Abstract: Disclosed is a charging control method including: a full charging step of charging a lead storage battery until the battery is fully charged; a refresh charging step of performing refresh charging of charging the lead storage battery with a predetermined refresh charging quantity of electricity after the lead storage battery has been fully charged; and a refresh charging quantity setting step of setting the refresh charging quantity of electricity in the refresh charging step for the lead storage battery which has been fully charged at a present time, depending on a temperature of the lead storage battery throughout a deficient charging period, the deficient charging period being a period from a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at a previous time to a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at the present time in the full charging step.

Abstract: An optical scanner includes a light source modulated based on image data, an optical deflection and scanning part deflecting a light beam emitted from the light source, and a scanning and imaging optical system condensing the deflected light beam toward a scanning surface so as to form a light spot optically scanning the scanning surface. The effective scanning region of the scanning surface is divided into a plurality of regions according to a scanning line curving characteristic. Suitable image data for optically scanning the divided regions are selected from image data of a plurality of image lines every time the light spot optically scans the effective scanning region, so that the image data of each of the image lines is written with scanning line curving being corrected.

Abstract: Disclosed is a charging control method including: a full charging step of charging a lead storage battery until the battery is fully charged; a refresh charging step of performing refresh charging of charging the lead storage battery with a predetermined refresh charging quantity of electricity after the lead storage battery has been fully charged; and a refresh charging quantity setting step of setting the refresh charging quantity of electricity in the refresh charging step for the lead storage battery which has been fully charged at a present time, depending on a temperature of the lead storage battery throughout a deficient charging period, the deficient charging period being a period from a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at a previous time to a time when the lead storage battery has been fully charged at the present time in the full charging step.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

Abstract: An optical scanner includes a light source modulated based on image data, an optical deflection and scanning part deflecting a light beam emitted from the light source, and a scanning and imaging optical system condensing the deflected light beam toward a scanning surface so as to form a light spot optically scanning the scanning surface. The effective scanning region of the scanning surface is divided into a plurality of regions according to a scanning line curving characteristic. Suitable image data for optically scanning the divided regions are selected from image data of a plurality of image lines every time the light spot optically scans the effective scanning region, so that the image data of each of the image lines is written with scanning line curving being corrected.

Abstract: An optical scanner includes a light source modulated based on image data, an optical deflection and scanning part deflecting a light beam emitted from the light source, and a scanning and imaging optical system condensing the deflected light beam toward a scanning surface so as to form a light spot optically scanning the scanning surface. The effective scanning region of the scanning surface is divided into a plurality of regions according to a scanning line curving characteristic. Suitable image data for optically scanning the divided regions are selected from image data of a plurality of image lines every time the light spot optically scans the effective scanning region, so that the image data of each of the image lines is written with scanning line curving being corrected.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

Abstract: An optical scanning characteristic control method is applied to an optical scanning system in which a beam is deflected, and the deflected beam is converged and directed toward a scanning surface, so that optical scanning of the scanning surface is performed by an optical spot formed thereon by the deflected beam. The method comprising the steps of a) disposing a beam deflection control device on the light path of the beam before it is incident on the scanning surface; and b) controlling a beam deflection amount of the beam deflecting device provide to an incident beam so as to control a scanning characteristic of the optical scanning.

Abstract: An optical scanner is capable of effectively correcting a difference with respect to the sub-scanning direction between the positions of optical spots for scanning photoconductor drums of a tandem type color image forming apparatus. The optical scanner includes an optical axis adjusting part. The optical axis adjusting part uses a deflecting mirror or a wedge-shaped prism to deflect the optical axis of an optical beam with respect to the sub-scanning direction. As a result, it is possible to accurately correct a resist difference among individual image forming stations and form a high-quality color image without any color displacement.

