Abstract: A system for controlling an electric device comprises: a power supply for supplying electric power to an electric device; switch portion connected between the power supply and the electric device for controlling the electric power supplied to the electric device; an LC filter disposed between the switch portion and the electric device; and current detection portion for detecting an electric current supplied to the electric device.

Abstract: A developing apparatus using a two-component developer constituted by a magnetic carrier and a toner, and an image forming apparatus comprising the developing apparatus. A developing unit and a stirring unit are provided, and in order to suppress toner scattering that may occur after a development operation has been halted for a long time, and thereby suppress contamination of the apparatus interior, the developer in a developing machine is transferred to a stirrer serving as a developer storage unit on the exterior of the developing machine when the development operation ends.

Abstract: A developing device for an image forming apparatus that uses developing agent supplied from a supplying device. The developing device includes a developing roller configured to bear the developing agent thereon and develop a toner image on an image bearing member. The device also includes a supply and circulation system configured to receive developing agent from the supplying device, and being configured to supply the developing agent to the developing roller and circulate the developing agent within the developing device. The system includes an agitate conveying member, and a circulation route having at least a portion that extends upward. The agitate conveying member is provided within the upwardly extending portion of the circulation route, and is configured to convey the developing agent upward through the upwardly extending portion of the circulation route.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting circuit is provided. The discharge lamp lighting circuit includes an inverter circuit which has two output ends; a series resonant circuit which includes a capacitor, an inductor and a transformer, coupled in series; a driving portion; and a controlling portion which provides a control signal for controlling said inverter circuit, said controlling portion including a first signal producing portion which produces a first signal indicative of a phase of a current flowing through said series resonant circuit; and a second signal producing portion which produces a second signal indicative of a phase of the AC voltage output from said inverter circuit, said controlling portion producing the control signal on the basis of a phase difference between the first and second signals, wherein one component of said series resonant circuit is coupled between one of said output ends, and a detection point.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a toner enabling excellent transferring properties, cleanability, and fixability and forming a high-precision image without substantially degraded image quality even after printed on a number of sheets of paper. The invention also provides the toner-production method, an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a process cartridge. To this end, the present invention provides a toner which comprises toner-base particles containing a binder resin and a filler, and inorganic fine particles, in which the filler is included in a filler-layer in the vicinity of surfaces of the toner-base particles, the number average particle diameter of the primary particles of the inorganic fine particles is 90 nm to 300 nm, and the average circularity of the toner is 0.95.

Abstract: A toner including toner particles including a binder resin, a colorant, and an inorganic particulate material present on a surface of the toner particles. The toner particles have a surface roughness (Ra) of from 1 to 30 nm, a standard deviation of the surface roughness of from 10 to 90 nm and include 1 to 20 convexities per 1 ?m, which have a height not less than 10 nm.

Abstract: An agent transport unit for transporting an agent from a first container to a second container includes a transport route and a pump. The transport route connects the first container and second container, and includes at least one of a first route, a second route, and a third route. The first route extends in a substantially horizontal direction, the second route extends in a substantially vertical direction, and the third route extends in a substantially inclined direction with a repose angle equal to or less than that of the agent. The pump supplies a gas flow into the transport route to transport the agent in the transport route.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting circuit facilitates carrying out re-ignition and addresses a problem than can arise due to an influence of a capacitor in an auxiliary lighting circuit. A driving voltage generating portion supplies an AC driving voltage to a discharge lamp to be a driving target. An auxiliary lighting circuit is provided on a terminal side of the discharge lamp. An auxiliary lighting capacitor, an auxiliary lighting resistor and a switch are provided in series between the terminal of the discharge lamp and a fixed voltage terminal. A control circuit controls a conducting state of the switch. The switch is brought into an ON state before the discharge lamp is turned ON, and is brought into an OFF state after the discharge lamp is turned ON.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting circuit includes a power supplying portion having a series resonant circuit containing transistors and a bridge driver, and a control portion for generating a control signal Sc1 to control a driving frequency of the bridge driver. The control portion has a sample hold portion for generating a constant control signal S1, a frequency follow-up control portion for generating a control signal S2 in such a manner that a phase difference between a voltage and a current in the series resonant circuit is approximately zero, and a power control portion for generating a control signal S3 in such a manner that a magnitude of an AC power approximates a steady value. The control signal S1 is selected from a time t3 to a time t4, the control signal S2 is selected from the time t4 to a time t5, and the control signal S3 sent from the power control portion 13 is selected as the control signal Sc1 after the time t5.

Abstract: A toner including a binder resin; and a colorant, wherein a hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)-soluble component satisfies the following relationship: 2,000 ?Mn ?7,000 and 1.5 ?Mn/Mw ?10 wherein Mn represents a number-average molecular weight and Mw represents a weight-average molecular weight.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveying pipe configured to convey a developer and a magnetic field generation mechanism configured to generate a magnetic field inside the conveying pipe to affect the developer. The magnet is formed to have lower magnetic intensities at positions upstream and downstream from a middle position of the conveying pipe along a conveying direction of the conveying pipe than a magnetic intensity in the middle of the conveying pipe.

