An elastic roller is capable of elastic deformation at low load, lightweight and low-cost, and the surface speed of the roller has been made stable. At a drawing showing the view from the side of pipe 2 and flange 3 which make up roller 1, roller 1 which has pipe 2 and flange 3 is supported by shaft 8 which is inserted therein along axis 8a of shaft 8, the situation being such that elastic deformation occurs upon being pressed downward by pressure P from pressure-applying body 11 above pipe. None of the four outermost ribs 7a disposed in outermost gap 6a between outermost ring 4a of flange 3 and middle ring 4b which is mutually adjacent thereto and toward the interior therefrom is present in the upper portion of pipe 2.

According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor and a memory on which are stored computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, may cause the processor to receive a first sheet count before execution of a print job, receive a second sheet count after execution of the print job, and determine a number of sheets printed for the print job based on the first sheet count and the second sheet count. The processor may update a pick mechanism activation counter value based on the determined number of printed sheets. Based on a determination that the updated pick mechanism activation counter value is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the processor may cause a pick mechanism to be actuated to sense a media stack height of print media.

An image forming apparatus comprises an accommodating unit that accommodates recording materials and a feeding unit that feeds an accommodated recording material, detects a fed recording material, and measures time from a predetermined timing until a recording material is detected. An information processing apparatus receives measured time data from the image forming apparatus, classifies the received plurality of time data into a first group and a second group in accordance with a length of time, selects a group for predicting a remaining life time of the feeding unit from the classified first group and second group, and predicts a remaining life time of the feeding unit using time data included in the selected group.

A sheet processing apparatus comprises a roller disposed in a sheet conveyance path; a sheet sensor disposed in the sheet conveyance path and configured to detect conveyance of sheets and generate sensor information indicative of detection; and a controller. The controller is configured to, for each sheet of a predetermined number of sheets of a plurality of sheets conveyed by the roller, use the sensor information to generate an individual sheet-conveyance dataset indicating a sheet passage interval; and store the individual sheet-conveyance dataset in data storage. The controller is further configured to, after the roller conveys the predetermined number of sheets, calculate a summary sheet-conveyance dataset including sheet passage interval statistics for the predetermined number of sheets; store the summary sheet-conveyance dataset in the data storage; discard the individual sheet-conveyance datasets from the data storage; and evaluate the sheet passage interval statistics to determine whether to modify the predetermined number of sheets.

An image forming apparatus comprises an accommodating unit that accommodates recording materials and a feeding unit that feeds an accommodated recording material, detects a fed recording material, and measures time from a predetermined timing until a recording material is detected. An information processing apparatus receives measured time data from the image forming apparatus, classifies the received plurality of time data into a first group and a second group in accordance with a length of time, selects a group for predicting a remaining life time of the feeding unit from the classified first group and second group, and predicts a remaining life time of the feeding unit using time data included in the selected group.

An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance path that conveys a sheet; registration rollers that are arranged across the conveyance path and each comprise a nip part; a sheet locking member that locks a front end of a sheet conveyed in the conveyance path, where the sheet locking member swings between a first attitude and a second attitude, in the first attitude the sheet locking member locks the sheet on an upstream side of the nip part, and in the second attitude the sheet locking member is retracted to a downstream side of the nip part and allows the sheet to pass through the nip part; an energizer that energizes the sheet locking member to maintain the first attitude; and a hardware processor that detects deterioration of the energizer.

A device for transporting notes of value comprises a first idler pulley mounted in the device and at least a second idler pulley mounted in the device, as well as an endless belt running around the idler pulleys, and a freely rotatable guide roller mounted in the device and having at least one connecting area for reception in a receiving opening of the device. The axis of rotation of the guide roller has in a first receiving position of the connecting area in the receiving opening a first orthogonal distance to a plane in which the axes of rotation of the idler pulleys run. The axis of rotation of the guide roller has in a second receiving position of the connecting area in the receiving opening a second orthogonal distance to the plane.

An image forming apparatus comprises an accommodating unit that accommodates recording materials and a feeding unit that feeds an accommodated recording material, detects a fed recording material, and measures time from a predetermined timing until a recording material is detected. An information processing apparatus receives measured time data from the image forming apparatus, classifies the received plurality of time data into a first group and a second group in accordance with a length of time, selects a group for predicting a remaining life time of the feeding unit from the classified first group and second group, and predicts a remaining life time of the feeding unit using time data included in the selected group.

An image forming apparatus comprises an accommodating unit that accommodates recording materials and a feeding unit that feeds an accommodated recording material, detects a fed recording material, and measures time from a predetermined timing until a recording material is detected. An information processing apparatus receives measured time data from the image forming apparatus, classifies the received plurality of time data into a first group and a second group in accordance with a length of time, selects a group for predicting a remaining life time of the feeding unit from the classified first group and second group, and predicts a remaining life time of the feeding unit using time data included in the selected group.

A conveyor conveys a sheet along a conveyance path provided with an ultrasonic sensor, and includes: an updating member that successively updates a parameter indicating aged deterioration of the conveyor; a searcher that searches a look-up table storing pieces of noise data of noises predicted to be superimposed on a detection signal of the ultrasonic sensor in accordance with a degree of the aged deterioration, and obtains a piece of noise data corresponding to a current parameter value of the conveyor; and a signal processor that uses, for signal processing, a remaining portion of the detection signal of the ultrasonic sensor excluding a portion corresponding to the piece of noise data obtained by the searcher.