Abstract: A water-based coloring material which colors a medium and which is to be used together with water, the water-based coloring material includes a colorant and polyetheramine represented by chemical formula (1): wherein R1 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group which has 1 to 4 carbon atoms and has a straight chain or a branched chain; R2, R3, and R4 are substituted or unsubstituted alkylene groups each of which has 1 to 4 carbon atoms and has a straight chain or a branched chain, and R2, R3, and R4 are identical with each other or different from each other; and each of m, n, and o is an integer of 1 to 5.

Abstract: A process cartridge includes a photosensitive cartridge that has a photosensitive drum and a developing cartridge that is detachably mounted on the photosensitive cartridge. The developing cartridge includes a developing roller, an input gear, and a transmission gear. The developing gear supplies toner to the photosensitive drum. The input gear includes a contact portion that is in contact with a coupling member to receive the driving force and a gear portion. The input gear rotates about a rotational axis defining an axial direction when the contact portion receives the driving force. The transmission gear is meshingly engaged with the gear portion to transmit the driving force from the input gear to the developing roller. The gear portion has a pitch circle defined by being meshingly engaged with the transmission gear. The pitch circle of the gear portion is arranged to overlap with the contact portion in the axial direction of the input gear.

Abstract: A method and system for measuring latency is provided. A monitor node is used to measure latency in a computer network or in a computing device by time stamping signal messages sent from nodes in the computer network and/or tasks in a particular node or device. The time stamps are generated using a system clock of the monitor node to reduce any discrepancies in timing. In addition, the monitor node may compensate for latencies between the monitor node and each of the one or more nodes or devices across which latency is to be measured. Signal messages may include a data message ID and/or a node ID identifying the message that is being tracked and for which latency is being measured. Latency may further be measured across multiple tasks being performed in the same or different nodes or devices by transmitting signal messages for each of the multiple tasks.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are directed to improving the speed of event-driven simulation by manipulating delta delays in a system model to reduce delta cycle executions. The manipulation is performed in a manner that preserves delta cycle accurate timing on selected signals of the system, which may be of interest to a designer. Methods and systems are provided for identifying the signals of interest, and for determining portions of the design that may have delta delays retimed. Preserving the timing on the signals of interest ensures that race conditions and glitches present in the design on the signals of interest are still viewable by the designer. To reduce simulation time, delta delays may be moved from high activity signals to low activity signals, the total number of delta delays may be reduced, or a number of processes executed may be reduced.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a casing having a guide and a drawer configured to be movable between an inner position in which the drawer is located at an inner side of the casing and an outer position in which the drawer is located at an outer side of the casing. The drawer may include a plurality of photosensitive drums and a support disposed closer to a rear edge of the drawer than a front edge of the drawer. The guide may include a main guiding surface and one or more inclined surfaces. An engagement of the support with the one or more inclined surfaces of the guide regulates movement of the drawer upward or downward during movement of the drawer between the inner position and the outer position.

Abstract: A laser printer includes a contact/separation mechanism that linearly moves developing cartridges between contact positions where the developing cartridges contact corresponding photosensitive drums and separating positions where the developing cartridges separate from the photosensitive drums. The contact/separation mechanism includes a pair of contact/separation members and a synchronous moving mechanism. The contact/separation members are disposed one on one side of the developing cartridges and another on another side of the developing cartridges. The synchronous moving mechanism is for linearly moving the contact/separation members in synchronization with each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a drum unit which holds plural photosensitive drums, a developing cartridge which is provided for each photosensitive drum, a translation member which is provided to be movable linearly, and a movable member for each developing cartridge. The movable member includes a main body rotatably supported by the supporting shaft at one end portion thereof, an input portion provided at the other end portion thereof and to which a pressing force is input by the translation member with the linear movement thereof; an abutting portion which is provided between the one and other end portions of the main body, and abuts the drum unit while the movable member rotates about the supporting shaft; and an operating portion which applies to the supporting shaft a force for moving the developing cartridge as the movable member is rotated with the middle portion as a fulcrum.

Abstract: There is provided a developer carrying device, including a first carrying body having a first electrode group configured to form a traveling electric field while being applied a voltage sequentially and to circulate charged developer through a facing portion with respect to a developer supply target; and a second carrying body having a second electrode group configured to form a traveling electric field while being applied a voltage sequentially and to circulate the developer through a facing part with respect to the first electrode group so that the developer being carried is supplied to the first carrying body.

