Abstract: An elongated material supply device includes a conveyor, a sorter, and a detector. The conveyor conveys a rod-shaped or linear elongated material. The sorter allows the elongated material to pass through when a variation in shape of the elongated material is within a predetermined variation range. The detector detects presence or absence of the elongated material at a position downstream from an inlet of the sorter in a conveyance direction of the elongated material.

Abstract: The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a flooding prediction device, etc. that make it possible to accurately predict the occurrence of flooding of a river. A flooding prediction device comprises: at least one processor configured to acquire measurement data indicating the result of measurement based on irradiation laser light emitted and radiated onto a measurement target region including the water surface part of a river, and reflection laser light reflected by the region and received by the coherent light sensing device, generate three-dimensional point group model of the measurement target region by using the measurement data, generate, by using the measurement data and the three-dimensional point group model, water surface state information indicating the state of the water surface part in the measurement target region, and predict the occurrence of flooding of the river by using the water surface state information.

Abstract: A powder container contains powder and is attached to an image forming apparatus including: a conveying nozzle to convey the powder; a powder receiving hole of the conveying nozzle to receive the powder from the powder container; an apparatus main-body gear to transmit a driving force to the powder container; and a container receiving section including the conveying nozzle and receiving the powder container. The powder container includes: an opening at one end of the powder container in a longitudinal direction; a nozzle receiver at the opening to receive the conveying nozzle; a conveyor to convey the powder; and a container gear to drive the conveyor by meshing with the apparatus main-body gear. The container gear is to mesh with the apparatus main-body gear at a position closer to the opening than the powder receiving hole in the longitudinal direction. The opening is to mate with the container receiving section.

Abstract: An object is to estimate a location where a communication failure occurs while reducing a load on an apparatus included in an upper layer in an optical communication system. Terminal stations communicate via an optical transmission line constituting an optical network and include one or more transponders. Failure cause estimation apparatuses monitors states of the transponders provided in each of the terminal stations and estimates a failure probability for each location where an occurrence of a failure is suspected. A failure analysis apparatus estimates a location where there is a risk of failure occurrence and a failure probability at the location where there is the risk of failure occurrence based on failure cause estimation results of the failure cause estimation apparatuses provided in the terminal stations.

Abstract: A powder container contains powder and is attached to an image forming apparatus including: a conveying nozzle to convey the powder; a powder receiving hole of the conveying nozzle to receive the powder from the powder container; an apparatus main-body gear to transmit a driving force to the powder container; and a container receiving section including the conveying nozzle and receiving the powder container. The powder container includes: an opening at one end of the powder container in a longitudinal direction; a nozzle receiver at the opening to receive the conveying nozzle; a conveyor to convey the powder; and a container gear to drive the conveyor by meshing with the apparatus main-body gear. The container gear is to mesh with the apparatus main-body gear at a position closer to the opening than the powder receiving hole in the longitudinal direction. The opening is to mate with the container receiving section.

Abstract: A powder container contains powder and is attached to an image forming apparatus including: a conveying nozzle to convey the powder; a powder receiving hole of the conveying nozzle to receive the powder from the powder container; an apparatus main-body gear to transmit a driving force to the powder container; and a container receiving section including the conveying nozzle and receiving the powder container. The powder container includes: an opening at one end of the powder container in a longitudinal direction; a nozzle receiver at the opening to receive the conveying nozzle; a conveyor to convey the powder; and a container gear to drive the conveyor by meshing with the apparatus main-body gear. The container gear is to mesh with the apparatus main-body gear at a position closer to the opening than the powder receiving hole in the longitudinal direction. The opening is to mate with the container receiving section.

Abstract: A feedback proportional control repeats the following processing of starting control of an optical modulator by a control signal that corresponds to a reference value set in the preliminary search or in the previous cycle, calculating a new reference value based on an error signal obtained from the optical modulator, and controlling the optical modulator by the control signal that corresponds to the new reference value, thereby acquiring the control signal in which the error signal is minimized as an optimal control signal, setting the acquired control signal as a signal for controlling the optical modulator, and storing the optimal control signal as the reference value to be used at a time of starting the feedback proportional control in the next cycle.

Abstract: A powder container contains powder and is attached to an image forming apparatus including: a conveying nozzle to convey the powder; a powder receiving hole of the conveying nozzle to receive the powder from the powder container; an apparatus main-body gear to transmit a driving force to the powder container; and a container receiving section including the conveying nozzle and receiving the powder container. The powder container includes: an opening at one end of the powder container in a longitudinal direction; a nozzle receiver at the opening to receive the conveying nozzle; a conveyor to convey the powder; and a container gear to drive the conveyor by meshing with the apparatus main-body gear. The container gear is to mesh with the apparatus main-body gear at a position closer to the opening than the powder receiving hole in the longitudinal direction. The opening is to mate with the container receiving section.

Abstract: A developer supply device includes a body, a developer supply unit drawably insertable into the body, and a developer container removably installable in the developer supply unit. The developer container contains a developer and includes a developer discharge port. The developer supply unit includes a lever that closes the developer discharge port when the lever has moved to a first position and opens the developer discharge port when the lever has moved to a second position, and a lock that engages an engagement portion of the lever in conjunction with an operation of drawing the developer supply unit from the body to restrict the lever from moving from the first position to the second position and disengage from the engagement portion in conjunction with an operation of inserting the developer supply unit into the body to allow the lever to move from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A powder container contains powder and is attached to an image forming apparatus including: a conveying nozzle to convey the powder; a powder receiving hole of the conveying nozzle to receive the powder from the powder container; an apparatus main-body gear to transmit a driving force to the powder container; and a container receiving section including the conveying nozzle and receiving the powder container. The powder container includes: an opening at one end of the powder container in a longitudinal direction; a nozzle receiver at the opening to receive the conveying nozzle; a conveyor to convey the powder; and a container gear to drive the conveyor by meshing with the apparatus main-body gear. The container gear is to mesh with the apparatus main-body gear at a position closer to the opening than the powder receiving hole in the longitudinal direction. The opening is to mate with the container receiving section.

