Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body and a cartridge attached to the main body. The cartridge includes: a casing extending in a longitudinal direction; a photosensitive drum extending in the longitudinal direction; and a separating member that is detachably attached to the casing. The photosensitive drum has a peripheral surface and is positioned in confrontation with the endless belt as a result of attachment of the cartridge to the main body. The separating member is attached to the casing and separates the photosensitive drum from the endless belt when the main body is packaged while the cartridge is attached to the main body. The separating member includes first and second end portions disposed on both end portions of the casing, and a connecting portion connecting the first and second end portions and is configured to cover the peripheral surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer, a charger, a blower, a first detector, and a second detector. The charger charges a surface of the latent image bearer. The blower sends air to around the charger. The first detector detects a temperature of the air to be sent to around the charger. The second detector detects a temperature around the charger. The blower performs an operation based on a detection result of the first detector and a detection result of the second detector.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an undercoat layer that includes metal oxide particles and a compound having at least three hydroxyl groups and a carbonyl or dicarbonyl group.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt unit capable of being inserted into and pulled out of the apparatus, the belt unit including a movable endless belt, a supporting frame supporting the endless belt and having an accommodating portion, a grip member which is provided on the supporting frame at a position outside the belt in a widthwise direction of the belt that is orthogonal to a moving direction of the belt and which is movable between a first position in which the grip member is projected out of the accommodating portion in a direction orthogonal to the widthwise direction and a second position in which the grip member is accommodated in the accommodating portion, and an urging member configured to urge the grip member in a direction from the second position toward the first position.

Abstract: An NMR MAS probe head (1) has an MAS stator (7) with a base bearing (8) and a front bearing (75) for receiving a substance to be measured at a measurement position within an MAS rotor. The front bearing has an opening for inserting the MAS rotor into the space between the base bearing and the front bearing. The opening can be closed by a closing device that, in a loading state, opens and, in a measuring state, closes the opening by means of a movement that is transverse with respect to an axis (a) through the centers of the base bearing and the opening of the front bearing of the MAS stator. This enables automated loading and unloading of the MAS rotor in the space between the base bearing and the front bearing inside the MAS stator in a simple way.

Abstract: A process cartridge and an image forming apparatus are provided. The process cartridge is detachably mountable in an apparatus body of the image forming apparatus, and includes a plurality of photosensitive drums, a first outer side plate which is provided on one side of the photosensitive drums in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum, a second outer side plate which is provided on the other side of the photosensitive drums in the axial direction, and opposes the first outer side plate with the photosensitive drums interposed therebetween, and a plurality of input parts which are provided on ends of the photosensitive drums at the one side, respectively. An end face of each of the input parts being provided inward with respect to the outer surface of the first outer side plate.

Abstract: An image heating device includes, a moving member configured to move while contacting a recording material at one surface of the moving member, a backup member configured to contact the other surface of the moving member, a holding member configured to hold the backup member, a nip portion forming member contacting the one surface of the moving member, and configured to form a nip portion in corporation with the backup member via the moving member, and a high thermal conductive member held between the holding member and the backup member, wherein the recording material on which an image has been formed is heated by heat received from the moving member while being nipped and conveyed at the nip portion, and wherein the holding member includes a recessed portion configured not to apply pressure to the high thermal conductive member.

Abstract: Pulsed current circuitry for electromigration testing of semiconductor integrated circuits and components. The circuit includes a multiplexer that outputs analog voltage pulses, and is capable of generating both bipolar and unipolar voltage pulses. At least one operational amplifier and resistor receive the voltage pulses from the multiplexer and convert the voltage pulses to current pulses. A charge booster circuit is provided for minimizing overshoots and undershoots during transitions between current levels in the test circuit.

Abstract: There is described a device for identifying an asset. The device comprises (a) a piece of material having predetermined physical properties, the piece of material being adapted to be irreversibly attached to the asset, (b) a stimulation and measurement unit attached to the piece of material, the stimulation and measurement unit being adapted to apply a predetermined stimulation to the piece of material and to measure a corresponding response from the piece of material, (c) an analysis unit adapted to analyze the measured response from the piece of material, and (d) a communication unit adapted to output data representative of the analysis of the measured response. There is also described an asset, an identification system and a method of identifying an asset. Furthermore, there is described a computer program.

