A sensor holder includes a holder body that accommodates a sensor, a first snap fit that presses the sensor from a rear surface of the sensor, and two second snap fits that fix the holder body to the housing at at least two points.

In an image forming apparatus, a controller controls a toner container so that toner in the toner container is supplied to a developing section according to replenishment amount information stored in storage. The developing section includes a developer container that contains toner supplied from the toner container, and a sensor that detects a concentration of the toner in the developer container. The controller changes a replenishment amount indicated in the replenishment amount information based on a predicted toner concentration value in the developer container after the toner is supplied to the developer container under control of the toner container, and a detected toner concentration value detected by the sensor.

A powder storage height detection device includes: a main body that includes a transport path along which powder is transported; a powder transport unit that is disposed to rotate in the transport path and includes a transporter provided spirally around a rotational shaft; a swinging unit that comes into contact with a surface of the powder transported in the transport path, and swings by following at least a storage height of the surface; a detection unit that detects a state of swinging of the swinging unit; and a determination unit that determines presence or absence of the powder based on a detection signal outputted from the detection unit. The transport unit includes a non-transport portion in which the transporter is not present, and which is formed as an eccentric shaft having a shaft center displaced from the rotational shaft, the swinging unit is located and disposed to swing in the non-transport portion, and the determination unit samples the detection signal at an interval, and when a proportion of the detection signal lower than or equal to an output level becomes greater than or equal to a threshold value, outputs a signal indicating determination of absence of the powder, the interval being obtained by dividing a required time for one rotation of the transport unit by a predetermined number, the output level defining that the storage height is relatively low.

The technology described herein relates to double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) compositions targeting the Serpina1 gene, and methods of using such dsRNA compositions to inhibit expression of Serpina1.

The technology described herein relates to double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) compositions targeting the Serpina 1 gene, and methods of using such dsRNA compositions to inhibit expression of Serpina 1.

An image forming apparatus includes a sensor configured to detect a remaining amount of a recording agent in a cartridge mounted in the image forming apparatus, an output device configured to output at least one of visual and audio information, and a controller. The controller is configured to, upon a first cartridge being dismounted, store, as a previous remaining amount, a remaining amount of a recording agent in the first cartridge detected by the sensor. The controller is also configured to, upon a remaining amount of a recording agent in a second cartridge that has been mounted in the image forming apparatus after the first cartridge is dismounted decreasing to or below a first threshold value as detected by the sensor, control the output device to output information that varies based on a value of the previous remaining amount.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a developing apparatus includes a developer container, a conveyance screw, and an inductance sensor. The conveyance screw further comprises a rib, protruding in a radial direction from the shaft portion, provided at a position opposed to the inductance sensor, and a second blade portion provided continuously to an upstream end portion of the rib with respect to the conveyance direction and configured to convey the developer to the conveyance direction by rotation. The second blade portion is formed to extend not more than one-third of a turn from the upstream end portion of the rib downstream in a direction of rotation of the conveyance screw when viewed in an axial direction of the conveyance screw.

An image forming apparatus comprises a waste toner storing container, the container comprises a container main body; a first storing chamber in the container main body comprising an introducing port for accepting a waste toner, and a first storing space for storing the waste toner introduced through the introducing port; a second storing chamber in the container main body comprising a second storing space to store the waste toner, and a through hole for connecting the first and the second storing space; and a paddle comprising a shaft arranged from the first to the second storing space through the through hole and extending in a first direction from the first to the second storing space, and a screw in a helical shape configured to turn in a circumferential direction of the shaft and to move in the first direction and include a notch in the first storing space.

An information processing apparatus that is capable of improving estimating accuracy of a usable period of a fixing device. The information processing apparatus enables communication with an image forming apparatus to which one of fixing devices is selectively attachable. A controller obtains information about a type of a fixing device attached, determines a remaining period of a second fixing device based on second data about a consumption amount of the second fixing device in a case where a first fixing device of a first type is replaced with the second fixing device of a second type, and determines a remaining period of a third fixing device based on first data about a consumption amount of the first fixing device and third data about a consumption amount of the third fixing device in a case where the first fixing device is replaced with the third fixing device of the first type.

A powder storage height detection device includes: a main body that includes a transport path along which powder is transported; a powder transport unit that is disposed to rotate in the transport path and includes a transporter provided spirally around a rotational shaft; a swinging unit that comes into contact with a surface of the powder transported in the transport path, and swings by following at least a storage height of the surface; a detection unit that detects a state of swinging of the swinging unit; and a determination unit that determines presence or absence of the powder based on a detection signal outputted from the detection unit. The transport unit includes a non-transport portion in which the transporter is not present, and which is formed as an eccentric shaft having a shaft center displaced from the rotational shaft, the swinging unit is located and disposed to swing in the non-transport portion, and the determination unit samples the detection signal at an interval, and when a proportion of the detection signal lower than or equal to an output level becomes greater than or equal to a threshold value, outputs a signal indicating determination of absence of the powder, the interval being obtained by dividing a required time for one rotation of the transport unit by a predetermined number, the output level defining that the storage height is relatively low.