Abstract: A signal generating circuit of the invention includes a current polarity switch circuit that receives an output current of a light-sensitive element and outputs a current of which the direction the polarity switch circuit keeps constant regardless of the direction of the received current, a current-to-voltage conversion circuit that converts the current outputted from the current polarity switch circuit into a voltage, and a signal processing circuit that receives the voltage outputted from the current-voltage conversion circuit to generate a signal based on the received voltage. Thus, the signal based on the received current signal can be generated regardless of the direction of the received current signal.

Abstract: An automatic time constant adjustment circuit has an error detection circuit and a variable time constant circuit. The error detection circuit detects, based on the resistance of an error reference resistor and the capacitance of an error reference capacitor provided therein, a resistance/capacitance error resulting from a variation attributable to an IC process, and then outputs a control signal corresponding to the resistance/capacitance error. The variable time constant circuit includes a resistance portion, a capacitance portion, and a switch portion. The resistance portion is build with one or more resistors. The capacitance portion is build with one or more capacitors. The switch portion sets the time constant of the variable time constant circuit according to the resistance/capacitance error by connecting together one of the resistors of the resistor portion and one of the capacitors of the capacitor portion according to the control signal.

Abstract: A toner is disclosed including toner particles containing a binder resin and a colorant. The binder resin contains a vinyl resin. In the high-temperature GPC-RALLS-viscometer analysis of the o-dichlorobenzene-soluble matter of the toner, a weight-average molecular weigh of absolute molecular weights measured with a viscosity detector is in a specific range. In the o-dichlorobenzene-soluble matter, a component with the absolute molecular weight of 10,000 or less and a component with the absolute molecular weight of 1,000,000 or more are present in specific proportions, respectively. The intrinsic viscosity of the toner is in a specific range.

Abstract: A process for producing a toner by subjecting a polymer and a resin component containing a cross-linkable polymer capable of cross-linkingly reacting with the polymer, to cross-linking reaction in the presence of a first wax to form a wax-containing cross-linked polymer composition; mixing the wax-containing cross-linked polymer composition with at least a colorant and a second wax, followed by melt-kneading to form a toner composition; and pulverizing the toner composition to produce toner particles. Also disclosed is a toner produced by this process. The toner thus obtained is a toner whose fixing performance and anti-offset properties are well balanced and also which makes it possible to afford images having less fog and high quality, over a long period of time in environments of from low temperature and low humidity to high temperature and high humidity, and is highly durable without causing any contamination of members with which the toner comes into contact.

Abstract: A process for producing a toner by subjecting a polymer and a resin component containing a cross-linkable polymer capable of cross-linkingly reacting with the polymer, to cross-linking reaction in the presence of a first wax to form a wax-containing cross-linked polymer composition; mixing the wax-containing cross-linked polymer composition with at least a colorant and a second wax, followed by melt-kneading to form a toner composition; and pulverizing the toner composition to produce toner particles. Also disclosed is a toner produced by this process. The toner thus obtained is a toner whose fixing performance and anti-offset properties are well balanced and also which makes it possible to afford images having less fog and high quality, over a long period of time in environments of from low temperature and low humidity to high temperature and high humidity, and is highly durable without causing any contamination of members with which the toner comes into contact.

Abstract: A toner is composed of toner particles including toner base particles containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, and inorganic fine particles. The toner base particles having a specific circle-equivalent diameter as measured with a flow type particle image analyzer have a specific average circularity. The toner base particles have a specific surface roughness as measured with a scanning probe microscope. The binder resin contains at least a vinyl resin having as partial structure a linkage formed by the reaction of a carboxyl group with an epoxy group.

Abstract: In a toner comprising toner particles which comprise toner base particles containing at least a binder resin and a magnetic material, and inorganic fine particles, the toner base particles have been obtained through a pulverization step; and, the toner base particles having a circle-equivalent diameter of from 3 ?m or more to 400 ?m or less as measured with a flow type particle image analyzer have an average circularity of from 0.935 or more to less than 0.970; and the toner base particles have an average surface roughness of from 5.0 nm or more to less than 35.0 nm as measured with a scanning probe microscope. The toner can enjoy less toner consumption per sheet of images, can achieve a long lifetime in a smaller quantity of toner, and has superior developing performance in any environment.

