Abstract: A fuser includes a heater, a presser, a support member that supports the presser to allow the presser to move between a nip position where the presser is in pressured contact with the heater, and a separated position where the presser is separated from the heater, a first spring, a first cam, a first gear, a second gear, a second spring, and a second cam. The second cam has a cam profile that, when the presser moves from the separated position to the nip position, causes the second gear to move in a direction along a second axis against urging force of the second spring to increase the urging force of the second spring.

Abstract: In various examples there is a capacitance measurement circuit for measuring capacitance of an electrode. The circuit comprises a charging/discharging circuit part which charges the electrode or discharges the electrode, and a counter which measures a charging measurement being a time taken by the charging/discharging circuit part to charge the electrode between two charging thresholds, and which measures a discharging measurement being a time taken by the charging/discharging circuit part to discharge the electrode between two discharging thresholds. The circuit has a controller configured to control the charging/discharging circuit part and the counter such that a plurality of discharging measurements are obtained and a plurality of charging measurements are obtained. The circuit has an averaging logic which computes the measured capacitance in relation to an average of the measurements.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, an image bearing member, a developing unit, a power supply, and a contact portion. The developing unit includes a developing container configured to store developer, a developer bearing member configured to rotate while bearing the developer stored in the developing container, and a developing magnet provided within the developer bearing member and comprising a plurality of magnetic poles in a circumferential direction. The developing unit is removably provided to the apparatus body. The contact portion electrically is connected with the power supply. The developing unit comprises a conductive member which is made of a conductive resin comprising a fixing portion fixing the developing magnet so that the magnetic poles of the developing magnet are fixed unrotatably with respect to the developing container. The conductive member is provided to electrically connect the contact portion with the developer bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a housing having an opening; a drum cartridge mountable and demountable through the opening; a toner cartridge mountable and demountable to and from the drum cartridge; a first cover; a second cover, wherein, when the first cover is at the opened position and the second cover is at the closed position, the toner cartridge is allowed to be mounted and demounted to and from the drum cartridge through a part of the opening while the drum cartridge is remained to be mounted to the housing, and wherein, when the first cover is at the opened position and the second cover is at the closed position, a part of the second cover contacts with the drum cartridge and prevents the drum cartridge to be mounted and demounted to and from the housing through a part of the opening.

Abstract: A method for detecting damage in a bearing of a wind turbine includes collecting vibration data relating to the bearing. Another step includes storing the vibration data in a memory device. The method also includes identifying a plurality of harmonics in the vibration data that are indicative of bearing damage. Further, the method includes eliminating harmonics within a specified frequency proximity to areas of high energy content representative of normal gearbox operation. Moreover, the method includes determining at least one of increases in energy or a variance of the energy within each of the remaining harmonics and calculating a damage factor of the bearing as a function of a least one of the increases in energy or the variance of the energy within each of the remaining harmonics. Accordingly, the method includes comparing the damage factor to a predetermined damage threshold, wherein a damage factor exceeding the predetermined damage threshold may be indicative of a damaged bearing.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a plurality of process units, a transferring member, a sensor, and a processor. The plurality of process units include a photosensitive drum, an electric charger which charges the photosensitive drum, an exposing device which includes a plurality of light emitting element rows in a sub-scanning direction configured by the plurality of light emitting elements, and irradiates the photosensitive drum to form a latent image, and a developing device which attaches toner to the latent image to form a toner image. The transferring member receives the toner image from the photosensitive drum. The sensor detects the toner image transferred to the transferring member. The processor calculates a skew deviation amount based on the detection result of the sensor, and controls turning on and off the light emitting element based on a central tendency and the skew deviation amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a cartridge including an image carrying member and a positioning portion, and an apparatus main body. The apparatus main body including an opening portion, a rotatable opening and closing member, the opening and closing member including an engaging portion and being rotatable between a first position and a second position, an engaged portion, an abutment portion that determines a position of the attached cartridge, and a pressing portion applying pressing force to the cartridge. The opening and closing member rotates from the first position to the second position against counterforce of the pressing force, and the engaging portion is provided in an area of the opening and closing member that is closer to the rotational axis than an area of the opening and closing member that receives the counterforce.

Abstract: An imaging cartridge installable in an image forming device. The image forming device includes a rotational driving member and at least one cartridge guide defining a guide path. The cartridge includes a first cartridge portion engageable with the at least one cartridge guide for movement along the guide path and a second cartridge portion coupled to the first cartridge portion. The second cartridge portion includes a drive receiving member configured for engagement with the rotational driving member and at least one of a drum unit assembly, a hopper, a developer roller, and a regulating blade. The second cartridge portion is moveable with respect to the first cartridge portion between a first position, in which the drive receiving member is not engageable with the rotational driving member, and a second position, in which the drive receiving member is engageable with the rotational driving member.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus to convey a sheet to an image forming unit includes a main body, an opening/closing member, and first, second, and third portions. The opening/closing member can be opened and closed with respect to the main body, and the first, second, and third portions pivotably support the opening/closing member. The second support portion is provided below the first support portion and above the third support portion. Each of the first, second, and third portions include a projecting portion and a hole portion. A difference between a greatest length of the third projecting portion and a diameter of the third hole portion is larger than a difference between a greatest length of the first projecting portion and a diameter of the first hole portion and is larger than a difference between a greatest length of the second projecting portion and a diameter of the second hole portion.

