A sheet conveyance guide includes a sheet material. The sheet material has a surface to face a sheet when the sheet conveyance guide guides the sheet travelling in a conveyance direction. The sheet material has irregularities over a whole area of the surface.

Provided is a device housing made of materials containing at least an electrically conductive material, an image reading device, and an electrostatic capacitance detection device that can achieve electrical connection with a relatively small space while preventing deformation of the device housing. The device housing includes a housing made of materials containing at least an electrically conductive material and including an electrically conductive surface in at least part of the surface of the housing, a ground conductor being present on a plane different from the plane including the electrically conductive surface, and a ground auxiliary conductor disposed over a level difference existing between the plane including the electrically conductive surface and the plane including the ground conductor. The ground auxiliary conductor is an electrically conductive sheet to connect the electrically conductive surface to the ground conductor electrically.

A medium transport device includes a transport section transporting a medium in a contact manner, an electrode detecting static electricity charged on the medium, and a static electricity detection circuit. The static electricity detection circuit includes a voltage clamp circuit clamping a detection signal input from the electrode to a predetermined voltage, an amplifier circuit amplifying an output signal of the voltage clamp circuit, a rectifier circuit rectifying an output signal of the amplifier circuit, and a comparator circuit serving as a determination circuit determining whether the medium exists based on an output signal of the rectifier circuit.

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier and a charge removing portion. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the image carrier. The charge removing portion includes: a light source configured to emit light to be used for removing charge from the image carrier; a light concentrating portion configured to concentrate the light emitted from the light source on a surface of the image carrier; and a light source supporting portion formed integrally with the light concentrating portion and supporting the light source at a supporting position in which the light source and the light concentrating portion have a predetermined positional relationship.

A system and method for monitoring of document processing devices for scheduling of service includes a processor, associated memory and a network interface. The network interface is in data communication with a plurality of identifiable multifunction peripherals. Contact data maps each multifunction peripheral to at least one designated contact is stored in the memory. The network interface receives status data from each of the plurality of multifunction peripherals which is stored in the memory. A statistical engine, including the processor and memory calculates trend data from stored status data and generates alerts corresponding to identified multifunction peripherals in accordance with an analysis of the trend data. The network interface communicates the alerts to at least one designated contact in accordance with each identified multifunction peripheral and the contact data.

An image reading apparatus includes a document placement unit, a document conveyance unit, a reading unit, a case, and a movable member. The document conveyance unit conveys a document, placed on the document placement unit, along a conveyance path. The case accommodates the reading unit and includes a transparent member which allows passing of light to receiving elements, and an opening. The movable member includes a cover portion and a connection portion and moves in an adjustment direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the case. The cover portion covers the case opening while being in contact with an outside of the case. The connection portion connects the reading unit and the cover portion. When the movable member moves in the adjustment direction, the reading unit moves within the case to change an angle of the reading unit with respect to a document conveyance direction.

A method is disclosed. For example, the method executed by a processor of a multi-function device (MFD) includes detecting use of the MFD, wherein the MFD is associated with a plurality of MFDs that are designated as a cluster within a location, deactivating the MFD in response to use of the MFD being detected, transmitting a first notification to deactivate the plurality of MFDs within the cluster in response to use of the MFD being detected, initiating a decontamination process within the location in response to the use of the MFD being detected, receiving an indication that the decontamination process is completed, transmitting a second notification to reactivate the plurality of MFDs within the cluster, and reactivating the MFD.

An apparatus includes an image forming portion 10 for forming an image on a sheet; a first rotatable member 100; a second rotatable member 101 cooperative with the first rotatable member to form a nip for fixing the image formed by the image forming portion, on the sheet; a pressing mechanism 112, 113 for pressing the first rotatable member toward the second rotatable member; a moving mechanism 120 for moving the pressing mechanism between a first position in which the nip is formed by the first rotatable member and the second rotatable member, and a second position in which the first rotatable member and the second rotatable member are spaced from each other; and a controller 800 for controlling an operation of the moving mechanism, wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of executing an operation in a control mode in which a pressure releasing operation is executed such that the pressing mechanism is shifted from the first position to the second position after elapse of a predetermined time after completion of execution of the image formation job. The apparatus includes a manual operating portion 831 in which selection and setting can be executed as to whether to execute the operation in the control mode.

An image reading apparatus includes a document placement unit, a document conveyance unit, a reading unit, a case, and a movable member. The document conveyance unit conveys a document, placed on the document placement unit, along a conveyance path. The case accommodates the reading unit and includes a transparent member which allows passing of light to receiving elements, and an opening. The movable member includes a cover portion and a connection portion and moves in an adjustment direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the case. The cover portion covers the case opening while being in contact with an outside of the case. The connection portion connects the reading unit and the cover portion. When the movable member moves in the adjustment direction, the reading unit moves within the case to change an angle of the reading unit with respect to a document conveyance direction.

A method is disclosed. For example, the method executed by a processor of a multi-function device (MFD) includes detecting use of the MFD, wherein the MFD is associated with a plurality of MFDs that are designated as a cluster within a location, deactivating the MFD in response to use of the MFD being detected, transmitting a first notification to deactivate the plurality of MFDs within the cluster in response to use of the MFD being detected, initiating a decontamination process within the location in response to the use of the MFD being detected, receiving an indication that the decontamination process is completed, transmitting a second notification to reactivate the plurality of MFDs within the cluster, and reactivating the MFD.