Abstract:
An exhaust system in an internal combustion engine includes a flow rate regulating valve which is positioned in an intermediate portion of an exhaust gas flow passage. The flow rate regulating valve has a rotary shaft rotatably supported in a valve housing, and a rotationally biasing spring mounted between the rotary shaft and the valve housing which provides a spring force to rotationally bias the rotary shaft. In the exhaust system, an axially biasing spring is mounted separately from the rotationally biasing spring between the valve housing and the rotary shaft for biasing the rotary shaft in an axial direction. The rotary shaft is provided with an abutment surface which faces in the one axial direction, and the valve housing is provided with a limiting portion which abuts against the abutment surface to limit the axial movement of the rotary shaft. Thus, the rotary shaft is biased in the one axial direction by the axially biasing spring, and the abutment surface of the rotary shaft is urged against the limiting portion of the valve housing, thereby avoiding the axially chattering of the rotary shaft.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus which utilizes a communication device is disclosed. A communication unit of a housing which corresponds to an antenna portion is provided at a position at which the communication unit can be seen without obstruction from the upper side. A communication device such as a smartphone can be brought close to or into contact with the communication unit readily. Accordingly, wireless communication between the antenna portion and the communication device can be established.
Abstract:
Feeding systems for documents or other sheet materials include: (a) an inlet; (b) an outlet; (c) a feed path extending between the inlet and outlet; and (d) a feed system that moves materials along the feed path. The systems further may include: (e) a bidirectional feed path extending from the feed path; (f) a supply system that moves materials to the feed path; (g) a bidirectional drive system that moves materials along the bidirectional feed path; and/or (h) a bidirectional feed path access control system. Drive systems may be provided for driving the feed system and at least one of the supply system, the bidirectional drive system, and/or the access control system such that operation of the feed system is independent of operation of the other systems and/or such that a single motor may be used to drive any or all of the systems.
Abstract:
A document scanning device, configured to sequentially eject and insert sheets under a stack of already-ejected sheets, includes a feed tray, a document table, a catch tray, a feeder feeding sheets from the feed tray to the catch tray, a scanner performing scanning in one of a first mode to scan the sheets fed by the feeder and a second mode to scan a sheet placed on the document table, an ejection detector detecting a sheet on the catch tray, and a controller. In response to an instruction to start the scanning, the controller forbids the scanner to start the scanning when determining with the ejection detector that a sheet is on the catch tray, and allows the scanner to start the scanning in a selected one of the first mode and the second mode when determining with the ejection detector that no sheet is on the catch tray.
Abstract:
A document feeder includes a sheet tray loaded with sheets stacked thereon in a predetermined direction, a pickup unit pulling in sheets on the sheet tray and feed the sheets, a separation unit that separates a sheet from the sheets fed through the pickup unit and feeds the separated sheet, so as to convey the sheets sequentially on a sheet-by-sheet basis, and a guide unit that forms a carrying path extending from the sheet tray to the separation unit. The guide unit has an entrance portion provided at a side of the sheet tray relative to the separation unit, as an entrance of the sheets on the sheet tray into the carrying path. The carrying path has a longer length in the predetermined direction at a downstream side in a sheet carrying direction relative to the entrance portion than a length in the predetermined direction of the entrance portion.
Abstract:
A document feeder including a document feed unit that feeds a document along a document feed path extending from a document loading section to a document output section via a scanning position. The document feed unit includes a first feed roller pair nipping and feed a document opposed to the scanning position at a position downstream in a feed direction from the scanning position, and a second feed roller pair nipping and feed the document fed by the first feed roller pair at a document feed speed higher than that of the first feed roller pair at a position downstream in the feed direction from the first feed roller pair.
Abstract:
The method for producing the porous sheet of the present invention includes the steps of (I) preparing a plurality of sheet materials that contain polytetrafluoroethylene and carbon particles and (II) stacking the plurality of sheet materials over one another and rolling the stacked sheet materials. In the method for producing the porous sheet of the present invention, step (I) and step (II) may be repeated alternately. Further, as the sheet materials to be used in the production method of the present invention, a base sheet obtained by forming a mixture containing polytetrafluoroethylene and carbon particles into sheet form also can be used, or a laminated sheet obtained by stacking a plurality of base sheets over one another and rolling them also can be used, for example.
Abstract:
A document feeder includes a sheet tray loaded with sheets stacked thereon in a predetermined direction, a pickup unit pulling in sheets on the sheet tray and feed the sheets, a separation unit that separates a sheet from the sheets fed through the pickup unit and feeds the separated sheet, so as to convey the sheets sequentially on a sheet-by-sheet basis, and a guide unit that forms a carrying path extending from the sheet tray to the separation unit. The guide unit has an entrance portion provided at a side of the sheet tray relative to the separation unit, as an entrance of the sheets on the sheet tray into the carrying path. The carrying path has a longer length in the predetermined direction at a downstream side in a sheet carrying direction relative to the entrance portion than a length in the predetermined direction of the entrance portion.
Abstract:
An automatic document feeder (ADF), which is capable of feeding a document for double-sided reading, includes an input tray, an output tray, which are vertically arranged, a U-shaped document feed path, which is made up of an upper portion, a curved portion, and a lower portion, feeding rollers disposed in the document feed path, a bidirectional feed path connected to a connection position, a bidirectional feed roller provided in the bidirectional feed path, a bypass connecting a branch position and the connection position, and an ADF cover, which is rotatable with respect to an ADF frame. A paper jam is readily cleared with a simple structure and reasonable cost.
Abstract:
There is disclosed a fuel cell in which an insulating material is disposed, whereby the thermal diffusion of the inside and outside of a fuel cell can be suppressed to suppress the deterioration of the performance of the fuel cell due to a temperature drop. Moreover, the physical properties of the insulating material are specified, whereby appropriate insulating properties required in the fuel cell can be obtained, and startup properties are improved. A fuel cell has a cell stack in which a plurality of unit cells are stacked, and terminal plates disposed on both sides of the cell stack in a cell stack direction thereof. The fuel cell comprises an insulating portion having an insulating material and holding plates which hold the insulating material from both the sides of the insulating material in the cell stack direction, the insulating material is held between the holding plates, and the insulating material has a thermal conductivity of 0.1 W/mK or less and a porosity of 70% or more.