Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a counter that counts number of sheets of paper on which printing is performed; a calculator that calculates a coverage rate of each sheet of the paper; a derivation part that derives a reference line to be a replacement indicator for a consumable part based on replacement history information including: number of printed sheets from start of using the consumable part provided in the image forming apparatus until replacement of the consumable part; and an average coverage rate obtained by averaging coverage rates on the sheets of the paper corresponding to the number of printed sheets, and a communicator that provides a notification of arrival of replacement timing of the consumable part based on the reference line.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a counter that counts number of sheets of paper on which printing is performed; a calculator that calculates a coverage rate of each sheet of the paper; a derivation part that derives a reference line to be a replacement indicator for a consumable part based on replacement history information including: number of printed sheets from start of using the consumable part provided in the image forming apparatus until replacement of the consumable part; and an average coverage rate obtained by averaging coverage rates on the sheets of the paper corresponding to the number of printed sheets, and a communicator that provides a notification of arrival of replacement timing of the consumable part based on the reference line.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first photoconductor and a second photoconductor; an image carrier onto which a toner image formed on the first photoconductor and a toner image formed on the second photoconductor are transferred; and a controller that, when the toner image formed on the first photoconductor is transferred onto the image carrier, rotates the second photoconductor while keeping the second photoconductor spaced apart from the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first photoconductor and a second photoconductor; an image carrier onto which a toner image formed on the first photoconductor and a toner image formed on the second photoconductor are transferred; and a controller that, when the toner image formed on the first photoconductor is transferred onto the image carrier, rotates the second photoconductor while keeping the second photoconductor spaced apart from the image carrier.

Abstract: In order to achieve at least one of the above-described objects, an image forming apparatus reflecting an aspect of the present invention includes: an image carrier configured to carry and transport a latent image; a charging member configured to be rotatable and disposed in contact with a surface of the image carrier; an acquisition device configured to acquire an electrical characteristic of the charging member; and a processor configured to calculate a range of fluctuation of the electrical characteristic associated with rotation of the charging member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image carrier carrying a toner image; a transfer member made with an ion conductive material and forming a transfer nip by being pressed by the image carrier; and a power supply continuously applying a transfer bias voltage to the transfer member as a plurality of print media pass through the transfer nip. The transfer bias voltage has a predetermined polarity. A control section determines whether the resistance of a nip-margin area has exceeded a predetermined resistance threshold, the nip-margin area being a marginal portion of the transfer nip through which no print medium passes. When the determination of the control section is affirmative, the power supply applies a reverse-bias voltage to the transfer member, the reverse-bias voltage having an opposite polarity to the transfer bias voltage.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a purification method to give dodecacarbonyl triruthenium (DCR) which serves as a raw material for chemical vapor deposition and does not cause the contamination of a thin film with impurities even when used to form a ruthenium thin film. The present invention relates to a method in which the dissolved oxygen concentration in the solvent is made 0.2 mg/L or less in at least a dissolution stage, and an organic ruthenium compound including DCR as a raw material for chemical vapor deposition is purified by a recrystallization method. The present invention allows a trace amount of impurities to be separated from DCR. When a ruthenium thin film is formed by use of DCR thus obtained, the formed film is hardly contaminated with impurities. Additionally, the purification method of the present invention is also applicable for recovering/purifying DCR after being used for the formation of a ruthenium thin film.