Abstract: As receiving information for specifying a dwell unit and a request of creating an inspection list, a dwell unit information server creates an inspection list for the dwell unit in response to the request. A multiple function processing machine prints out the inspection list, and reads the inspection list on which a defective equipment is written. The multiple function processing machine extracts handwritten information from read-out information, and transmits the extracted information to the dwell unit information server together with code information printed on the inspection list. The dwell unit information server extracts an equipment needing inspection based on the code information and the handwritten information, and transmits a work instruction which instructs maintenance/repair of the equipment to a maintenance/repair responsible company responsible for the extracted equipment.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting circuit for supplying an AC power to a discharge lamp includes first and second converters for receiving a DC voltage and stepping up the voltage. A controlling circuit drives the first and second converters CON1, CON2 alternately at a first frequency and stops an operation of a side that is not driven such that the AC power is supplied to the discharge lamp to execute a lighting operation.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting circuit is capable of preventing the discharge lamp from going out unexpectedly. The discharge lamp lighting circuit includes a DC-AC inverter which receives a power source voltage, boosts and converts the power source voltage into AC and supplies AC electric power to the discharge lamp 21. A control circuit sends a long cycle signal when the discharge lamp 21 is started. The cycle of the long cycle signal is longer than a frequency at the time of steady lighting. The control circuit sends a steady drive signal, which is a frequency at the time of steady lighting, to the DC-AC inverter 25. A cycle of the long cycle signal is set according to at least one of the power source voltage, the temperature of the discharge lamp lighting circuit or the extinguishing time.

Abstract: To provide a toner that can provide long-term removability and high-definition images with reduced image layer thickness and densely-packed toner particles, a developer capable of forming high-quality images using the toner, a toner container for containing the toner, a process cartridge using the toner, an image forming apparatus using the toner, and an image forming method using the toner. The toner of the present invention is a toner having a substantially spherical shape with irregularities on its surface and containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, wherein a surface factor SF-1 that represents the sphericity of toner particles is 105 to 180, a surface factor SF-2 that represents the degree of surface irregularities of the toner particles is correlated with the volume-average diameter of the toner particles, and the toner particles have an inorganic oxide particle-containing layer within 1 ?m from their surfaces.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting circuit includes a power supplying portion having a series resonant circuit including transistors and a bridge driver, a starting portion for applying a high voltage pulse to a discharge lamp to promote a lighting operation, a lighting confirming portion for generating a lighting confirmation signal Sf indicating that a lighting operation for the discharge lamp fails or is successful by the high voltage pulse, and a control portion for generating a control signal Sc to control a driving frequency of the bridge driver. The lighting confirming portion generates a lighting confirmation signal Sf based on a relationship of the magnitude between a lamp voltage equivalent signal VS and a predetermined voltage V4 at a time that a predetermined time ?t passes since the application of the high voltage pulse to the discharge lamp.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting circuit is provided. The discharge lamp lighting circuit includes a power supplying portion which comprises an inverter circuit comprising a switching element; a series resonant circuit comprising a capacitor, and at least one of an inductor and a transformer; and a driving circuit which drives said switching element, said power supplying portion converting DC power to AC power and supplying the AC power to a discharge lamp; and a controlling portion which produces a frequency control signal for controlling a frequency of a drive signal output from said driving circuit, the controlling portion including a phase difference detecting portion which detects a phase difference between an input voltage and an input current that are supplied from said inverter circuit to said series resonant circuit; and a control signal producing portion which produces the frequency control signal in accordance with the phase difference.

Abstract: A lighting circuit includes a capacitor and inductor for a resonance, and a first output, a second output, a resistor and a monitor circuit. A DC-AC converting circuit generates an AC voltage from a DC voltage. The resistor has an end connected to the second output and the other end connected to an end of a secondary winding. A monitoring output is connected to the other end of the resistor, and is provided for providing a signal for monitoring a current flowing to a discharge lamp. The end of the resistor is connected to a grounding conductor GND. The monitor circuit receives a signal from the monitoring output. The monitor circuit generates a signal for monitoring a current IL flowing to the discharge lamp.

Abstract: A toner which is negatively charged to develop an electrostatic latent image is provided that contains a colorant; and a binder resin, wherein the toner has an acid value of from 5 to 20 mg KOH/g and an amine value of from 0.5 to 10 mg KOH/g.

Abstract: In the transient electric power control of a discharge lamp containing no mercury or a small amount of mercury, a change value relating to a lamp voltage from the initial value thereof is detected. A control unit is provided to change the temporal change rate of electric power supplied to the discharge lamp during the transient time period in accordance with the increase of the change value or the time lapse.