Abstract: A hole machining system includes: a robot including a hand provided with a hole saw for drilling a hole in a thickness direction of a workpiece and a push-out portion for pushing outward a chip of the workpiece remaining inside the hole saw; a contacted portion disposed in such a position that the push-out portion can come in contact with the contacted portion; and an ejecting device for gripping the chip pushed out of the hole saw.

Abstract: In an embodiment, provided is a lubricant supplying device that includes: a solid lubricant; a supplying member that supplies lubricant of the solid lubricant to a lubricant supplying target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the solid lubricant being at a given amount or less. The remaining amount detecting unit is provided on a downstream side in a rubbing direction of the supplying member with respect to the solid lubricant.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a certain amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes a first electrode member and a second electrode member. The lubricant supplying device includes a member that causes at least a part of the second electrode member to move and causes the second electrode member to abut the first electrode member with an increase in consumption of the lubricant.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a block of lubricant, a supply member contactable against the block of lubricant to scrape the block of lubricant, and a lubricant gauge to detect whether a remaining amount of lubricant is less than a threshold value. The lubricant gauge includes a rotary member rotatable about a pivot, a pressing member disposed opposite the rotary member to rotate the rotary member by pressing a contact part of the rotary member as the block of lubricant is consumed, and a detection part of the rotary member opposite to the contact part across the pivot of the rotary member. A length of the rotary member from the pivot to the detection part is longer than a length of the rotary member from the pivot to the contact part.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a block of lubricant, a supply member contactable against the block of lubricant to scrape the block of lubricant, and a lubricant gauge including a first electrode and a second electrode. The lubricant gauge is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode to detect whether an amount of lubricant remaining is less than a threshold value based on establishment of electrical continuity between the first electrode and the second electrode. One of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a projection projecting toward the other one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: A solid lubricant supply system includes a solid lubricant supplier to receive and supply solid lubricant to a solid lubricant supplying target. A pair of first and second moveable planar electrodes is opposed to each other. The second moveable planar electrode is partially moved toward the first moveable planar electrode as the solid lubricant is consumed. A residual solid lubricant quantity detecting unit is provide to detect a quantity of the residual solid lubricant at a first stage, in which the residual solid lubricant quantity is below a given level, by detecting electric conduction between the pair of first and second moveable planar electrodes when the pair of first and second moveable planar electrodes contacts each other. The first moveable planar electrode is enabled to further move together with the second moveable planar electrode when it is contacted and pressed by the second moveable planar electrode.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member; a housing case; a pushing mechanism that includes a pair of swing members supported swingably in the housing case and a biasing unit urging the pair of swing members to swing; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes: first detection members provided at respective positions different from respective sliding areas of the member on which the swing members slide, on which sliding areas the respective swing members slide, and second detection members attached to the respective swing members such that the second detection members abut or face the respective first detection members when swing postures of the respective swing members reach respective swing postures corresponding to that the remaining amount of the lubricant is the predetermined amount.

Abstract: A data reader includes a memory board provided to a removable member and a reading member including a reading terminal. The memory board includes a positioning opening, a ground terminal provided to the positioning opening, and a contact terminal. The reading member includes an engagement projection that fits in the positioning opening and is disposed adjacent and parallel to the reading terminal. The engagement projection includes a uniform diameter portion, a tapered portion extending from the uniform diameter portion, and an apparatus-side ground terminal to contact the ground terminal of the memory board when the engagement projection fits in the positioning opening. The apparatus-side ground terminal includes a portion projecting laterally from the uniform diameter portion from an end of the uniform diameter portion toward a reading member base and an extended portion at the end of the uniform diameter portion, covered with the tapered portion.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a toner container to store toner and two rotary agitation members to rotate to agitate toner in the toner container. The toner container has two arc-shaped portions adjacent to each other at an inner bottom wall of the toner container. The two rotary agitation members has edges to rotate along the two arc-shaped portions with rotation phases thereof shifted from each other. The two rotary agitation members are placed with rotation trajectories thereof partially overlapping each other.

Abstract: A toner-container support unit is provided. The toner-container support unit includes: a toner container housing toner; a container mount including an internal space to accommodate the toner container; a toner-container receiver which is provided on an internal end side of the internal space of the container mount; a positioning hole formed on the back end surface of the toner container; a positioning pin provided in the toner-container receiver; a retracting assembly retracing a back end portion of the toner container to the toner-container receiver side when inserting the toner container into the container mount; and an inclination stopper which prevents the inclination of the toner container when the back end portion of the toner container is retracted by the retracting assembly toward the toner-container receiver.

Abstract: In the present invention, a lubricant supplying device includes a lubricant end determining unit that determines that a solid lubricant is in an end state when the amount of a lubricant supplying operation reaches a threshold after a residual amount detecting unit detects that the residual amount of the solid lubricant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The lubricant end determining unit makes a threshold of the amount of the lubricant supplying operation at temperature or humidity of equal to or lower than a predetermined value lower than a threshold of the amount of the lubricant supplying operation at temperature or humidity of higher than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a block of lubricant, a supply member contactable against the block of lubricant to scrape the block of lubricant, and a lubricant gauge including a first electrode and a second electrode. The lubricant gauge is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode to detect whether an amount of lubricant remaining is less than a threshold value based on establishment of electrical continuity between the first electrode and the second electrode. One of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a projection projecting toward the other one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a block of lubricant, a supply member contactable against the block of lubricant to scrape the block of lubricant, and a lubricant gauge to detect whether a remaining amount of lubricant is less than a threshold value. The lubricant gauge includes a rotary member rotatable about a pivot, a pressing member disposed opposite the rotary member to rotate the rotary member by pressing a contact part of the rotary member as the block of lubricant is consumed, and a detection part of the rotary member opposite to the contact part across the pivot of the rotary member. A length of the rotary member from the pivot to the detection part is longer than a length of the rotary member from the pivot to the contact part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a waste toner conveying device including a primary conveyor to convey waste toner discharged from a plurality of primary cleaners and a secondary conveyor to convey waste toner discharged from a secondary cleaner. A relay conveyor conveys the waste toner discharged from the primary conveyor and the secondary conveyor. A waste toner container receives the waste toner discharged from the relay conveyor. The primary conveyor, the secondary conveyor, and the relay conveyor are disposed at one end of the image forming apparatus in a front-to-rear direction thereof. A secondary conveyor outlet of the secondary conveyor is disposed below a primary conveyor outlet of the primary conveyor and above an inlet of the waste toner container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning device having a cleaning member that comes into contact with a surface of the image carrier, and a lubricant applying device provided on the downstream side of the cleaning member. The lubricant applying device includes a solid lubricant, a lubricant supply roller, and a trailing type lubricant smoothing blade that is provided on the downstream side of the lubricant supply roller, and comes into belly contact with the surface of the image carrier. After image carrier is stopped, constantly or under a predetermined condition, the surface of the image carrier is moved in a direction opposite to an image forming direction. The opposite movement distance is equal to or more than the shortest distance between a contact point between the lubricant supply roller and the image carrier and a contact point between the lubricant smoothing blade and the image carrier.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member; a housing case; a pushing mechanism that includes a pair of swing members supported swingably in the housing case and a biasing unit urging the pair of swing members to swing; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes: first detection members provided at respective positions different from respective sliding areas of the member on which the swing members slide, on which sliding areas the respective swing members slide, and second detection members attached to the respective swing members such that the second detection members abut or face the respective first detection members when swing postures of the respective swing members reach respective swing postures corresponding to that the remaining amount of the lubricant is the predetermined amount.