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: A support device and an image forming apparatus having the same are provided. The support device according to an example includes a first lever rotatably disposed at a door provided in a body of an image forming apparatus, and a first elastic member to rotate the first lever disposed at a first position based on the door being closed to a second position based on the door being opened, wherein, at the second position, the first lever supports a part of a toner cartridge tray pulled out from the body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixer including fixing rotation body and pressing rotation body with a fixing nip therebetween, and heats and presses a fed sheet through the fixing nip to fix a toner image on the sheet to the sheet; and a hardware processor making a velocity difference between respective surface velocities of the fixing rotation body and the sheet passing through the fixing nip during a high-gloss mode operation to adjust a gloss of the toner image on the sheet. The hardware processor performs a control so that an absolute value of a velocity difference between respective surface velocities of the fixing rotation body and the pressing rotation body in press-contact when the sheet does not pass through the fixing nip is less than one between respective surface velocities of the fixing rotation body and the sheet when the sheet passes through the fixing nip during the high-gloss mode operation.

Abstract: An example developer unit includes a developer roller. The developer unit also includes a set of electrodes proximate to the developer roller. The set of electrodes form a cavity. The developer unit includes an inlet to the cavity. The inlet is to receive printing fluid. The developer unit includes an insert in the inlet. The insert is to distribute the printing fluid evenly in the cavity.

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: 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 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: 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 gradient amplifier for use in a MRI system can be located in the scan room. The gradient amplifier includes pair of rails connected to a gradient power supply. The gradient amplifier also includes a H-bridge of switches which includes a first high side switch and a first low side switch connected in series between the pair of rails, and a second high side switch and a second low side switch connected in series between the pair of rails. The gradient amplifier further includes a first high side driver circuit, a first low side driver circuit, a second high side driver circuit, and a second low side driver circuit, each configured to drive the corresponding switch in the H-bridge. A common power source supplies power to all driver circuits, wherein power is supplied to the high side driver circuits through bootstrap circuits.

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: An image heating apparatus includes a frame having first and second side plates. A cylindrical film is provided between the side plates, and a heater contacts an inner surface of the film. A roller forms a nip in cooperation with the heater through the film, and an image, formed on a recording material, is heated by heat of the heater, while moving in the nip. A holder holds the heater, and is provided in an inside space of the film. With respect to a longitudinal direction, a length of the holder is greater than a distance between the side plates. In addition, a stay, formed of metal, reinforces the holder, and is provided in the inside space of the film. A length of the stay is greater than the distance between the side plates, and a position of the stay with respect to the longitudinal direction is determined by the holder.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus calculates a post exposure potential after exposure by an exposure device based on a first charge voltage, a second charge voltage, a charge current in a first change characteristic when a transfer voltage is the first charge voltage, a charge current in a second change characteristic when the charge voltage is the first charge voltage, a charge current in the first change characteristic when the charge voltage is the second charge voltage, and a charge current in the second change characteristic when the charge voltage is the second charge voltage, and makes a determination as to life of an image carrier based on the post exposure potential.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt; a pressing unit that is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the belt and that rotates the belt; a first unit that is provided on an inner peripheral surface of the belt and that retains the belt in contact with the pressing unit; a second unit provided on the inner peripheral surface of the belt and located downstream of the first unit in a rotation direction of the belt, the second unit applying tension to the belt and including a portion that is in contact with a central portion of the belt in a width direction of the belt and that is farther in a direction toward the outer peripheral surface of the belt than both ends of the belt in the width direction of the belt; and a third unit provided on the inner peripheral surface of the belt and located downstream of the second unit in the rotation direction of the belt, the third unit applying tension to the belt and including a portion that is in contact with the central portion of the belt in the width direct

Abstract: A gripping state detection device includes a steering state determination ECU that determines the gripping state of a driver with respect to the steering wheel of a vehicle. The steering state determination ECU determines which of a first steering state, a second steering state, and a hands-off state has occurred based on the electrostatic capacitance. The steering state determination ECU outputs a first determination result indicating that the steering wheel is gripped by the driver in a case where the determined state is the first steering state or the second steering state, and outputs a second determination result indicating that the steering wheel is not gripped by the driver in a case where the determined state is the hands-off state.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image bearer capable of bearing a toner image, where a latent image is formed on the image bearer, a developing unit configured to develop the latent image formed on the image bearer with a toner, and a cleaning unit including a blade-shaped elastic body, where the elastic body is brought into contact with a surface of the image bearer, wherein a friction coefficient Ft/Fn between the image bearer and the elastic body is 0.85 or greater but 1.1 or less, and self-excited vibration WRFt(LMH) of shear force of the elastic body in a LMH band is 1.5 gf or greater but 3.5 gf or less.

Abstract: In described examples, a time-domain analyzer is arranged to generate an indication of a number of high-frequency events of an electrical monitor signal that includes a fundamental periodic frequency. The high-frequency events include frequencies higher than the fundamental periodic frequency. A frequency-domain analyzer is arranged to generate frequency band information in response to frequencies of the electrical monitor signal that are higher than the fundamental periodic frequency. A fault detector is arranged to monitor the indication of the number of high-frequency events and the generated frequency band information, and to generate a fault flag in response to the monitored indication of the number of high-frequency events and the generated frequency band information.

Abstract: A method for predicting a lifespan of a secondary battery within a short time in a more accurate and effective way is provided. The method for assessing a lifespan of a secondary battery includes primarily aging a prepared secondary battery for a predetermined time, initially charging the primarily aged secondary battery to a predetermined SOC and secondarily aging the initially charged secondary battery for a duration greater than the primary aging. Additionally, degassing removes gas in the secondarily aged secondary battery. Further, the method includes charging the secondary battery with a primary low-current at C-rate of 1/15 C or less, after the degassing step, discharging the secondary battery with a primary low-current at C-rate of 1/15 C or less, after the primary low-current charging step and determining a lifespan of the secondary battery by using a difference of voltages measured at different time points.

Abstract: A smart-home device may include a solid state relay (SSR) switching integrated circuit (IC). SSR switching IC may include switching elements configured to open and close a connection between a power wire and a return wire of an environmental system; a voltage sensor that measures a voltage across the one or more switching elements; a current sensor that measures a current through the one or more switching elements; and a temperature sensor that measures a temperature near the one or more switching elements. The smart-home device may also include a wireless communication device that periodically receives voltage, current, and temperature data originating from the SSR switching IC and transmits the voltage, current, and temperature data to a device management server. The device management server may receive batches of voltage, current, and temperature data from a plurality of smart-home devices.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a feed tray, a transferring unit, a fixing unit, a output tray, a conveying unit for conveying a sheet along a sheet conveyance path including a first sheet conveyance path and a second sheet conveyance path which branches from the first sheet conveyance path on a downstream side and joins to the first sheet conveyance path on a upstream side, and a controller. The controller causes the conveying unit to convey sheets, calculates a specific amount related to the amount of toner per unit area of a page in image data, performs double-sided printing with the large number of sheets conveyed in a case where the specific amount is smaller than a predetermined amount, and performs double-sided printing with the small number of sheets conveyed in a case where the specific amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging roller, an exposure device, a developing device, a transfer member, a fixing device, a voltage source for output the charging voltage, an executing portion for forming a test chart including a plurality of adjusting images in setting of peak-to-peak voltage values of AC voltages at a plurality of different values, a first inputting portion through which an instruction of execution of forming the test chart is inputted, and a second inputting portion through which an instruction of setting a value of peak-to-peak voltage values of the AC voltage during image formation is inputted.