Abstract: A developing device is provided including: a developer carrier that carries a developer and develops a latent image on a latent image bearer; and a casing. The casing includes: a developer container; a gap former that forms an inflow gap; a first conveyance path including a first conveyer that conveys the developer collected from the developer carrier; and a second conveyance path including a second conveyer that conveys the developer in a direction opposite to a developer conveying direction of the first conveyer. The inflow gap includes a first region where the developer is spiked by a magnetic pole of the developer carrier, and a second region in which a gap between the gap former and the developer carrier is larger than that in the first region. The first conveyer includes a delivery facilitator that facilitates delivery of the developer to the second conveyance path.

Abstract: A developing device includes a housing, an image bearer, a developer bearer, a suction port, and a toner receiver. The housing contains a developer including toner. The image bearer forms a latent image of the toner. The developer bearer bears the developer and supplies the toner. The suction port is disposed below the developer bearer to suck the toner outside the housing. The toner receiver is disposed below the suction port to receive the toner outside the housing. The toner receiver has a first angle between a line segment connecting a tip end of the toner receiver protruding from the housing and a lowermost end of the suction port and a horizontal line extending horizontally from the tip end of the toner receiver toward the housing. The toner receiver receives the toner having an angle of repose as a second angle. The first angle is larger than the second angle.

Abstract: A biasing force adjusting device includes a roller, a roller holder, a first biasing member, and a second biasing member. The roller faces a mover. The roller holder holds the roller and is displaceable with respect to the mover. The first biasing member applies a first biasing force to the roller holder to press the roller against the mover. The second biasing member applies a second biasing force greater than the first biasing force to the roller holder to press the roller against the mover.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a cleaning blade having an elastic member contacting a surface of the image bearer, the cleaning blade removing a residue on the surface of the image bearer, and a controller. In the image forming apparatus, the cleaning blade has a coating film of a lubricant formed on an edge contacting, at least, the image bearer, and the controller performs an initial coating film adjustment before an image is initially formed. In the image forming apparatus, the initial coating film adjustment includes driving the image bearer to rotate, sliding the image bearer and the cleaning blade, removing a portion of the coating film of the lubricant, which is formed on the cleaning blade, and exposing the edge of the cleaning blade.

Abstract: Provided is a light-emitting device that includes a light emission section, a separation groove, and a high reflectance region. The light emission section includes a stack structure including an active layer, a first reflector, and a second reflector. The active layer performs light emission by current injection. The first reflector and the second reflector are stacked in a first direction with the active layer interposed therebetween. The separation groove is provided symmetrically around the light emission section on an emission surface of light from the stack structure in the first direction. The separation groove is dug in the stack structure in the first direction. The high resistance region is provided in the stack structure on the outer side of an outermost shape of the separation groove on the emission surface. The high resistance region has electrical resistance higher than that of the light emission section.

Abstract: A cleaning blade includes an elastic member that includes a front edge surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the elastic member and the thickness direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and a bottom surface extending in the depth direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction, the bottom surface sharing a front edge ridge part with the front edge surface and facing a cleaning target, and a coating layer coating the front edge surface, the front edge ridge part, and the bottom surface, wherein the front edge ridge part coated with the coating layer is in contact with a surface of the cleaning target, and the coating layer has an average thickness that increases with an increase in a distance from the front edge ridge part in the thickness direction on the front edge surface.

