Abstract: A toner including a binder resin comprising a resin (a) comprising a polyhydroxycarboxylic acid skeleton formed from an optically-active monomer. The polyhydroxycarboxylic acid skeleton has a weight average molecular weight of from 7,000 to 60,000. The binder resin comprises the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid skeleton in an amount of from 10 to 90% by weight. The optical purity X (%) of the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid skeleton represented by the following formula is 80% or less: X(%)=|X(L-isomer)?X(D-isomer)| wherein X(L-isomer) and X(D-isomer) represent molar ratio (%) of L-isomer and D-isomer of the optically-active monomer, respectively.

Abstract: A self-diagnosis circuit is coupled to a signal transmission path between a high-frequency signal input part and an output part and is configured to diagnose a high-frequency circuit using a signal that propagates along the signal transmission path. The self-diagnosis circuit includes a detector configured to detect the high-frequency signal propagating along the signal transmission path from the output part toward the input part; and a diagnosis unit that diagnoses for an abnormality in the follower stage of the high-frequency circuit disposed between a coupling part of the self-diagnosis circuit with respect to the signal transmission path and the output part, in accordance with the detection result of the detector.

Abstract: A holder (1) adapted for use for a portable device and having a windable strap. The holder (1) includes a case body (4) having an upper case (3) and a lower case (2); the strap (10); a strap winding drum (20) for winding the strap (10) on it; a drive spring (30) for applying bias in the direction of winding the strap to the strap winding drum (20); strap openings (50), each functioning as the entrance and exit for the strap (10); and a fixation mechanism (40) for controlling a mechanism for receiving the strap (10). To pull out the strap (10), a user places one finger on a slope member (51) of the upper case (3), places another finger on the rear side of the strap (10), and pulls out the strap (10). Even if the strap is frequently pulled out, the strap does not have a permanent set.

Abstract: There is provided a toner which contains at least a binder resin, and filler including a layered inorganic compound, wherein the layered inorganic compound is cleaved to form particles in the toner, and the particles have a breadth of 0.5 nm to 4 nm, and a length of 10 nm to 90 nm.

Abstract: A connector includes a base connector and a cylindrical member. The base connector has a cylindrical projection to penetrate through an outside wall of an attachment subject. The cylindrical member is fitted with the cylindrical projection and has a cavity.

Abstract: A wireless explosion-proof apparatus includes an antenna, an explosion-proof chamber, a communication module disposed in the explosion-proof chamber, the communication module configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal through the antenna, a connector portion having a central conductor, to which the antenna is electrically connected, the central conductor having one end connected to the communication module through a connection line and the other end exposed to the outside of the explosion-proof chamber, and a short stub module disposed in the explosion-proof chamber and disposed on the connection line, the short stub module configured to secure electric conduction between the one end of the central conductor and a ground so as to keep potential of the central conductor at certain potential.

Abstract: A hinge mechanism in which two housings are respectively connected to a first rotation shaft and a second rotation shaft that are arranged perpendicular to each other and the housing are arbitrarily openable about either one of the shafts is provided. In the hinge mechanism 1, at an end of a rotation shaft holding section (4) of a hinge housing (1), an end of an opening and closing shaft holding section (5) is integrated together in a state of being perpendicular to each other, the rotation shaft holding section (4) being formed in it a tubular shaft hole for supporting a rotation shaft section (3), and the opening and closing shaft holding section (5) being formed in it a tubular shaft hole for supporting an opening and closing shaft section (2), and the hinge housing (1) is substantially L-shaped as a whole.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a toner including preparing an emulsified dispersion which contains emulsion particles by emulsifying or dispersing an oil phase containing at least a pigment and any one of a binder resin and a binder resin precursor in an aqueous medium, and granulating toner base particles by converging the emulsified dispersion, wherein the Casson yield value of the single oil phase before being emulsified or dispersed in the aqueous medium is 0.5 Pa to 20 Pa; and the temperature Tn of the emulsified dispersion in the preparation of the emulsified dispersion, the temperature Ts of the emulsified dispersion in the granulation of the toner base particles, and the glass transition temperature Tg of the toner base particles satisfy the relation Tn<Ts<Tg.