Abstract: The developing device includes a developer bearer, a conveyor, a casing including a ceiling, and a seal. The developer bearer is configured to bear a developer and develop a latent image. The conveyor is configured to convey and stir the developer. The casing is configured to contain the developer, the developer bearer, and the conveyor. The seal is configured to seal the inside of the casing to form a closed space that encloses the developer in the developing device. The conveyor is configured to be partially or entirely buried in the developer enclosed in the closed space in both of a normal posture and an upside-down posture of the developing device. A cross-sectional area of the closed space in a horizontal plane gradually increases from a top of the ceiling of the casing toward a bottom of the developing device in the normal posture of the developing device.

Abstract: A resin holding member is supported by a one link member and another link member at positions further outside from both ends of a lens array and both ends of a circuit board in a rotational axis direction of a photosensitive drum, but further inside from an abutting pin and another abutting pin. Force in the opposite direction from the gravitational direction is applied to a portion of the holding member between the link members in a state where the abutting pins are abutting a drum unit. Accordingly, warping of the holding member is suppressed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a chassis having an opening, a cover, photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt, a primary-transfer member, a secondary-transfer roller, a cleaner device, an external-sheet inlet, a waste toner container, a connector, and a conveying roller, which is arranged within the feeding path to feed the recording sheet inserted through the external-sheet inlet in the feeding path. The conveying roller is mounted on the waste toner container and removable from the chassis along with the waste toner container.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrying member, a first chamber, a second chamber, a first communicating portion, a second communicating portion, and a feeding screw, provided in the second chamber, including a feeding portion having a first helical blade and including a returning portion having a second helical blade in the form of a plurality of threads, the feeding portion and the returning portion being provided so that a boundary portion therebetween opposes the second communicating portion. The first helical blade and the second helical blade satisfy the following relationship: P2?P1, where P1 is a pitch, or lead, of the first helical blade and P2 is a lead of the second helical blade.

Abstract: A machine is provided. The machine includes an engine, a work tool attached to the machine, and a work tool recognition system for the machine. The work tool recognition system includes a sensor associated with the work tool. The sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of a weight of the work tool. The work tool recognition system includes a controller coupled to the sensor. The controller is configured to receive the signal indicative of the weight of the work tool. The controller is configured to monitor the weight of the work tool along a predefined path. The controller is configured to compare the monitored and the received weights associated with the work tool with a predefined dataset. The controller is configured to identify a type of the work tool based on the comparison.

Abstract: The developing member includes a substrate, and an electroconductive layer on the substrate, wherein the electroconductive layer has electrically insulating domains on an outer surface thereof, the domains being independent from each other, the developing member has an outer surface including a surface of the electroconductive layer and surfaces of the domains, and wherein, when each of the domains is orthographically projected onto the surface of the electroconductive layer, defining respective areas of projected images of the domains as S, and defining respective areas of convex envelopes of the projected images as H, at least one domain satisfies the relation represented by 0.05?S/H?0.80.

Abstract: A photoconductor drum includes a drum body that is cylindrical, and a pair of flanges fitted to or near two axial ends of the drum body, wherein at least one of the flanges includes a plurality of engagement protrusions disposed on an inner circumferential surface of a through-hole for inserting a drive shaft for drivingly rotating the photoconductor drum, the through-hole having a larger radius than the drive shaft.

Abstract: A transmission for a developer unit that includes a developer roller to apply LEP ink to a photoconductor, a cleaner roller to clean the developer roller, and a squeegee roller to squeegee ink on the developer roller. In one example, the transmission includes a mechanical drive train to, with the cleaner roller, simultaneously drive the developer roller at a first surface speed and the squeegee roller at a second surface speed slower than the first surface speed.

Abstract: In an image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material, a target temperature of heat generating elements corresponding to regions without an image when a recording material passes a nip portion is set in accordance with a length of the regions without an image in a longitudinal direction of a heater.

Abstract: Provided is a cleaning blade. The cleaning blade is used for removing remaining toner which remains on a surface of the target member in an electrophotographic apparatus. The cleaning blade is provided with the blade portion having the edge portion which comes into sliding contact with the target member. The edge portion includes: a substrate of the blade portion; an inner layer extending from a surface of the substrate to the inside of the substrate; and an outer layer extending from a surface of the substrate to an outer outside of the substrate. The inner layer contains at least an acrylic resin or a methacrylate resin, and has a thickness of less than 1 ?m. The outer layer contains at least an acrylic resin or a methacrylate resin, and has a thickness of 0.02 ?m or less.

Abstract: A method for processing chromatographic peaks in chromatographic systems comprising comparing a first peak with a second peak; and determining whether the first peak and second peak should be grouped together.