Abstract: A system and a method for predicting a remaining useful life (RUL) of a component of an equipment are provided. The system for predicting the RUL of the component of the equipment includes a data acquisition unit, a feature capturing unit, a mapping function generating unit, a similarity analyzing unit and a RUL calculating unit. The feature capturing unit obtains an estimation feature according to a real time sensing record, and obtains a plurality of training features according to a set of history sensing records. The similarity analyzing unit obtains k similar features which are similar to the estimation feature according to the training features. The RUL calculating unit obtains at least one of k predicting information via a mapping function according to the k similar features and calculates an estimation RUL according to at least one predicting value.

Abstract: A sensor including a sensing device and a processor. The sensing device can be configured to sense one or more environmental conditions, such as one or more magnetic fields, and generate a sensor signal based on the sensed environmental condition(s). The processor can be configured to determine a gain mode and/or a zero-point mode of the sensor. Based on the determined gain and/or zero-point modes and the sensor signal, the processor can generate an output signal. The processor can include a voltage generator configured to generate a ratiometric voltage and/or a regulated voltage based on a supply voltage of the sensor. The processor can receive an external voltage. The gain mode and/or the zero-point mode can be independently determined based on the ratiometric, regulated, or external voltages. The ratiometric or regulated voltage can be output as a second output to form a differential output.

Abstract: Tooth-whitening strip articles, packages, arrays and methods including one or more tooth-whitening strip articles having a power configuration corresponding to a consumer desirable level of treatment, the tooth-whitening strip articles being enclosed in a package; a brand indicator disposed on the package; a line-up indicator disposed on the package, the line-up indicator including at least one line-up indicia selected from visual indicia, narrative indicia or combinations thereof; and optionally, a power specific indicator disposed on the package; wherein the line-up indicator associates the tooth-whitening strip article configuration with a corresponding whitening power, the association enabling a consumer to identify the appropriate tooth-whitening strip article configuration for a user.

Abstract: The fixing apparatus includes a cylindrical heating film, a nip portion forming member, a roller; a motor, a control unit, and an acquisition unit. The apparatus executes a fixing process of conveying and heating the recording material carrying the toner image to fix the toner image to the recording material at the nip portion. The apparatus is further configured to execute a first mode of stopping the supply of power to the motor just after the end of the fixing process and a second mode of stopping the supply of power to the motor after a low-speed rotation period for rotating the motor at a rotational speed set lower than the target rotational speed during the fixing process after the end of the fixing process, and to select one of the first and second modes.

Abstract: The electrophotographic roller has a surface layer comprising an electro-conductive elastic layer on an electro-conductive substrate. The opening of a bowl-shaped resin particle is exposed on the surface of the electrophotographic roller. The number of contact portions of the convex portion with the glass plate in a square region where a length of a nip in a direction along the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic roller of a nip formed by pressing the roller on the glass plate with a specific load applied as the length of one side and is located at any position in the nip is 8 or more. The average value of the areas of the contact portions is 10 ?m2 to 111 ?m2. The variation coefficient of the areas of the contact portions and the variation coefficient D of the areas of a plurality of Voronoi regions each including a contact portion satisfy specific relationships.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt rotating in a rotational direction, photosensitive drums, primary transferring parts, static eliminating parts and cleaning parts. The static eliminating part is arranged between the primary transferring part and the cleaning part, and includes a light guide body and a light source arranged at one end side of the light guide body. The static eliminating part irradiates upstream and downstream sides from the light guide body in the rotational direction with the static eliminating light. The image forming apparatus comprises a first light shading part and/or a second light shading part. The first/second light shading part is arranged between the photosensitive drum at a downstream/upstream side from the light guide body in the rotational direction and the light guide body to adjust pre-transfer/post-transfer static eliminating light quantity from the light guide body to the downstream/upstream side photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A toner case includes a case main body, a rotating member, a transmitting member and a cover. The case main body contains a toner. The rotating member is disposed in the case main body and is rotatable around a rotation axis. The transmitting member rotates along an outer face of a side wall of the case main body on one side in a direction of the rotation axis so as to transmit a rotation to the rotating member. The cover covers at least a portion of the transmitting member. The transmitting member has a movable part which moves as the transmitting member rotates. The cover has a hole part through which the movable part is exposed.

Abstract: A fixing device comprising: an endless belt; a roller being in contact with an outer surface of the endless belt; a nip plate disposed in the endless belt; a supporting member disposed in the endless belt; a spring member disposed in the endless belt between the nip plate and the supporting member, the spring member urged in a first direction away from the nip plate toward the supporting member; and a sliding sheet having a first surface and a second surface. The sliding sheet is nipped with the endless belt between the nip plate and the roller, the first surface is in contact with an inner surface of the endless belt and the second surface is in contact with the nip plate. The sliding sheet is fastened to a facing surface of the spring member that is facing toward the supporting member, and the second surface contacts the spring member.

Abstract: In one example, a toner container has an interior volume defined by a body and a pair of wings extending up and out from the body.