Abstract: A developer supply device includes a body, a developer supply unit drawably insertable into the body, and a developer container removably installable in the developer supply unit. The developer container contains a developer and includes a developer discharge port. The developer supply unit includes a lever that closes the developer discharge port when the lever has moved to a first position and opens the developer discharge port when the lever has moved to a second position, and a lock that engages an engagement portion of the lever in conjunction with an operation of drawing the developer supply unit from the body to restrict the lever from moving from the first position to the second position and disengage from the engagement portion in conjunction with an operation of inserting the developer supply unit into the body to allow the lever to move from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A feedback proportional control repeats the following processing of starting control of an optical modulator by a control signal that corresponds to a reference value set in the preliminary search or in the previous cycle, calculating a new reference value based on an error signal obtained from the optical modulator, and controlling the optical modulator by the control signal that corresponds to the new reference value, thereby acquiring the control signal in which the error signal is minimized as an optimal control signal, setting the acquired control signal as a signal for controlling the optical modulator, and storing the optimal control signal as the reference value to be used at a time of starting the feedback proportional control in the next cycle.

Abstract: A powder container contains powder and is attached to an image forming apparatus including: a conveying nozzle to convey the powder; a powder receiving hole of the conveying nozzle to receive the powder from the powder container; an apparatus main-body gear to transmit a driving force to the powder container; and a container receiving section including the conveying nozzle and receiving the powder container. The powder container includes: an opening at one end of the powder container in a longitudinal direction; a nozzle receiver at the opening to receive the conveying nozzle; a conveyor to convey the powder; and a container gear to drive the conveyor by meshing with the apparatus main-body gear. The container gear is to mesh with the apparatus main-body gear at a position closer to the opening than the powder receiving hole in the longitudinal direction. The opening is to mate with the container receiving section.

Abstract: A powder container contains powder and is attached to an image forming apparatus including: a conveying nozzle to convey the powder; a powder receiving hole of the conveying nozzle to receive the powder from the powder container; an apparatus main-body gear to transmit a driving force to the powder container; and a container receiving section including the conveying nozzle and receiving the powder container. The powder container includes: an opening at one end of the powder container in a longitudinal direction; a nozzle receiver at the opening to receive the conveying nozzle; a conveyor to convey the powder; and a container gear to drive the conveyor by meshing with the apparatus main-body gear. The container gear is to mesh with the apparatus main-body gear at a position closer to the opening than the powder receiving hole in the longitudinal direction. The opening is to mate with the container receiving section.

Abstract: A powder container for an image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable powder storage storing powder; an opening on one end of the powder storage, through which a nozzle can be inserted; and a scooping portion to scoop up powder on an opening side, and supply the powder to a powder receiving hole of the nozzle when the powder storage rotates. The scooping portion includes a scooping surface extending inwardly from an inner wall surface of the powder storage and an inner end portion extending in a rotation axis direction of the powder storage, with an edge approximately parallel to the rotation axis. In a cross-section perpendicular to the rotation axis, the scooping surface is inclined toward an upstream side in a rotation direction of the powder storage with respect to a virtual line that passes through the rotation axis and is tangent to the edge of the inner end portion.

Abstract: A powder container for an image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable powder storage storing powder; an opening on one end of the powder storage, through which a nozzle can be inserted; and a scooping portion to scoop up powder on an opening side, and supply the powder to a powder receiving hole of the nozzle when the powder storage rotates. The scooping portion includes a scooping surface extending inwardly from an inner wall surface of the powder storage and an inner end portion extending in a rotation axis direction of the powder storage, with an edge approximately parallel to the rotation axis. In a cross-section perpendicular to the rotation axis, the scooping surface is inclined toward an upstream side in a rotation direction of the powder storage with respect to a virtual line that passes through the rotation axis and is tangent to the edge of the inner end portion.

Abstract: A developing device includes a casing having an opening, the casing to contain developer, and a developer bearer including a magnetized range to cause developer to stand on end on a surface of the developer bearer and an end range outside the magnetized range in a longitudinal direction of the developer bearer. The developer bearer is disposed in the casing and partly exposed from the opening with a casing gap secured between the surface of the developer bearer and an inner face of the casing. The developer bearer generates, by rotation, sucked-in airflow to collect a floating toner from the opening into the casing, and the casing gap is smaller in the end range than the magnetized range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer having a shaft to rotate in a normal direction for image formation and a reverse direction, a charging device, a latent image forming device, a developing device including a developer bearer having a shaft, a driving source, a drive transmission device to transmit a driving force from the driving source to the shaft of the latent image bearer and the shaft of the developer bearer. The developer bearer rotates in a predetermined direction during image formation and transports developer including toner to a developing range facing the latent image bearer, thereby developing the latent image on the latent image bearer. The drive transmission device is configured to inhibit transmission of the driving force to the shaft of the developer bearer when the latent image bearer rotates in the reverse direction.