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).

A bonding apparatus includes a first holder, a first transforming device, a second holder, a second transforming device, a suction device and a control device. The first holder attracts and holds a first substrate from above. The first transforming device transforms the first substrate held by the first holder such that a central portion of the first substrate is protruded downwards. The second holder is provided under the first holder, and attracts and holds a second substrate, which is to be bonded to the first substrate, from below. The second transforming device transforms the second substrate held by the second holder such that a central portion of the second substrate is protruded upwards. The suction device generates different attracting forces in multiple division regions included in an attraction region of the second substrate. The control device controls the suction device.

A vacuum belt conveyor sequentially delivers sheet articles to a digital printer. The sheets are held in position by vacuum on the underside of the sheets through apertures in the belt and covered by the sheets. A plurality of independent plenums on the underside of the belt have chambers respectively communicating with rows of apertures extending along the belt. Vacuum is selectively applied from a manifold only to the plenum chambers that supply apertures that are covered by the sheets so that the ink from the printer will not be directed from its intended position on the sheet by vacuum from adjacent uncovered belt apertures.

A recording material transporting device includes a transport belt having an endless shape and having an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface having a friction coefficient smaller than a friction coefficient of the inner peripheral surface. The transport belt transports a recording material by using the outer peripheral surface toward a reader that reads an image. The recording material transporting device further includes a driving roller that rotates while being in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the transport belt and that rotatably drives the transport belt.

A sheet suction device includes a drum having multiple suction ports in a circumferential surface of the drum, the drum configured to bear a sheet on the circumferential surface and rotate in a circumferential direction of the drum, and a suction device configured to suck the sheet through the multiple suction ports to attract the sheet on the circumferential surface. The drum includes multiple suction regions aligned in the circumferential direction on the circumferential surface, each of the multiple suction regions includes the multiple suction ports aligned in the circumferential direction and in an axial direction of the drum on the circumferential surface, the multiple suction regions include an upstream region, a middle region, and a downstream region in the circumferential direction, and the middle region has the multiple suction ports at both outer sides in the axial direction of the drum.

In an example, a media sheet conveyance system includes a first transport assembly, a plurality of subject transport assemblies, and a controller. The first transport assembly includes an endless first belt having a plurality of rows of holes, including a first and a second edge row separated by a distance “x”. Each subject transport assembly includes an endless subject belt having a subject edge row of holes, with a distance to a nearest edge row of an adjacent transport assembly being less than or equal to the distance “x.” The controller is to, in order to convey a media sheet, control a first drive roller to circulate the first belt over a first vacuum element set, and control a subject drive roller to circulate a subject belt over a subject vacuum element.

A controller drives a floating unit and a conveyor to perform a sheet feed operation, during the sheet feed operation, acquires an amount of received light at a detector during floating of sheets floated by the floating unit each time each sheet is conveyed by the conveyor, and perform a following control of lifting a stacking tray upon the acquired amount of received light being less than a threshold value. The controller, after start of the sheet feed operation, samples amounts of received light at the detector during floating of the sheets floated by the floating unit, performs a threshold value determination process of determining the threshold value by using the sampled amounts of received light, and starts the following control upon determining the threshold value.

The present application relates to a device for conveying flat pieces. The device comprises a belt with a transport surface, wherein the belt is movable along a transport axis; a support element with a support surface for supporting the belt; and a vacuum supply for providing vacuum suction; wherein a suction distributing structure at the support surface of the support element is in fluid connection with the vacuum supply; and wherein the suction distributing structure has a belt suction region and a card suction region, wherein the belt suction region is configured to provide suction to the belt and the card suction region is configured to provide suction to flat pieces on the transport surface of the belt. The present application also relates to a system for treating flat pieces, the system comprising a treatment device, for example a print head.

A device for processing of flat elements, especially for the processing of paper blanks, is described. This device comprises a conveyor belt (25) that is guided over a first roller (12a) and a second roller (12b), said conveyor belt being made of metal and being permeable to air, wherein its upper section forms the transport section (25a) and its lower section forms the return section (25b), and a vacuum generator being located under the upper section of the conveyor belt. A laser (30) for cutting the flat elements is located above the transport section (25a). In order to achieve an improved flatness and an increased durability, the conveyor belt (25) consists of an expanded metal.

A sheet metal processing plant includes a conveyor defining a receiving surface for a workpiece and a conveying direction in a conveying plane and being embodied for conveying the workpiece, the workpiece having a bottom side and a top side, and a turning unit embodied for turning the workpiece received on the receiving surface from the bottom side to the top side. The turning unit includes a manipulator embodied to lift the bottom side of the workpiece off the receiving surface, to perform a turning operation of the workpiece and to place the top side of the workpiece on the receiving surface of the conveyor.