Abstract: An exposure device irradiates a light beam to the photoconductor drum and thereby forms an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor drum. A developing roller causes toner to adhere to the electrostatic latent image and thereby develops a toner image. A development bias power supply circuit applies a development bias to the developing roller. A direct current detection circuit detects a direct current that flows between the development bias power supply circuit and the developing roller. A control circuit (a) causes the exposure device to form an electrostatic latent image of an adjustment patch for toner density adjustment, (b) measures a value of the direct current at a timing when the developing roller causes the toner to adhere to the electrostatic latent image of the adjustment patch, and (c) performs the toner density adjustment on the basis of the measured value of the direct current.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating unit that rotates and that fixes a toner image on a recording medium, a pressing unit that rotates and that presses the heating unit, and a potential-difference application unit that applies a potential difference between the pressing unit and the heating unit so that a potential of the heating unit is higher than a potential of the pressing unit.

Abstract: A roller member includes a cored bar, an elastic layer, and a non-conductive member. The elastic layer is disposed on an outer circumferential face of the cored bar. The cored bar has a projecting portion projecting beyond a range in which the elastic layer is disposed, toward an axial end of the cored bar. The non-conductive member is made of a non-conductive material. The non-conductive member is disposed on the projecting portion. The non-conductive member bites into an end face of an axial end of the elastic layer.

Abstract: A control device includes a controller configured to receive either one of a periodical first signal and a non-periodical second signal at a single port thereof. Depending on a state of the second signal, the controller switches first control for effecting control synchronized with the first signal and second control for effecting control synchronized with a predetermined cyclic period on the basis of a cyclic period of the first signal.

Abstract: An electronic device includes an element, a first member, and a second member. An electric current flows in the element. The element is mounted in the first member or the first member is arranged to face the element. In addition, the first member is made of a first resin. The second member is provided adjacent to the first member. In addition, the second member is made of a second resin. In addition, one of the first resin and the second resin has lower non-flammability than the other.

Abstract: The power supply apparatus is configured to detect the output voltage of a piezoelectric transformer and controls the frequency of a pulse signal to drive the piezoelectric transformer based on the detected output voltage and a preset target voltage so as to perform feedback control of the output voltage of the piezoelectric transformer, the gain when performing the feedback control is switched in accordance with the target voltage.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic member, the member including an elastic layer that is formed by graphite particles dispersed in a silicone rubber and has high thermal conductivity in the thickness direction. The electrophotographic member has a substrate and an elastic layer on the substrate, in which the elastic layer contains a cured product of an addition-curable liquid silicone rubber mixture including graphite particles, the dibutyl phthalate (DBP) oil absorption number of the graphite particles is from 80 cm3/100 g to 150 cm3/100 g, the thermal conductivity in the thickness direction of the elastic layer is from 1.1 W/(m·K) to 5.0 W/(m·K), and the modulus in tension of the elastic layer is from 0.1 MPa to 4.0 MPa.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording material includes a cylindrical rotatable heater that is provided with a hole portion at least at a longitudinal end portion, and a driving member engaged with the longitudinal end portion of the heater to rotate the heater. The driving member is provided with a claw portion engaged with the hole portion of the heater. The image is fixed on the recording material by the heat from the heater. In addition, the heater is provided, at the other longitudinal end portion, with a slit extending toward a central portion, the slit being disposed at a position different from the hole portion with respect to a circumferential direction of the heater so as to overlap the hole portion in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a transformer, a heater, a temperature acquiring portion, and control portion. A first switching unit allows or cuts off power supply from a primary-side circuit to the heater by supplying power, and a second switching unit allows or cuts off power supply from the primary-side circuit to the temperature acquiring portion by supplying power. The power supply to the heater can be allowed or cut off according to the temperature of the heater acquired by the temperature acquiring portion. In addition, the control portion cuts off power supply from the primary-side circuit to the heater and power supply from the primary-side circuit to the temperature acquiring portion by controlling operations of the first switching unit and the second switching unit with the one signal.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a charge power source and a controller. The charge power source is configured to switch a voltage with the same polarity as an original charging polarity of a toner and a voltage with a polarity opposite to the original charging polarity of the toner and apply the voltages to a charge device. The controller executes a control of switching a polarity of a voltage to be applied from the charge power source to the charge device from the opposite polarity to the same polarity before termination of secondary transfer of all of toner images in a job, and moving both a residual toner charged to the opposite polarity through application of the voltage with the opposite polarity and a residual toner charged to the same polarity through application of the voltage with the same polarity to an image bearing member.

Abstract: An oscillator includes a substrate, a detection flap plate which is disposed facing the substrate, and an elastically deformable beam portion which displaceably supports the detection flap plate in a Z axis direction with respect to the substrate, in which the detection flap plate is displaced to the substrate side in a range in which recovery force of the beam portion is larger than the electrostatic force which is formed between the substrate and the detection flap plate. That is, when a boundary at which electrostatic force and recovery force are equal is a pull in critical point, the detection flap plate is displaced within a region above the pull in critical point.