Disclosed herein are a pre-fill system to improve brake feel and a method of increasing an initial flux using the same which may reduce an invalid travel distance of a brake pedal. The pre-fill system includes a first housing connected with the master cylinder and provided with a first bore having a smaller-diameter portion and a larger-diameter portion, a second housing provided with a stepped second bore communicating with the first bore to be coupled with the first housing to define a hydraulic pressure chamber, a piston arranged in the first bore and provided with an oil channel unit, and a valve assembly adapted to open and close the oil channel unit of the piston according to the hydraulic brake pressure, wherein the piston applies pressure to the hydraulic pressure chamber through the piston to supply hydraulic pressure to the disc brake.

A variable speed power converter controls the speed of a load in a material handling system as a function of the torque required to move the load. While the power converter is running, the torque being produced in the motor is determined. The power converter then determines the maximum rotational speed of the motor as a function of the torque currently being produced and of the torque-speed curve of the motor. The power converter then commands the motor to rotate at this maximum rotational speed. The power converter periodically monitors the torque being produced and adjusts the maximum rotational speed of the motor throughout the run.

A variable speed trigger mechanism that allows a user to reverse a direction of a motor and supply variable amounts of power to the motor using a single trigger mechanism. In a first motion, the user can actuate the reversing module to change the direction of the motor coupled to the trigger mechanism. In a second motion, the user can actuate the same trigger and apply variable amounts of power to the motor.

A circuit for speed monitoring of an electric motor comprises a circuit for generating a time-frame signal, a circuit for receiving a first signal from a chopper driver circuit designed to drive the electric motor, a circuit for detecting chopper pulses in the first signal, a pulse counter, and a circuit for at least one of outputting and evaluating a state of the pulse counter, after the inactive state of the time-frame has been indicated. The time-frame signal indicates when a time-frame of predefined length changes from an inactive state to an active state and indicates when the time-frame changes back from the active state to the inactive state. The pulse counter is designed to count the detected chopper pulses while the active state is indicated by the circuit for generating the time-frame signal.

A computer-implemented fan control method includes measuring a temperature within a computer system and dynamically selecting a fan speed step in response to the temperature received, wherein the fan speed step is selected from a fan speed table defining a finite number of fan speed steps each having an associated fan speed. A fan is operated at the dynamically selected fan speed step, wherein the fan is positioned to drive air through the computer system where the temperature is being measured. The fan output variation is measured over a prescribed time interval and the fan speed table is automatically modified to change the fan speeds associated with each fan speed step, wherein the fan speeds are changed as a function of the measured fan output variation while continuing to drive the fan.

A circuit includes a comparator having input terminals configured to be coupled across a drive transistor adapted to drive a phase of a motor. The comparator senses a drive current of the motor phase, said sensed drive current represented by a periodic signal whose period is indicative of motor speed. A motor speed calculation circuit receives the periodic signal and processes the periodic signal to determine a speed of the motor.

A motor driving apparatus is applied to a fan and motor mechanism and a voltage supply unit. The motor driving apparatus includes a motor driving unit, a voltage division resistor, a first resistor, a first switch unit, a second resistor, a second switch unit, a third resistor, a third switch unit, a transistor switch, and a pulse width modulation unit. The first switch unit, the second switch unit, and the third switch unit are configured to select the rotational speed upper limitation of the fan and motor mechanism for suppressing noise.

A rotation speed control circuit is disclosed. The rotation speed control circuit includes a temperature-controlled voltage duty generator, a pulse-width signal duty generator, a multiplier and a rotation speed signal generator. The temperature-controlled voltage duty generator converts temperature-controlled voltage to digital temperature-controlled voltage and executes linear interpolation operation according to a first setting data so as to output temperature-controlled voltage duty signal. The pulse-width signal duty generator coverts pulse-width input signal to a digital pulse-width input signal and executes linear interpolation operation according to a second setting data so as to output a pulse-width duty signal. The temperature-controlled voltage duty signal and the pulse-width duty signal are executed for multiplication by the multiplier so as to output mixing-duty signal. The rotation speed generator receives the mixing-duty signal and a third setting data, and executes a minimum output duty operation so as to output a pulse-width output signal.

A motor driven power steering (MDPS) may include: a vehicle speed sensor configured to sense vehicle speed; a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of a power pack; a current sensor configured to sense an amount of current applied to the MDPS; a storage unit configured to store a thermal resistance value based on the vehicle speed with respect to the temperature of the power pack; and a control unit configured to calculate an estimated temperature by reflecting the thermal resistance value based on the vehicle speed with respect to the temperature of the power pack and the current amount applied to the MDPS into a temperature estimation function, and drive a motor according to the calculated estimated temperature.

