Abstract: A toner transportation device includes a first toner case that contains toner; a second toner case including a main body containing toner transported from the first toner case, a second discharge port located in the main body that discharges toner, and a second transportation unit rotatably positioned in the main body, and that transports toner to the second discharge port; a second driving unit that drives the second transportation unit; a detecting unit that detects the number of rotations of the second transportation unit and outputs a rotation detection signal; and a control unit that estimates the amount of toner remaining in the first toner case based on an accumulated number of rotations represented by the rotation detection signal.

Abstract: A toner transportation device includes a toner case and a drive section. The toner case includes a main body containing toner, and an agitating unit rotatably mounted in the main body that agitates the toner. The drive section includes a driving unit driving the agitating unit, a detection unit detecting a driving unit driving state, and a control unit able to transmit a drive instruction signal to the driving unit and receive a detection signal regarding the driving unit driving state from the detection unit. The control unit determines whether the toner case is in an overload state in accordance with a detection signal reception state. The control unit performs a retry control, causing the driving unit to repeatedly rotate the agitating unit forward and backward when the control unit determines that the toner case is in an overload state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that can achieve a reduction in size while ensuring the necessary cooling performance. The image forming apparatus includes in an apparatus main body thereof: an image carrier; a developing device disposed to oppose the image carrier; a cooling fan; and a cooling duct flowing cool air from the cooling fan to at least the image carrier and the developing device, in which the cooling duct includes an image-carrier cooling duct that flows cool air to the image carrier; and a developing-device cooling duct that flows cool air to the developing device, and the image-carrier cooling duct and the developing-device cooling duct are disposed abreast front to back inside of the apparatus main body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a storage container which horizontally stores a waste toner; a full detection sensor which detects whether the waste toner reaches a full position; a near detection sensor which detects whether the waste toner reaches a near position; and a conveyance portion which is provided inside the storage container, includes an axial rod, and rotates about the axial rod, wherein the conveyance portion includes: a first spiral protrusion which conveys the waste toner to the near position; a second spiral protrusion which conveys the waste toner from the near position to the full position; and a third range which is provided between the first spiral protrusion and the second spiral protrusion and through which the waste toner passes at a speed lower than the conveyance speed of the first spiral protrusion and the second spiral protrusion.

Abstract: A method for measuring surface profile of a sample, wherein jumping of a probe can be constrained without applying strong force to the sample, and an apparatus employing such a method. Control operation consists of detection of displacement in a probe in the vertical direction on the top surface of a sample being measured by means of a sensor, calculation of velocity and acceleration of the probe in accordance with detection of the displacement in the probe, detection of jumping of the probe through real-time monitoring of at least either velocity or acceleration of the probe, and a control of the current delivered to a stylus pressure generator for the probe. Such a control operation is performed in a small amount of time, and a stylus pressure applied to the probe is increased only while the probe is in the air, while the stylus pressure applied to the probe is returned to an original pressure before the probe touches the sample again.

Abstract: A toner transportation device includes a toner case and a drive section. The toner case includes a main body that contains toner, a discharge port located in the main body and allowing toner to pass therethrough, and a transportation unit rotatably positioned in the main body for transporting the toner toward the discharge port. The drive section includes a driving unit that drives the transportation unit, a detection unit that detects rotation of the transportation unit and outputs a rotation number detection signal, and a control unit that estimates an amount of toner remaining in the toner case based on an accumulated number of times the rotation number detection signal has been outputted from the detection unit.

Abstract: A toner case includes a main body that contains toner, a discharge port located in the main body through which toner is discharged, an agitating unit rotatably positioned in the main body for agitating the toner, a transportation unit rotatably positioned in the main body for transporting the toner toward the discharge port, and a driving unit that drives the transportation unit and the agitating unit. The driving unit is rotatable forward and backward. When the driving unit rotates in one rotation direction, the agitating unit and the transportation unit rotate. When the driving unit rotates in the other rotation direction, the transportation unit does not rotate and the agitating unit rotates in the same direction as a direction in which the agitating unit rotates when the driving unit rotates in the one rotation direction.

Abstract: A toner transportation device includes a toner case and a drive section. The toner case includes a main body containing toner, and an agitating unit rotatably mounted in the main body that agitates the toner. The drive section includes a driving unit driving the agitating unit, a detection unit detecting a driving unit driving state, and a control unit able to transmit a drive instruction signal to the driving unit and receive a detection signal regarding the driving unit driving state from the detection unit. The control unit determines whether the toner case is in an overload state in accordance with a detection signal reception state. The control unit performs a retry control, causing the driving unit to repeatedly rotate the agitating unit forward and backward when the control unit determines that the toner case is in an overload state.

Abstract: A toner transportation device includes a first toner case that contains toner; a second toner case including a main body containing toner transported from the first toner case, a second discharge port located in the main body that discharges toner, and a second transportation unit rotatably positioned in the main body, and that transports toner to the second discharge port; a second driving unit that drives the second transportation unit; a detecting unit that detects the number of rotations of the second transportation unit and outputs a rotation detection signal; and a control unit that estimates the amount of toner remaining in the first toner case based on an accumulated number of rotations represented by the rotation detection signal.