Abstract: An optical scanner is capable of effectively correcting a difference with respect to the sub-scanning direction between the positions of optical spots for scanning photoconductor drums of a tandem type color image forming apparatus. The optical scanner includes an optical axis adjusting part. The optical axis adjusting part uses a deflecting mirror or a wedge-shaped prism to deflect the optical axis of an optical beam with respect to the sub-scanning direction. As a result, it is possible to accurately correct a resist difference among individual image forming stations and form a high-quality color image without any color displacement.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

Abstract: A multi-beam scanning apparatus includes a light source having first and second light source sections that hold a pair of semi-conductor laser diodes and coupling lenses that couple four beams irradiated from the pair of semi-conductor laser diodes with a base member. A light beam deviating device may be provided so as to deviate the four beams. A scan imaging device is also provided so as to scan a scan receiving surface with beam spots of the beams deviated by the light beam deviating device. A beam pitch-detecting device is also provided so as to detect a beam pitch of the respective beams formed on the scan-receiving surface. A beam pitch correcting device is provided in order to correct the beam pitch by causing relative deviation of a light axis among the respective beams on a sub scanning direction cross sectional plane.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges arranged one above another each configured to form an image on a medium. An optical writing support unit, including an optical writing unit, hingedly attached to the image forming apparatus at a lower end position of the optical writing support unit and movable between a first position covering the plurality of image forming cartridges and a second position uncovering a side of the plurality of image forming cartridges opposite to a photoconductive element. Each of the image forming cartridges is configured to be mounted to or dismounted from a housing in the image forming apparatus when the optical writing support unit is in the second position.

Abstract: A polyethylene-based resin molding material having an ethylene-based polymer in an amount from ?20% to <30% by weight that has a high load melt flow rate (HLMFR) at a temperature of 190° C. under a load of 21.6 kg of 0.1 to 1.0 g/l0 min and a density of 0.910 to 0.930 g/cm3; and an ethylene-based polymer in an amount from >70% to ?80% by weight that has a melt flow rate (MFR) at a temperature of 190° C. under a load of 2.16 kg of ?150 g/10 min to <400 g/10 min and a density of ?0.960 g/cm3; and wherein the polyethylene-based resin molding material has an MFR from ?0.4 g/10 min to <2.0 g/10 min, an HLMFR from ?70 g/10 min to <180 g/10 min, an HLMFR/MFR of 100 to 200, and a density from ?0.953 g/cm3 to <0.965 g/cm3.

Abstract: A metabolic energy monitoring system is provided which comprises: a wearable device having a movement sensor, a temperature sensor and a pulse wave sensor and adapted to be worn on a human body; a database to store activity state decision knowledge data including activity state decision condition data and calorie consumption calculation knowledge data including a calorie consumption calculating algorithm for each metabolic state; an activity state decision unit to determine the activity state based on a detection signal from the wearable device and activity state decision knowledge data; a metabolic state decision unit to detect an activity continuation state, and determine the metabolic state; a calorie consumption calculating unit to calculate a calorie consumption according to the metabolic state; and an output unit to output the calorie consumption.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other and a transfer belt support unit hingedly attached to the image forming apparatus that is movable between a first position covering the plurality of image forming cartridges and a second position uncovering the plurality of image forming cartridges. Each image forming cartridge can be mounted to or dismounted from the image forming apparatus when the transfer belt support unit is in the second position. At least one of the image forming cartridges can be mounted to or dismounted from the image forming apparatus in a direction other than along an axis of rotation of a photoconductive member located in an image forming member.

Abstract: A multi-beam scanning apparatus includes a light source having first and second light source sections that hold a pair of semi-conductor laser diodes and coupling lenses that couple four beams irradiated from the pair of semi-conductor laser diodes with a base member. A light beam deviating device may be provided so as to deviate the four beams. A scan imaging device is also provided so as to scan a scan receiving surface with beam spots of the beams deviated by the light beam deviating device. A beam pitch-detecting device is also provided so as to detect a beam pitch of the respective beams formed on the scan-receiving surface. A beam pitch correcting device is provided in order to correct the beam pitch by causing relative deviation of a light axis among the respective beams on a sub scanning direction cross sectional plane.

Abstract: An optical scanning characteristic control method is applied to an optical scanning system in which a beam is deflected, and the deflected beam is converged and directed toward a scanning surface, so that optical scanning of the scanning surface is performed by an optical spot formed thereon by the deflected beam. The method comprising the steps of a) disposing a beam deflection control device on the light path of the beam before it is incident on the scanning surface; and b) controlling a beam deflection amount of the beam deflecting device provide to an incident beam so as to control a scanning characteristic of the optical scanning.