Abstract: In order to achieve at least one of the above-described objects, an image forming apparatus reflecting an aspect of the present invention includes: an image carrier configured to carry and transport a latent image; a charging member configured to be rotatable and disposed in contact with a surface of the image carrier; an acquisition device configured to acquire an electrical characteristic of the charging member; and a processor configured to calculate a range of fluctuation of the electrical characteristic associated with rotation of the charging member.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a purification method to give dodecacarbonyl triruthenium (DCR) which serves as a raw material for chemical vapor deposition and does not cause the contamination of a thin film with impurities even when used to form a ruthenium thin film. The present invention relates to a method in which the dissolved oxygen concentration in the solvent is made 0.2 mg/L or less in at least a dissolution stage, and an organic ruthenium compound including DCR as a raw material for chemical vapor deposition is purified by a recrystallization method. The present invention allows a trace amount of impurities to be separated from DCR. When a ruthenium thin film is formed by use of DCR thus obtained, the formed film is hardly contaminated with impurities. Additionally, the purification method of the present invention is also applicable for recovering/purifying DCR after being used for the formation of a ruthenium thin film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing DCR that can efficiently sublimate a large amount of crude DCR to stably supply DCR. Also, the present invention relates to a sublimation apparatus applicable to the production method. The method for producing an organoruthenium compound for a chemical vapor deposition raw material containing dodecacarbonyl triruthenium (DCR) includes the step for purifying DCR by separating impurity elements from crude DCR by a sublimation method, and in the purification step, crude DCR is heated and sublimated in an atmosphere having a carbon monoxide concentration of 30 to 100% and then cooled to precipitate DCR. According to the present invention, a large amount of crude DCR can be efficiently sublimated, and thus a large amount of DCR can be supplied stably.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having: an image carrier being rotatable while carrying a toner image; a transfer member being rotatable while forming a transfer nip by being pressed by the image carrier, the image carrier being made with an ion conductive material; a power supply continuously applying a transfer bias voltage to the transfer member as a plurality of print media pass through the transfer nip, the transfer bias voltage having a predetermined polarity; and a control section determining whether the resistance of a nip-margin area has exceeded a predetermined resistance threshold, the nip-margin area being a marginal portion of the transfer nip through which no print medium passes, wherein, when the determination of the control section is affirmative, the power supply applies a reverse-bias voltage to the transfer member, the reverse-bias voltage having an opposite polarity to the transfer bias voltage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing DCR that can efficiently sublimate a large amount of crude DCR to stably supply DCR. Also, the present invention relates to a sublimation apparatus applicable to the production method. The method for producing an organoruthenium compound for a chemical vapor deposition raw material containing dodecacarbonyl triruthenium (DCR) includes the step for purifying DCR by separating impurity elements from crude DCR by a sublimation method, and in the purification step, crude DCR is heated and sublimated in an atmosphere having a carbon monoxide concentration of 30 to 100% and then cooled to precipitate DCR. According to the present invention, a large amount of crude DCR can be efficiently sublimated, and thus a large amount of DCR can be supplied stably.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus applies electrical charge to an image carrier surface of a photosensitive body during a period between light exposure scanning for successive pages, and performs a first control such that rotation distance of the photosensitive body during the period is shorter than circumferential length thereof. The image formation apparatus includes a coverage calculation unit that calculates coverage of a target page, a prediction unit that, when inter-image distance between images of the target page and a next page, in terms of a sub-scanning direction, is shorter than the circumferential length, predicts whether image noise will occur for the next page based on the coverage, and a sheet interval control unit that, upon the prediction unit predicting affirmatively, suspends the first control and performs a second control on the rotation distance such that the inter-image distance is extended to be at least as long as the circumferential length.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus applies electrical charge to an image carrier surface of a photosensitive body during a period between light exposure scanning for successive pages, and performs a first control such that rotation distance of the photosensitive body during the period is shorter than circumferential length thereof. The image formation apparatus includes a coverage calculation unit that calculates coverage of a target page, a prediction unit that, when inter-image distance between images of the target page and a next page, in terms of a sub-scanning direction, is shorter than the circumferential length, predicts whether image noise will occur for the next page based on the coverage, and a sheet interval control unit that, upon the prediction unit predicting affirmatively, suspends the first control and performs a second control on the rotation distance such that the inter-image distance is extended to be at least as long as the circumferential length.

