Abstract: A powder-amount detection device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode and a voltage detector with the second electrode adjacent to the first electrode on the powder container and have a smaller surface area than a surface area of the first electrode. The third electrode is on a side opposite to the second electrode with the powder container interposed between the third electrode and each of the first electrode and the second electrode. The voltage detector detects voltages of the first electrode and the second electrode by detecting charging and discharging behaviors of the first electrode and the second electrode when a voltage is applied between the third electrode and each of the first electrode and the second electrode for a short time, and detects the amount of powder in the powder container based on the voltages of the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: A powder-amount detection device includes an outer electrode, an inner electrode, and a detector. The outer electrode is disposed outside a powder container to be replaceably installed to an image forming apparatus. The inner electrode is disposed inside a powder supply port of the powder container. The detector is configured to apply an electric field between the outer electrode and the inner electrode to detect a capacitance between the outer electrode and the inner electrode.

Abstract: A powder-amount detection device includes an outer electrode, an inner electrode, and a detector. The outer electrode is disposed outside a powder container to be replaceably installed to an image forming apparatus. The inner electrode is disposed inside a powder supply port of the powder container. The detector is configured to apply an electric field between the outer electrode and the inner electrode to detect a capacitance between the outer electrode and the inner electrode.

Abstract: A powder-amount detection device includes a first electrode disposed on one side of a powder container to be replaceably installed to an image forming apparatus; a second electrode disposed adjacent to the first electrode and having a smaller surface area than the first electrode, an influence of an amount of powder in the powder container to a capacitance of the second electrode being as small as negligible; a third electrode disposed on a side opposite to the second electrode with the powder container interposed between the third electrode and each of the first electrode and the second electrode; and a voltage detector configured to detect charging and discharging behaviors of the first electrode and the second electrode when a voltage is applied between the third electrode and each of the first electrode and the second electrode for a short time, to detect the amount of powder in the powder container.

Abstract: A surface processor processing the surface of a recording medium before a toner image is formed thereon includes a surface reformer to reform the surface of the recording medium a toner image is formed on; and an applicator to apply the surface of the recording medium after reformed with a toner affinity ingredient.

Abstract: A surface processor processing the surface of a recording medium before a toner image is formed thereon includes a surface reformer to reform the surface of the recording medium a toner image is formed on; and an applicator to apply the surface of the recording medium after reformed with a toner affinity ingredient.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor that bears a latent image, an electrostatic charging unit that negatively charges the electrophotographic photoreceptor uniformly with electricity, and a latent image writing unit that writes a latent image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor. A one-component developing unit renders the latent image visible by developing thereof. A transfer device transfers the toner image from the electrophotographic photoreceptor onto a transfer medium. The inequality C×V<Q?1.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor that bears a latent image, an electrostatic charging unit that negatively charges the electrophotographic photoreceptor uniformly with electricity, and a latent image writing unit that writes a latent image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor. A one-component developing unit renders the latent image visible by developing thereof. A transfer device transfers the toner image from the electrophotographic photoreceptor onto a transfer medium. The inequality C×V<Q?1.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method of predicting failure of a fixing device of an image forming apparatus are provided. Based on a plurality of sheet transfer time values of the fixing device, a first characteristic value that is an average value of the plurality of sheet transfer time values, and at least one of a second characteristics value that indicates the variance of the plurality of sheet transfer time values and a third characteristics value that indicates the maximum value of the plurality of sheet transfer time values are calculated. Using a determination result generated based on the first characteristics value and the at least one of the second and third characteristics values, failure of the fixing device is predicted.

Abstract: A management apparatus includes: a receiver that receives, via a network, status data based on control system data for stabilizing image forming from an image forming apparatus formed by image forming units; an inference unit that determines abnormality occurrence symptom, and calculates an index of the abnormality occurrence symptom, of the image forming units based on the received status data; a replacement part information acquisition unit that acquires information including a replacement date from a maintenance management system via the network when receiving a diagnosis request from a terminal of a maintenance person; a judgment table generator that calculates weight information of the symptom determination index value; a integrated diagnostic information generator for the image forming units based on the symptom determination index value and the weight information; and a integrated diagnostic information notification unit transmitting the integrated diagnostic value information to the terminal of the ma

Abstract: A rotation measuring mechanism capable of measuring a rotation amount and a displacement amount of a rotary member in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis is provided. An exemplary combination of the rotation measuring mechanism includes a detection target rotating in synchrony with the rotary member and range sensors. Each time the detection target rotates once, each sensor outputs one cycle of a sine wave. The amplitude of the sine wave output from the sensor varies in accordance with the displacement of the detection target together with the rotary member in the direction perpendicular to the axis, thereby obtaining the rotation amount and the displacement amount of the rotary member.