A system for determining motor speed of a brush DC motor in an apparatus, including a first filter for receiving a substantially DC component of the motor current and parameters corresponding to the brush DC motor, for calculating a speed estimate thereof; an adaptive bandpass filter having a center frequency corresponding to the speed estimate of the first filter, for receiving the motor current and substantially isolating a periodic current fluctuation thereof; a block for determining a frequency of the periodic current fluctuation, the current fluctuation corresponding to motor speed of the brush DC motor. The adaptive bandpass filter uses debounce filtering to reduce rapid filter passband switching, and a run-in period prior to passband switching to obviate transient effects of filter switching.

A traction force control section of a wheel loader, when the determination conditions are satisfied during traction force control, increases the maximum traction force. The determination conditions include that the wheel loader is performing an excavation operation, that the vehicle speed is less than or equal to a prescribed speed threshold value, that the amount of operation of the accelerator operating member is equal to or more than a prescribed accelerator threshold value, and that the amount of operation of the inching operating member is less than or equal to a prescribed inching operation threshold value.

The present invention is a cardboard sheet batch division device for dividing batches, disposed on the downstream side of a batch-forming device for separating loaded cardboard sheets and forming batches of a predetermined sheet count. The cardboard sheet batch division device for dividing batches comprises: a transfer conveyor for transferring batches formed by the batch-forming device in a predetermined transfer direction; and batch division means furnished with two separating members respectively contacting the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion of a batch on the transfer conveyor, for dividing the batch into two sub-batches, upper and lower, by moving the two separating members relative to one another in a direction parallel to the predetermined transfer direction.

A wheelchair lift mounted on the rear of an automobile for transporting a wheelchair, scooter or other mobility device includes two or more sets of sensors. A first set of sensors is located at the distal ends of the wheelchair lift platform for use when the platform is horizontal. A 2nd set of sensors is located on the base of the wheelchair lift for use when the platform is folded vertically. The sensors alert a driver to the presence of objects in close proximity to the rear of the vehicle when driven in reverse. They switch automatically activates the base sensors when the platform is folded and the platform sensors when the platform is horizontal.

A connector device enables universal compatibility and interchangeability between any work tool accessory having a boom feature and any skid steer loader as well as controlled support of the work tool accessory. The connector device also prevents machine instability issues.

Presented is a near field communication system and method to automatically establish an interconnection between two electronic devices. The system includes a first electronic device including an NFC chip communicatively coupled to a passive NFC tag, where the NFC tag having an integrated circuit with a predefined information content, a second device including an active NFC reader configured to read the predefined information content from the NFC tag based on an identification of a proximate distance therebetween, and where the NFC tag is capable of transmitting an activation signal to the NFC chip to enable transition of the NFC chip from a first state to a second state such as to establish a near field wireless communication link between the two devices to enable exchange of digital content therebetween.

A device and method for detecting wheel loss from a vehicle when the vehicle is in motion. The device (1) is provided with a housing (11) configured for, in use, mounting the device to a wheel (3) such that the device (1) abuts a wheel hub (5) of an axle to which the wheel is attached. A detector (6) is provided for detecting a proximity of the device (1) to the wheel hub (5), and a transmitter (8) is provided for sending an alarm signal in the event that the detector (6) detects that the device (1) is no longer in proximity to the wheel hub (5). In this way, if the wheel starts to become detached from the wheel hub, the detector (1) detects this and can send an alarm to, for example, a receiver unit in the drivers cabin, allowing the driver to take appropriate steps.

An exemplary surgical apparatus may include a feeder belt lying substantially in a single plane; and staples fixed to and frangibly separable from the feeder belt. A cartridge may hold at least one feeder belt, where that cartridge may be detachably held by a receiver. The cartridge itself may be reloadable. A surgical method may include providing a surgical instrument including a detachable cartridge holding a feeder belt, where staples are fixed to and frangibly separable from the feeder belt; deforming at least one staple to a deformed state; frangibly separating at least one deformed staple from the feeder belt; and removing the cartridge from the surgical instrument.

