Abstract: In a fixing device, a first fixing member and a second fixing member are configured to form a nip in combination, and an arm biased by a first spring with a first biasing force provides a nip pressure. A cam rotatably arranged to cause the arm to move against the first biasing force has a first cam surface used to change the nip pressure from a first pressure to a second pressure smaller than the first pressure, and a second cam surface of which an angle of action is greater than that of the first cam surface to change the nip pressure from the second pressure to a third pressure smaller than the second pressure. A maximum pressure angle at the second cam surface is smaller than a maximum pressure angle at the first cam surface.

Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a holder holding the nip forming member, a first stay supporting the holder, an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator, a second stay, and a connector. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay extends in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis. The second stay is positioned upstream of the first stay in a moving direction of the belt at the nip. The moving direction is perpendicular to the width direction. The connector extends through at least one of the first stay and the second stay to connect the first stay to the second stay.

Abstract: Regarding a herein disclosed battery, on each of two electrode assemblies, a positive electrode winding-start end part includes a first area elongating along a flat part, and a negative electrode winding-start end part includes a second area elongating along the flat part, and a third area elongating from an end part of the folding part along the flat part. An electrode starting-end laminate part is provided where the area are overlapped in a thickness direction. An electrode starting-end laminate part of the first electrode assembly and an electrode starting-end laminate part of the second electrode assembly are mutually arranged at different sides with respect to a surface being along a wound axis of the first electrode assembly and a wound axis of the second electrode assembly.

Abstract: A diode is connected between a DC power supply and switching elements, a forward direction of the diode being defined from the DC power supply to the switching elements. A relay is connected in parallel to the diode. A relay control circuit controls the relay to be turned off when an input voltage starts to be applied to a power converter apparatus, and to be turned on when a forward voltage is applied to the diode.

Abstract: An information creation apparatus includes a processor configured to, in a case where priorities of power supply are set to power supply targets, set upper limits of power storage remaining amounts of the power supply targets such that the upper limit of the power storage remaining amount of a power supply target with a lower priority is set to a value larger than a reference value.

Abstract: A physical property estimation device for a resin composition, which estimates a physical property of a resin composition that is manufactured by using a base polymer, a flame retardant, a flame retardant auxiliary, and other materials. The physical property estimation device is provided with a regression model building processing unit that learns by machine learning a relationship between explanatory variable data and physical property data including physical property data as an estimation target, and builds a regression model that shows a correlation between the explanatory variable data and the physical property data, and a physical property estimation processing unit that estimates the physical property of an estimation target by using the regression model.

Abstract: A chute is located between a transfer roller and a fuser in a direction crossing both a first direction along a drum axis direction and a second direction crossing the first direction. The chute causes a sheet having passed through a transfer nip to be directed toward a fixing nip. The chute is movable in the second direction between a first position and a second position shifted from the first position toward one side in the second direction. The chute located at the second position is farther away from an imaginary plane passing through the nips than the chute located at the first position. A reciprocating mechanism is located on an other side of the chute in the second direction. The reciprocating mechanism reciprocates by drive force from the drive source and presses the chute to move between the first position and the second position.

Abstract: A first synthesized characteristic value calculated based on a first blending ratio of constituent materials contained in a first composite material and on a first characteristic value corresponding to the constituent materials contained in the first composite material, as well as first blending information of the constituent materials contained in the first composite material are used as input parameters (explanatory variables) for an approximate function to estimate a value of physical quantity (objective variable) for the first composite material.

Abstract: This power supply device (100) is provided with a power supply unit (10), a temperature sensor (28) for measuring the internal temperature of the power supply unit (10), a calculation circuit (22) for predicting an end-point temperature from the internal temperature of the power supply unit (10) measured by the temperature sensor (28) and the slope of the internal temperature rise and estimating a surrounding temperature on the basis of the end-point temperature and the load status of the power supply unit (10); and a display circuit (23) for displaying the surrounding temperature estimated by the calculation circuit (22).

Abstract: In an image forming device, a first fixing member has a roller. A second fixing member has a belt to form a nip together with the first fixing member. A pressure modifying mechanism modifies a nip pressure at the nip to selected one of a first nip pressure and a second nip pressure smaller than the first nip pressure. A controller drives the first motor to drive the roller and fixes the developer image on a sheet in a state that the nip pressure is the first nip pressure. The controller modifies the nip pressure from the first nip pressure to the second nip pressure while driving the first motor in a case where a final sheet among one or more sheets fixed according to a print job has passed the nip, and halts the first motor after the nip pressure is modified to the second nip pressure.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device including a fixing device frame, a chute rotatable between a path forming position and a path opening position, an optical sensor including a light-emitting element, and an actuator. The actuator has a shaft, a first lever configured to contact an anti-pivot rib, and a second lever configured to shield light emitted from the light-emitting element. The actuator is movable to a position where the first lever contacts the anti-pivot rib when the chute is at the path forming position, a position where the first lever and the anti-pivot rib are separated from each other when the chute is at the path forming position, and a position where the first lever and the anti-pivot rib are separated from each other when the chute is at the path opening position. The actuator and the optical sensor are supported by the fixing device frame.

