Abstract: A lens position calculator is provided that determines a phase of a driving signal as a reference position of an imaging lens when an output value of a position detection sensor reaches a threshold value. The lens position calculator determines a position obtained by performing addition or subtraction on the reference position read out from a reference position storage as a judgment position, detects an output value of the position detection sensor at a timing in synchronization with the driving signal that drives a driver and at the judgment position, and judges whether the output value of the position detection sensor at the judgment position reaches the threshold value or not, so as to determine the reference position again.

Abstract: One embodiment of a manual focus driving ring comprised of two base rings (10 and 11), each having a through-hole near their edge (20 and 21), roll pins (17) conjoining the base rings, a pressure mount ring (16) adhered to the inner surface of the base rings, or a threaded mount ring (24), either of which frictionally secures the manual focus driving ring to the camcorder body (25). A sliding ring (12) is sandwiched between the base rings and slides along their outer surface of the base rings. An extension rod (13) with a gear (14) or friction-driven o-ring (23) is inserted into the through-hole in the base rings, and is rotationally driven by the sliding ring's inner surface, and a flanged tube (15) on the outer tip of the extension rod that acts as a focus driver and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the sliding ring.

Abstract: A photographing method, medium, and apparatus based on face detection in a portable camera. The portable photographing apparatus may include an image input unit that receives an image, a face detection unit that detects a face from the received image, a storage unit that stores the image detected by the face detection unit as a moving image in a first mode, and a quality evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the image detected by the face detection unit and stores the same as a still image in a second mode upon satisfaction of predetermined conditions evaluated based on the quality evaluation of the still image.

Abstract: An image sensing method and image sensing apparatus, including a subject detection unit and a flash unit, are provided. The method includes a first detection step of detecting a subject from image data obtained during preparation for main image sensing, a second detection step of detecting a subject based on reflected light data obtained during pre-flash after an instruction to begin main image sensing, a step of setting a flash illumination area based on a comparison result between a first proportion of the subject detected in the first detection step within a subject area in which the subject exists and a second proportion of the subject detected in the second detection step within the subject area, a step of calculating a flash illumination amount based on the set flash illumination area, and a step of controlling the flash unit during main image sensing based on the calculated flash illumination amount.

Abstract: An external photographic wireless communication device for connection to a camera body having a hot shoe connector for connecting to the camera body and a hot shoe connector for connecting to one or more accessory devices. Each of the hot shoe connectors includes a plurality of contacts. The device includes a switching element for selectively disconnecting one or more of the plurality of contacts in one hot shoe connector from a corresponding respective one of the other hot shoe connector.

Abstract: The light-amount adjusting system includes a light-amount adjusting unit that changes a size of an aperture through which light passes, an actuator that drives the light-amount adjusting unit, and a detector that detects an aperture state of the light-amount adjusting unit. The system further includes a deviation signal generator that generates a signal corresponding to a deviation between a target aperture state of the light-amount adjusting unit and an aperture state thereof detected by the detector, a driving signal generator that provides an offset to the signal corresponding to the deviation to generate a driving signal for driving the actuator, and a filter which perform a low-pass-filter processing on the driving signal. An output from the filter is used as the offset. The system can control the light-amount adjusting unit with high stability and accuracy at any position and in any driving direction thereof.

Abstract: Methods and systems for estimating the amount of visible light in a light source using an image sensor, e.g., such as an image sensor of the type commonly found in color video cameras. The methods and systems may be implemented to use information about the normalized differences of three color components contained in a light source in conjunction with a measure of total light energy of the light source in order to estimate the amount of visible light present in light received by the image sensor from a light source.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for improving the dynamic range of infrared detection systems and for determining physical properties of a graybody are disclosed. For example, a mechanical superframing technique may comprise positioning a first set of filters in the optical path of an infrared camera at a first time, receiving infrared light from an object through the first set of filters at a detector array, acquiring first subframe image data for the object, positioning a second set of filters in the optical path of the infrared camera at a later time, receiving infrared light from the object through the second set of filters, acquiring second subframe image data for the object, and generating first superframe data based on at least some of the first subframe image data and at least some of the second subframe image data.