Abstract: A device and system for generating a broadband excitation signal and corresponding excitation field to a substance under test in an NMR system is presented. The excitation signal is generated, according to a broadband transmitter, to a coil in the NMR system. A corresponding broadband receiver is also presented that acquires a response signal resulting from a response field emanating from the substance under test. Neither the transmitter nor the receiver require that the frequency of operation be determined according to a particular configuration of electrical devices to determine a resonance characteristic that tunes to a particular operational frequency. Rather, the operational frequency is determined according to control and driver devices triggered according to command and control signals in the case of the transmitter, and according to reactive elements, that are not configured as a tuned circuit, in the case of the receiver.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly, a supporting member capable of supporting a plurality of developing rollers and a plurality of photosensitive drums, and a plurality of developing cartridges each having the developing roller. An urging member urges each developing cartridge to urge the developing roller toward the photosensitive drum, and a spacing member spaces the developing roller and the photosensitive drum from each other. The developing cartridges each include an upper surface facing upward when mounted to the supporting member and two recessed portions provided at the upper surface, each extending in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller, wherein the two recessed portions are disposed along an arrangement direction of the developing cartridges and constitute a gripping portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis having a first opening on a first side, photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt arranged to have a surface thereof facing the photosensitive members, primary-transfer members, a secondary-transfer roller, a first feed roller, a cleaner device, a waste toner container, which is removably installed in the chassis through the first opening and settled in a position opposite from the photosensitive members across the intermediate transfer belt, a connector, a first feeding path extending in a range between the first feed roller and the secondary-transfer roller, and a second feeding path being formed in clearance between the intermediate transfer belt and the waste toner container to convey a recording sheet being inserted through a sheet inlet and merging into the first feeding path in the vicinity of the first feed roller.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to determining one or more user habits for a user. A group of one or more past user activity occurrences of a user may be determined based on similarity between the past user activity occurrences of the group. A user habit may be determined based on the past user activity occurrences of the group.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming method through which an effect of granting flavor to a printing object is excellent. In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a developing device and a fixing device. A toner is housed in the developing device. The fixing device includes a fixing roller and a pressure roller. The toner contains binder resin and a microcapsule in which perfume is encapsulated. A glass transition temperature of the toner is below 60 degrees centigrade. A nip part is formed by the fixing roller and the pressure roller. A pressure applied to an image receiving medium passing through the nip part is below 0.19 N/mm2.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body casing; a first drum unit including a first photosensitive drum configured to rotate about an axis extending in a first direction; a second drum unit including a second photosensitive drum configured to rotate about an axis extending in the first direction; a belt; a cleaning member configured to clean the belt; an auger configured to convey waste toner cleaned by the cleaning member; a first toner cartridge including a first new toner containing unit configured to supply new toner and a waste toner containing unit configured to contain the waste toner conveyed by the auger; and a second toner cartridge including a second new toner containing unit configured to supply new toner to the second drum unit. The waste toner containing unit is aligned with the first new toner containing unit in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing and a drum unit. The drum unit is out of the housing at a first position, moved in a first direction from the first position to a second position in the housing, and then to a third position away from the first position. The drum unit includes: a photosensitive drum; a cleaning unit for toner; a conveying tube extending in the first direction; a conveying member in the conveying tube and rotatable about a first axis extending in the first direction; and a first gear fixed to the conveying member and rotatable about the first axis. The housing has a second gear rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction. The first gear is separated from the second gear at the second position, and engaged with the second gear at the third position. The first axis and the second axis overlap in the third position.

Abstract: A roller for transferring a print image or a toner layer onto another element in a printer or copier is provided. The roller can include a base body, a first elastic layer applied onto the base body and a second elastic layer applied onto the first elastic layer, wherein the ratio of the moduli of elasticity of the elastic layers and/or the ratio of the thicknesses of the elastic layers are matched to one another so that the average surface velocity difference between the roller and the other element is reduced and/or minimized.

Abstract: In a method to determine a negative effect on a surface of an image carrier of a print group, a reflection spectrum is determined of a region of the surface of the image carrier, the reflection spectrum indicating an intensity of light for different wavelengths. The light is reflected from the region of the surface of the image carrier. A reference spectrum is determined for the region of the surface of the image carrier. The reflection spectrum is then compared with the reference spectrum. Depending on the comparison, the determination is made whether a negative effect is present at the region of the surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: A toner container is removably mounted in a housing of an image forming apparatus. The toner container contains a toner and has a stirring member for stirring the toner. An electric motor drives the stirring member. A storage device stores a required load value set for the toner container. A load detecting section includes an electric current sensor that measures a drive electric current of the electric motor. The load detecting section detects an actual load value of the electric motor in driving of the stirring member based on the drive electric current measured. A determination section compares the actual load value detected by the load detecting section with the required load value stored in the storage device and determines whether or not the actual load value coincides with the required load value to determine whether or not the toner container mounted in the housing is a genuine product.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: a charging unit configured to apply charging bias voltage to a charging member and charge a surface of an image carrying body; an exposure unit configured to expose the surface of the image carrying body, and form an electrostatic latent image; a developing unit configured to apply developing bias voltage to a developer carrying body, and develop the electrostatic latent image; and a control unit configured to control timing to start applying the developing bias voltage relative to timing to start applying the charging bias voltage, wherein the control unit performs control such that the larger an absolute value of the charging bias voltage is, the shorter an interval from timing to start applying the charging bias voltage to timing to start applying the developing bias voltage becomes, and such that the smaller the absolute value is, the longer the interval becomes.