Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner container and a shutter mechanism. The toner container is attached to or detached from an apparatus main body along an attachment/detachment direction. The toner container has a passing port. The shutter mechanism has a container mount, a shutter plate and an opening/closing hook. The container mount is attached to the toner container. The shutter plate is supported on the container mount so as to be slidable along the attachment/detachment direction. The opening/closing hook is supported on the apparatus main body on one side in a direction crossing the attachment/detachment direction. The opening/closing hook disengages the shutter plate with the container mount.

Abstract: Provided is a system that easily retrieves out various data from an image forming apparatus using a portable terminal and uses the various data. The image forming system of the present disclosure is an image forming system including an image forming apparatus that performs image formation and a portable terminal. The image forming apparatus has a non-contact IC tag. The portable terminal includes a selection part that receives selection of a maintenance screen to perform maintenance of the image forming apparatus from plural maintenance screens, a display part that displays the selected maintenance screen, a near field communication part that performs near field communication with the IC tag when the portable terminal comes close to the IC tag, and a control part that performs data communication with the image forming apparatus through the near field communication part.

Abstract: In order to assist an instructor in providing farming guidance to a producer, a farming guidance assistance apparatus (100) includes: a data management unit (11) that manages attributes of an agricultural product on agricultural lands on a per-land basis; and a notification statement generation unit (12) that determines whether applicable conditions that have been preset in one-to-one correspondence with notification statements of which the producer is to be notified are satisfied on a per-statement basis, and when there is a notification statement whose applicable condition is satisfied, outputs the notification statement together with information for specifying the producer to be notified of the notification statement.

Abstract: A maintenance system includes an image forming apparatus that performs image formation by a setting depending on the replacement part using a replaceably configured replacement part and a portable terminal that performs near field communication with the portable terminal. The portable terminal includes an image reading part that reads part information of the replacement part from a printed part affixed to the replacement part and a near filed communication part that transmits the part information read by the image reading part via the near filed communication. The image forming apparatus includes a non-contact IC tag in which the part information is written based on power generated from the near filed communication and an reflection processing part that reads the part information from the IC tag at the time of power on and reflects the part information in the setting.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a photoreceptor drum, a charging apparatus, a developing device, a transfer apparatus, a charging bias applying unit, a developing bias applying unit, a bias adjusting unit, and a print density measurement unit. The bias adjusting unit controls the charging bias applying unit to form a plurality of electric potential areas of electric potentials with different magnitudes. The bias adjusting unit applies a predetermined developing bias corresponding to a target electric potential to the developing roller, so as to form a plurality of toner images by electric potential differences between the developing bias and the plurality of electric potential areas. The bias adjusting unit decides a value of a charging bias corresponding to the target electric potential from measurement results of print densities of the plurality of toner images measured by the print density measurement unit.

Abstract: An electronic device includes: a first non-volatile storage device, a second non-volatile storage device, and a processor. The first non-volatile storage device has limitations on a number of times of writing therein. The second non-volatile storage device has no limitations on a number of times of writing therein. The processor functions as: a normal writing section, a backup writing section, a substitute writing section, and a determination section. The normal writing section writes data into only the first non-volatile storage device. The backup writing section writes data into both the first non-volatile storage device and the second non-volatile storage device. The substitute writing section writes data into only the second non-volatile storage device. The determination section selects one of the normal writing section, the backup writing section, and the substitute writing section based on the number of bad blocks in the first non-volatile storage device.

Abstract: A camera assembly for an oven appliance including an attachment mechanism, an arm, and a camera is provided. The attachment mechanism is configured for attachment to a handle of an oven appliance door. The arm extends from the attachment mechanism to the camera, and attaches to at least one of the camera or a housing, if provided. The camera records or transmits images of the oven cavity to, e.g., a user device allowing a user to monitor a doneness of any food items positioned within the oven appliance.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first receiver frequency conversion stage and a second receiver frequency conversion stage. The first receiver frequency conversion stage may be configured to generate at least four first intermediate frequency signals in response to a radio frequency (RF) input signal and respective phases of a first local oscillator signal. The second receiver frequency conversion stage may be configured to generate at least four output signals in response to the at least four first intermediate frequency signals and one or more phases of a second local oscillator signal. Each of the at least four output signals is generated in an independent channel in response to a respective one of the at least four first intermediate frequency signals and a respective one of the one or more phases of the second local oscillator signal.

Abstract: User interfaces and electrode assemblies are provided. A user interface includes a printed circuit board and an outer touch panel spaced from the printed circuit board. The user interface assembly further includes an electrode assembly disposed between the printed circuit board and outer touch panel. The electrode assembly includes a first conductive compressible electrode extending along a length between a first end and a second end and from the printed circuit board to the outer touch panel. The electrode assembly further includes a second conductive compressible electrode extending along a length between a first end and a second end and from the printed circuit board to the outer touch panel. The first and second electrodes are intertwined and define a gap therebetween. The gap is generally constant along the lengths of the first and second electrodes between the first ends and the second ends of the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: An electrostatic particle collector may generally include a housing having sidewalls extending lengthwise between a first end and a second end. The housing may define a plate slot that extends heightwise within the housing between a top end and a bottom end. The housing may further include a plate access window that provides access to the bottom end of the plate slot. The collector may also include a collector plate configured to be installed within the plate slot that extends heightwise between a top edge and a bottom edge. Additionally, when the collector plate is installed within the plate slot, the bottom edge of the collector plate may be accessible from an exterior of the housing via the plate access window so as to allow the bottom edge of the collector plate to be moved relative to the housing to facilitate removal of the collector plate from the housing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a conveyance belt, a transfer roller, a suspension roller, and a conductive opposed member. The conveyance belt is in contact with the image carrier to form a nip and conveys a sheet via the nip position. A voltage of reversed polarity to a charge polarity of toner forming the toner image is applied to the transfer roller to transfer the toner image to the sheet at the nip position. A suspension roller suspends the conveyance belt at a separation position. The separation position is downstream with respect to the nip position in a sheet conveyance direction. The separation position is positioned where the sheet separates from the conveyance belt. The voltage of reversed polarity to the charge polarity of the toner is applied to the suspension roller. The conductive opposed member is arranged opposed to the suspension roller across the conveyance belt.