Abstract: A remote viewfinder display device using an image capturing device including a sensor positioned at an existing camera's viewfinder in communication with a remote display device which shows the viewfinder image at an alternative location to allow a photographer to frame the photograph in the viewfinder when the viewfinder is in an inaccessible or inconvenient position. The display can also provide a larger image for easier viewing. The remote viewfinder display device eliminates the constraints of a near eye view finder and provides for the ability to frame pictures with the alternatively positioned viewable screen or display independent of the existing camera's limited viewfinder position.

Abstract: A digital camera in which a recording portion made up of a microcomputer 110 and a card slot 153 performs predetermined processing on image data generated by a CMOS sensor 130 so that the image data takes on the aspect ratio accepted via an operation portion 140 while in live view mode, or performs predetermined processing on the image data generated by the CMOS sensor 130 so that the image data takes on the aspect ratio of an optical viewfinder while in viewfinder mode. The image data is then stored in a memory card 300. Through this configuration, it is possible to provide a digital camera in which an image of a composition that suits the user's intent can be recorded, as well as in which the image can be recorded having an aspect ratio that the user desires, selected from among a plurality of aspect ratios.

Abstract: A method for detecting and locating faults in an optical transmission path, and to an optical transmission system having such a functionality, is provided. By measuring the temporal change in the state of polarization SOP, external influences on a glass fiber cable of a long-haul transmission system, e.g., a WDM transmission system, may be detected. Such fault(s) may be localized with the aid of the relative arrival time of the polarization signal at both sides of a bidirectional transmission system.

Abstract: Techniques for measuring optical modulation amplitude (OMA) are disclosed. For example, a technique for measuring an OMA value associated with an input signal includes the following steps/operations. The input signal is applied to a photodetector, wherein the photodetector is calibrated to have a given responsivity value R, and further wherein the photodetector generates an output signal in response to the input signal. The output signal from the photodetector is applied to a radio frequency (RF) power meter, wherein the RF power meter measures the root mean squared (RMS) power value of the output signal received from the photodetector. The OMA value associated with the input signal is determined in response to the root mean squared (RMS) power value measured by the RF power meter. The OMA value may be determined as a function of a factor F derived from a relationship between an amplitude of a data signal and the RMS value of the data signal.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, an optical network including multiple optical network devices, or nodes, is provided. At each node, an optical performance monitor analyzes dispersion while a dispersion compensation module reduces the amount of dispersion in the signals. Information about the dispersion and the amount of compensation performed by the dispersion compensation module is generated by the optical performance monitor and stored in a memory. If the bit error rate of a particular path between nodes becomes too high, a new path is used. A monitoring computer then accesses the information about the dispersion stored in at least one node of the old path. The information allows a user to determine where along the path the greatest amount of dispersion is occurring.

Abstract: Systems and methods for signal conversion with smart multitap are disclosed. Embodiments of the systems can be scalable to model different signal topologies, transmission frequencies, bandwidths, and distances. An exemplary embodiment of the systems and methods includes a fiber optic to RF converter and a smart multitap. Although a fiber optic to RF converter is used in exemplary embodiments throughout the disclosure, conversion between other signal topologies is within the scope of the disclosure. The smart multitap includes a multiple tap for distributing a signal to multiple terminals and a microprocessor to select a particular terminal for a signal. Exemplary embodiments include downstream implementations in which a stream is typically sent from a service provider server to a user. Alternative embodiments include downstream implementations as well as upstream implementations in which a user typically sends a stream to a service provider server.

