Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer bias set up section and a developing bias set up section. The transfer bias set up section sets a transfer bias applied to each transfer member so that the transfer bias applied to a transfer member corresponding to a photosensitive member on the most downstream side is greater than a transfer bias applied to a transfer member other than this transfer member. The developing bias set up section sets a developing bias applied to each developing member to a first developing bias in a single-side printing mode, and sets up the developing bias applied to each developing member in formation of an image on a first surface and in formation of another image on a second surface to a second developing bias lower than the first developing bias when the image formed on the second surface is a color image.

Abstract: A production method of an indentation curve is given, in which when an indentation curve showing a relationship between indentation force and indentation depth in a process of indenting an indenter into a surface of a sample is produced, a measurement range using an (i?n)th (here, i and n are natural numbers) measurement value as a reference is provided, and the indentation depth or indentation force is temporarily measured when the indentation force or indentation depth is gradually changed, respectively, and when a temporarily measurement value obtained by the temporarily measurement is out of the determination range, indentation depth at the relevant indentation force or indentation force at the relevant indentation depth is measured and set as an ith measurement value, or the temporarily measurement value is used as the ith measurement value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may be provided with a belt configured to move in the predetermined direction and face a photoreceptor, a charge removal member, and a conductive member. The charge removal member may be configured to remove charge of the belt. The conductive member may be located at the downstream side of the charge removal member in the predetermined direction. The conductive member may include a surface facing the belt.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus is described. The color image forming apparatus may includes: a belt that travels in a prescribed direction; a plurality of image carriers arranged in parallel in the prescribed direction, and opposed to the belt and carrying developing agent images of different colors respectively; a backup roller arranged in opposed relation to the belt; a cleaning roller arranged in opposed relation to the backup roller with the belt sandwiched therebetween, and adsorbing an adherent to the belt by a potential difference produced between the backup roller and the cleaning roller; and a discharge member opposed to the belt between a position more downstream in the prescribed direction than a position where the cleaning roller is opposed to the belt and a position more upstream in the prescribed direction than a position where the image carrier arranged on the most upstream side in the prescribed direction is opposed to the belt, for discharging the belt.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming section forming images on image forming faces of a recording medium, a condition setting section individually setting an operating condition of the image forming section for forming the image on a first image forming face of a recording medium and another operating condition of the image forming section for forming the image on a second image forming face of the recording medium opposite to the first image forming face in the manual duplex mode, and a control section controlling the image forming section on the basis of each operating condition set by the condition setting section.

Abstract: A production method of an indentation curve is given, in which when an indentation curve showing a relationship between indentation force and indentation depth in a process of indenting an indenter into a surface of a sample is produced, a measurement range using an (i-n)th (here, i and n are natural numbers) measurement value as a reference is provided, and the indentation depth or indentation force is temporarily measured when the indentation force or indentation depth is gradually changed, respectively, and when a temporarily measurement value obtained by the temporarily measurement is out of the determination range, indentation depth at the relevant indentation force or indentation force at the relevant indentation depth is measured and set as an ith measurement value, or the temporarily measurement value is used as the ith measurement value.

Abstract: An ultra micro indentation testing apparatus comprises: a lever stand provided with a center lever having a silicon probe and a diamond indenter disposed therein; a moving mechanism for moving the lever stand in a triaxial direction; in indentation mechanism for pushing the diamond indenter in a sample; a displacement gage for measuring a displacement of the silicon probe or the diamond indenter; and an optical picture device for positioning the silicon probe or the diamond indenter and observing the surface of the sample. The apparatus has, in combination, a hardness measuring function based on the measurement of the force and depth of the diamond indenter pushed in the surface of the sample, an atomic force microscopic function of acquiring the shape of the surface of the sample based on a displacement of the diamond indenter or the silicon probe, and an optical microscopic function of observing the surface of the sample by the optical picture device.

Abstract: There is provided a ultra micro indentation testing apparatus comprising: a lever stand (4) provided with a center lever (3) having a silicon probe (1) and a diamond indenter (2) disposed therein; a moving mechanism (7) for moving the lever stand (4) in a triaxial direction; aindentationg-in mechanism (6) for pushing the diamond indenter (2) in a sample; a displacement gage (10) for measuring a displacement of the silicon probe (1) or the diamond indenter (2); and an optical picture device (11) for use in positioning the silicon probe (1) or the diamond indenter (2) and observing the surface of the sample; wherein the apparatus has, in combination, all of the hardness measuring function based on measurement of the force and depth of the diamond indenter pushed in the surface of the sample, the atomic force microscopic function of acquiring the shape of the surface of the sample based on a displacement of the diamond indenter or the silicon probe, and the optical microscopic function of observing the surface o

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of designing a high fatigue strength in high tensile strength steel, comprising: obtaining values of tensile strength &sgr;B (unit thereof is MPa) and Vickers hardness Hv of the steel; measuring a flaw area of an inclusion, when a fracture origin is located only at a surface of the steel; and estimating, in designing the high fatigue strength steel, that a fatigue limit &sgr;w (unit thereof is MPa) of the steel satisfies either &sgr;w≧0.5 &sgr;B or &sgr;w≧1.6 Hv, when a square root of the flaw area, (area)½ (unit thereof is m), contained in the steel is no larger than 45.8/&sgr;B2 or 4.47/Hv2. According to the present invention, a method of evaluating high fatigue strength in high tensile strength steel, in which method a relationship between a flaw dimension (area) of ODA and the fatigue strength is considered, and a high fatigue strength material can be provided.

Abstract: A testing method is provided for determining the hardness of a micro region, using indentation curves indicating relations between observed penetration depths and indenting forces when an arbitrary shaped indenter is pushed into standard samples of plural types. The method involves (1) measuring relations between observed penetration depths and indenting forces when the arbitrary shaped indenter is pushed into standard samples of plural types, to prepare the indentation curves, (2) determining a reference function indicative of macro hardness, by standardizing the relations between the indenting forces and macro hardness at the same penetration depth as an index, for the indentation curves of the standard samples of plural types, (3) measuring a relation between the penetration depth and indenting force of an arbitrary sample, and (4) determining the hardness of a micro region from the measured value in step (3) according to the reference function as determined in step (2).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of designing a high fatigue strength material in high tensile strength steel, comprising the steps of: obtaining the values of tensile strength &sgr;B (unit thereof is MPa) and Vickers hardness Hv of the steel; measuring the flaw area of inclusion, when the fracture origin is located only at the surface of the steel; and estimating, in designing the high fatigue strength material, that the fatigue limit &sgr;w (unit thereof is MPa) of the steel satisfies either &sgr;w≧0.5&sgr;B or &sgr;w≧1.6 Hv, when a square root of the flaw area, (area)½ (unit thereof is m), contained in the steel is no larger than 45.8/&sgr;B2 or 4.47/Hv2. According to the present invention, a method of evaluating high fatigue strength material in high tensile strength steel, in which method the relationship between the flaw dimension (area) of ODA and the fatigue strength is considered, as well as a high fatigue strength material, can be Provided.