A surgical stapling device and method for joining tissue portions are provided including a handle assembly, an elongate body extending from the handle assembly, a cartridge assembly supported on a distal end of the elongate body, and an anvil assembly at a distal end of the surgical stapling device. The anvil assembly includes a shaft for removably coupling the anvil assembly to the cartridge assembly and a head pivotally mounted to a distal end of the shaft. A sleeve member is slidably disposed about the shaft of the anvil assembly and is transitionable between a first position, where the sleeve member engages the head of the anvil assembly to secure the head in an un-tilted condition, and a second position, where the sleeve member is disengaged from the head of the anvil assembly to allow the head to tilt.

An apparatus for joining two hollow organ sections with an annular array of surgical staples includes a staple cartridge, an anvil, a buttress member, and a buttress mount. In particular, the staple cartridge includes a plurality of surgical staples in an annular array. The anvil includes an anvil member and a shaft extending therefrom. The anvil member defines a plurality of staple pockets for deforming the surgical staples. The anvil is movable relative to the staple cartridge component between spaced apart and approximated positions to adjustably clamp tissue between the staple cartridge and the anvil. The buttress member is concentrically aligned with the plurality of staple pockets defined in the anvil member. The buttress mount is detachably secured with the shaft of the anvil. The buttress mount includes at least one support member radially extending outward to secure the buttress member to the anvil member.

A tilt anvil assembly is disclosed which includes a center rod and a head assembly pivotally mounted to the center rod. The head assembly includes a housing, a post and an anvil plate. The head assembly is pivotally secured to the center rod and pivotal in relation to the center rod in discrete steps between a non-tilted position and a fully tilted position via a plurality of partially tilted positions. The head assembly is configured to maintain a partially tilted position.

A device for attaching a sheet-like implant to a target tissue. The device includes a fastener push rod including a first portion, a second portion and a force limiting mechanism operably coupled between the first portion and the second portion. A fastener is carried by the second portion of the fastener push rod. The force limiting mechanism transmits longitudinal movement of the first portion to the second portion while the forces applied to the fastener by the fastener push rod are less than a predetermined value such that longitudinal movement of the first portion of the fastener push rod causes substantially equivalent longitudinal movement of the second portion. The force limiting mechanism allows relative longitudinal motion between the first and second portions while the forces applied to the fastener are equal to or greater than the predetermined value such that the application of undue forces to the fastener is prevented.

One example of a surgical apparatus may include a feeder belt, a plurality of staples frangibly connected to the feeder belt, and at least one pull tab extending laterally from the feeder belt. An example of a surgical method of treating tissue within the body of a patient may include providing at least one feeder belt and staples frangibly connected thereto, and at least one wedge movable relative to the feeder belt; moving at least one wedge in a first direction to contact and thereby form and shear at least one staple from at least one feeder belt; and moving at least one wedge in a second direction to engage and advance the feeder belt.

There is provided a punching device including: a die member having a plurality of die holes formed therein; a plurality of punch members which are caused to advance into the die holes to punch holes in a member to be punched; an operating member having cam portions formed along a direction intersecting the direction of advancement of the punch members, the operating member being moved along the direction intersecting the direction of advancement of the punch members to cause by a conversion function of the cam portions the punch members to advance into the die holes; and a drive unit for selectively causing advancement of the plurality of punch members by changing the direction of movement of the operating member. In the punching device, each of the cam portions has a straight groove and a cam groove for performing the conversion function, and when the operating member is moved in one of opposite directions, at least one of the cam grooves of the cam portions acts on one of the punch members to selectively cause the same to advance.

A sheet punching device that cuts holes in a sheet while punches are entering die holes, in which a plurality of punch trains along each of which a plurality of punches are aligned on a rotating shaft in parallel with the rotating shaft are disposed in the rotation direction of the rotating shaft, and the die holes are disposed in correspondence with the punches of the punch trains.

A sheet cutter for cutting a sheet with a cutting blade held by a cutting blade elevating body which is elevated by one servo motor, including a pair of cutting blade elevating bodies; an elevation driving body for elevating the pair of cutting blade elevating bodies; a guide member for guiding the elevation of the pair of cutting blade elevating bodies; a holding body capable of holding the pair of cutting blade elevating bodies at an up position; and a transmission change-over device for selectively engaging the pair of cutting blade elevating bodies with the elevation driving body and selectively disengaging the pair of cutting blade elevating bodies from the elevation driving body, wherein one of the pair of cutting blade elevating bodies, which has been selected, is elevated by the servo motor.