Abstract: A device determines a bandwidth demand for traffic provided between a line terminal (LT) and multiple optical network terminals (ONTs), and dynamically tunes, based on the determined bandwidth demand, one or more tunable filters provided in the LT and the multiple ONTs to one of balance the traffic, protect the traffic, or increase available bandwidth for the traffic.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for temporal subsampling of an OTDM optical signal at a predetermined subsampling frequency, comprising a generator (10) for generating clock pulses transmitted at the predetermined subsampling frequency and at a conversion wavelength ?H and a wavelength converter device (16) adapted to receive at its input the OTDM optical signal and the clock pulses in order to deliver at its output a subsampled OTDM optical signal at the conversion wavelength. The converter device comprises a linear optical amplifier (18) adapted to receive the OTDM optical signal and the clock pulses propagating in the opposite direction, the maximum linear power of the conversion being adjusted so that it can be less than the peak power of the OTDM optical signal, and a converter (20) of phase modulation into amplitude modulation.

Abstract: A dispersion compensation method comprising the steps of: a) providing a compensation node for each predetermined number of in-line repeaters; b) carrying out dispersion compensation for the in-line repeaters with the different bit rates in common; c) carrying out wavelength demultiplexing on the optical signal for each of the different bit rates in the compensation node; and d) setting an optimum dispersion compensation amount for the optical signal of each bit rate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for multiplexing multiple Ethernet-based data streams in an optical network reduce the number of optical transceivers required by the optical network. Multiple data streams are multiplexed into a combined data stream, transmitted from a node in the optical network as the combined data stream, and demultiplexed at the receiving node. Data streams are multiplexed and demultiplexed at the bit level, and packets from each data stream are routed based on a VLAN tag that is contained in the header of each packet. By transmitting the information contained in multiple data streams as a single multiplexed data stream, the number of optical transceivers required for the optical network may be reduced by more than half. An optical supervisory channel may also be bundled with one of the data streams to eliminate the need for a dedicated transceiver for the optical supervisory channel.

Abstract: An optical transmitter for performing high-rate data communication by means of optical space transmission is provided, which can reliably perform optical axis adjustment manually and visually, and can prevent a device from being made large in size and manufacturing cost of the device from being increased by using an simply-constructed optical transmitter. Thus, the optical transmitter of the present invention comprises an incident beam restriction section operable to allow only a visible beam which is emitted by a terminal located within a range in which an infrared beam is emitted and incident thereon to pass therethrough, a reflection section operable to reflect the visible beam which has passed through the incident beam restriction section, and a light source operable to emit the infrared beam to pass through the reflection section according to a data transmission request signal from the terminal.

Abstract: Free space optical communication systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided. A free space optical communication system embodiment includes a light source for emitting a light beam toward a receiver, where the light beam includes a signal to be transmitted, an output lens through which the light beam is directed toward the receiver, and an actuator coupled to the light source for moving the light source to adjust the diameter of the light beam.

Abstract: One embodiment of the disclosures made herein is a method for activating services in a Passive Optical Networking (PON) system. In accordance with such an embodiment, an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) within the PON system is pre-provisioned with PON services and with at least a portion of information required for facilitating automatic activation of the PON services. Pre-provisioning is defined herein to mean that such provisioning is performed prior to installing an ONT (i.e., a network interface device) that will serve such to services at the service subscriber's site and that is controlled by the OLT. After installation of the ONT is complete, the PON services served by the ONT are automatically activated using at least a portion of the pre-provisioned information and information discovered about the ONT during a post-installation discovery process.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical transmitter comprising a differential encoder having first and second outputs, the first and second outputs being of opposite polarity to one another, a first RZ converter connected to the first output of the differential encoder and a second RZ converter connected to the second output of the differential encoder, and a dual electrode Mach Zehnder modulator to which an unmodulated coherent light source is coupled, wherein the output of the first RZ converter is connected to a first electrode of the Mach Zehnder modulator and the output of the second RZ converter is connected to a second electrode of the Mach Zehnder modulator. The invention provides improved signal integrity as compared with existing RZ-DPSK solution through the use of high quality RZ drivers. Furthermore, the invention gives rise to controllable RZ pulse edge chirping, providing rapid pulse compression or broadening through a dispersive fibre length.