Abstract: The disclosed is a method for attaching a charging wire. At first, a first end of a charging wire is locked to a wire locking portion of a process frame, and portion of a torsion spring shaped wire electrode is engaged with a second end of the charging wire. Thereafter, a coil portion of the wire electrode is attached to a coil support portion of the process frame in a state in which a tension less than a set value is applied to the charging wire. Thereafter, a second spring leg portion of the wire electrode is moved to a fixed position fixed to an electrode support portion of the process frame in a direction in which a deformation amount of the wire electrode increases, without exceeding the fixed position in the first direction.

Abstract: An image scanning apparatus includes an input unit configured to input a scanning job, a scanning unit configured to scan a document according to the scanning job and generate image data of the document, and a storing unit configured to store the scanning job. The scanning unit performs scanning according to the scanning job inputted by the input unit and, thereafter, performs scanning according to the scanning job stored in the storing unit.

Abstract: A communication system may be provided with a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device may send the identification information stored in a first storage device to the second communication device. The first communication device may output status information included in combination information sent from the first communication device, and update the stored contents of the first storage device such that identification information included in the combination information is stored in the first storage device. The second communication device may obtain status information concerning a status of the second communication device, and update the stored contents of a second storage device such that the latest combination data including the latest status information and new identification information is stored in the second storage device.

Abstract: An image reading device includes: an original table having a stationary original reading area and a moving original reading area on its top surface; an image reading unit provided inside the original table and moving the reading line in the direction of the width of the stationary original reading area and to the moving original reading area with the direction of the length of the stationary original reading area as the reading line; an original cover openably and closably provided on the original table so as to cover at least the stationary original reading area; and an ADF having an original conveyance path leading from an original tray by way of the moving original reading area to an original output tray. The image reading device reads originals of sizes larger than the readable stationary original size without any size increase of the device.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a casing, a cover member pivotable with respect to the casing between an open position and a closed position, a lock member that selectively locks and unlocks the cover member in the closed position, and a knob movable from an original position toward the open position of the cover member. The lock member is moved to an unlocking position as the knob is moved from the original position toward the open position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that can read data from a storage medium having hierarchically structured directories includes a first directory and a second directory which is stored in the first directory. The apparatus includes: a display portion that displays designation information of the first directory; an operation portion configured to receive a designation of the second directory based on the first directory designation information displayed on the display portion; a display control portion that controls the display portion to display designation information of the second directory when the second directory is designated; and a printing portion that index-prints images on a print medium based on files stored in one of the first and second directories, the designation information of which is currently displayed on the display portion.

Abstract: There is provided an automatic document feeder, comprising: a document tray; an output tray; a movable ejection flap configured to be movable between a first position where the document for which the image reading is finished is sunk into a position between the output tray and a bottom of a stacked document already staked on the output tray and a second position where the document is ejected on the output tray without being sunk into the position; a setting unit configured to set the movable flap to one of the first position and the second position; a change unit configured to change a position of the movable flap to the second position in response to a fact that a predetermined condition is satisfied in a state where the position of the movable flap has been set to the first position through the setting unit.

Abstract: Image forming apparatuses include: a casing; an image forming unit removable from the casing in a first direction; and plural developer cartridges. The cartridges may be attached and detached with respect to the image forming unit in a second direction that is inclined toward the first direction. Other image forming apparatuses include: a casing; an exposure device; a plurality of cartridges configured to be attached and detached with respect to the casing in a first direction; and a recording medium transport system for transporting recording media adjacent the photosensitive members in a second direction. The first direction may be inclined with respect to the second direction, and at least a portion of optical paths of the light emitted from the exposure device may extend parallel with the first direction. Aspects also relate to image forming units, e.g., for use in image forming apparatuses as described above.

Abstract: A compact, portable weather station for predicting local extreme weather conditions and for reporting remote weather conditions. The weather station has sensors for determining local temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, ambient light, and ambient static charge. A microprocessor has memory for storing data relating to past weather conditions and data processing apparatus and algorithms for determining probable developing weather conditions responsive to sensed local conditions. The weather station has a radio receiver for communicating with global weather reporting communications systems utilizing cellular communications. Operating commands, predicted local weather conditions, and remote weather conditions are annunciated in synthesized voice in any one of a variety of predetermined languages. The weather station includes voice synthesizing and recognition apparatus for annunciating verbal prompts and weather conditions, and for responding to vocal control.