Abstract: A multilayer electronic support structure including at least one pair of adjacent feature layers extending in an X-Y plane that are separated by a via layer; said via layer comprising a dielectric material that is sandwiched between the two adjacent feature layers and at least one constructional element through the dielectric material spanning between said pair of adjacent feature layers in a Z direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane; wherein said at least one constructional element is characterized by having a long dimension in the X-Y plane that is at least 3 times as long as a short dimension in the X-Y plane and wherein the at least one constructional element is fully encapsulated within the dielectric material and is electrically isolated from its surrounding.

Abstract: A fire protection system includes a dry pipe system and a controlled discharge gas vent. The dry pipe system and controlled discharge gas vent operate using a breathing cycle to displace oxygen and/or water vapor from within the piping network of the dry pipe system. The controlled gas discharge vent allows displacement of pressurized air with nitrogen, for example, using manual or automated processes that can employ one or more sensors. Corrosion resulting from oxygen, water, and/or microbial growth is reduced or nearly eliminated.

Abstract: A washing machine appliance including a tub, a basket rotatably mounted within the tub, and an agitation element is provided. The agitation element defines a perimeter lip extending along an axial direction of the washing machine appliance towards a bottom wall of the basket. The bottom wall of the basket defines a ridge extending along the axial direction towards the agitation element. The ridge may be positioned inwardly of and proximate to the perimeter lip along a radial direction of the wash machine appliance to hinder debris from reaching a cavity defined between the agitation element and a bottom wall of the basket.

Abstract: A manually-actuated slide-action handle (22) for a semi-automatic firearm. The handle has a chassis portion (58) and a length-adjustable shoulder stock portion (60) to enable a user to alter the trigger pull length of the firearm. A finger rest (82) stabilizes the end of a user's trigger finger stretched in front of the firearm trigger. The finger rest is detachable from the chassis and has a generally U-shaped configuration that is adapted to connect to the handle in either a right-handed position or an inverted left-handed position. A lock switch (116) is located on the grip base of a pistol grip feature (66) to selectively arrest relative sliding movement between the firing unit and the handle. A brake (76) is controlled by an engagement lever to selectively remove play between the handle and the firing unit portion of the firearm for competitive slow shooting.

Abstract: Systems, circuits, and methods for providing operating power to a gas control circuit board are disclosed. A first power source for a gas control circuit board is derived from a utility supplied AC source while a backup supply is provided based on current flowing through an anode rod associated with the water heater as defined by Faraday's Law of Electrolysis. The backup supply based on anode current flow provided operating power for the gas control circuit in case of loss of power from the utility supplied AC source.

Abstract: An apparatus, includes core interface means adapted to provide an eastbound interface to a first core network element and to a second core network element different from the first core network element; radio interface means adapted to provide a westbound interface to a first radio access network element and to a second radio access network element different from the first radio access network element; multiplex detecting means adapted to detect if a first request received at one of the eastbound and westbound interfaces is directed to the first and/or the second of the network elements of the respective other interface; adapting means adapted to adapt the first request according to the network element to which it is directed; multiplexing means adapted to multiplex the adapted first request to the first and/or the second of the network elements of the respective other interface according to detection by the multiplex detecting means.

Abstract: A sheet feed cassette includes a cassette main body, a sheet loading plate, a regulating member, and an auxiliary member. The sheet loading plate has a support surface and an opening. The support surface supports a sheet sheaf of one or more sheets. The regulating member is slidable within the opening in a sheet width direction perpendicular to a sheet feed direction. The regulating member regulates the sheet sheaf by coming into contact with an edge of the sheaf. The auxiliary member is supported by the sheet loading plate. The auxiliary member is in contact with the regulating member. The auxiliary member is turnable in parallel to the support surface in accompaniment to sliding of the regulating member. The auxiliary member supports a part of the sheet sheaf located over the opening.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the temperature of a substrate, in particular of a semiconductor wafer during a heating thereof by means of a first radiation source is described. Furthermore, an apparatus and a method for thermally treating substrates are described, in which the substrate is heated by means of at least one first radiation source. The apparatus comprises a first grating structure having grating lines, which are opaque with respect to a substantial portion of the radiation of the first radiation source, wherein the grating structure is arranged between the first radiation source and the substrate, and a drive unit for moving the first grating structure.

Abstract: A developing device includes a supplying chamber, an agitating member, a toner carrier, a retaining part and a detecting part. The supplying chamber accommodates a toner replenished from a toner container. The agitating member agitates the toner in the supplying chamber. The toner carrier supplies an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier with the toner from the supplying chamber. The retaining part recovers and retains the toner dispersed in the vicinity of the image carrier and the toner carrier. The detecting part detects an amount of the toner in the retaining part. The retaining part is moreover configured to replenish the recovered toner from the retaining part to the supplying chamber when the detecting part detects an amount of the toner in the retaining part more than a predetermined amount in a state where the toner is needed to be replenished to the supplying chamber.