All The Claims

1. An image recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording device configured to record an image on a recording medium in a recording space, the recording space being defined facing the recording device;
a cassette configured to accommodate the recording medium on which the image is to be recorded by the recording device;
a discharge tray configured to stack the recording medium on which the image has been formed by the recording device;
a conveying path along which the recording medium is conveyed from the cassette to the discharge tray via the recording space;
a conveyor configured to apply, to the recording medium, a conveying force for conveying the recording medium along the conveying path;
an electrical power supply configured to supply electrical power at least to the conveyor;
a cooling air flow path through which air for cooling the electrical power supply flows;
an air blower configured to apply a wind-force to air so as to cause the air to flow through the cooling air flow path;
a casing that accommodates the recording device, the cassette, the conveying path, the conveyor, the electrical power supply, the cooling air flow path and the air blower; and
an additional cassette device that is attached to a lower portion of the casing and is arranged under the casing in a vertical direction,
wherein the additional cassette device comprises:
an additional cassette configured to accommodate a recording medium on which an image is to be recorded by the recording device; and
an additional conveying path along which the recording medium accommodated in the additional cassette is conveyed to the conveying path,
wherein:
a relay path is provided in the casing such that an end of the relay path is connected to a downstream side end of the additional conveying path and an other end of the relay path flows into the conveying path;
the electrical power supply and the cooling air flow path are arranged in a lower region in the vertical direction with respect to the cassette, the conveying path and the recording device;
the recording device is located, in regard to the vertical direction, at a position higher than or equal to the cassette;
the electrical power supply and the cassette overlap each other in the vertical direction; and
the cooling air flow path is formed not to intersect with the relay path.
2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein:
each of the cassette and the additional cassette has a shape elongated in a direction equal to a conveying direction of the recording medium in the recording space; and
the cooling air flow path is formed to extend, in a horizontal plane, in a direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the recording medium in the recording space.
3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein, when one of walls of the casing extending in a vertical direction and in a direction parallel with a conveying direction of the recording medium in the recording space is defined as a casing front wall part, the other of the walls is fiend as a casing rear wall part, and a wall part of the additional cassette device arranged under the casing front wall part in the vertical direction is defined as a cassette front wall part,
a first insertion hole into which the cassette is inserted is formed in the casing front wall part,
a second insertion hole into which the additional cassette is inserted is formed in the cassette front wall part,
an air intake through which an air outside the casing is introduced into the cooling air flow path is formed in the casing front wall, and
an air outlet for the air flowing through the cooling air flow path is formed in the casing rear wall part.
4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein:
the discharge tray is formed on a top face of the casing in the vertical direction;
the conveying path includes:
a horizontal path through which the recording medium is conveyed horizontally in the recording space;
a supply path through which the recording medium accommodated in the cassette is conveyed to the horizontal path; and
an ejection path through which the recording medium which has passed the horizontal path is conveyed.
5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air blower is arranged, in the cooling air flow path, on a downstream side in a direction in which the air flows, with respect to a region in which the electrical power supply is provided.
6. An image recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording device configured to record an image on a recording medium in a recording space, the recording space being defined facing the recording device;
a cassette configured to accommodate the recording medium on which the image is to be recorded by the recording device;
a discharge tray configured to stack the recording medium on which the image has been formed by the recording device is ejected;
a conveying path along which the recording medium is conveyed from the cassette to the discharge tray via the recording space;
a conveyor configured to apply, to the recording medium, a conveying force for conveying the recording medium along the conveying path;
an electrical power supply configured to supply electrical power at least to the conveyor;
a cooling air flow path through which air for cooling the electrical power supply flows;
an air blower configured to apply a wind-force to air so as to cause the air to flow through the cooling air flow path; and
a casing that accommodates the recording device, the cassette, the conveying path, the conveyor, the electrical power supply, the cooling air flow path and the air blower,
wherein:
a recording medium introducing hole through which the recording medium is inserted into an inside of the casing from an outside is provided at a bottom constituting a lower surface of the casing in a vertical direction;
a relay path is provided in the casing such that an end of the relay path is connected to the recording medium introducing hole and an other end of the relay path flows into the conveying path;
the electrical power supply and the cooling air flow path are arranged in a lower region in the vertical direction with respect to the cassette, the conveying path and the recording device;
the recording device is located, in regard to the vertical direction, at a position higher than or equal to the cassette;
the electrical power supply and the cassette overlap each other in the vertical direction; and
the cooling air flow path is formed not to intersect with the relay path, and extends, in a horizontal plane, to intersect with the conveying direction of the recording medium in the recording space.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An electrophotographic marking system comprising:
a developer station and a cleaning station, said developer and cleaning stations comprising a waste toner dispensing unit,
said waste toner dispensing unit comprising a plurality of collection tubes configured to convey waste toner from said developer and cleaning stations to a waste collection assembly,
said waste collection assembly comprising a funnel portion configured to feed waste toner to a controlled drop gate that is configured to transport said waste toner to a collection bag,
said controlled drop gate comprising a hinged blade that is connected to a motor and a controller, said controller configured to open said blade at a fixed time or times, to allow waste toner to drop into and be collected by said collection bag,
wherein said controlled drop gate transports waste toner into said collection bag while turning off any pressure existing in an adjacent waste collection assembly thereby preventing said pressure from entering said collection bag.
