Abstract: A cartridge includes a cartridge frame member including a developer accommodation portion, an image bearing member rotatably provided to the cartridge frame member, an end sealing provided to the cartridge frame member and abutting on an end of the image bearing member in a longitudinal direction, a cleaning unit for acting on the image bearing member, a sealing portion integrally provided with the cartridge frame member and abut on an end of the cleaning unit in the longitudinal direction, a sheet member provided along the longitudinal direction and abut on the image bearing member at an end of the sheet member in a direction that crosses the longitudinal direction, and a fixing portion for fixing the sheet member and the cartridge frame member. The sealing portion and the fixing portion are integrally formed with the cartridge frame member.

Abstract: A developing device for use with an image forming apparatus includes a developer carrying member carrying a developer for developing a latent image, a supplying member for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member and forming a nip in contact with the developer carrying member, and an accommodating portion, provided below the supplying member in a state the developing device is mounted on the image forming apparatus for use, for accommodating the developer to be supplied from the supplying member to the developer carrying member. In addition, a feeding member, provided in the accommodating portion, feeds the developer accommodated in the accommodating portion to the supplying member, and a rotatable member, provided above the feeding member and located at a downstream side of the nip with respect to a rotational direction of the supplying member, moves the developer toward the nip.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the energy of sound waves generated for fluid sensing. The system includes a transducer configured to generate a first sound wave and a second sound wave and to detect a first echo of the first and second sound waves. The system also includes a driver configured to drive the transducer to produce the first and second sound waves. The system also includes a controller configured to compare a signal characteristic of the first echo of the first and second sound waves. The controller is configured to control the driver based on comparing the signal characteristic of the first echo of the first and second sound waves.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt includes a base layer that has ionic conductivity and is a thickest layer out of multiple layers making up the intermediate transfer belt with respect to the thickness direction of the intermediate transfer belt, and an inner layer having electronic conductivity and a lower electrical resistance than the base layer.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in tube feeding has a cylindrical body provided with first and second openings connected by a flow channel. The body has a reagent, for determining a characteristic of fluid disposed in the body and a transparent window to view the reagent. In use, a first end of an internal feeding tube releasably engages with the first opening. The second, distal end of the feeding tube is disposed inside a patient. A second feeding tube engages with the second opening. The second feeding tube connects the apparatus to a bi-directional pump operable: to pump internal fluid from a reservoir, through the apparatus and into the internal feeding tube; and to pump fluid from the patient into the body of the apparatus. This allows a user to pump fluid from the patient into the body of the apparatus to react with the reagent.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part that forms an image on a sheet; a conveyor that conveys the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming part; a corrector including a swing member that moves the sheet conveyed by the conveyor in a main scanning direction of the image; and a hardware processor that rotates the image formed on the sheet after timing at which the swing member loses contact with the sheet when the swing member separates from the sheet or the sheet is conveyed to pass through the swing member in accordance with a bending amount of the sheet.

Abstract: A toner cartridge supporting apparatus includes a storage portion, an insertion port, an opening/closing cover, a detecting portion for detecting a toner remaining amount, a control portion for controlling toner supply, a judging portion to judge whether or not a toner in a toner cartridge is exhausted, a message generating portion for generating a replacement message, a display portion for displaying the message, a toner cartridge replacement icon, and a toner cartridge moving portion, wherein a toner cartridge replacement message display function and a toner cartridge movement instruction function are provided as the control portion.

Abstract: A sensor device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The sensor device includes a substrate, a plurality of sensing electrodes, a humidity nanowire sensor, a temperature nanowire sensor, and a gas nanowire sensor. The sensing electrodes are formed on the substrate, and the humidity, the temperature and the gas nanowire sensors are also on the substrate. The humidity nanowire sensor includes an exposed first nanowire sensing region, the temperature nanowire sensor includes a second nanowire sensing region, and the gas nanowire sensor includes a third nanowire sensing region.

Abstract: A composite piezoelectric coating (CPC) method includes entraining a powder in a first carrier gas stream; heating a second carrier gas stream to a predetermined temperature; combining the first carrier gas stream and second carrier gas stream into a combined carrier gas stream; ejecting the combined carrier gas stream at a target at a predetermined velocity, and consolidating the powder on the target by impact of the ejected combined carrier gas stream with the target.

Abstract: The mechanical testing apparatus comprises a wheel and a platform. The wheel is configured to hold a first specimen and rotate relative to a second specimen to apply torque to the second specimen using the first specimen. The platform is biased towards the wheel and configured to hold the second specimen.

Abstract: A method and a measuring device determine the density of liquids. The measuring device has a flexural resonator, at least one sensor for at least one environmental parameter that influences a measurement to be performed and a condition monitoring unit. The measured values from the respective sensor are fed to the condition monitoring unit. The condition monitoring unit has a memory unit with stored forecasts for environmental parameters to be expected in the course of the measurement, and that, by using the condition monitoring unit, on the basis of the stored forecasts and the initial measured values selected for the measurement, it is determined whether the planned measurement can be carried out under the selected trial conditions without any impairment or with a permissible impairment by the forecast changes in the environmental parameters.

