All The Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming process device used to form an image;
a memory that engages with a replaceable component in a component unit forming the image forming process device and stores data about the replaceable component;
timing setting means for setting writing timing at which the data is written into the memory for the data to be stored therein;
writing instructing means for giving an instruction to write the data into the memory at timing set by the timing setting means; and
control means for controlling the image forming process device,
wherein the timing setting means inhibits writing of the data into the memory during an image forming process.
2. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming process device used to form an image;
a memory that engages with a replaceable component in a component unit forming the image forming process device and stores data about the replaceable component;
timing setting means for setting reading timing at which the data is read out from the memory;
reading instructing means for giving an instruction to read out the data from the memory at timing set by the timing setting means; and
control means for controlling the image forming process device,
wherein the timing setting means inhibits reading of the data from the memory during an image forming process.
3. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming process device used to form an image;
a memory that engages with a replaceable component in a component unit forming the image forming process device and stores data about the replaceable component;
timing setting means for setting writing timing at which the data is written into the memory for the data to be stored therein;
writing instructing means for giving an instruction to write the data into the memory at timing set by the timing setting means; and
control means for controlling the image forming process device,
wherein the timing setting means sets the timing at which the data is written into the memory for the data to be stored therein to either one of timing immediately after an occurrence of jamming and a service call and timing immediately before an error display.
4. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming process device used to form an image;
a memory that engages with a replaceable component in a component unit forming the image forming process device and stores data about the replaceable component;
timing setting means for setting reading timing at which the data is read out from the memory;
reading instructing means for giving an instruction to read out the data from the memory at timing set by the timing setting means; and
control means for controlling the image forming process device,
wherein the timing setting means sets the timing at which the data is read out from the memory to either one of timing immediately after an occurrence of jamming and a service call and timing immediately before an error display.
5. The image forming apparatus according to any of claims 1 through 4, wherein:
the image forming apparatus has a structure in which the replaceable component is not removed unless one of a door and a cover thereof is opened.
6. The image forming apparatus according to any of claims 1 through 4, wherein:
the memory is a non-volatile memory.
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein:
in a case where an access error occurs when the writing instructing means has access to the memory, control to temporarily save data in a memory on an image forming apparatus main body side is performed.
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein:
whether data to be written into the memory is updated is checked and writing processing into the memory is performed only when the data is updated.
9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 4, wherein:
in a case where an access error occurs when the reading means has access to the memory, control to temporarily save data in a memory on an image forming apparatus main body side 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.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring the status of an electronic network, said method comprising:
executing a first program on at least one portion of said electronic network;
receiving first data resulting from the execution of said first program;
analyzing said first data to determine if said at least one portion of said network is not operating within a preselected specification;
executing a second program on said at least one portion of said electronic network if the analysis of said first data indicates that said at least one portion of said electronic network is not operating within said preselected specification;
receiving second data resulting from the execution of said second program; and
analyzing said first data and second data to determine the cause of said at least one portion of said network not operating within said preselected specification.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said executing a first program comprises measuring the latency associated with said at least one portion of said electronic network.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one portion of said network has a connector associated therewith, said connector storing a management information base, and wherein said executing a first program comprises measuring data stored in said management information base.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said executing a first program comprises performing at least two measurements of a parameter of said network, and wherein said first data provides an indication of said network not operating within a preselected specification if the difference of said at least two measurements exceeds a preselected amount.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first program stores correlations between previous network conditions and previous network problems, and wherein said executing a first program comprises comparing present network conditions to stored network conditions and determining a network problem based at least in part on the comparison.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said executing said first program comprises running at least one trace route routine on said at least one portion of said network, said trace route routine measuring the latency of said at least one portion of said network.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said executing said first program comprises running a trace route routine a first time and a second time on said at least a portion of said network, said trace route routine measuring the latency of said at least one portion of said network, said first data corresponding to the difference between the latency measured said first time and said second time said trace route routine is run.
8. The method of claim 1 and further comprising displaying a graphical user interface representative of said network, said graphical user interface indicating said portion of said network not operating within said preselected specification.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said graphical user interface further displays information relating to at least one cause of said network not operating within said preselected specification.