Abstract: A developing device comprising: a first transport member disposed in a first transport passage and configured to rotate and thereby transport developer; a second transport member disposed in a second transport passage and configured to rotate and thereby transport the developer; and a developer carrier configured to carry the developer supplied from the first transport passage, wherein the second transport passage is composed of an upstream section and a downstream section, the second transport passage communicates with the first transport passage via a first communication passage and a second communication passage, the upstream section is configured to receive refill toner, and V1<V2<V3, where V1 denotes an average transport speed of the first transport member, V2 denotes an average transport speed of an upstream section of the second transport member, and V3 denotes an average transport speed of a downstream section of the second transport member.

Abstract: A developing device comprising: a first transport member disposed in a first transport passage and configured to rotate and thereby transport developer; a second transport member disposed in a second transport passage and configured to rotate and thereby transport the developer; and a developer carrier configured to carry the developer supplied from the first transport passage, wherein the second transport passage is composed of an upstream section and a downstream section, the second transport passage communicates with the first transport passage via a first communication passage and a second communication passage, the upstream section is configured to receive refill toner, and V1<V2<V3, where V1 denotes an average transport speed of the first transport member, V2 denotes an average transport speed of an upstream section of the second transport member, and V3 denotes an average transport speed of a downstream section of the second transport member.

Abstract: Disclosed is a support structure for a vehicle control pedal, which comprises a pedal bracket (3) supporting the control pedal (4) through a first support shaft (S1) inserted through a support hole (303), a swingable lever (7) adapted to, during a vehicle collision, come into interference with a vehicle body member (6) so as to be swingingly moved about a second support shaft (S2) while pushing the first support shaft (S1) downwardly to allow the first support shaft (S1) to drop out of the support hole (303), and a drop-out restriction member (8) engaged by a pin member (20) and coupled to the swingable lever (7) in a relatively unswingable manner, so as to restrict the drop-out of the first support shaft (S1).

Abstract: Disclosed is a support structure for a vehicle control pedal, which comprises a pedal bracket (3) supporting the control pedal (4) through a first support shaft (S1) inserted through a support hole (303), a swingable lever (7) adapted to, during a vehicle collision, come into interference with a vehicle body member (6) so as to be swingingly moved about a second support shaft (S2) while pushing the first support shaft (S1) downwardly to allow the first support shaft (S1) to drop out of the support hole (303), and a drop-out restriction member (8) engaged by a pin member (20) and coupled to the swingable lever (7) in a relatively unswingable manner, so as to restrict the drop-out of the first support shaft (S1).

Abstract: Disclosed is a control pedal support structure, which comprises a pedal bracket 3 fixed to a dash panel to extend in a rearward direction of a vehicle body, and a pedal body 2 swingably supported relative to the pedal bracket 3 through a pedal pivot shaft (first pivot shaft) 13 mounted to the pedal bracket 3 to extend in a lateral direction of the vehicle body. In the support structure, the pedal bracket 3 includes a mount hole zone 14 for mounting thereon the pedal pivot shaft 13, and a support zone 20 located below the mount hole zone 13 and adapted to support the pedal pivot shaft 13 from therebelow. The support structure includes dropping means adapted, during a vehicle collision, to deform the support zone 20 so as to allow the pedal pivot shaft 13 to be dropped below the mount hole zone 14.

Abstract: Provided is a cup-shaped plating apparatus which can plate the whole area of a plating target surface with a uniform film thickness. In a cup-shaped plating apparatus including a placement portion of an object to be plated which is provided at an opening end of a plating tank, means for supplying a plating solution into the plating tank, a plating solution outlet port which is formed in the plating tank, a cavity portion into which the plating solution which has flown out of the outlet port flows, a plating solution discharge port within the cavity portion, and a collection tank for the plating solution discharged from the discharge port, which subjects the object to be plated to plating treatment while supplying the plating solution into the plating tank, the shape and/or opening area of the discharge port formed on the downstream side of the cavity portion can be changed.