Abstract: A cartridge includes a casing, a developing roller, and an agitator. The casing is configured to accommodate developing agent. The casing has a first wall and a second wall disposed away from the first wall in a first direction. The agitator includes a rotational shaft and an agitating blade. The rotational shaft extends in the first direction and has a first end portion. The first end portion defines a circumferential surface and is supported to the first wall. The rotational shaft is configured to rotate in a rotating direction about a rotational center. The first wall has a concave portion having a plurality of protruding portions extending toward the circumferential surface and arranged at intervals from each other in the rotating direction. The agitating blade is positioned between the first end portion and the second end portion in the first direction and extending in the radial direction.

Abstract: A micromechanical sensor is provided which includes a substrate having a main plane of extension and a rocker structure which is connected to the substrate via a torsion means. The torsion means extends primarily along a torsion axis, and the torsion axis is situated essentially in parallel to the main plane of extension of the substrate. The rocker structure is pivotable about the torsion axis from a neutral position into a deflected position, and the rocker structure has a mass distribution which is asymmetrical with respect to the torsion axis. The mass distribution is designed in such a way that a torsional motion of the rocker structure about the torsion axis is effected as a function of an inertial force which is oriented along a Z direction which is essentially perpendicular to the main plane of extension of the substrate.

Abstract: Technologies are generally described for operating and manufacturing optomechanical accelerometers. In some examples, an optomechanical accelerometer device is described that uses a cavity resonant displacement sensor based on a zipper photonic crystal nano-cavity to measure the displacement of an integrated test mass generated by acceleration applied to the chip. The cavity-resonant sensor may be fully integrated on-chip and exhibit an enhanced displacement resolution due to its strong optomechanical coupling. The accelerometer structure may be fabricated in a silicon nitride thin film and constitute a rectangular test mass flexibly suspended on high aspect ratio inorganic nitride nano-tethers under high tensile stress. By increasing the mechanical Q-factors through adjustment of tether width and tether length, the noise-equivalent acceleration (NEA) may be reduced, while maintaining a large operation bandwidth. The mechanical Q-factor may be improved with thinner (e.g., <1 micron) and longer tethers (e.

Abstract: A process unit includes a drum frame supporting a photoconductor drum and a development frame supporting a development roller. The development cartridge is swingably supported by the drum frame at a coupling joint provided at a first side of the development frame and a support portion provided at a second side of the development frame. A center of rotation of the development roller is located in a position shifted from a line segment connecting a center of rotation of the coupling joint and a center of rotation of the photoconductor drum to an upstream side with respect to a direction of rotation of the coupling joint as viewed in an axial direction of the development roller, such that the development roller is pressed against the photoconductor drum by the action of the rotatory force received by the coupling joint.

Abstract: A low-temperature superconducting device for measuring gravity, includes a low-temperature container, a cryocooler, a rotor chamber, a superconducting rotor, an upper levitation coil, a lower levitation coil, an upper electrode, an intermediate electrode, a lower electrode, a magnetic shielding chamber and a superconducting quantum interference device. By cooling the whole low-temperature superconducting device using a cryocooler, the intermediate electrode disposed in the body of the magnetic shielding chamber will generate an output voltage when the superconducting rotor is displaced due to a change of gravity. Thus, the superconducting quantum interference device can make the superconducting rotor return to the central balance position by adjusting the operating current of the upper levitation coil or the lower levitation coil. A change of gravity can be determined based on the operating current fed back to the upper levitation coil or the lower levitation coil.

Abstract: A measuring cell having a measuring cell body and a measuring diaphragm mounted on the measuring cell body, with the measuring diaphragm in direct contact with a measurement environment, so that when the measuring cell is used, as intended, in at least one measurement section of a top surface of the diaphragm that is covered in an anti-stick coating and faces the measurement environment.

Abstract: A printing control device includes a toner-scattering prevention plane generating unit that generates toner-scattering prevention plane data indicating that clear toner is applied to an outline drawing that is identified from target data for print; and an image-data generating unit that generates image data that includes the outline drawing by using the toner-scattering prevention plane data.

Abstract: An elastic layer includes a needle-shaped filler and a void and has a porosity of 20 vol % or more and 60 vol % or less. The elastic layer contains a first area and a second area. The first area extends from a surface of the elastic layer opposite to a surface facing the mandrel toward the mandrel and has a thickness of 30% of the thickness of the elastic layer. The second area is a central area in a thickness direction of the elastic layer and has a thickness of 40% of the thickness of the elastic layer. The needle-shaped filler in the second area has an orientation degree of 50% or lower. The needle-shaped filler in the first area has an orientation degree higher than that of the needle-shaped filler in the second area.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller including a primary heating control portion that determines a first amount of power supplied to a heater based on a temperature of a fixing rotator detected by a temperature detector and controls the heater to perform a primary heating to heat the fixing rotator with the first amount of power, a secondary heating control portion that controls the heater to perform a secondary heating to heat the fixing rotator with a preset second amount of power, and a switch portion that controls the heater to switch between the primary heating and the secondary heating during an identical print job without changing a target temperature of the fixing rotator.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier to carry a toner image. A transfer unit transfers the toner image to a sheet. A fixing unit fixes the toner image on the sheet. The sheet with the image is discharged to a sheet discharge tray. A circular conveyance path turns over the sheet past the transfer unit and the fixing unit and passes the sheet through the transfer unit and the fixing unit again. A heat amount setting section sets an amount of heat applied by the fixing unit when fixing of the sheet is executed. In duplex printing, a first heat amount for fixing the toner image on a first side of the sheet is smaller than a reference heat amount for simplex printing whereas a second heat amount for fixing the toner image on a second side of the sheet is larger than the reference heat amount.

