Abstract: The image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material includes a heating device which heats the image formed on the recording material, a pressure roller which forms a nip portion in cooperation with said heating means, the recording material being conveyed in the nip portion, wherein said pressure roller has a heat resistive rubber in which acicular fillers with a thermal conductivity more than 300 W/mK is dispersed in a rate of 12 to 26 volume percentage. It achieves an image heating apparatus which prevents increasing the temperature at the area through which a recording material does not pass.

Abstract: Providing an objective lens capable of achieving reliable centering during formation, allowing high-precision formation, and improving durability of a manufacturing apparatus, and providing an optical pickup apparatus and an optical disk apparatus using that objective lens. According to the present invention, an objective lens is formed so as to satisfy condition 0.3?Z/D?0.5, where Z is a sag amount equivalent to a length of a convexly curved optical surface along an optical axis, and D is an optically effective diameter equivalent to a length which is optically effective for the optical surface and is orthogonal to the optical axis. It is possible to reliably perform centering during fabrication of the objective lens and allow high-precision formation for decreasing the lens aberration.

Abstract: Disclosed are a lens efficiently manufactured into an accurate shape at a low cost, a manufacturing method thereof, and an optical pickup using the lens. The lens includes a geometrical optics portion for converging light having been incident thereon from its light incoming plane, and two diffraction optics portions provided on the light incoming plane and a light outgoing plane of the geometrical optics portion, wherein the diffraction optics portions are made from a material different from that of the geometrical optics portion.

Abstract: The image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material includes a heater, a supporting member for supporting the heater, a flexible rotatable member rotated while contacting with the heater, and a backup member contacting with the rotatable member. The recording material passes between the rotatable member and the backup member, and upstream of the heater of the supporting member with respect to the direction of movement of the recording material, there are provided a protruding portion protruding more toward the backup member side than the surface of contact between the heater and the rotatable member, and a groove portion provided between the protruding portion and the heater and depressed more than the surface of contact of the heater with the rotatable member, and a lubricant is contained in the groove portion. Thereby, the driving torque of the rotatable member can be suppressed.

Abstract: A pressure roller capable of stably transporting a paper and a film without deteriorating inherent rubber elasticity while achieving low heat conductivity and formation of finely foamed cell is developed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a heating apparatus employing the improved pressure roller and an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer employing the heating apparatus as an image fixing device. The pressure roller includes a core metal, an elastic layer of cured rubber composition at least containing a water-absorbing polymer containing water and a surface releasing layer laminated on an outer periphery of the core metal. A compression amount (y) of the elastic layer satisfies the following relationship: y≦0.8 (mm).

Abstract: A heater, or an image heating apparatus including the heater includes a substrate, heat generating resistors formed at least in a cycle path on the substrate, and current supply electrodes provided at electrical ends of the heat generating resistors, wherein plural heat generating resistors are connected in parallel to at least one of the current supply electrodes. Thus there can be obtained a heater having excellent heat generating characteristics even in a compact dimension and an image heating apparatus utilizing such heater.

Abstract: The present invention provides a retroviral vector containing a membrane protein having a hemagglutinin activity. The present inventors constructed a retroviral vector pseudotyped by the membrane protein having a hemagglutinin activity. This viral vector showed gene transfer at a high efficiency into host cells. In particular, it was established that genes can be transferred thereby at a high efficiency into cells into which genes can hardly be transferred by the conventional techniques, for example, blood cells and hematopoietic cells including hematopoietic stem cells, and mucous cells including mucosa epithelial cells. The viral vector of the present invention is highly useful as a vector for gene therapy.

Abstract: A heater, or an image heating apparatus including the heater includes a substrate, heat generating resistors formed at least in a cycle path on the substrate, and current supply electrodes provided at electrical ends of the heat generating resistors, wherein plural heat generating resistors are connected in parallel to at least one of the current supply electrodes. Thus there can be obtained a heater having excellent heat generating characteristics even in a compact dimension and an image heating apparatus utilizing such heater.

Abstract: The image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material, comprising a sliding member and a supporting member for holding the sliding member and a pressure member which forms a nip part, wherein a portion of said supporting member which forms the nip part projects from a surface of the sliding member on the nip part side. The image heating apparatus can suppress a decrease in durability of a flexible rotary body.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image fixing apparatus for fixing an image formed on a recording material, which has a heating member, a back-up roller cooperating with the heating member to form a nip therebetween for conveying the recording material, and control device for controlling generation of heat by the heating member, wherein the control device is capable of effecting first control for permitting the heating member to generate heat in a state where an image fixing process is completed and the back-up roller is stopped, and second control for maintaining the heating member at a target temperature, differing from a fixing temperature, during a warm-up period from when the heating member starts to generate heat until the temperature of the heating member reaches the fixing temperature.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image fixing apparatus for fixing an image formed on a recording material, which has a heating member, a back-up roller cooperating with the heating member to form a nip therebetween for conveying the recording material, and control device for controlling generation of heat by the heating member, wherein the control device is capable of effecting first control for permitting the heating member to generate heat in a state where an image fixing process is completed and the back-up roller is stopped, and second control for maintaining the heating member at a target temperature, differing from a fixing temperature, during a warm-up period from when the heating member starts to generate heat until the temperature of the heating member reaches the fixing temperature

