Abstract: An information processing apparatus comprises a controller configured to execute periodically acquiring relative speed between two vehicles which are traveling on a same road; and performing predetermined processing in a case where a number of times that polarity of the relative speed is inverted in a first period exceeds a first threshold.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a moving unit, a movable connector, a fixed connector, a wire, a fixed wire guide and a movable wire guide. The moving unit is supported by a casing in an upwardly and downwardly moving manner. The movable connector is provided in the moving unit. The fixed connector is provided in the casing. Both ends of the wire are connected to the movable connector and the fixed connector. The wire has a length longer than a distance between the movable connector and the fixed connector at lifting of the moving unit. The fixed wire guide is supported on the bottom plate of the moving unit. The movable wire guide is supported on the bottom plate of the casing. At least one of the movable wire guide and the fixed wire guide is supported rotatably.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a printing and conveying unit, a recording head, a raising and lowering mechanism, and a controller. The printing and conveying unit conveys a sheet with the sheet loaded on a loading surface thereof. The recording head is disposed opposite to the loading surface and ejects ink onto the sheet conveyed by the printing and conveying unit. The raising and lowering mechanism includes a wire in contact with the printing and conveying unit. The raising and lowering mechanism winds the wire to raise and lower the printing and conveying unit relative the recording head in a cross direction interesting with the loading surface. The controller controls a winding operation by which the raising and lowering mechanism winds the wire according to a degree of inclination of the wire relative to the cross direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a head unit, a conveyance unit, a lifting and lowering mechanism, a drive source and a transmission mechanism. The head unit is provided with an inkjet head having a discharge opening through which an ink is discharged. The conveyance unit is supported in an upwardly and downwardly movable manner in directions close to and apart from the head unit from a lower side. The lifting and lowering mechanism is configured to lift and lower the conveyance unit. The drive source is configured to drive the lifting and lowering mechanism. The transmission mechanism is configured to transmit driving force from the drive source to the lifting and lowering mechanism. The transmission mechanism includes a warm gear, a warm wheel meshed with the warm gear and a resistance applying member configured to apply resistance to rotation of the warm gear.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a moving unit and a lifting and lowering mechanism. The moving unit is supported by a casing in an upwardly and downwardly moving manner. A fixed pully and a winding pully are provided in the casing. A movable pulley is provided in the moving unit. A wire is configured to be wound around the fixed pulley and the movable pulley. One end of the wire is fixed to the casing and the other end of the wire is fixed to the winding pulley. A rack is provided in the casing along an upper-and-lower direction. A pinion is provided in the moving unit and configured to be engaged with the rack. The winding pulley is rotated to wind and unwind the wire via the fixed pulley and the movable pulley, and the moving unit is lifted and lowered while the pinion being engaged with the rack.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a moving unit, a movable connector, a fixed connector, a wire, a fixed wire guide and a movable wire guide. The moving unit is supported by a casing in an upwardly and downwardly moving manner. The movable connector is provided in the moving unit. The fixed connector is provided in the casing. Both ends of the wire are connected to the movable connector and the fixed connector. The wire has a length longer than a distance between the movable connector and the fixed connector at lifting of the moving unit. The fixed wire guide is supported on the bottom plate of the moving unit. The movable wire guide is supported on the bottom plate of the casing. At least one of the movable wire guide and the fixed wire guide is supported rotatably.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a moving unit and a lifting and lowering mechanism. The moving unit is supported by a casing in an upwardly and downwardly moving manner. A fixed pully and a winding pully are provided in the casing. A movable pulley is provided in the moving unit. A wire is configured to be wound around the fixed pulley and the movable pulley. One end of the wire is fixed to the casing and the other end of the wire is fixed to the winding pulley. A rack is provided in the casing along an upper-and-lower direction. A pinion is provided in the moving unit and configured to be engaged with the rack. The winding pulley is rotated to wind and unwind the wire via the fixed pulley and the movable pulley, and the moving unit is lifted and lowered while the pinion being engaged with the rack.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a head unit, a conveyance unit, a lifting and lowering mechanism, a drive source and a transmission mechanism. The head unit is provided with an inkjet head having a discharge opening through which an ink is discharged. The conveyance unit is supported in an upwardly and downwardly movable manner in directions close to and apart from the head unit from a lower side. The lifting and lowering mechanism is configured to lift and lower the conveyance unit. The drive source is configured to drive the lifting and lowering mechanism. The transmission mechanism is configured to transmit driving force from the drive source to the lifting and lowering mechanism. The transmission mechanism includes a warm gear, a warm wheel meshed with the warm gear and a resistance applying member configured to apply resistance to rotation of the warm gear.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a printing and conveying unit, a recording head, a raising and lowering mechanism, and a controller. The printing and conveying unit conveys a sheet with the sheet loaded on a loading surface thereof. The recording head is disposed opposite to the loading surface and ejects ink onto the sheet conveyed by the printing and conveying unit. The raising and lowering mechanism includes a wire in contact with the printing and conveying unit. The raising and lowering mechanism winds the wire to raise and lower the printing and conveying unit relative the recording head in a cross direction interesting with the loading surface. The controller controls a winding operation by which the raising and lowering mechanism winds the wire according to a degree of inclination of the wire relative to the cross direction.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer container, a developer bearing member, a mixing/transporting member, an opening/closing member, and a drive mechanism. The developer container contains a developer. The developer bearing member is rotatably supported by the developer container. The developer bearing member also has a surface facing an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed. The developer is borne on the surface of the developer bearing member. The mixing/transporting member mixes and transports the developer in the developer container. The opening/closing member opens and closes a developer outlet for discharging an excess of the developer in the developer container. The drive mechanism drives the opening/closing member in association with driving of the developer bearing member or the mixing/transporting member to open the developer outlet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a shield case in which a circuit board mounted with an electric circuit is contained. The shield case has an electrical conductive case main body and an electrical conductive lid member. The case main body has an aperture formed in a part of one face. The lid member has one end turnably supported by the case main body and the other end fastened to the case main body by a screw when the aperture is closed. The case main body and lid member have an engaged part and an engaging part engaged with each other when the aperture is closed. The engaging part is formed so as to clamp the engaged part. The shield case is configured so that contact force between the engaging part and engaged part is increased, if the screw is rotated in a fastening direction when the aperture is closed.