10. A device for evaluating the operational status of an electronic network, said device comprising a computer operatively connected to said network, said computer comprising a computer-readable medium having instructions for operating said computer and evaluating said network by:
executing a first program on at least one portion of said electronic network;
receiving first data resulting from the execution of said first program;
executing a second program on said at least one portion of said electronic network if the analysis of said first data indicates that said at least one portion of said electronic network is not operating within said preselected specification;
receiving second data resulting from the execution of said second program; and
analyzing said first data and second data to determine the cause of said at least one portion of said network not operating within said preselected specification.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein said executing a first program comprises measuring the latency associated with said at least one portion of said electronic network.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one portion of said network has a connector associated therewith, said connector storing a management information base, and wherein said executing a first program comprises measuring data stored in said management information base.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein said executing a first program comprises performing at least two measurements of a parameter of said network, and wherein said first data provides an indication of said network not operating within said preselected specification if the difference of said at least two measurements exceeds a preselected amount.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein said first program stores correlations between previous network conditions and previous network problems, and wherein said executing a first program comprises comparing present network conditions to stored network conditions and determining a network problem based at least in part on the comparison.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein said executing said first program comprises running at least one trace route routine on said at least one portion of said network, said trace route routine measuring the latency of said at least one portion of said network.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein said executing said first program comprises running a trace route routine a first time and a second time on said at least a portion of said network, said trace route routine measuring the latency of said at least one portion of said network, said first data corresponding to the difference between the latency measured said first time and said second time said trace route routine is run.
17. The method of claim 10 and further comprising displaying a graphical user interface representative of said network, said graphical user interface indicating said portion of said network not operating within said preselected specification.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said graphical user interface further displays information relating to at least one cause of said network not operating within said preselected specification.
19. A device for monitoring the status of an electronic network, said device comprising:
first diagnostic means for executing a first diagnostic program on at least one portion of said electronic network, said first diagnostic program generating first data representative of the status of said at least one portion of said electronic network;
first analysis means for analyzing said first data;
second diagnostic means for executing a second diagnostic program on at least one portion of said electronic network if said first analysis means determines that said at least one portion of said electronic network is not operating within a preselected specification, said second diagnostic program generating second data representative of the status of said at least one portion of said network; and
second analysis means for analyzing said first data and said second data, said second analysis means generating an indication representative of the cause of said at least one portion of said electronic network not operating within said preselected specification.

1. A journal bearing device for holding a rotor of a rotary machine, the bearing device being divided vertically into an upper bearing and a lower bearing and comprising:
a bearing base metal composed of an upper bearing base metal and a lower bearing base metal;
a bearing liner made of a material different from that of the bearing base metal and composed of an upper bearing liner and a lower bearing liner;
a cooling groove provided in an outer circumferential surface of the lower bearing liner and extending along a circumferential direction of the lower bearing liner; and
means for supplying a lubricant to the cooling groove to ensure that the lubricant flows in the cooling groove in the opposite direction to a rotational direction of the rotor, wherein
the bearing base metal and the bearing liner constitutes a bearing and are integrated with each other by means of a fastening member, and
the lubricant that passes through the cooling groove is supplied to a bearing load-receiving surface of the lower bearing.
2. The journal bearing device according to claim 1, wherein
the means for supplying the lubricant to the cooling groove includes:
an oil supply pocket that is provided in the lower bearing base metal and communicates with the cooling groove; and
an oil pocket that is provided in the lower bearing base metal and communicates with the oil supply pocket;
a lubricant pocket that is provided in the lower bearing base metal and communicates with the oil pocket and an outer circumferential portion of the bearing base metal, and to which the lubricant is supplied from the side of the bearing base metal,
the lubricant pocket is disposed such that the lubricant supplied to the cooling groove through the oil pocket and the oil supply pocket flows in the opposite direction to the rotational direction of the rotor.
3. The journal bearing device according to claim 1, wherein
the upper bearing liner has a second cooling groove and a lubricant introduction hole,
the second cooling groove is provided in an outer circumferential surface of the upper bearing liner, extends along a circumferential direction of the upper bearing liner, and communicates with the cooling groove,
a part of the lubricant that passes through the cooling groove passes through the second cooling groove,
the lubricant introduction hole communicates with the second cooling groove and the shaft-sliding surface located on an inner circumferential side of the bearing liner, and
the lubricant that passes through the second cooling groove passes through the lubricant introduction hole.