Abstract: An image carrier deterioration degree evaluating apparatus for evaluating a degree of deterioration of an image carrier of an image forming apparatus, the image carrier deterioration degree evaluating apparatus including: an image deletion detecting unit that detects image deletion by obtaining latent image information written on the image carrier; an image deletion reducing unit that performs a process of reducing image deletion when the image deletion detecting unit detects image deletion, and an image carrier deterioration degree evaluating unit that drives the image deletion detecting unit and the image deletion reducing unit alternately one or more times each, and evaluates a degree of deterioration of the image carrier by using the latent image information obtained one or more times by the image deletion detecting unit.

Abstract: A first feature quantity computing unit that computes a first feature quantity representing an average of a plurality of driving loads recorded by a driving load of a fixing section recording unit of an image forming device that records the driving load acquired by a driving load acquiring unit that acquires the driving load, a second feature quantity computing unit that computes a second feature quantity representing a deviation of the plurality of the driving loads, and a diagnosis unit that performs failure diagnosis including estimation of a cause of a failure of the fixing section using the first feature quantity and the second feature quantity are used.

Abstract: A management device for an image forming apparatus including a status data collection unit where multiple types of status data are received from the image forming apparatus and stored in a status database, a target data creation unit where multiple types of target data are created based upon the multiple types of status data, a first stage determination unit where the multiple types of target data are identified as being above or below reference values set for each type, and a second stage determination unit where a weight value set for each status data type is attached to the determination results of the multiple types of status data of the first stage determination unit and as a whole of the multiple types of status data determined with majority logic for abnormal occurrence prediction.

Abstract: A data collecting unit receives a plurality of types of status data from an image forming apparatus and stores the status data in a status database. A data generating unit generates a plurality of types of target data for determining a maintenance sign, based on the status data. A first determining unit determines whether each of the status data exceeds a predetermined reference value. A second determining unit performs weighted majority decision based on a determination result from the first determining unit and a weight value set for each of the status data, and determines whether there is a maintenance sign taking all the status data into consideration.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a failure prediction unit, an image identification unit, a simulated-image generating unit, and an output unit. The failure prediction unit prepares an index value indicating a condition of the image forming apparatus based on multidimensional signal, obtained by monitoring the image forming apparatus, and compares the index value with a first threshold value to predict a failure mode of the image forming apparatus. The image identification unit identifies types of abnormal images based on the failure mode predicted by the failure prediction unit. An identified abnormal image is predicted to be appear a given time later. The simulated-image generating unit generates a simulated image of the identified abnormal image. The output unit outputs the identified abnormal image as the simulated image.

Abstract: A protective agent for an image bearing member of an image forming apparatus. The protective agent is applied onto a surface of the image bearing member and includes a hydrophobic organic compound (A), an inorganic fine particle (B), and an inorganic lubricant (C).

Abstract: A protective layer forming device including: a protective agent block containing a metal soap, a protective agent supplying unit configured to supply a protective agent onto a photoconductor, and a pressing unit configured to press the protective agent supplying unit against the protective agent block, wherein the protective agent supplying unit is rotated while being pressed against the protective agent block by the pressing unit, so that the protective agent block is micronized to make the protective agent in the form of fine powder, and the protective agent in the form of fine powder is supplied onto the photoconductor, thereby forming a protective layer on the photoconductor, and wherein the protective agent in the form of fine powder has a particle diameter of 200 ?m or smaller and contains protective agent particles of 20 ?m to 200 ?m in an amount of 1% by mass to 70% by mass.

Abstract: A system abnormality determining method comprises the steps of transmitting fake abnormal information representing an abnormal condition of the target instrument from the target instrument to a condition determination device via a network during a test operation of the target instrument instead of condition information, determining if the condition determination device can determine the target instrument as being abnormal based on the fake abnormal information, and operating the target instrument in a normal operation condition when the condition determination device can determine the target instrument as being abnormal.

Abstract: A fault prediction method predicts a plurality of faults in a target device, and includes the steps of collecting internal information of the target device output from the target device, generating one or more criteria for defining a deviation from a normal state based on the collected internal information of the target device, incorporating the one or more criteria into a device state discriminator, identifying a deviation from a normal state in the target device according to the one or more criteria using the device state discriminator, and outputting a fault prediction as a result of the identifying step to a user. One or more of the steps are performed by a processor.