1. A flex connector for a modular power distribution assembly comprising:
at least one plug connector having a housing defining a hollow interior, a window providing access to said hollow interior, and a plurality of conductor assemblies each comprising a contact terminal seated in said housing and accessible from an exterior thereof, and an elongate conductor having one end connected to said terminal and a length extending out of said hollow interior through said window, said conductors each extending out of said window in parallel, side-by-side relation; and
a conductor jacket comprising superimposed first and second jacket layers of a thin, flexible sheet material which define an interior conductor passage through which said conductors extend, said first and second jacket layers including longitudinal opposite side edges extending edgewise away from said plug connector and transverse end edges defined on the opposite end sections of said jacket, said jacket layers each having at least one terminal free edge along one of said side edges wherein said free edges of the first and second jacket layers are aligned, and are edgewise joined along their length which provides for fixed securement of the jacket layers along such free edges.
2. The flex connector according to claim 1, wherein said first and second jacket layers are edgewise joined along both of said opposite side edges.
3. The flex connector according to claim 2, wherein said first and second jacket layers have opposing faces which are bonded together.
4. The flex connector according to claim 1, wherein said first and second jacket layers have opposing faces which are bonded together.
5. The flex connector according to claim 1, wherein said housing has an alignment post proximate said window which projects transverse to opposite exterior faces of said first and second jacket layers, said first and second jacket layers having predefined alignment openings formed through said exterior faces proximate one of said end sections, said alignment openings being aligned in registry and receiving said alignment post therethrough to fix and align said jacket within said window.
6. The flex connector according to claim 5, wherein said housing comprises first and second housing bodies which join together and define opposite window side edges of said window, each of said first and second housing bodies including projecting flanges along said window side edges which compressively engage the opposite side faces of said jacket and said conductors within said conductor passage.
7. The flex connector according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises first and second housing bodies which join together and define opposite window side edges of said window, each of said first and second housing bodies including projecting flanges along said window side edges which compressively engage the opposite side faces of said jacket and said conductors within said conductor passage.
8. A method for manufacturing a flex connector of a power distribution system, the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least a first housing section of a housing assembly for a connector plug, said housing assembly having terminal ports for plugging engagement to another system component, an access window and a locator pin adjacent said window in said first housing section;
laying a bottom jacket layer of a jacket material so that an alignment hole at one of the opposite ends of the bottom jacket layer fits onto the respective locator pin;
providing a plurality of conductor assemblies each comprising an electrical conductor and an electrical terminal preterminated at one end thereof;
positioning the conductors on a top surface of the bottom jacket layer with the electrical terminals on the one end of the conductors being positioned within the first housing section, said conductors being in parallel relation;
laying a top jacket layer so as to overlie the parallel conductors with an alignment hole in said top jacket layer being fitted on the locator pin so that said top and bottom jacket layers are aligned with free edges thereof being longitudinally parallel and aligned one above the other;
positioning a second housing section on the first housing section and fixedly securing said first and second housing sections together to define said housing assembly; and
edgewise joining aligned, free edges of said first and second jacket layers together along their length which provides for fixed securement of said first and second jacket layers along such free edges.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said first and second housing sections have respective flanges along said window which compressively secure the ends of the first and second jacket layers within said window of said housing assembly.
10. The method according to claim 8, which includes the step of positioning a plurality of said first housing sections in spaced apart locations to define a respective plurality of said housing assemblies, wherein each pair of said housing assemblies has said top and bottom jacket layers extending therebetween to form an intermediate said jacket.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said top and bottom jacket layers include alignment holes at the opposite ends of the top and bottom jacket layers which fit onto the respective locator pins.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said first and second housing sections of both of said housing assemblies have respective flanges along said windows which compressively secure the opposite ends of the first and second jacket layers within said windows of said housing assemblies.