Abstract: A terminal apparatus, a consumables residual quantity display program, and a recording medium are disclosed. The terminal apparatus, which is connected to a printing apparatus through a network, includes an acquisition unit for acquiring information about consumables of the printing apparatus from the printing apparatus; and a display controller for displaying the information about the consumables, which information is acquired by the acquisition unit, if the information of at least one item of the consumables fulfills a predetermined condition. The display controller may display a no-display specifying screen that prompts a user to specify whether a “no-display” mode should be activated, in which “no-display” mode, displaying the information about the consumables is stopped even if the predetermined condition is fulfilled when the information is to be acquired by the acquisition unit at a next time.

Abstract: A driver system of image forming apparatuses whose structure is improved to receive a necessary service without additional confirmation by automatically requesting a management service and to improve the efficiency of use of the image forming apparatuses and a method of controlling the same. The driver system of the image forming apparatuses that is provided in a host computer to connect the host computer to the image forming apparatuses in order to perform a management service includes an input unit to receive state information on the image forming apparatuses from the image forming apparatuses and a transmitting unit to transmit a management service requesting signal to a management service supplying unit using the input state information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes: an image forming apparatus main body; a replaceable unit which is attached to the image forming apparatus main body in a detachable manner; a storage unit provided in the replaceable unit, the storage unit storing information with respect to the replaceable unit; a first detecting unit that detects a first-stage operation for replacing the replaceable unit and other operation at a first stage of replacing the replaceable unit; a second detecting unit that detects a second-stage operation for replacing the replaceable unit at a second stage of replacing the replaceable unit; and a control unit that controls access to the storage unit in accordance with whether the second detecting unit detects the second-stage operation, when the first detecting unit detects the first-stage operation.

Abstract: A developing device that can be mounted to and dismounted from a mounting and dismounting section provided in an image forming apparatus main unit, the developing device includes: a developing device main unit; a positioning member for positioning the developing device main unit with respect to the mounting and dismounting section by engaging the mounting and dismounting section when the developing device is mounted to the mounting and dismounting section, the positioning member being fixed on a one end side in a longitudinal direction of the developing device main unit; a coupling member that is to be coupled to the mounting and dismounting section when the developing device is mounted to the mounting and dismounting section, the coupling member being attached to the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the developing device main unit in such a manner that its relative position to the developing device main unit can be changed; and an element capable of communication in a noncontacting manner with

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body and a fixing unit, as well as first and second fixing unit attachment detection portions, each of which includes an optical sensor. The fixing unit is detachably attached to the main body, and includes a unit-side connector which connects with a main body-side connector when the fixing unit is attached to the main body to receive power. The first fixing unit attachment detection portion is at a different position on the main body from where the main body-side connector is located in a longitudinal direction of the fixing unit. The second fixing unit attachment detection portion is at a different position on the main body from where the main body-side connector is located and a position where the first fixing unit attachment detection portion is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the fixing unit.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus a developing device develops an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier with a developer that contains toner to obtain a toner image, a toner-amount detecting unit detects amount of toner attached to the toner image, and a toner-density detecting unit detects a density of toner in the developer. Moreover, a process control unit corrects a toner-density target value indicative of a target value of density of toner in the developer based on the amount of toner detected by the toner-amount detecting unit and the density of toner detected by the toner-density detecting unit, and a determines execution timing of next process based on corrected toner-density target value.

Abstract: An electrically isolated temperature sensor for use with a printer, copier, or all-in-one fuser. The fuser includes an AC driven heater to which a thermistor is mounted for sensing the temperature of the fuser heater. A resistance of the thermistor controls the period of a periodic signal generated by an astable multivibrator. An optical isolator isolates the printer fuser from down line processing circuits, and transfers the periodic signal to such processing circuits. The printer fuser employs a separate floating ground that is not connected to other DC circuits of the printer. With this arrangement, any AC power that is inadvertently coupled from the heater to the DC circuits of the fuser is isolated thereto. The AC power is isolated to the fuser and cannot be propagated through the fuser to other down line circuits of the printer.

