Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of types of operation control information of the image forming apparatus that indicate deterioration of a toner in the image forming apparatus or deterioration of a component of the image forming apparatus. An index value calculating unit calculates an index value indicating a state of the image forming apparatus based on the acquired operation control information. An abnormality judging unit judges whether the image forming apparatus abnormality has occurred and predicts an occurrence of a failure that requires maintenance of the image forming apparatus due to deterioration of the toner in the image forming apparatus or deterioration of the component of the image forming apparatus based on the index value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

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: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of types of operation control information of the image forming apparatus that indicate deterioration of a toner in the image forming apparatus or deterioration of a component of the image forming apparatus. An index value calculating unit calculates an index value indicating a state of the image forming apparatus based on the acquired operation control information. An abnormality judging unit judges whether the image forming apparatus abnormality has occurred and predicts an occurrence of a failure that requires maintenance of the image forming apparatus due to deterioration of the toner in the image forming apparatus or deterioration of the component of the image forming apparatus based on the index value.

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 forming apparatus includes toner image forming devices for forming toner images of a plurality of mutually different colors, a toner image carrying member for carrying thereon the toner images of the plurality of colors to be transferred onto a recording medium at one time, an adhesion amount detection device for detecting a toner adhesion amount of each of the toner images, and a failure determination device for determining the presence or absence of a sign of failure in the toner image forming devices. The failure determination device determines the presence or absence of the sign of failure in one of the toner image forming devices on the basis of information based on adhesion amount detection results obtained through detection by the adhesion amount detection device of toner adhesion amounts of toner images formed on the toner image carrying member by the other toner image forming devices.

Abstract: An abnormality determining apparatus includes an information storing device that stores information, an information obtaining device that obtains information of a detection subject, a receiving device that receives abnormality presence/absence information indicative of the presence or absence of an abnormality in the detection subject detected by a user, a normal group data set constructing device that constructs a normal group data set that is a collection of normal data indicating that the detection subject is in a normal state based on the abnormality presence/absence information received by the receiving device and based on the information obtained by the information obtaining device during a preset period, and a determining device that determines the presence or absence of an abnormality in the detection subject by performing calculations based on the normal group data set stored in the information storing device and based on the information obtained by the information obtaining device.

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: 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 state predicting apparatus collects internal information and usage information of an apparatus subjected for failure prediction determination, calculates a state index value using a regression model and the internal information of the apparatus, calculates a usage factor indicating a predicted remaining time period between a time when the state index value is calculated and a time when a failure is predicted to occur using the usage information of the apparatus, and calculates a failure risk based on the state index value and the usage factor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming cartridges removably mounted to an apparatus body one above the other is disclosed. Structural members each partition off a space between nearby image forming cartridges mounted to the apparatus body. The apparatus is capable of obviating banding ascribable to the vibration of the cartridges.

Abstract: A time point at which a predetermined period elapses since the start of use of a copying machine as a detection subject after factory shipment or repair is obtained. Pieces of set information, which are combinations of various types of information until the time point is reached are sequentially stored to construct a normal set information group. After the time point is reached, presence of abnormality in the copying machine is determined based on the normal set information group and the various types of information obtained.

Abstract: A determining unit determines whether the printer is in the predictive failure state based on the internal information of the printer acquired by the information acquiring unit. A failure risk computing unit performs a failure risk determination process for determining the size of failure risk of the printer when the printer is in the predictive failure state. The determination result is reported to a maintenance person or a user. In this way, the maintenance person or the user who receives the report can definitely grasp a degree of urgency of maintenance at that point.

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 plurality of weak discriminators output determinations results about a status of an apparatus. Weight values are individually assigned to the determination results. By performing majority vote of the weighted determination results, the status of the apparatus is determined. The determination results are displayed on a single status indicating screen such that portions corresponding to a normal status are indicated in white while portions corresponding to an anomalous status are indicated in one or more colors other than white. The areas of the portions differ from one another depending on magnitudes of weight assigned to the determination results corresponding to the portions.

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.

Abstract: An area calculating unit calculates an image area of a toner image formed on a sheet recording member. A behavior detecting unit detects behavior of the recording member fed out of a conveying nip formed by a pair of conveying members. A thickness obtaining unit obtains thickness information of the recording member. A width obtaining unit obtains width information of the recording member. An index calculating unit calculates an index value indicating windability of the recording member with respect to the conveying members based on the width information as well as the image area, the behavior, and the thickness information.

Abstract: A tree system diagram output method of correlating a plurality of objects and outputting the plurality of objects as a tree system diagram includes the steps of: (a) storing, in a first storing part, an identifier specific to each of the plurality of objects written on a first worksheet; (b) selecting at least one object among the plurality of objects written on the first worksheet; (c) pasting the object selected in the step (b) to a second worksheet; and (d) changing the identifier of the object to be pasted in the step (c) to a second identifier.