Abstract: A soil sampler assembly includes a utility vehicle and a soil sampler module coupled to the utility vehicle. The utility vehicle includes a cab, and the soil sampler module is configured to deposit a soil sample in the cab. For example, the soil sampler assembly includes a conveyor system configured to convey the soil sample to the cab. The conveyor system includes a central conveyor and a lateral conveyor that feeds the central conveyor. The central conveyor is on a travel track. The soil sampler assembly further includes a sampler arm assembly. The sampler arm assembly includes a power cylinder, a guide cylinder, a transfer block, and a probe. The probe has a tip, and the tip of the probe includes an outer surface defining an outer taper bore and an inner surface defining an inner taper bore.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first pressing member configured to press a unit that has a second rotating member that can come into contact with a first rotating member, and a supporting member rotatably supporting the second rotating member. The first pressing member moves the supporting member so that the second rotating member moves from the contact position to the separated position. Also provided is a second pressing member that presses the supporting member. The second pressing member is capable of moving between a mounting/detaching restriction position where mounting/detaching of the cartridge to/from the apparatus main body is restricted, and a mounting/detaching allowing position where mounting/detaching of the cartridge to/from the apparatus main body is allowed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member bearing a toner image and image forming units arranged side by side, with each image forming unit having a developing device forming the toner image, a magnetic permeability sensor detecting a toner density of a developer in the developing device, and a cleaning unit having a cleaning member which removes toner remaining on an image bearing member and a conductive support member which supports the cleaning member. The apparatus further includes a conductive member facing the magnetic permeability sensor of the most upstream image forming unit and arranged upstream of that image forming unit. The developing device of one of adjacent image forming units is opposed to the cleaning unit of another unit which is arranged downstream and is next to the developing device of the one of the adjacent image forming units.

Abstract: Disclosed are ignition source testing systems and methods that utilize a foam with flammable components to indicate the presence of an ignition source on a test article (such as metallic components of a fuel system). Foam is applied to the test article and an energy discharge (such as a simulated lightning strike) is applied to the test article with the foam. The energy discharge may create an ignition source (such as an arc) on the test article that is sufficient to ignite the foam. Test methods comprise determining whether the foam ignited in response to the energy discharge. Test systems comprise the foam, the test article at least partially covered by the foam, and an energy source configured to discharge energy into the test article.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a converting unit, a plurality of image forming units, a scanning unit, a first generating unit, a second generating unit, an intermediate transfer member, a measuring unit, and a controller configured to, after the first generating unit generates an image forming condition, control the plurality of image forming units to form a measurement image, control the measuring unit to measure the measurement image, and control whether to control the second generating unit to generate a conversion condition or not on the basis of a result of the measurement performed on a previous measurement image and a result of the measurement performed on a current measurement image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of monitoring an impeller pump used in a medical application, wherein the structure-borne noise arising in the impeller pump is measured and this measured structure-borne noise is compared with a reference curve and/or with a limit value, wherein a signal is output as a sign for a disturbance of the operation of the impeller pump. The invention further relates to a blood treatment apparatus in which the aforesaid method is carried out.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device to form a toner image onto a recording medium by transferring the toner image directly or indirectly onto the recording medium, the image forming device including a developer to develop a latent image formed on an image carrier into the toner image; and a controller to control the image forming device. The controller determines whether a first estimated time period is greater than a first predetermined time period, the first estimated time period being a time period from a time when image formation of one page of the image completes to an estimated time when image formation of a subsequent page of the image will start; and stops operating the developer based on a determination indicating that the first estimated time period is greater than the first predetermined time period.

Abstract: An optical writing device driving a light-emitting element array, modulating light according to a screening pattern that expresses a dithered image, and performing optical writing by focusing light emitted from the light-emitting element array through a lens array onto a photoreceptor. The optical writing device includes an acquisition unit that acquires a write start position for writing to the photoreceptor in a main scanning direction and a control unit that performs a control when the write start position corresponds to an i-th light-emitting element from a reference position that corresponds to a first light-emitting element in the main scanning direction, i being a positive integer greater than 1, wherein the control unit supplies pixel values to the i-th light-emitting element onwards, the pixel values being assigned from pixels of the screening pattern from an i-th pixel onwards, from a leading pixel of the screening pattern in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: A pipette is described which includes a piston for aspirating liquid into and dispensing out of a container in the pipette. The pipette is provided with at least one tracking element which is able to count the magnitude of some variable or variables relating to the amount of use of the pipette, at least one operating device for creating a limit magnitude for each variable, and for giving information when the limit value is exceeded. Thus, the user may, for instance, be warned when he may be exposed to high workload stress possibly causing injuries.