Abstract: An image-forming device includes a photosensitive drum, a conveying unit, a transferring roller, an optical sensor, a ground connector. The photosensitive drum carries a developer image. The conveying unit includes a driving roller, and an endless belt. The endless belt is disposed in confrontation with the photosensitive drum and transferring roller. The optical sensor is disposed near the driving roller and detects the developer image on the endless belt. The first connection member has a first electrical resistance and is connected between the driving roller and a ground connector electrically grounded. The second connection member has a second electrical resistance and is connected between the endless belt and ground connector.

Abstract: A light amount measuring device, according to the present invention can include, a light-receiving sensor capable of outputting a voltage corresponding to an amount of incident light, an A/D converting portion capable of converting an input voltage into a digital value, a light amount calculating portion capable of calculating the amount of light incident on the light-receiving sensor on the basis of the digital value obtained by conversion by the A/D converting portion, a resistor connected between the A/D converting portion and the light-receiving sensor, a zener diode has one end connected between the A/D converting portion and the resistor, wherein the zener diode is capable of allowing a breakdown current flow from the one end to another end if an output voltage from the light-receiving sensor is not less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A patch mark-forming unit forms a first patch mark at a first density on a surface. A light emitting unit emits an incident light onto the surface moving. The incident light reflected by the surface is divided into a mirror-reflected light and a diffusion-reflected light on the surface. A first detecting unit detects an amount of the diffusion-reflected light. The patch mark forming unit reforms a second patch mark at a second density weaker than the first density if the amount detected by the first detecting unit is larger than a threshold. A second detecting unit detects an amount of the mirror-reflected light reflected by the surface on which the second patch mark has been reformed. A position calculating unit calculates, based on the amount detected by the second detecting unit, a position at which an image should be formed. An image-forming unit forms an image at the position.

Abstract: A needle electrode having a pointed section is provided so as to face a charge-target object, and a voltage to be applied to the needle electrode is set so that 2?(E2·S2)/(E1·S1)?5 is satisfied, where an ionization area A1 indicates an area where ionization occurs to oxygen molecules in an atmosphere; a dissociation area A2 indicates an area where dissociation occurs to the oxygen molecules in the atmosphere (excluding the ionization area A1); E1 indicates an average electric field strength in the ionization area A1; E2 indicates an average electric field strength in the dissociation area A2; S1 indicates square measure of the ionization area A1 on a plane which includes a straight line connecting the needle electrode and the charge-target object so that a distance between the needle electrode and the charge-target object becomes a shortest distance; and S1 indicates square measure of the dissociation area A2 of the plane.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body; a plurality of image carrying members; a plurality of developing members; a translation member that reciprocates in a straight line in a direction in which the image carrying members are aligned to move the developing members between an engagement position where the developing members are brought into contact with the image carrying members and a disengagement position where the developing members are disengaged from the image carrying members; and a force imparting mechanism, when at least one of the developing members is moved from the disengagement position to the engagement position by a movement of the translation member in a first direction, the force imparting mechanism imparting a force that includes a force component directed to a second direction opposite to the first direction into the translation member.

Abstract: A development apparatus is provided that can quickly form high quality printing material by steadily supplying developer charged and thinned to a uniform thickness and can also prevent the decrease in the quality of the printing material in a case where the developer carrier and developer supply unit are operated quickly. The toner supply roller is constructed in a manner using the elastic material with a hardness of HAF [degree] set to 20?HAF?80 measured by an Asker F-type and disposed in a manner such that the amount of push ?, defined as the amount pushed by the contact between the developer supply unit and the developer carrier, is 0.5 [mm] or below. In addition, toner supply bias voltage VS [V] applied to the toner supply roller has a frequency f [Hz] of 500?f?5000, and, with VSH and VSL as the peak values of the AC voltage component, fulfill the condition of 1?|VSH?VD|/|VD?VSL?5.

