Abstract: A fixing unit includes a rotating member and a heat insulating member. The rotating member is heated by a heat source and is configured to rotate around a shaft. The heat insulating member is attached at an end of the rotating member. The rotating member includes three or more engage holes perforated at intervals in a circumferential direction thereof. The heat insulating member includes three or more engaging projections fitting into the respective engage holes.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a tubular film; a heater including a first surface being in contact with the film, the heater including a substrate and a heat-generating resistor; a heat-conductive member being in contact with a second surface of the heater opposite to the first surface, the heat-conductive member having a higher thermal conductivity than the substrate; and a supporting member supporting the heater with the heat-conductive member interposed therebetween. The heat-conductive member includes first and second parts at upstream and downstream ends, respectively, in a conveyance direction, and a third part between the first and second parts. The first to third parts are each held between the supporting member and the heater. A non-contact area between the heat-conductive member and the supporting member is provided between the first part and the second part in the conveyance direction. The heat-conductive member is shorter than the heater in the conveyance direction.

Abstract: A heating device which has power-supply electrodes concentratedly arranged in one longitudinal end of a substrate. The substrate is disposed in a manner contained in a fixing film. An inner heating resistor formed by at least one heating resistor disposed in a manner substantially symmetrical with respect to a reference position in a lateral direction of the substrate, and an outer heating resistor formed by a plurality of heating resistors disposed farther from the reference position in the lateral direction of the substrate than the inner heating resistor is and arranged in a manner substantially symmetrical with respect to the reference position. Power-supply electrodes connected to the inner heating resistor and power-supply electrodes connected to the outer heating resistor are all disposed in the one longitudinal end of the substrate.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an open/close member provided to an image forming apparatus body so as to be openable and closable by turning about a turning support point; and a second transfer member attached to the open/close member to be positioned at an operation position with a positioning projecting portion contacting a positioning recessed portion of the image forming apparatus body. A distance between the turning support point and an outer peripheral end of the positioning projecting portion at a time when the open/close member is opened is shorter than the distance with the second transfer member at the operation position. The second transfer member is guided to the operation position, when the open/close member is closed, with the positioning projecting portion first contacting a guide surface of the positioning recessed portion. The guide surface is located on a downstream side along a turning direction of the open/close member.

Abstract: The method can determine a density of concrete based on the measured buoyancy of a buoy immersed in fresh concrete contained in a ready mix drum and rotatable therein as the drum is rotated, the method can include obtaining a first measurement of a force applied to the buoy while the buoy is being moved tangentially in the fresh concrete, obtaining a second measurement of a force applied to the buoy while the buoy is being moved tangentially in the fresh concrete by rotation of the cylindrical wall, obtaining an indication of the buoyancy of the buoy in the concrete including factoring out the yield effect based on at least the first measurement and the second measurement.

Abstract: An apparatus assembly of a medical apparatus is equipped for collision detection by attaching a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) cover assembly to at least one rigid surface of the apparatus assembly, with a resilient material between the PVDF cover assembly and the rigid surface. The PVDF assembly is composed of a PVDF foil with electrically conductive layers on opposite sides thereof. A protective layer covers the PVDF cover assembly. Electrical leads are connected to the conductive layers, and the piezoelectric property of the PVDF foil produces a voltage across the leads when a force associated with a collision acts on the PVDF foil. A detection circuit detects this voltage and initiates an appropriate response to the collision.

Abstract: An element is provided in particular as a closure element or fastening element for inserting into a bore in a component, such as into a bore in an engine, a valve block, a hydraulic unit or a container. At least one electric element which is arranged in or on the element is provided, wherein each electric element transmits and/or receives electric signals. In the fitted state, the electric element is advantageously positioned such that the electric element is adjacent to the chamber formed in the bore and is therefore in contact, for measuring purposes or the like, with the medium contained in the bore. In addition to the actual sealing and/or fastening function, the element can therefore be used to undertake one or more measurements, etc.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a print object moving device configured to move a print object in a moving direction relatively to the image forming device, a detector configured to detect images formed on the print object, and a control device configured to control the image forming device to form a first plurality of marks and a second plurality of marks on the print object. The first marks are along the moving direction and the second marks are along the moving direction and to be away from the first marks in a width direction that is perpendicular to the moving direction and the second marks are smaller in number than the first marks. The control device is further configured to control the detector to detect the first marks and the second marks on the print object for detecting deviation in image forming positions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive drums, first and second developing rollers configured to supply developers to the first and second photosensitive drums, respectively, an electric motor configured to generate a driving force to rotate the second developing roller, a moving mechanism configured to move the second developing roller between a development position and a retracted position, a transmission mechanism configured to transmit the driving force to the second developing roller, a drive mechanism configured to drive the moving mechanism and the transmission mechanism simultaneously, and a connecting mechanism configured to, when the second developing roller is in the development position, bring the transmission mechanism into a transmission state that allows transmission of the driving force to the second developing roller, and to, when the second developing roller is in the retracted position, bring the transmission mechanism into a cut-off state the cuts off the transm

Abstract: A cartridge including: a housing configured to accommodate therein developer; a driving receiving part configured to receive a driving force; a rotary member configured to rotate by receiving a driving force from the driving receiving part, and a detected part configured to be moved by the rotation of the rotary member, wherein the rotary member is configured to rotate from a first state where the driving force from the driving receiving part is transmitted to the rotary member to a second state where the transmission of the driving force from the driving receiving part to the rotary member is released, and then rotate from the second state to the first state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet in an electro-photographic method and detachably attached to a body of the image forming apparatus; a chassis configured to accommodate the image forming unit and including an opening portion, through which the image forming unit is detachably attached to the body; a handle arranged in the image forming unit to protrude at least partly through the opening portion when the image forming unit is attached to the body; and a cover movable between a closed position, in which the opening portion is closed, and an open position, in which the opening portion is exposed, the cover including a protrusion cover configured to cover a protrusive part of the handle protruded through the opening portion when the cover is in the closed position, is provided.