Abstract: In the operation processing unit, the position calculation unit calculates positions of objects corresponding to the bright spots based on positions of the extracted bright spots in the image, and calculating shooting times of image captured by the sensors. The object identification unit obtains position information of known objects from object catalog information, and associates the objects whose positions are calculated with a known object, based on the position information of the known object and the calculated positions. The position registration unit registers the calculated position and shooting time of image in the object catalog information, based on a result of association. The object identification unit extracts the bright spot to be monitored from the bright spots other than the predetermined objects, based on the result of association. The calculation unit identifies the position and shooting time of an object to be monitored.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image bearer, a transfer device, a cleaner, a bias power source, and circuitry. The toner image bearer bears a toner image. The transfer device performs a transfer process. The cleaner contacts the toner image bearer to remove transfer residual toner that is subject to the transfer process and remove untransferred toner that is not subject to the transfer process. The bias power source applies one of a first bias and a second bias different from the first bias to the cleaner. The circuitry controls the bias power source to output the first bias to the cleaner in response to a start of an image forming operation to remove the untransferred toner from the toner image bearer and control the bias power source to switch an output from the first bias to the second bias.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a charging device, an irradiator, a developing device, a transfer device, a fixing device, and a cleaning device that includes a cleaning blade including an elastic cleaning blade substrate including the front end portion to clean the surface of the image bearer, the front edge ridge part, the undersurface, an edge layer, a coating layer disposed on the front end portion, the coating layer being in contact with the surface of the image bearer to clean the surface of the image bearer, and a cleaning blade supporting member, wherein the maximum penetration depth hmax of the indenter of a microhardness tester is between 4.0 ?m and 10.0 ?m at a position 100 ?m inward from the front edge ridge part on the undersurface of the elastic cleaning blade substrate as measured according to a nanoindentation hardness test.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a cleaning blade having an elastic member contacting a surface of the image bearer, the cleaning blade removing a residue on the surface of the image bearer, and a controller. In the image forming apparatus, the cleaning blade has a coating film of a lubricant formed on an edge contacting, at least, the image bearer, and the controller performs an initial coating film adjustment before an image is initially formed. In the image forming apparatus, the initial coating film adjustment includes driving the image bearer to rotate, sliding the image bearer and the cleaning blade, removing a portion of the coating film of the lubricant, which is formed on the cleaning blade, and exposing the edge of the cleaning blade.

Abstract: A cleaning blade for cleaning a rotating body is provided. The cleaning blade includes: an edge layer having a tip portion that comes into contact with the rotating body; and a coating layer on the tip portion of the edge layer. The coating layer contains a first fluorine-based resin and a second fluorine-based resin incompatible with the first fluorine-based resin. The cleaning blade has a Martens hardness of from 0.5 to 3 N/mm2 at a position 20 ?m distant from a tip edge portion of the edge layer.

Abstract: A cleaning blade includes an elastic member that includes a front edge surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the elastic member and the thickness direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and a bottom surface extending in the depth direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction, the bottom surface sharing a front edge ridge part with the front edge surface and facing a cleaning target, and a coating layer coating the front edge surface, the front edge ridge part, and the bottom surface, wherein the front edge ridge part coated with the coating layer is in contact with a surface of the cleaning target, and the coating layer has an average thickness that increases with an increase in a distance from the front edge ridge part in the thickness direction on the front edge surface.

Abstract: A powder conveying device includes a drop conveyance passage, an intersecting conveyance passage, a conveying screw, and a floating member. Powder entering from an inflow port drops in the drop conveyance passage. The intersecting conveyance passage communicates with a lower end of the drop conveyance passage and extends in an intersecting direction that intersects the drop conveyance passage. The conveying screw is disposed in the intersecting conveyance passage and rotates in a specified direction to convey the powder in the intersecting direction. The floating member is movably installed in the drop conveyance passage and floats in the drop conveyance passage to move by contact with the conveying screw. The inflow port and the floating member interfere with each other to prevent the floating member from coming out of the inflow port of the drop conveyance passage.