Abstract: A waveform equalizer includes: a calculation circuit (7a) that permits free setting of the boost factor by which the gain, in a predetermined frequency range, for the input signal by varying the boost factor; and an all-pass filter (7b) that is connected to the stage preceding or following the calculation circuit, that has a first conductance amplifier and a second conductance amplifier, and that adjusts and thereby corrects the group delay characteristic of the input signal by varying the conductance of at least one of the first and second conductance amplifiers.

Abstract: An image forming method having the steps of controlling the layer thickness of a toner on a toner bearing member by means of a toner regulating blade, and developing with the toner an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrostatic latent image bearing member, the toner regulating blade has, at its part to be kept in touch with the toner bearing member, a specific ten-point average roughness Rz and a specific ratio (area of contact portion/area of non-contact portion) at a specific face pressure, and the toner has a specific average circularity and has a specific aerated bulk density. This image forming method promises superior developing performance in any environment, can keep sleeve negative ghost from occurring and can keep toner melt adhesion to toner regulating blade and toner melt adhesion to toner bearing member from occurring.

Abstract: A radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising (A) an alkali-soluble resin having an unsaturated group, (B) a compound having at least one ethylenically unsaturated double bond, and (C) a radiation-induced radical polymerization initiator, wherein: the alkali-soluble resin having an unsaturated group (A) is obtained by reacting: 100 parts by weight of a copolymer comprising 1 to 40 wt % structural units derived from (a) a radically polymerizable compound having a carboxyl group; 1 to 50 wt % structural units having a phenolic hydroxyl group which are derived from (b-1) a radically polymerizable compound having a phenolic hydroxyl group or (b-2) a radically polymerizable compound having a functional group convertible into a phenolic hydroxyl group after the copolymerization, other structural units of said copolymer being derived from (c) another radically polymerizable compound; with 0.1 to 20 parts by weight of (d) a radically polymerizable compound having an epoxy group.

Abstract: The invention is to provide a toner excellent in fixing property, high-temperature offset resistance and blocking resistance, and having an excellent developing property. The invention provides a toner including at least a binder resin and a colorant, wherein: the binder resin contains a hybrid resin which contains a polyester-type resin unit by 50 mass % or more and in which a polyester-type resin component and a vinyl-type resin component are chemically bonded; the toner contains 3 to 50 mass % of a tetrahydrofuran-insoluble matter derived from the binder resin; the tetrahydrofuran-insoluble matter contains a hybrid resin; and a tetrahydrofuran-soluble matter, obtained by hydrolyzing the tetrahydrofuran-insoluble matter and separating by filtration, has, in a GPC-measured molecular weight distribution, a main peak within a molecular weight range of 50,000 to 500,000.

Abstract: In a motor rotation rate detecting circuit incorporating a conventional differentiating circuit, raising the upper limit of the differentiating operation frequency of the differentiating circuit to cope with an increased range of the motor rotation rate causes the differentiating circuit to amplify high-frequency noise when the motor is rotating at a low rate. To solve this problem, a motor rotation rate detecting circuit embodying the invention incorporates a differentiating circuit that produces a rotation rate detection signal by differentiating a plurality of alternating signals having different phases that are output according to the rotation position of the motor, and the frequency response of the differentiating operation of the differentiating circuit is switchable according to the voltage of the rotation rate detection signal.

Abstract: A toner is disclosed including toner particles containing a binder resin and a colorant. The binder resin contains a vinyl resin. In the high-temperature GPC-RALLS-viscometer analysis of the o-dichlorobenzene-soluble matter of the toner, a weight-average molecular weigh of absolute molecular weights measured with a viscosity detector is in a specific range. In the o-dichlorobenzene-soluble matter, a component with the absolute molecular weight of 10,000 or less and a component with the absolute molecular weight of 1,000,000 or more are present in specific proportions, respectively. The intrinsic viscosity of the toner is in a specific range.

Abstract: An automatic time constant adjustment circuit has an error detection circuit and a variable time constant circuit. The error detection circuit detects, based on the resistance of an error reference resistor and the capacitance of an error reference capacitor provided therein, a resistance/capacitance error resulting from a variation attributable to an IC process, and then outputs a control signal corresponding to the resistance/capacitance error. The variable time constant circuit includes a resistance portion, a capacitance portion, and a switch portion. The resistance portion is build with one or more resistors. The capacitance portion is build with one or more capacitors. The switch portion sets the time constant of the variable time constant circuit according to the resistance/capacitance error by connecting together one of the resistors of the resistor portion and one of the capacitors of the capacitor portion according to the control signal.