13. A method for manufacturing a flex connector of a power distribution system, the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least a first housing section of a housing assembly for a connector plug, said housing assembly having terminal ports for plugging engagement to another system component, and an access window at one housing end;
laying a bottom jacket layer of a flexible jacket material so that one of the opposite ends of the bottom jacket layer extends through said access window and fits within said first housing section;
providing a plurality of conductor assemblies each comprising an electrical conductor and an electrical terminal preterminated at one end thereof;
positioning the conductors on a top surface of the bottom jacket layer with the electrical terminals on the one end of the conductors being positioned within the first housing section, said conductors being in parallel relation;
laying a top jacket layer of a flexible jacket material so that one of the opposite ends of the top jacket layer extends through said access window and fits within said first housing section, and said top jacket layer overlies the parallel conductors with said top and bottom jacket layers being aligned with respective free edges thereof being longitudinally parallel and aligned one above the other;
positioning a second housing section on the first housing section and fixedly securing said first and second housing sections together to define said housing assembly with said first and second housing sections fixedly securing said respective ends within said access window; and
edgewise joining said aligned, free edges of said first and second jacket layers together along their length which provides for fixed securement of said first and second jacket layers along such free edges.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said first and second housing sections have respective flanges along said window which compressively secure the ends of the first and second jacket layers within said access window of said housing assembly.
15. The method according to claim 14, which includes the step of positioning a plurality of said first housing sections in spaced apart locations to define a respective plurality of said housing assemblies, wherein each pair of said housing assemblies has said top and bottom jacket layers extending therebetween to form an intermediate said jacket.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said first and second housing sections of both of said housing assemblies have respective flanges along said windows which compressively secure the opposite ends of the first and second jacket layers within said windows of said housing assemblies.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said housing assemblies each include a locator pin located adjacent said access window thereof for locating said top and bottom jacket layers relative to said housing assemblies.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said top and bottom jacket layers include alignment holes at the opposite ends of the top and bottom jacket layers which fit onto the respective locator pins.
19. The method according to claim 13, wherein said edgewise joining step comprises bonding of said free edges along an entire length thereof.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said edgewise joining step comprises joining of said free edges along an entire length thereof by mechanical fastening means.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image carrier having a surface;
a charging device configured to charge the surface of the image carrier;
an exposure device configured to expose the surface of the image carrier to light after the surface of the image carrier is charged by the charging device, wherein the exposure device comprises a first exposure unit configured to perform exposure with a first laser and a second exposure unit configured to perform exposure with a second laser, and wherein the first laser has a first spot size, the second laser has a second spot size, and the second spot size is larger than the first spot size;
an image formation unit configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed by the exposure device into a toner image and form a developed toner image on a recording material; and
an exposure control unit configured to select one of a first mode and a second mode when an electrostatic latent image is formed with exposure spots of the first laser and the second laser placed one upon another in forming a toner image, wherein an exposure ratio of the first laser to the second laser is set to a first value in the first mode and is set to a second value in the second mode, wherein the second value is different from the first value.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in forming the toner image, the exposure control unit changes the exposure ratio so as to suppress any variation in the size of the toner image developed at an exposed portion where the exposure spots of the first laser and the second laser are placed one upon another.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in forming the toner image, if required to increase an exposure level at the exposed portion where the exposure spots of the first laser and the second laser are placed one upon another, the exposure control unit increases the exposure rate of the first laser.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in forming a toner image, if required to increase a charging potential on the surface of the image carrier by the charging device according to a cumulative number of image formations or a cumulative exposure time, the exposure control unit decreases an exposure rate of the first laser at the exposure portion where the exposure spots of the first laser and the second laser are placed one upon another.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first laser has a wavelength shorter than a wavelength of the second laser.
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image carrier has a spectral sensitivity level which is lower at the wavelength of the second laser than at the wavelength of the first laser.
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure control unit decreases an exposure rate of the first laser at the exposed portion where the exposure spots of the first laser and the second laser are placed one upon another according to an increase in a cumulative amount of developments performed by the image formation unit.
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if a cumulative time of operations performed by the image formation unit has reached a predetermined value, the exposure control unit decreases an exposure rate of the first laser at the exposed portion where the exposure spots of the first laser and the second laser are placed one upon another.
9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure control unit can change the exposure ratio of the first laser to the second laser according to any change in environmental conditions.
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein if the ambient humidity of the image carrier is higher than a predetermined value, the exposure control unit decreases an exposure rate of the first laser at the exposed portion where the exposure spots of the first laser and the second laser are placed one upon another.