Abstract: A toner transportation device according to the present disclosure includes a transportation screw that has a rotational shaft and a transportation fin formed on an outer circumferential surface of the rotational shaft and a toner transportation pipe that has a circular shape in cross section. The transportation screw is rotatably positioned in the toner transportation pipe. A support member is attached to the rotational shaft that has a bearing portion having an annular shape and rotatably fitted onto the rotational shaft and that has a plurality of leg portions radially protruding outward from an outer circumferential surface of the bearing portion. A distance between an axis of the rotational shaft and a tip of each leg portion is greater than a radius of the transportation fin and equal to or less than a radius of an inner circumferential surface of the toner transportation pipe.

Abstract: A film member in a development device can vibrate with respect to an internal wall in the development device. An idler gear in the development device includes a projection and is reciprocally movable between a first position and a second position. The first position is a position where the projection is apart from an end edge of the film member in response to a rotation of a toner supply roller when image formation is performed. The second position is a position where the projection overlaps with the end edge of the film member in response to a reverse rotation of the toner supply roller when image formation is not performed. The projection causes the film member to vibrate by intermittently coming into contact with the end edge of the film member along with a rotation of the idler gear at the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a shield case in which a circuit board mounted with an electric circuit is contained. The shield case has an electrical conductive case main body and an electrical conductive lid member. The case main body has an aperture formed in a part of one face. The lid member has one end turnably supported by the case main body and the other end fastened to the case main body by a screw when the aperture is closed. The case main body and lid member have an engaged part and an engaging part engaged with each other when the aperture is closed. The engaging part is formed so as to clamp the engaged part. The shield case is configured so that contact force between the engaging part and engaged part is increased, if the screw is rotated in a fastening direction when the aperture is closed.

Abstract: A toner conveying device of the present disclosure includes a conveying screw, a toner conveying pipe, and a plurality of convex portions that are formed on an inner wall surface of the toner conveying pipe. The conveying screw has a rotary shaft and a conveying vane that is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft. The toner conveying pipe has a circular section, and the conveying screw is rotatably disposed inside the toner conveying pipe. Each of the convex portions is formed within an area defined by half the circumference along the inner wall surface of the toner conveying pipe and supports the conveying screw so that an axial center of the rotary shaft substantially coincides with a center axis of the toner conveying pipe.

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 development device includes a developer container, a developer bearing member, a mixing/transporting member, an opening/closing member, and a drive mechanism. The developer container contains a developer. The developer bearing member is rotatably supported by the developer container. The developer bearing member also has a surface facing an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed. The developer is borne on the surface of the developer bearing member. The mixing/transporting member mixes and transports the developer in the developer container. The opening/closing member opens and closes a developer outlet for discharging an excess of the developer in the developer container. The drive mechanism drives the opening/closing member in association with driving of the developer bearing member or the mixing/transporting member to open the developer outlet.

Abstract: An IP server sends e-mail to a mobile device MS. This e-mail includes an application specifier that specifies startup of a Java application stored in mobile device MS. On the other hand, the ADF for the Java application stored in mobile device MS includes trusted source data containing a plurality of e-mail addresses that indicate trusted origins. Mobile device MS compares the e-mail transmission origin address with the trusted source data. Mobile device MS, only in the case where the transmission origin address of the received e-mail is included in the trusted source data, starts up a Java application based on an application specifier included in said e-mail.

Abstract: A film member in a development device can vibrate with respect to an internal wall in the development device. An idler gear in the development device includes a projection and is reciprocally movable between a first position and a second position. The first position is a position where the projection is apart from an end edge of the film member in response to a rotation of a toner supply roller when image formation is performed. The second position is a position where the projection overlaps with the end edge of the film member in response to a reverse rotation of the toner supply roller when image formation is not performed. The projection causes the film member to vibrate by intermittently coming into contact with the end edge of the film member along with a rotation of the idler gear at the second position.

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.