The present invention discloses a log sawing system comprising multiple cutting blades. The multiple cutting blades are positioned to cut laterally or perpendicular to the centerline of the log which is to be cut. The logs are transported into cutting position using some type of log positioner. The multiple cutting blades are rotatably mounted on an arm which is pivotally mounted on a shaft in groups, being driven by an electrical or like motor, all of which are mounted onto a platform positioned adjacent to the log to be cut. Hydraulic lifters are used to partially rotate the saw blades into the cutting position adjacent the log. Means utilizing a computer and lasers are provided to develop a log cutting solution to best utilize the logs.

A sheet hole punching device has a device frame bearing-supporting a plurality of punching members, a driving rotation shaft, a drive motor, a gear mechanism transmitting a rotation of the driving rotation shaft, cam mechanisms converting the rotational movement into vertical movement, and a motor control device. The gearing mechanism includes drive gears fixed on the driving rotation shaft and receiving gears to engage with the drive gears to transmit the rotational movement to the punching members. The cam mechanism includes cylindrical cams formed integrally to the punching members and cam followers fixed to the device frame. The cylindrical cams are provided with V-shaped groove cams to reciprocate the punching members between an upper dead point and a lower dead point. The punching members are rotated in one direction to punch holes in a sheet, and subsequently rotated in a reverse direction to punch holes in a following sheet.

A sheet hole punching device has a device frame; a plurality of punching members arranged in first and second groups, and arranged linearly on the device frame; a driving rotation shaft; a driving motor reciprocally rotating the driving rotation shaft; a gear mechanism transmitting a rotation of the driving rotation shaft; cam mechanisms converting the rotational movement; and a motor control device. The gearing mechanism includes drive gears disposed on the drive rotational shaft, and receiving gears disposed on the punching members to engage with the drive gears. The cam mechanisms include cam followers and cylindrical cams. The cylindrical cam has a V-shaped groove cam to reciprocate each of the punching members between an upper dead point and a lower dead point. The punching members are rotated in one direction to punch holes in first sheets, and subsequently rotated in a reverse direction to punch holes in following sheets.

The invention provides a sweetener composition comprising a combination of cellulose and a sweetener carbohydrate formed from a combination of at least two carbohydrates selected from the group consisting of sucrose, glucose and fructose, and a method for the preparation thereof.

A method for producing cottage cheese by using Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria.

The invention provides a sweetener composition comprising a combination of cellulose and a sweetener carbohydrate formed from a combination of at least two carbohydrates selected from the group consisting of sucrose, glucose and fructose, and a method for the preparation thereof.

A method and an installation are provided for preserving desired seasoning flavour profiles during the manufacturing of food-seasoning sheets. The method includes the steps of; laying a thin layer of adhesive on a base sheet; removing air from the adhesive prior to the step of laying; reducing free moisture from the adhesive during the step of laying, and depositing food-seasoning ingredients onto the thin layer of adhesive. The installation for manufacturing food-seasoning sheets includes an adhesive dispenser having a reservoir and a delivery slot communicating with the reservoir for dispensing adhesive. The dispenser has a heating element mounted thereto for heating the adhesive. The adhesive is made under a partial vacuum and it is conveyed to the dispenser in a partial vacuum.

Disclosed are novel processing methods for green coffee beans that result in novel green coffee bean products, including products that incorporate whole green coffee beans. Methods include selecting whole coffee beans in their fresh green unroasted state with naturally-occurring levels of phytonutrients, sterilizing and drying them, applying iterative grinding processes and stabilization techniques, all while avoiding high temperatures. Whole green coffee bean products created and defined by these methods have unexpectedly been found to increase focus and concentration in users, and are believed useful in the treatment of attention and concentration deficits and related disorders, such as attention deficit (AD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and various related and/or comorbid disorders.

The present invention is directed to a soybean plant with mutations in FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B. Moreover, the present invention is directed to seeds from said plants with altered ratios of monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats. In particular, the present invention is directed to plants where the plants exhibit elevated levels of oleic acid.

The present invention relates to a method for detoxification of feed products contaminated by the mycotoxin zearalenone.

A laser-welded joint structure between insulation frame and bearing cup of fan includes a base having a bearing cup and a stator having at least one insulation frame. The insulation frame includes a sleeve portion defining a bore axially extending therethrough. The sleeve portion is provided on an inner wall surface with at least one pressing section that radially projects into the bore to press a lower side against an upper end of the bearing cup and a bearing received therein. A portion of at least one lateral side of each pressing section that is in contact with the upper end of the bearing cup is melted by laser beam to form a laser-welded joint, so that the insulation frame and the bearing cup are integrally connected together at reduced manufacturing cost and have increased structural strength. A method of forming the laser-welded joint structure is also disclosed.