Abstract: A process for producing a toner by subjecting a polymer and a resin component containing a cross-linkable polymer capable of cross-linkingly reacting with the polymer, to cross-linking reaction in the presence of a first wax to form a wax-containing cross-linked polymer composition; mixing the wax-containing cross-linked polymer composition with at least a colorant and a second wax, followed by melt-kneading to form a toner composition; and pulverizing the toner composition to produce toner particles. Also disclosed is a toner produced by this process. The toner thus obtained is a toner whose fixing performance and anti-offset properties are well balanced and also which makes it possible to afford images having less fog and high quality, over a long period of time in environments of from low temperature and low humidity to high temperature and high humidity, and is highly durable without causing any contamination of members with which the toner comes into contact.

Abstract: A signal generating circuit of the invention includes a current polarity switch circuit that receives an output current of a light-sensitive element and outputs a current of which the direction the polarity switch circuit keeps constant regardless of the direction of the received current, a current-to-voltage conversion circuit that converts the current outputted from the current polarity switch circuit into a voltage, and a signal processing circuit that receives the voltage outputted from the current-voltage conversion circuit to generate a signal based on the received voltage. Thus, the signal based on the received current signal can be generated regardless of the direction of the received current signal.

Abstract: A ceramic sheet has a burr height on the periphery of the sheet of ±100 ?m or less and/or a dimple height on the sheet surface of 100 ?m or less, as determined by irradiating the sheet with a laser beam to measure reflected light, and three-dimensionally analyzing the reflected light with a laser optical three-dimensional profiling instrument. This sheet is highly resistant to stacking-induced loads and thermal stresses. Further, when the ceramic sheet includes a zirconia ceramic partially stabilized with 2.8 to 4.5% by mole of yttria and containing 0.1 to 2% by mass of at least one dispersed reinforcing oxide, in which the grain size of the surface of the sheet has an average of 0.1 to 0.4 ?m, a maximum of 0.4 to 0.8 ?m, and a coefficient of variation of 30% or less, which grain size is determined by scanning electron microscopic observation, the ceramic sheet has satisfactory strength at room temperature and at high temperatures and satisfactory durability of strength at high temperatures.

Abstract: In a motor rotation rate detecting circuit incorporating a conventional differentiating circuit, raising the upper limit of the differentiating operation frequency of the differentiating circuit to cope with an increased range of the motor rotation rate causes the differentiating circuit to amplify high-frequency noise when the motor is rotating at a low rate. To solve this problem, a motor rotation rate detecting circuit embodying the invention incorporates a differentiating circuit that produces a rotation rate detection signal by differentiating a plurality of alternating signals having different phases that are output according to the rotation position of the motor, and the frequency response of the differentiating operation of the differentiating circuit is switchable according to the voltage of the rotation rate detection signal.

Abstract: Fluid pressure of a first fluid chamber of a driving means, which acts as a back pressure, is monitored by a monitoring means when a core pin is driven by the driving means in an inserting direction before injection of a molten material into a cavity of a die arrangement. When the monitored fluid pressure of the first fluid chamber exhibits abnormal behavior that is different from normal behavior observed during a normal period, the monitoring means controls the driving means to stop the driving of the core pin in the inserting direction.

Abstract: A toner is composed of toner particles including toner base particles containing atleast a binder resin and a colorant, and inorganic fine particles. The toner base particles having a specific circle-equivalent diameter as measured with a flow type particle image analizer have a specific average circularity. The toner base particles have a specific surface roughness as measured with a scanning probe microscope. The binder resin contains at least a vynil resin having as partial structure a linkage formed by the reaction of a carboxyl group with an epoxy group.

Abstract: An apparatus for scaling of teeth and lavage of the gingival sulcus is provided. The apparatus comprises a base unit which contains reservoirs for the medicaments used in the lavage procedure, and a handpiece connected to the base unit by a conduit, which contains an insert for scaling of teeth. Switches on the base unit and a footswitch make it possible for the practitioner to use the apparatus for scaling only, lavage only, or for simultaneous lavage and scaling.