in the transverse direction in dependence upon sensed fiducials on the conveyed sheets, to ensure correct alignment of the sheets in the transverse direction with respect to the processing apparatus.

A fixing device for fixing an image comprising a liquid developer on a recording material includes a feeding belt for feeding the recording material; a plurality of air vents, provided in a region of the feeding belt on which the recording material is fed, for sucking the recording material onto the feeding belt; a fan for sucking the recording material toward the feeding belt; and a heating source for heating the image on the recording material fed by the feeding belt, by radiant heat, and satisfies the following equation:
db.Math.Φb.Math.K<44.9, wherein K: ρb.Math.cb/λp.Math.ρp.Math.dp.Math.cp cp: specific heat of developer and recording material (J/g.Math.K) ρp: density of developer and recording material (g/cm3) dp: thickness of developer and recording material (mm) λp: thermal conductivity of developer and recording material (W/(m.Math.K)) cb: specific heat of belt (J/g.Math.K) ρb: density of belt (g/cm3) db: thickness of belt (mm) Φb: diameter of air vent of belt (mm).

To provide a sheet processing system which can properly perform sorting processing of a plurality of kinds of sheets, while making each of a plurality of sheet processing apparatuses effectively operate.

A sheet processing system of an embodiment has a plurality of sheet processing apparatuses, a sorting apparatus, a storage unit, an information acquisition unit, and a controller. The plurality of sheet processing apparatuses each has a plurality of stackers for stacking sheets. The plurality of sheet processing apparatuses each sorts and stacks the sheets in the plurality of stackers. The plurality of sheet processing apparatuses each outputs information of a stacking status of the sheets in each of the plurality of stackers. The sorting apparatus sorts and feeds a sheet group formed of a plurality of the sheets to any of the plurality of sheet processing apparatuses. The storage unit stores the information of the stacking status of the sheets in each of the plurality of sheet processing apparatuses. The controller controls sorting of the sheet group by the sorting apparatus, based on the information of the sheet group which the information acquisition unit acquires, and the information of the stacking status of the sheets in the storage unit.

Provided is a sheet conveying apparatus that includes a conveying unit capable of changing its posture through rotation, and forms a sheet conveyance path capable of conveying a sheet without fail regardless of which posture the conveying unit is in. A first conveying unit is capable of being in a first posture and in a second posture by rotating from the first posture. In a case where the first conveying unit is in the first posture, a sheet conveyance path is formed in which the first conveyance path, the second conveyance path, and the third conveyance path are connected in this order. In a case where the first conveying unit is in the second posture, a sheet conveyance path is formed in which the first conveyance path and the third conveyance path are connected in this order.

A transport device includes a transporting belt including an outer peripheral surface where a medium is placeable, the transporting belt being configured to transport the medium, a wiper blade including a tip portion configured to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface, and a base end portion located on an opposite side of the tip portion in an intersecting direction intersecting with the outer peripheral surface, the wiper blade being configured to wipe the outer peripheral surface, a contact portion made of resin and configured to support the base end portion by coming into contact with the base end portion, and a plurality of pressing units provided side by side in a width direction of the transporting belt, the plurality of pressing units being configured to press the base end portion via the contact portion.

An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit including a transfer nip portion, a fixing unit including a fixing nip portion, a suction belt conveyance unit arranged between the transfer unit and the fixing unit and conveying the sheet toward the fixing nip, a first casing, a second casing connected to the first casing and supporting the fixing unit, a first positioning portion, and, a second positioning portion. The first positioning portion is disposed in the first casing and performs positioning of the suction belt conveyance unit in a predetermined direction along a surface perpendicular to a width direction of the sheet. The second positioning portion is disposed in the second casing and performs positioning of the suction belt conveyance unit in the predetermined direction.

A belt feeding device includes an endless belt, stretching rollers including a tension roller, a bearing member supporting the tension roller, a beating support member supporting the bearing member, an urging member urging the tension roller, a supporting member supporting the bearing supporting member, and a locking member. The locking member is movable between a first position where an engagement between the locking member and one of the bearing support member and the bearing member is released and the bearing member is permitted to move so as to apply the tension to the belt, and a second position where the locking member locks the bearing member by engaging with the bearing support member and the bearing member and the bearing member is restricted to move. The bearing member, the bearing support member, the urging member, and the locking member constitute a unit to be integrally dismountable from the supporting in the second position.

A conveying belt has a cylindrical base layer, and a surface layer that is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base layer. The base layer contains polyimide or polyamide-imide, and has an elastic modulus from 3-7 GPa, inclusive. The surface layer is configured as a cured object from a resin composition that contains a fluororesin having a hydroxy group, an isocyanate curing agent, and a silicone copolymer. The silicone copolymer is a copolymer containing a silicone unit and another kind of unit not having a siloxane skeleton, has a hydroxy group, and contains siloxane units in a proportion of at least 95 mol% and less than 100 mol%, or from 40-70 mol%, inclusive. The silicone copolymer content in the resin composition is 1-5 parts by mass, inclusive, relative to a total 100 parts by mass of the fluororesin and the isocyanate curing agent.

A conveying belt has a cylindrical base layer, and a surface layer that is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base layer. The base layer contains polyimide or polyamide-imide, and has an elastic modulus from 3-7 GPa, inclusive. The surface layer is configured as a cured object from a resin composition that contains a fluororesin having a hydroxy group, an isocyanate curing agent, and a silicone copolymer. The silicone copolymer is a copolymer containing a silicone unit and another kind of unit not having a siloxane skeleton, has a hydroxy group, and contains siloxane units in a proportion of at least 95 mol% and less than 100 mol%, or from 40-70 mol%, inclusive. The silicone copolymer content in the resin composition is 1-5 parts by mass, inclusive, relative to a total 100 parts by mass of the fluororesin and the isocyanate curing agent.

Provided is a transport device including a feeding unit on which a roll-type medium is set and which feeds the medium by rotating the medium, and an endless transport belt that transports the medium in a transport direction by supporting the medium fed out from the feeding unit and rotating. When seen from a support direction in which the transport belt supports the medium, the feeding unit is configured to change the posture thereof so as to incline a rotating shaft of the medium with respect to a width direction that is a direction intersecting the transport direction.