An apparatus for suspending and positioning marionettes. The apparatus includes a thin, planar support membrane such as a plastic sheet. A tender vehicle is positioned on the upper side of the support membrane. A motor or other drive mechanism selectively positions the tender vehicle relative to the support membrane. The apparatus includes a puppeteer vehicle from which a marionette is suspended. The puppeteer vehicle is positioned proximate to the lower side of the support membrane opposite the tender vehicle. To support the puppeteer vehicle, one or both of the vehicles includes one or more rotatable magnetic elements such that the attractive forces support the weight of the puppeteer vehicle and the marionette. Typically, the puppeteer vehicle is a passive follower, and the drive mechanism of the tender vehicle includes motors to move the magnetic elements and position the tender and following puppeteer vehicle with its marionette to provide a show.

An improved set of toy building or construction blocks, each block having a substantially square cross-section and a generally rectilinear configuration. Incorporated into the structure of the individual toy blocks are transversely oriented slots, grooves and protrusions of predetermined size and location. The slots, grooves and protrusions of pre-determined size and location are of either male or female configuration disposed medially along one or more plane of each block. When the male protrusion of one block is introduced perpendicular to the female slot of one end of another block, a frictional engagement is created resulting in a right angle. When the male protrusion of one block is introduced to the female slot in a linear fashion the result is a line segment. Joining a plurality of said toy building or construction blocks using various perpendicular connections in conjunction with linear connections results in the stable formation of construction or geometric structures without the use of fasteners or other connecting elements.

A third-order distributed feedback laser has an active medium disposed on a substrate as a linear array of segments having a series of periodically spaced interstices therebetween and a first conductive layer disposed on a surface of the active medium on each of the segments and along a strip from each of the segments to a conductive electrical contact pad for application of current along a path including the active medium. Upon application of a current through the active medium, the active medium functions as an optical waveguide, and there is established an alternating electric field, at a THz frequency, both in the active medium and emerging from the interstices. Spacing of adjacent segments is approximately half of a wavelength of the THz frequency in free space or an odd integral multiple thereof, so that the linear array has a coherence length greater than the length of the linear array.

A method for providing a feedback circuit for a three dimensional projector. First and second input devices and a sensor for determining the rotational speed of the second input device are provided. A control device for controlling the rotational speed of the second input device and a phase locked loop (PLL) are provided. A phase reference signal is created based on the signal rate of the first input device. A phase signal is created based on the rotational speed of the second input device. The PLL compares the phase reference signal and the phase feedback signal to determine whether the first input device and the second input device are synchronized. A signal is sent to the control device for the second input device to change the rotational speed of the second input device in response to determining that the first input device and the second input device are not synchronized.

The invention provides a laser converter for converting a laser radiation of shorter wavelength to a laser radiation of longer wavelength using a single stage conversion. The laser converter comprises a laser diode for emitting a laser radiation in a first wavelength range, a cylindrical microlens for transferring and focusing the laser radiation to a laser chip and the laser chip for absorbing the laser radiation and emitting the laser radiation in a second wavelength range.

A paper-sheet handling device relating to the present invention has a configuration such that a binder paper alignment unit for temporarily reserving a plurality of paper-sheets perforated at predetermined positions, a movement mechanism for binding the bundle of paper-sheets thus aligned owing to the above by means of a binding component, and a binder cassette for storing the binding components for being transferred thereto, wherein the movement mechanism is arranged on the downstream side of the binder paper alignment unit and the binder cassette and also, the binder paper alignment unit and the binder cassette are arranges radially on the upstream side to form an approximately V-shape by making the aforesaid movement mechanism to be a reference. It is possible depending on this configuration to concentrate the necessary constructional elements at the periphery of the movement mechanism, so that the arrangement of the component members in the horizontal direction of the device can be restricted and the aforesaid device can be miniaturized.

A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of improving operability while suppressing an increase in apparatus size. In a front cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a front cover is inserted into a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed, and in a rear cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a rear cover is inserted into the bundle of sheets. Insertion sheets for the front cover and insertion sheets for the rear cover are set with the same orientation in a manual feed tray 105. An insertion sheet for the front cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to a finisher 500 in one of a face-down state and a face-up state. An insertion sheet for the rear cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to the finisher 500 in the other of the face-down state and the face-up state. The insertion sheets for the front cover and for the rear cover conveyed from the manual feed tray 105 and the sheets on which images have been formed are stacked on the finisher 500.