Abstract: An image-forming device includes an image acquiring unit, an image forming unit, a determining unit, and a controller. The image acquiring unit acquires image data for one page. The image forming unit forms an image based on the image data. The image forming unit includes a developing roller, a supply roller, and a bias applying unit. The developing roller carries a developer. The supply roller supplies the developer to the developing roller. The bias applying unit applies a first voltage between the developing roller and the supply roller in a first mode, and applies a second voltage between the developing roller and the supply roller in a second mode. The determining unit determines whether the image data includes a part having density greater than or equal to a prescribed density.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer carrier 20Y that carries liquid developer containing toner liquid and carrier liquid, a developer supply member 32Y that supplies liquid developer to the developer carrier 20Y, a developer carrier cleaning member 21Y that collects liquid developer from the developer carrier 20Y, a collection reservoir 31bY that stores the liquid developer collected by the developer carrier cleaning member 21Y, a supply section 31aY that makes liquid developer flow to the collection reservoir 31bY, a conveyance member 34Y that conveys the liquid developer collected in the collection reservoir 31bY in a first direction X and a conveyance capacity regulation section 100 that regulates the conveyance capacity of the conveyance member 34Y.

Abstract: A toner consumption-calculating apparatus includes a printed portion area-detecting unit that detects an area of a printed portion of image data of a latent image that is formed on a latent image-bearing member; a latent image portion area-detecting unit that detects an area of a latent image portion on the latent image-bearing member; and a latent image portion toner consumption-calculating unit that calculates latent image portion toner consumption that indicates toner amount that is consumed due to adhering on the latent image portion. The latent image portion toner consumption-calculating unit uses a detection result of the latent image portion area-detecting unit and a detection result of the printed portion area-detecting unit to calculate the latent image portion toner consumption.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus to control power supplied to a heating roller and a phase control circuit corresponding to the method or the apparatus. The phase control circuit may include an examination unit to compare levels of a sine wave having a predetermined first period and a switching signal to increase and decrease repeatedly according to a predetermined second period, and a phase control signal generation unit to generate a phase control signal having a non-zero in intervals of time sections including a time when levels of the switching signal and the sine wave which is in a decreasing section are equal to each other during a time period when the level of the sine wave is zero, and a time when levels of the switching signal and the sine wave which is in an increasing section are equal to each other during a time period when the level of the sine wave is zero.

Abstract: An image forming device that uses only one temperature sensor to detect temperatures of the recording sheet and a rotation member for fixing, and can perform the temperature adjustment control carefully in detail during the image forming operation. The CPU 61 performs the temperature adjustment control 1 by executing the temperature adjustment program 64b (step S109), then executes the paper passing judgment program 64a to judge whether or not paper is passing (step S110). As far as it judges that no paper is passing (NO in step S110), the CPU 61 continues to perform the temperature adjustment control 1 by executing the temperature adjustment program 64b. When it judges that paper is passing (YES in step S110), the CPU 61 performs the temperature adjustment control (step S112).

Abstract: A heater operable with main and auxiliary power supply units. A controller selects a first mode to permit discharge of the auxiliary power supply unit when a voltage or power from the auxiliary power supply unit is a startable value or greater without making reference to judgment information, or a second mode to permit discharge of the auxiliary power supply unit based on the judgment information when the voltage or power from the auxiliary supply unit is less than the startable value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a carrier; a forming unit which forms an image on a carrier; a cleaning unit which cleans the carrier; a detection unit which detects a correction pattern formed on the carrier; and a control unit which performs a correction processing including cleaning a pattern forming region in the carrier by the cleaning unit, forming the correction pattern in the pattern forming region by the forming unit after finishing the cleaning by the cleaning unit, and correcting an image forming characteristic of the forming unit based on a detection result of the correction pattern by the detection unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism configured to form a toner image on a recording medium with a toner according to image data and a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image on the recording medium. The fixing unit includes first and second heating members and a first heater. The first and second heating members are configured to apply heat to the recording medium having the toner image. The first heater is configured to heat the second heating member. The image forming apparatus further includes an auxiliary power source configured to drive the first heater.