Abstract: A monitoring satellite system includes a space development agency (SDA) satellite investigating a threat object; and a monitoring satellite group including a plurality of monitoring satellites that orbit the Earth at intervals from each other and monitor flying objects, wherein each monitoring satellite monitors the flying object when at a location that allows monitoring of the flying object, and the monitoring satellite, upon discovering the threat object to the flying object while monitoring the flying object, transmits information about the threat object to the other monitoring satellites, the information about the threat object is a mission command that instructs the SDA satellite to investigate the threat object, and of the multiple monitoring satellites that transmit or receive the mission command, the monitoring satellite that is in a location that allows communication with the SDA satellite transmits the mission command to the SDA satellite.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner image bearer, a transfer device, a cleaner, a bias power source, and circuitry. The toner image bearer bears a toner image. The transfer device performs a transfer process The cleaner contacts the toner image bearer to remove transfer residual toner that is subject to the transfer process and remove untransferred toner that is not subject to the transfer process. The bias power source applies one of a first bias and a second bias different from the first bias to the cleaner. The circuitry controls the bias power source to output the first bias to the cleaner in response to a start of an image forming operation to remove the untransferred toner from the toner image bearer and control the bias power source to switch an output from the first bias to the second bias.

Abstract: A cleaning blade for cleaning a rotating body is provided. The cleaning blade includes: an edge layer having a tip portion that comes into contact with the rotating body; and a coating layer on the tip portion of the edge layer. The coating layer contains a first fluorine-based resin and a second fluorine-based resin incompatible with the first fluorine-based resin. The cleaning blade has a Martens hardness of from 0.5 to 3 N/mm2 at a position 20 ?m distant from a tip edge portion of the edge layer.

Abstract: A cart that reduces impact on a load placed on a loading platform 50. The cart 10 includes a drive that raises/lowers the platform 50 by rotating a motor which extends/retracts a mechanism 70 vertically. The drive rotates the motor when an external force raises/lowers the platform 50 and extends/retracts the mechanism 70. When a control device detects lowering of the platform 50 held at a predetermined vertical position and detects an increase in weight of the load on the platform 50 based on an output signal of a rotation sensor that detects rotation of the motor and an output signal of a current sensor that detects a drive current of the motor, the control device controls the motor such that the platform 50 is raised and held at the either the predetermined vertical position or a vertical position lower than that position.

Abstract: A cart equipped with a smaller electric actuator as a drive source to raise and lower a loading platform and having a movable part 93 driven and moved by an electric actuator 91, a first link member 951R (951L) coupled to the movable part 93, a second link member 953R (953L) coupled to the first link member 951R (951L) and right and left X-shaped arms 71L and 71R (75L and 75R) via a shaft member 952R (952L), and a guide 97R (97L) having a hole 971R (971L) for guiding the shaft member 952R (952L) that moves with the movable part 93. The loading platform 50 is raised and lowered by vertically extending and retracting the pair of X-shaped arms via the first and second link members 951R and 951L (953R and 953L) along with movement of the movable part 93.

Abstract: A lifting device 8 with excellent transportability is provided. The lifting device 8 includes a first lifting unit 6 and a second lifting unit 7 disposed above the first lifting unit 6. The first lifting unit 6 includes a base 61, a first lifting platform 62 disposed above the base 61, and a first lifting system 63 which is provided between the base 61 and the first lifting platform 62 and which raises and lowers the first lifting platform 62. The second lifting unit 7 includes a second lifting platform 72 disposed above the first lifting platform 62, and a second lifting system 73 which raises and lowers the second lifting platform 72.

Abstract: The drive device of the lifting apparatus includes an electric actuator 91, a movable part 93 that is driven and moved by an electric actuator 91, a first link member 951L (951R), a second link member 953L (953R) rotatably coupled to the first link member 951L (951R) via a shaft member 952L (952R), and a guide member 97L (97R) having a guide hole 971L (971R) for guiding the shaft member 952L (952R) that moves with the movement of the movable part 93. The lifting platform 50 is raised and lowered by vertically extending and retracting a pair of lower right and left X-shaped arms 71L (71R) and a pair of upper right and left X-shaped arms 75L (75R) via the first link member 951L and second link member 953L along with movement of the movable part 93.