Abstract:
A sheet feed unit for use in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed unit body and a sheet cassette. The sheet feed unit body includes a first frame and a first contact face provided on the first frame. The sheet cassette, which is withdrawable from the sheet feed unit body, includes a second frame, a second contact face provided on the second frame, and a separator. The second contact face is attached to the first contact face when to set the sheet cassette at a position in the sheet feed unit body. The separator is inserted between the first contact face and the second contact face to separate the sheet cassette and the sheet feed unit body, and is disengaged from the first contact face and the second contact face to set the sheet cassette at the position in the sheet feed unit body.
Abstract:
A steering device is mounted in a limited space in a small engine compartment, thereby providing improved efficiency for assembly on production lines and improved vehicle maintenance. A steering column extends upward diagonally from in front of an engine into a driver's cabin. When seen from above the vehicle, the steering column extends from the front of the engine to driver's cabin through a space formed between the engine and a side member of a chassis frame. A steering shaft and a middle shaft of the steering column are connected via a joint, which passes along the side of the engine. The joint has a pair of tightening bolt holes, and serrations. Both shafts also have serrations mating with the serrations on the joint. One of the bolts is loosely fitted into one of the bolt holes during installation. A flat cavity on one of the joining shafts receives the loosely fitted tightening bolt. The flat cavity permits limited in and out motion of the joint for setting the final position of the joint. The other of the joining shafts has an annular groove for receiving the other of the tightening bolts. The adjustability permitted by the flat groove enables prior installation of the joint on one of the shafts and later fitting of the joint to the second shaft. The positioning of the bolts permits installation and service from above the engine compartment.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus having an image carrying member bearing an electrostatic image wherein the electrostatic image is visualized into a toner image by a developing device. The image carrying member is arranged for transferring the toner image to an intermediate transfer element while the image carrying member and intermediate transfer element are moving at a usual speed corresponding to the speed of movement of the image carrying member during toner image development. Multiple such toner images of different colors may be transferred in this manner to form multi-color images superimposed on the intermediate transfer element for subsequent transfer to a recording medium, usually paper. To increase the speed at which multi-color copies can be made, the speed of movement of the image carrying member and intermediate transfer element may be temporarily increased (a) immediately following visualization of each toner image on the image carrying member, (b) when the developing device separates from the image carrying member, and (c) after transfer of the visual image from the image carrying member to the intermediate transfer element, respectively. The speed of movement of the image carrying member and intermediate transfer element is returned to the usual speed (d) before image information is written on the image carrying member, and (e) before transfer of the multi-color image from the intermediate transfer element to the recording medium, respectively.