2. The marking system of claim 1 wherein said system comprises a plurality of xerographic stations or structures each having at least one of said plurality of collection tubes.
3. The marking system of claim 1 wherein said system is a color marking system comprising a plurality of color stations, each said station comprising at least one of said plurality of collection tubes.
4. The marking system of claim 1 wherein said system is a monochromatic marking system with at least one of said plurality of collection tubes.
5. The marking system of claim 1 wherein said waste collection assembly is configured to be easily retrofitted into existing electrophotographic marking systems.
6. A toner waste collection assembly comprising a controller, a motor and collection tubes running from an electrophotographic marking system to a toner collection funnel in said assembly,
said toner collecting funnel connecting said collection tubes to a controlled drop gate, said controlled drop gate configured to transport waste toner to a disposable and replaceable collection bag,
said controlled drop gate comprising a hinged blade that is connected to said motor and controller, said controller configured to opening said blade at a fixed time or times, said opening configured to allow waste toner to drop into said collection bag,
wherein said controlled drop gate transports waste toner into said collection bag while turning off any pressure existing in an adjacent waste collection assembly thereby preventing said pressure from entering said collection bag.
7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said controlled drop gate is configured when in a closed position to prevent toner from entering said collection bag.
8. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said collection bag is located above a weight scale, said scale configured to indicate when said collection bag is filled with waste and needs to be replaced.
9. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said collection bag has an opening configured to accept waste toner transported by said controlled drop gate.
10. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said controlled drop gate is hinged to permit easy opening when toner is to be dropped into said collection bag.
11. The assembly of claim 6 configured to transport waste toner into a collection bag while at the same time maintaining only atmospheric pressure in said collection bag.
12. The assembly of claim 6 wherein a weight scale is positioned below said collection bag and is configured to indicate the weight of said collection bag with said toner waste.
13. The assembly of claim 6 wherein a motor is connected to said controller, said motor configured to both energize said controlled drop gate and shut down said controlled drop gate when instructed to do so by said controller.

1. A driving support system characterized by comprising:
a vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit that acquires a vehicle speed pulse that is output at predetermined intervals as a vehicle runs;
a vehicle position detecting unit that detects a position of the vehicle on the basis of the vehicle speed pulse acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit;
a vehicle direction detecting unit that detects a direction of the vehicle;
a running direction acquisition unit that acquires a normal running direction, which is a running direction specified for a road on which the vehicle runs, on the basis of the position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detecting unit; and
a wrong-way driving detecting unit that detects whether the vehicle is placed in a wrong-way driving situation where the vehicle runs a wrong way on the road, on the basis of the direction of the vehicle detected by the vehicle direction detecting unit and the normal running direction, in a state where the vehicle speed pulse is acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit at the predetermined intervals, wherein
the wrong-way driving detecting unit compares a wrong-way driving detecting direction with the normal running direction to determine whether a difference between the wrong-way driving detecting direction and the normal running direction is larger than or equal to a predetermined angle and, when the wrong-way driving detecting, unit determines that the difference between the wrong-way driving detecting direction and the normal running direction is larger than or equal to the predetermined angle. the wrong-way driving detecting unit detects that the vehicle is placed in the wrong-way driving situation:
when the vehicle speed pulse is acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit at the predetermined intervals the wrong-way driving detecting unit updates the wrong-way driving detecting direction with the direction of the vehicle detected by the vehicle direction detecting unit; and
when the vehicle speed pulse is not acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit at the predetermined intervals, the wrong-way driving detecting unit does not update the wrong-way driving detecting direction.
2. The driving support system according to claim 1, wherein
when the current vehicle speed pulse is acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit and the previous vehicle speed pulse has not been acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit within a predetermined period of time before the current vehicle speed pulse is acquired, the wrong-way driving detecting unit updates the wrong-way driving detecting direction before comparing the wrong-way driving detecting direction with the normal running direction.
3. The driving support system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a road shape acquisition unit that acquires a road shape of a road ahead of the vehicle in a travelling direction of the vehicle, wherein
when there is no curve section ahead of the vehicle in the travelling direction, the wrong-way driving detecting unit detects whether the vehicle is placed in the wrong-way driving situation, on the basis of the direction of the vehicle detected by the vehicle direction detecting unit and the normal running direction, irrespective of whether the vehicle speed pulse is acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit at the predetermined intervals, and
when there is a curve section ahead of the vehicle in the travelling direction, the wrong-way driving detecting unit detects whether the vehicle is placed in the wrong-way driving situation, on the basis of the direction of the vehicle detected by the vehicle direction detecting unit and the normal running direction, in a state where the vehicle speed pulse is acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit at the predetermined intervals.