Abstract: A pressure detecting apparatus made by 3D printing technologies being able to be used in dangerous areas is provided. It mainly comprises a light source, a processor, a coupler, and at least one pressure transducer. The pressure transducer comprises a main body and a fiber grating. The fiber grating comprises a fiber Bragg grating sensor, and the fiber grating is fixed on the main body and covers the fiber Bragg grating sensor. When the main body is placed in a fluid area, the fluid would flow through the opening to deform the strain layer and generate a strain variation on the fiber Bragg grating sensor to cause a signal variation in the reflection frequency spectrum. The coupler is configured to couple to the light source and the pressure transducer to decode the signal variation into pressure parameters.

Abstract: An optical pressure sensor is disclosed having a pressure sensing optical cavity. A temperature sensing optical cavity at the sensor head is used by an interrogator to correct a pressure signal for effects of temperature. The optical cavities may be, for example, Fabry Perot cavities in the sensor head.

Abstract: Laser driver ICs each drive different light-emitting portions and supply a driving current to one or more light-emitting portions among light-emitting portions included in a semiconductor laser. An image forming apparatus controls the laser driver ICs such that the light-emitting portions, which are each driven by a different laser driver IC, emit light beams in sequence, and measures a time interval between two BD signals generated by a BD sensor due to the light beams being incident thereon. Furthermore, based on the measured value, the image forming apparatus controls relative timings according to which the light-emitting portions emit the light beams based on image data.

Abstract: A liquid phase microextraction (LPME) method was developed for the determination of sulfur compounds in crude oils and its fractions (e.g diesel). Wide ranges of sulfur compounds including benzothiophene, dibenzothiophene and their derivatives were used as model compounds for extraction. After extraction, the analyses were performed by gas chromatography equipped with sulfur chemiluminescence detector (GC-SCD). Various experiments conditions influencing the extraction such as extraction times, extraction solvents, solvent volume and quantitative parameters were optimized to achieve higher extraction efficiency and high accuracy. The optimized conditions were applied to the determination of sulfur compounds in crude oil and diesel.

Abstract: A developing unit includes a chamber in which a developer material is held. The developer material is received from an external device through the developer material receiving opening. A developer guide member is disposed in the chamber and directly under the developer material receiving opening. The developer guide member extends in a first direction and guides the developer material in the first direction. A developer material transporting member is disposed between the developer material receiving opening and the developer guide member. The developer material transporting member extends in a second direction parallel to the first direction and transports the developer material in the second direction. An agitator is formed on the developer transporting member and is disposed directly under the developer material receiving opening.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit having a heating member, a temperature detector, an acquisition unit, and a controller. When image formation is consecutively performed, and the acquisition unit acquires a first density, which is the density information of the image formed on a k-th recording material, and a second, higher density, which is the density information of the image formed on an l-th recording material, while the image is being fixed on the k-th recording material, the controller controls the power so that the detection temperature becomes a temperature higher than a fixing temperature according to the first density, and lower than a fixing temperature according to the second density. While the image is being fixed on the l-th recording material, the controller controls the power so that the detection temperature becomes the fixing temperature according to the second density.

Abstract: A measurement device for measuring a concentration of a component of a gas mixture includes a chamber that contains the gas mixture, a light source that emits light into the chamber, the emitted light having a wavelength between 230 nm and 320 nm, and a light sensor that detects a portion of the light from the light source that has propagated through the gas mixture. A processor is configured to determine the concentration of the component of the gas mixture based on the portion of the light emitted from the light source that is detected by the light sensor. The light source may include one or more LEDs, each having a central wavelength of light emission between 270 nm and 320 nm and a linewidth of less than 50 nm. The device may be employed to determine acetone concentration in exhaled breath, which may be indicative of diabetes or other health conditions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving MEMS gyroscope start time are provided. In one embodiment, a circuit board for a MEMS gyroscope system comprises: a proof mass assembly; a proof mass control loop coupled to the proof mass assembly by a first proof mass motion sensor pickup line and a second proof mass motion sensor pickup line, where the proof mass control loop generates a set of drive signals that operate the proof mass assembly using a first capacitive signal from the first proof mass motion sensor pickup line and a second capacitive signal from the second proof mass motion sensor pickup line; and a tunable capacitive coupler connected to at least one of the first or the second proof mass motion sensor pickup lines, where the tunable capacitive coupler varies at least one of the first and second charge signals as a function of the drive signals.

Abstract: In a case where a job for executing both one-sided printing and two-sided printing is received, printing is controlled based on whether or not a predetermined type of sheets in which there is an order between the sheets are used for the received job whereby productivity is improved in a case where the predetermined type of sheets are not used for the received job, and a mismatch between content of a page and an order of the sheets does not occur in a case where the predetermined type of sheets is used for the received job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a paper feeding unit which feeds a sheet-shaped recording medium, an image forming unit which forms a toner image on the recording medium fed from the paper feeding unit, a fixing unit which fixes the toner image formed by the image forming unit on the recording medium, a stacking unit which stacks the recording medium on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing unit, a temperature sensor which detects the surface temperature of the recording mediums stacked on the stacking unit and a control unit which determines, according to the printing information of the recording medium, whether or not to feed a new recording medium from the paper feeding unit when the surface temperature of the recording mediums detected by the temperature sensor is above a threshold temperature.