4. The journal bearing device according to claim 1, further comprising:
means for supplying a lubricant to the cooling groove and the upper bearing.
5. The journal bearing device according to claim 4, wherein,
the means for supplying the lubricant to the cooling groove and the upper bearing has an oil supply pocket and a second cooling groove,
the oil supply pocket is provided in the lower bearing base metal and communicates with the cooling groove, and
the second cooling groove is provided on an inner circumferential side of the upper bearing liner, extends along an inner circumferential direction of the upper bearing liner and communicates with the oil supply pocket.
6. The journal bearing device according to claim 4, wherein,
an oil groove for cooling a rotary shaft is provided in the shaft-sliding surface of the upper bearing, and
means for preventing the lubricant that flows in the oil groove to cool the rotary shaft from flowing onto the bearing load-receiving surface of the lower bearing.
7. The journal bearing device according to claim 6, wherein,
the means for preventing the lubricant that flows in the oil groove to cool the rotary shaft from flowing onto the bearing load-receiving surface of the lower bearing is provided in the upper bearing liner and includes:
an oil pocket that communicates with the oil groove:
an oil drain hole provided in the oil pocket;
a lubricant drain hole that is provided in the upper bearing liner and the upper bearing base metal and communicates with the oil drain hole.
8. The journal bearing device according to claim 1, wherein
the lower bearing liner is provided with a shaft-sliding surface such that the shaft-sliding surface covers an area in which pressure is exerted on the lubricant.
9. The journal bearing device according to claim 1, wherein
each of the upper and lower bearing liners is provided with a shaft-sliding surface such that the shaft-sliding surface covers an area in which pressure is exerted on the lubricant.
10. The journal bearing device according to claim 1, wherein
the cooling groove has a turbulence inducing body designed to disturb the flow of the lubricant present in the cooling groove, and
the turbulence inducing body is provided on the upstream side of a flow path of the lubricant with respect to an area in which the temperature of the bearing is the highest of all portions of the bearing.
11. The journal bearing device according to claim 1, wherein
the cooling groove has a turbulence inducing body designed to disturb flow of the lubricant present in the cooling groove, and
when an imaginary line connecting a rotational axis of the rotor with a bottom point of the lower bearing liner and parallel to the vertical direction is defined as a vertical axis, the turbulence inducing body is located on the side of the lower bearing liner and on the vertical axis rotated by 30 degrees or more in the rotational direction of the rotor.
12. The journal bearing device according to claim 6, wherein
the turbulence inducing body is made of a material having a higher heat transfer property than that of the bearing liner.

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 fuel cell system comprising:
a load;
a fuel cell for supplying electric power to the load;
an electric power storing device that can be charged with at least an electric power equivalent to a consumption power of the load; and
a connection control unit for controlling a connection of the fuel cell to the load,
wherein the connection control unit is programmed to cause the fuel cell to generate electric power equivalent to the consumption power of the load, and confirm activation and judge whether the connection to the load can be permitted before connecting the fuel cell to the load.
2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein when the fuel cell is activated and before the connection control unit connects the fuel cell to the load, the fuel cell is made to generate electric power equivalent to the consumption power of the load, and the generated power is supplied to the electric power storing device.
3. The fuel cell system according to claim 2, wherein the electric power equivalent to the consumption power of the load is the electric power equivalent to a maximum consumption power of the load.
4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling the fuel cell in order to generate electric power that can be used to charge the electric power storing device.
5. The fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit calculates a maximum permissible charge power of the electric power storing device based on at least a voltage of the electric power storing device, and controls the fuel cell according to a maximum charge power.
6. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage detecting device for detecting a voltage of the fuel cell,
wherein the connection control unit judges whether the fuel cell voltage detected by the voltage detecting device at a time of supply of the electric power to the electric power storing device is equal to or more than a specified value; and if the fuel cell voltage is equal to or more than the specified value, the connection control unit permits the connection of the fuel cell to the load.
7. The fuel cell system according to claim 6, wherein the voltage detecting device detects each cell voltage of the fuel cell.
8. A vehicle equipped with the fuel cell system according to claim 3, wherein the load includes a vehicle movement drive device, and the electric power equivalent to the maximum consumption power of the load is the electric power equivalent to the maximum consumption power of the vehicle movement drive device after its activation.