In a cover feeding device (1) for feeding covers (13, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3) separated from a magazine (3, 3') to book blocks (14.1, 14.2, 14.3) that are transported while being clamped in book block grippers (2), it is proposed that the magazine (3, 3') features at least a first lateral stop (6.1) that is arranged such that it can be fixed transverse to the withdrawal direction (12) and against which different covers (13, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3) intended, in particular, for book blocks (14.1, 14.2, 14.3) of different thickness can be jointly placed, and that at least the magazine (3, 3') can be adjusted transverse to the withdrawal direction (12) such that an edge (17) of the spine region of the respective cover to be separated is withdrawn essentially in alignment with the rigid gripping jaw (2 a).

A method and system for on-demand book production is provided in which covers and book content are synchronized at book binding equipment. In one exemplary system and method, a single printer prints a book cover followed by its corresponding book block. The cover and book block are each sequentially staged and synchronized together for binding in the binding equipment. In another method and system for on-demand book production, covers are printed and encoded at a first printer and a book block printing instruction is initiated in response to decoding of the cover in the binding equipment. Printing of the book block is in a separate but integrated printer and the book block is fed to the binding equipment for binding with the book cover. In each instance, synchronized book covers and book blocks are bound in and output from the binding equipment.

It, as shown in FIG. 11, is provided with a feed roller 31 that is movable, rotates the spiral coil 11 passing through punched holes 3a of the bundle of paper-sheets 3, and guides the spiral coil 11 to feed it toward a coil advance direction, a screw guide 49 at a movable and adjustable side that guides and conducts a forward end of the spiral coil 11 fed by the feed roller 31 toward the coil advance direction into the punched holes 3a thereof, and a control part that receives diameter-of-coil-setting information for setting a diameter of a coil of the spiral coil 11 and controls positions of the feed roller 31 and the screw guide 49 based on the diameter-of-coil-setting information. Such a configuration enables the feed roller 31 and the screw guide 49 to move to the guided positions of the spiral coil 11 indicated by the diameter-of-coil-setting information. Accordingly, it is possible to pass the spiral coils having the different diameters thereof through the holes of the bundle of paper-sheets stably.

In a device for cutting to length and feeding spine strips (3) for a case maker (1), a center strip conveying device (30) is provided that advances the spine strip material (5, 6) by the spine width (BS) transverse to the board feed direction (23) in a cyclic fashion. The spine width (BS) can be changed from work cycle to work cycle without accumulating additional waste. This can be realized because the previously required width sizing on the material web is eliminated.

There is provided a decoloring device including a decoloring unit, a first sheet conveying unit, a first sheet feed unit, a thickness detecting unit, a decolorability determining unit, and a second sheet feed unit. The first sheet conveying unit conveys the sheet to the decoloring unit. The first sheet feed unit feeds the sheet to the first sheet conveying unit. The decolorability determining unit determines whether or not the sheet which is subject to thickness detecting is decolorable by the decoloring unit based on a detection result in the thickness detecting unit. A second sheet feed unit is disposed at a downstream side in relation to the thickness detecting unit and at an upstream side in relation to the decoloring unit in a sheet conveying path by the first sheet conveying unit and feeds the sheet to the first sheet conveying unit.

An image forming system includes: a ring bookbinding section which perform a ring bookbinding to a bundle of sheets by using a binder provided with a spine portion and a plurality of finger portions; and a judging section, wherein a last page is firstly fed immediately after job initiation and, subsequently after having fed the last page, image formation based on the image data is initiated, when the judging section judges that an image is not formed on the last page, and wherein all of the image data is firstly acquired completely after job initiation, subsequently the last page is fed and formed image thereon, and then image formation of remaining pages is carried out, when the judging section judges that image is formed on the last page.

An assembly comprising at least two non-metal components which are fixed to each other using at least one fixing system. The fixing system includes a fixing device with a fixing element which is provided with a head and a rod, and a crimping ring which is in contact with one of the components. A protection device is a part of the fixing system which delimits a cavity for confining gas around a portion of the device comprising the crimping ring. In order to improve the repeatability of the operation for positioning the protection device, a guiding device is provided which includes an assembly element on the portion of the fixing device, and an element for guiding the protection device.