Abstract: A terminal protection voltage detector circuit is provided for protecting a terminal block having output terminals in a power supply apparatus. A current detector detects output currents flowing from the power supply apparatus to loads via output terminals, and a first comparator configured to compare a sum of the detected output currents with a predetermined first threshold and output a first comparison result signal when the sum of output currents is larger than or equal to the first threshold. A second comparator configured to compare a maximum value of detected output currents with a predetermined second threshold and output a second comparison result signal when the maximum value is equal to or larger than the second threshold. A current stop circuit stops a current from flowing from the power supply apparatus to the output terminals based on the first or second comparison result signal.

Abstract: In an image forming device, a first fixing member has a roller. A second fixing member has a belt to form a nip together with the first fixing member. A pressure modifying mechanism modifies a nip pressure at the nip to selected one of a first nip pressure and a second nip pressure smaller than the first nip pressure. A controller drives the first motor to drive the roller and fixes the developer image on a sheet in a state that the nip pressure is the first nip pressure. The controller modifies the nip pressure from the first nip pressure to the second nip pressure while driving the first motor in a case where a final sheet among one or more sheets fixed according to a print job has passed the nip, and halts the first motor after the nip pressure is modified to the second nip pressure.

Abstract: To provide voltage detection device capable of reducing variations and errors in detection voltage caused by influence of configuration of pattern wiring and temperature when detecting voltages applied to a plurality of resistance elements connected in parallel. Voltage detection device includes resistance unit including a plurality of resistance elements connected in parallel, differential amplifier circuit, first connection portion having two wiring portions connecting positions different from each other in one end portion of resistance unit and input terminal of differential amplifier circuit, and second connection portion having two wiring portion connecting positions different from each other in other end portion of resistance unit and input terminal of differential amplifier circuit. Voltage detection device configures to detect voltage applied to resistance unit based on voltage of output terminal of differential amplifier circuit.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes a housing, a cartridge, and a fixing device. The fixing device includes a heating member, a fixing frame, and a shutter movable between an open position for opening an opening of the fixing frame and a closed position for closing the opening. The housing includes: a guide frame for guiding a guide protrusion of the cartridge for attachment of the cartridge to the housing; and a connection link connected to the shutter and positioned opposite the cartridge with respect to the guide frame. The connection link moves the shutter to the open position in conjunction with the attachment of the cartridge to the housing, and moves the shutter to the closed position in conjunction with detachment of the cartridge from the housing. The connection link abuts on the guide protrusion through a through-hole of the guide frame during the attachment of the cartridge to the housing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a frame; a cover movable between a closed position and an open position; a fixing unit including a heating member and a pressure roller configured to form a nipping region therebetween; an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a nipping pressure between the heating member and the pressure roller in conjunction with movement of the cover; and a link mechanism connected to both the adjustment mechanism and the cover. The adjustment mechanism includes an arm pressing the heating member such that the heating member and the pressure roller form the nipping region. The link mechanism includes: a first link connected to the cover; a second link connected to the first link and pivotally movable about an axis extending in a width direction; and a third link connected to both the second link and the adjustment mechanism. The third link is movable in a front-rear direction.

Abstract: In a fixing device, a first fixing member and a second fixing member are configured to form a nip in combination, and an arm biased by a first spring with a first biasing force provides a nip pressure. A cam rotatably arranged to cause the arm to move against the first biasing force has a first cam surface used to change the nip pressure from a first pressure to a second pressure smaller than the first pressure, and a second cam surface of which an angle of action is greater than that of the first cam surface to change the nip pressure from the second pressure to a third pressure smaller than the second pressure. A maximum pressure angle at the second cam surface is smaller than a maximum pressure angle at the first cam surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device including a fixing device frame, a chute rotatable between a path forming position and a path opening position, an optical sensor including a light-emitting element, and an actuator. The actuator has a shaft, a first lever configured to contact an anti-pivot rib, and a second lever configured to shield light emitted from the light-emitting element. The actuator is movable to a position where the first lever contacts the anti-pivot rib when the chute is at the path forming position, a position where the first lever and the anti-pivot rib are separated from each other when the chute is at the path forming position, and a position where the first lever and the anti-pivot rib are separated from each other when the chute is at the path opening position. The actuator and the optical sensor are supported by the fixing device frame.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first fixing member, a second fixing member, and a controller. The second fixing member includes a first nip forming member and a second nip forming member each configured to nip an endless belt in combination with the first fixing member to form a nip region. A first end face on a first-fixing-member side of the first nip forming member is located closer, than a second end face on a first-fixing-member side of the second nip forming member, to the first fixing member. The controller is capable of executing a first printing process performed in a nip region formed between each of the first nip forming member and the second nip forming member and the first fixing member, and a second printing process performed in a nip region formed between only the first fixing member and the first fixing member.

Abstract: A developer cartridge may include: a first gear having a small-diameter gear portion and a large-diameter gear portion; and a second gear including: a first columnar portion centered on a second axis; a second columnar portion having a smaller diameter than the first columnar portion; a first engagement portion extending along a portion of a peripheral surface of the first columnar portion and engageable with the small-diameter gear portion; a second engagement portion extending along a portion of a peripheral surface of the second columnar portion and positioned closer to a housing than the first engagement portion in an axial direction and engageable with the large-diameter gear portion; and a protruding portion protruding in the axial direction and rotatable together with the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion. The second engagement portion may engage the large-diameter gear portion after the first engagement portion engages the small-diameter gear portion.