Abstract: Providing an objective lens capable of achieving reliable centering during formation, allowing high-precision formation, and improving durability of a manufacturing apparatus, and providing an optical pickup apparatus and an optical disk apparatus using that objective lens. According to the present invention, an objective lens is formed so as to satisfy condition 0.3≦Z/D≦0.5, where Z is a sag amount equivalent to a length of a convexly curved optical surface along an optical axis, and D is an optically effective diameter equivalent to a length which is optically effective for the optical surface and is orthogonal to the optical axis. It is possible to reliably perform centering during fabrication of the objective lens and allow high-precision formation for decreasing the lens aberration.

Abstract: Disclosed are a lens efficiently manufactured into an accurate shape at a low cost, a manufacturing method thereof, and an optical pickup using the lens. The lens includes a geometrical optics portion for converging light having been incident thereon from its light incoming plane, and two diffraction optics portions provided on the light incoming plane and a light outgoing plane of the geometrical optics portion, wherein the diffraction optics portions are made from a material different from that of the geometrical optics portion.

Abstract: Disclosed are a lens efficiently manufactured into an accurate shape at a low cost, a manufacturing method thereof, and an optical pickup using the lens. The lens includes a geometrical optics portion for converging light having been incident thereon from its light incoming plane, and two diffraction optics portions provided on the light incoming plane and a light outgoing plane of the geometrical optics portion, wherein the diffraction optics portions are made from a material different from that of the geometrical optics portion.

Abstract: If the magnitude of a voltage command vector to a motor driver is smaller than a preset value in a control period, in each of a predetermined number of subsequent control periods (a compensation period), a pulse voltage vector is added to the voltage command vector so as to make substantially zero the average value of the added pulse voltage vectors during the compensation periods, and the compensated voltage command vector is used for the subsequent calculation. Also, two direction data for each phase winding are stored at the center of each of the two dead times following the edges of a voltage command pulse in each control period. An estimated phase voltage is calculated from the last voltage command pulse width, a phase voltage fluctuation during the two dead time of each control period and the stored direction data. The rotor position angle is precisely calculated from the estimated phase voltage.

Abstract: A permanent magnet synchronous motor having multiple-phase armature windings and a rotor is subjected to sensor-less control. Phase voltages are generated in response to voltage command values. The generated phase voltages are applied to the armature windings. Phase currents through the armature windings are detected. The detected phase currents depend on the voltage command values. An angular position and an angular velocity of the rotor are calculated from the detected phase currents. The voltage command values are adjusted in response to the calculated angular position and the calculated angular velocity of the rotor to implement feedback control of the motor. An angular velocity of the rotor is estimated from a time-domain variation in the calculated angular position of the rotor. A determination is made as to whether or not the calculated angular velocity of the rotor and the estimated angular velocity of the rotor are substantially equal to each other.

Abstract: A sensor-less control apparatus is designed for a permanent magnet synchronous motor having multiple-phase armature windings and a rotor. The sensor-less control apparatus includes a first device for calculating a rotational angle and an angular velocity of the rotor from phase currents and phase voltages of the armature windings. A second device is operative for controlling energizations of the armature windings in response to the rotational angle and the angular velocity calculated by the first device. A third device is operative for correcting the rotational angle calculated by the first device into a correction-resultant rotational angle and informing the second device of the correction-resultant rotational angle, and for feeding back information of the correction-resultant rotational angle to the first device.

Abstract: A speed control system for a motor vehicle automatically controls a throttle valve so as to allow the vehicle to run at a desired velocity at all times. The system includes a laser radar for detecting a preceding vehicle and measuring the distance therefrom, and a control computer in which a proper distance responsive to a vehicle velocity is set. The control computer discriminates proximity to the preceding vehicle through change in the distance at a certain interval. When the distance exceeds the proper distance, the control computer reduces the desired velocity in case proximity to the preceding vehicle is discriminated at a plurality of times continuously and increases the desired velocity in case no such proximity is discriminated, and when the distance is below the proper distance, the computer decelerates the vehicle by directly controlling the throttle valve in the closing direction, allowing tracing running with the proper distance from the preceding vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle speedometer is disclosed which accurately measures vehicle velocity despite significant vehicle vibration, which causes variation of the angle of incidence of the measuring wave. Two transceivers are mounted on the vehicle, along with means to determine a frequency difference and an angle variation, both being used in an accurate velocity determination.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting obstructions behind a vehicle, employing ultrasonic waves is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device disposed on the rear portion of the vehicle, an electric motor for rotating the transmitting and receiving device at a constant velocity, an angle sensor for detecting the rotating angle of the transmitting and receiving device and a sonar circuit for emitting ultrasonic waves through the transmitting and receiving device at predetermined rotating angles, receiving ultrasonic waves reflected from obstructions through the transmitting and receiving device at predetermined rotating angles and measuring the distance to the obstructions from the time taken from the transmission to the reception of the ultrasonic waves.