4. The driving support system according to claim 1, wherein
the wrong-way driving detecting unit does not detect whether the vehicle is placed in the wrong-way driving situation where the vehicle runs a wrong way on the road in a state where the vehicle speed pulse is not acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit at the predetermined intervals.
5. The driving support system according to claim 1, wherein
in a state where the vehicle speed pulse is not acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit at the predetermined intervals, the wrong-way driving detecting unit changes a detecting condition for detecting whether the vehicle is placed in the wrong-way driving situation from the detecting condition in a state where the vehicle speed pulse is acquired by the vehicle speed pulse acquisition unit at the predetermined intervals.
6. A driving support method characterized by comprising:
acquiring a vehicle speed pulse that is output at predetermined intervals as a vehicle runs;
detecting a position of the vehicle on the basis of the acquired vehicle speed pulse;
detecting a direction of the vehicle;
acquiring a normal running direction, which is a running direction specified for a road on which the vehicle runs, on the basis of the detected position of the vehicle; and
detecting whether the vehicle is placed in a wrong-way driving situation where the vehicle runs a wrong way on the road, on the basis of the detected direction of the vehicle and the normal running direction, in a state where the vehicle speed pulse is acquired at the predetermined intervals, wherein
the detecting whether the vehicle is placed in a wrong-way driving situation includes comparing a wrong-way driving detecting direction with the normal running direction to determine whether a difference between the wrong-way driving detecting direction and the normal running direction is larger than or equal to a predetermined angle, and. when it is determined that the difference between the wrong-way driving detecting direction and the normal running direction is larger than or equal to the predetermined angle, it is determined that the vehicle is placed in the wrong-way driving situation;
when the vehicle speed pulse is acquired at the predetermined intervals, a wrong-way driving detecting unit updates the wrong-way driving detecting direction with the direction of the vehicle detected by a vehicle direction detecting unit; and
when the vehicle speed pulse is not acquired at the predetermined intervals, no updating of the wrong-way driving detecting direction is performed.
7. A computer program that is installed on a computer and that causes a processor to perform a driving support function, the driving support function characterized by comprising:
acquiring a vehicle speed pulse that is output at predetermined intervals as a vehicle runs;
detecting a position of the vehicle on the basis of the acquired vehicle speed pulse;
detecting a direction of the vehicle;
acquiring a normal running direction, which is a running direction specified for a road on which the vehicle runs, on the basis of the detected position of the vehicle; and
detecting whether the vehicle is placed in a wrong-way driving situation where the vehicle runs a wrong way on the road, on the basis of the detected direction of the vehicle and the normal running direction, in a state where the vehicle speed pulse is acquired at the predetermined intervals, wherein
the detecting whether the vehicle is placed in a wrong-way driving situation includes comparing a wrong-way driving detecting direction with the normal running direction to determine whether a difference between the wrong-way driving detecting direction and the normal running direction is larger than or equal to a predetermined angle, and, when it is determined that the difference between the wrong-way driving detecting direction and the normal running direction is larger than or equal to the predetermined angle, it is determined that the vehicle is placed in the wrong-way driving situation;
when the vehicle speed pulse is acquired at the predetermined intervals, a wrong-way driving detecting unit updates the wrong-way driving detecting direction with the direction of the vehicle detected by a vehicle direction detecting unit; and
when the vehicle speed pulse is not acquired at the predetermined intervals, no updating of the wrong-way driving detecting direction is performed.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A frame for separating excavated material comprising:
a base having a front wall and two horizontal side bars extending backward from opposite sides of a bottom of said front wall;
at least one vertical bar member extending vertically upward from, and above a top of, each of said horizontal side bars near an end of said horizontal side bars opposite said front wall; and
a grate extending from near a top of said vertical bar members to near a top of said front wall such that said grate forms less than a ninety degree angle relative to a ground surface, and
further comprising at least one flange extending downward from a bottom of said grate for facilitating engagement with a bucket of a loaderbackhoe.
2. The frame of claim 1 further comprising at least one support bar extending from each of said horizontal side bars to a mid-length of said grate on opposite sides of said grate without traversing the grate.
3. A frame for separating excavated material comprising:
a base having a front wall and two side walls;
at least one bar member extending vertically upward from near an end of each of said side walls beyond a top of said side walls; and
a grate extending from near a top of said bar members to a near top of said front wall such that said grate forms less than a ninety degree angel relative to a ground surface, and
further comprising at least one flange extending downward from a bottom of said grate for facilitating engagement with a bucket of a loaderbackhoe.
4. The frame of claim 3 further comprising at least one support bar extending from each side wall to a mid-length of said grate on opposite sides of said grate without traversing the grate.