Abstract: A recording medium conveying device includes a first conveying unit that feeds a recording medium from a recording medium storage section to a registration roller, the recording medium storage section being located in a main body of an image forming apparatus; and a second conveying unit that feeds a recording medium from a bypass tray to the registration roller. A conveying roller of the first conveying unit and a conveying roller of the second conveying unit are driven by a driving unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a storage container which horizontally stores a waste toner; a full detection sensor which detects whether the waste toner reaches a full position; a near detection sensor which detects whether the waste toner reaches a near position; and a conveyance portion which is provided inside the storage container, includes an axial rod, and rotates about the axial rod, wherein the conveyance portion includes: a first spiral protrusion which conveys the waste toner to the near position; a second spiral protrusion which conveys the waste toner from the near position to the full position; and a third range which is provided between the first spiral protrusion and the second spiral protrusion and through which the waste toner passes at a speed lower than the conveyance speed of the first spiral protrusion and the second spiral protrusion.

Abstract: This image forming apparatus includes: a waste toner recovery bottle that recovers waste toner; a detection member that is flexible and is loaded in the waste toner recovery bottle, and that bulges upwards in accordance with the recovered amount of waste toner collected in the waste toner recovery bottle; and a recovered amount detection unit that detects the recovered amount using the bulging of the detection member. The recovered amount detection unit detects that the waste toner recovery bottle is full before the bulging of the detection member protrudes beyond a plane that includes an outer wall surface of the waste toner recovery bottle.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that can achieve a reduction in size while ensuring the necessary cooling performance. The image forming apparatus includes in an apparatus main body thereof: an image carrier; a developing device disposed to oppose the image carrier; a cooling fan; and a cooling duct flowing cool air from the cooling fan to at least the image carrier and the developing device, in which the cooling duct includes an image-carrier cooling duct that flows cool air to the image carrier; and a developing-device cooling duct that flows cool air to the developing device, and the image-carrier cooling duct and the developing-device cooling duct are disposed abreast front to back inside of the apparatus main body.

Abstract: A method for measuring surface profile of a sample, wherein jumping of a probe can be constrained without applying strong force to the sample, and an apparatus employing such a method. Control operation consists of detection of displacement in a probe in the vertical direction on the top surface of a sample being measured by means of a sensor, calculation of velocity and acceleration of the probe in accordance with detection of the displacement in the probe, detection of jumping of the probe through real-time monitoring of at least either velocity or acceleration of the probe, and a control of the current delivered to a stylus pressure generator for the probe. Such a control operation is performed in a small amount of time, and a stylus pressure applied to the probe is increased only while the probe is in the air, while the stylus pressure applied to the probe is returned to an original pressure before the probe touches the sample again.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus 1 has an intermediate transfer belt 17 that rotates in synchronization with the operation of a photoconductive section 11 where a toner image is formed, and a secondary transfer section S at which paper P temporarily adhering to a surface of this intermediate transfer belt 17 can be separated from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 17. The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a distance detecting unit 66 that detects a distance “L” to the paper P sent out from this secondary transfer section S, and a control section 74 that judges whether or not the paper P is normally separated from the secondary transfer section S based on distance data fed from this distance detecting unit 66.

Abstract: A sheet transporting apparatus that can realize a jam disposal mechanism with simple structure and that can achieve size reduction has a manual operation unit that is fitted coaxially with a roller shaft of an upstream-side transport roller or with a roller shaft of a downstream-side transport roller and that, when rotated in a state where drive motors are stationary, makes the upstream-side transport roller shaft and the downstream-side transport roller shaft rotate.

Abstract: When focus adjustment operation is performed, a first measured distance acquired by utilization of TTL-AF and a second measured value acquired by utilization of a distance between the eyes have been computed in advance. The degree of reliability of the first measured distance is compared the degree of reliability of the second measured distance in accordance with a result of a determination as to whether or not a face is detected, a result of a determination as to whether or not an ambient brightness value Br is equal to or less than a reference value, a result of a determination as to whether or not a focal length “f” is equal to or less than a reference value, and a result of a determination as to whether or not a second measured distance De is less than a first measured distance Dt.

Abstract: A recording medium conveying device includes a first conveying unit that feeds a recording medium from a recording medium storage section to a registration roller, the recording medium storage section being located in a main body of an image forming apparatus; and a second conveying unit that feeds a recording medium from a bypass tray to the registration roller. A conveying roller of the first conveying unit and a conveying roller of the second conveying unit are driven by a driving unit.

Abstract: To achieve more appropriate interpolation of a missing pixel, an image is input to a processing section for interpolation. The interpolation is applied utilizing image data of pixels located around the pixel to be interpolated. Specifically, correlations between the image data of the pixels to be interpolated, and pixel data in a horizontal direction, vertical direction, and diagonal direction, are compared to one another; pixel data having stronger correlation is used for the interpolation. Correlation between the image data of the pixels to be interpolated and which direction is strong is determined, so that different weighting for interpolation is used accordingly.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus 1 has an intermediate transfer belt 17 that rotates in synchronization with the operation of a photoconductive section 11 where a toner image is formed, and a secondary transfer section S at which paper P temporarily adhering to a surface of this intermediate transfer belt 17 can be separated from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 17. The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a distance detecting unit 66 that detects a distance “L” to the paper P sent out from this secondary transfer section S, and a control section 74 that judges whether or not the paper P is normally separated from the secondary transfer section S based on distance data fed from this distance detecting unit 66.