Abstract: Provided is a sensor for measuring water levels of groundwater and surface water using magnetostriction displacement and multi measurement system for groundwater and surface water by using the same. The sensor includes an outer case having a hollow space therein and extending in a longitudinal direction, a magnetostriction line spaced apart from an inner wall in the hollow space of the outer case to extend in the longitudinal direction, a floating permanent magnet guided along the magnetostriction line to be movable in the longitudinal direction, the floating permanent magnet being changed in position to correspond to a water level; and a transceiver applying a current pulse into the magnetostriction line to receive an elastic wave that is generated while first magnetic fields formed in a circumferential direction of the magnetostriction line by the current pulse crosses a second magnetic fields formed in an axial direction of the magnetostriction line by the permanent magnet.

Abstract: A clogging detection device includes a urea water sensor which detects temperature in a urea water tank, a pressure sensor which detects pressure in a urea water feed line, an exhaust gas temperature sensor disposed in an exhaust pipe upstream of a selective catalytic reduction device, and a determination unit. When a key switch is turned on, the determination unit performs a startup control to drive a supply pump and increase the pressure in a pipe segment extending to a dosing value. If a detection value of the exhaust gas temperature sensor is no greater than a predetermined temperature, and a detection value of the urea water sensor is no smaller than a freezing temperature, then the determination unit performs emptying control for returning the urea water from the pipe segment to the urea water tank to detect clogging of the pipe segment from the detection value of the pressure sensor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to detect a misregistration amount and densities of the toner images by detecting first and second detection patterns. The first detection pattern includes black and color portions, and the control unit is further configured to set a light-emitting amount of a detection unit, a threshold, or a sensitivity of a detection unit so that a received light amount of diffuse reflection light from the black portion is less than the threshold and a received light amount of diffuse reflection light from the color portion exceeds the threshold, and to set the light-emitting amount or the sensitivity so that the received light amount of the diffuse reflection light from the color portion is less than an upper limit of the detection unit.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator and a pressure rotator pressed against a nip formation pad via the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. The nip formation pad includes an increased thermal conduction portion having an increased thermal conductivity and a decreased thermal conduction portion having a decreased thermal conductivity and being inboard from the increased thermal conduction portion in the axial direction of the fixing rotator. The increased thermal conduction portion is disposed opposite a non-conveyance span of the fixing rotator where the recording medium is not conveyed and includes an inboard edge inboard from a lateral edge of the recording medium toward a center of the recording medium in the axial direction of the fixing rotator by a predetermined first distance.

Abstract: Provided is a heat fixing apparatus, which suppresses the depletion of a lubricant applied to an inside of the heat fixing apparatus and which has long life and high reliability, the heat fixing apparatus including a heating rotary member and a pressurizing rotary member, and containing, as a lubricant in a sliding portion, (A) perfluoropolyether oil having a kinetic viscosity at 40° C. of from 100 to 200 mm2/s and an evaporation loss being 1.2 mass % or less in a case where 10 g of a sample of the perfluoropolyether oil is placed in a petri dish having an inner diameter of 41 mm and allowed to stand still at 250° C. for 200 hours and (B) polytetrafluoroethylene.

Abstract: Provided is a fixing device including an endless belt that rotates around an axis, and transmits light, a lens that includes a curved surface having a top portion closest to an inner peripheral surface of the belt formed at one end when viewed in the axial direction, and concentrates light incident on the curved surface on a fixed object, and a light source that allows the light concentrated on the fixed object to be incident on a portion of the belt, which is different from a portion facing the top portion and has an amplitude smaller than an amplitude of the portion facing the top portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a notifier, a power source, a first replaceable unit, a first body connector, a power supply switch, a detachment necessity determiner for determining whether the first replaceable unit needs to be detached, and a power supply controller. The first body connector includes a body power terminal and allows the first replaceable unit to be detachably connected thereto. The first replaceable unit includes a unit connector and an operation portion. The unit connector is connected to the body power terminal for supplying a power voltage to the operation portion. When the first replaceable unit is determined necessary to be detached, the power supply controller causes the power supply switch to turn off supply of the power source voltage from the power source to the body power terminal and causes the notifier to provide a notification recommending detachment of the first replaceable unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning member, a rotation controlling part, a first obtaining part and a mode changing part. The image carrier has a surface to carry a toner image transferred onto a sheet. The cleaning member contacts the surface of the image carrier at a downstream side in a rotating direction of the image carrier from a transferring position transferring the toner image to collect a toner from the image carrier and to hold the toner. The rotation controlling part has a first speed control mode rotating the cleaning member at a first rotational speed and a second speed control mode rotating the cleaning member at a second rotational speed faster than the first rotational speed and switches from the first speed control mode to the second speed control mode at predetermined switch timing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet includes an image bearing drum; a charging member for charging the drum by applying a voltage while contacting the drum; an AC voltage generating unit for generating and applying an AC voltage to the charging member; a state detector for detecting a state of the apparatus; a discharge current detector for detecting a discharge current between the charging member and the drum; a discharge current control unit for controlling the AC voltage generating unit on the basis of a result of detection of the discharge current detector; and a discriminating unit for discriminating whether to calibrate the discharge current detector before formation of the image, in accordance with a result of detection of the state detector.