Abstract: A corona discharge device (10) comprises a discharge electrode (1) for causing electric discharge, a discharge product removing member (4) provided around the discharge electrode (1), and containing a material capable of removing a discharge product, and a shield plate (3) interposed between the discharge electrode (1) and the discharge product removing member (4), having a through-hole (3a) open toward the discharge electrode (1), and having a surface opposed to the discharge electrode (1) and at least the surface being made of a metallic material. With this, a corona discharge device, a photoreceptor charger, and a method for making a discharge product removing member which realize high trapping efficiency for discharge products and a long life of a discharge product removing filter are provided.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning an image forming surface of a rotating image bearing member that bears a toner image includes a cleaning member that faces and cleans the image forming surface. An operating mechanism allows the cleaning member to come in press-contact with and separate from the image forming surface. A controller controls the operating mechanism. The image bearing member rotates so that in a state where a toner image is on the image forming surface, the toner image passes through a facing position at which the cleaning member faces the image forming surface, and the controller controls the operating mechanism so that the cleaning member comes in press-contact with the image forming surface during an interval period between passing of the toner image through the facing position and arriving of the toner image at the facing position again.

Abstract: A developing unit and image formation device in which a developer carrier is reliably pressed towards and separated from an image carrier is described. A separation and pressing mechanism is provided for separating and pressing the developer carriers of developing cartridges installed in a drum unit onto image carriers. This separation and pressing mechanism has a pair of direct cam members. Each direct cam member has a release action portion that engages with the releasing projection of a developing cartridge when the developer carrier is to be separated from the image carrier. Each direct cam member may also have a pressing action portion that engages with the pressing projection of the developing cartridges when the developer carrier is to be pressed onto the image carrier.

Abstract: A method for dismounting a coupler from an electrophotographic photosensitive drum flange whose drum is usable with a cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The coupler receives a force rotating the drum from the main assembly when the cartridge is mounted and includes force receiving and spherical portions. The method includes the steps of inclining the coupler relative to a flange rotational axis, pushing a pin from one end to the other end thereof, both of which project from the spherical portion when the inclining step inclines the coupler, making part of the pin ride on a surface of a regulator inside the flange, and dismounting the coupler from the flange by applying a force to a free end of the coupler toward the part of the pin riding on the regulator surface.

Abstract: A tool for installation of intermediate belts by a customer includes a lightweight frame structure that is collapsible for handling and ease of belt loading onto the tool itself. The frame structure includes linkage such that when a handle connected to the frame structure is rotated; the framework will expand into the hanging belt and force the belt to take the shape of an intermediate belt transfer module profile. The intermediate transfer belt is then slid onto rollers of the intermediate belt transfer module.

Abstract: A rotation transmission device including a driving member configured to input a driving force; a rotatable member; and a joint configured to transmit the driving force to the rotatable member, wherein the driving member, joint and rotatable member are coaxially arranged, and wherein the driving member are connected with the joint in such a manner that the phase of one-revolution fluctuation of the driving member is different from the phase of one-revolution fluctuation of the joint by an angle of ?.

Abstract: A grid electrode, which can be included in a scorotron charger for an image forming apparatus or a process cartridge, includes a thin plate member containing multiple apertures and linear patterns, and fitting members. The multiple apertures are disposed facing a charge wire, and the linear patterns are formed in the longitudinal direction of the grid electrode and disposed at equally-shaped intervals in a lateral direction thereof to cause the fitting member to apply tension in the longitudinal axis of the thin plate member at end portions in the lateral direction of the fitting member. The fitting members engage hooks mounted on the scorotron charger at both ends of the grid electrode in a longitudinal direction of the thin plate member containing the multiple apertures and linear patterns.