Abstract: A toner including a binder resin comprising a resin (a) comprising a polyhydroxycarboxylic acid skeleton formed from an optically-active monomer. The polyhydroxycarboxylic acid skeleton has a weight average molecular weight of from 7,000 to 60,000. The binder resin comprises the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid skeleton in an amount of from 10 to 90% by weight. The optical purity X (%) of the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid skeleton represented by the following formula is 80% or less: X(%)=|X(L-isomer)?X(D-isomer)| wherein X(L-isomer) and X(D-isomer) represent molar ratio (%) of L-isomer and D-isomer of the optically-active monomer, respectively.

Abstract: A holder (1) adapted for use for a portable device and having a windable strap. The holder (1) includes a case body (4) having an upper case (3) and a lower case (2); the strap (10); a strap winding drum (20) for winding the strap (10) on it; a drive spring (30) for applying bias in the direction of winding the strap to the strap winding drum (20); strap openings (50), each functioning as the entrance and exit for the strap (10); and a fixation mechanism (40) for controlling a mechanism for receiving the strap (10). To pull out the strap (10), a user places one finger on a slope member (51) of the upper case (3), places another finger on the rear side of the strap (10), and pulls out the strap (10). Even if the strap is frequently pulled out, the strap does not have a permanent set.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a toner enabling excellent transferring properties, cleanability, and fixability and forming a high-precision image without substantially degraded image quality even after printed on a number of sheets of paper. The invention also provides the toner-production method, an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a process cartridge. To this end, the present invention provides a toner which comprises toner-base particles containing a binder resin and a filler, and inorganic fine particles, in which the filler is included in a filler-layer in the vicinity of surfaces of the toner-base particles, the number average particle diameter of the primary particles of the inorganic fine particles is 90 nm to 300 nm, and the average circularity of the toner is 0.95.

Abstract: A toner including toner particles including a binder resin, a colorant, and an inorganic particulate material present on a surface of the toner particles. The toner particles have a surface roughness (Ra) of from 1 to 30 nm, a standard deviation of the surface roughness of from 10 to 90 nm and include 1 to 20 convexities per 1 ?m, which have a height not less than 10 nm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a toner including preparing an emulsified dispersion which contains emulsion particles by emulsifying or dispersing an oil phase containing at least a pigment and any one of a binder resin and a binder resin precursor in an aqueous medium, and granulating toner base particles by converging the emulsified dispersion, wherein the Casson yield value of the single oil phase before being emulsified or dispersed in the aqueous medium is 0.5 Pa to 20 Pa; and the temperature Tn of the emulsified dispersion in the preparation of the emulsified dispersion, the temperature Ts of the emulsified dispersion in the granulation of the toner base particles, and the glass transition temperature Tg of the toner base particles satisfy the relation Tn<Ts<Tg.

Abstract: A hinge mechanism in which two housings are respectively connected to a first rotation shaft and a second rotation shaft that are arranged perpendicular to each other and the housing are arbitrarily openable about either one of the shafts is provided. In the hinge mechanism 1, at an end of a rotation shaft holding section (4) of a hinge housing (1), an end of an opening and closing shaft holding section (5) is integrated together in a state of being perpendicular to each other, the rotation shaft holding section (4) being formed in it a tubular shaft hole for supporting a rotation shaft section (3), and the opening and closing shaft holding section (5) being formed in it a tubular shaft hole for supporting an opening and closing shaft section (2), and the hinge housing (1) is substantially L-shaped as a whole.

Abstract: A toner including a binder resin; and a colorant, wherein a hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)-soluble component satisfies the following relationship: 2,000 ?Mn ?7,000 and 1.5 ?Mn/Mw ?10 wherein Mn represents a number-average molecular weight and Mw represents a weight-average molecular weight.

Abstract: An external additive for a toner for electrophotography which contains oxide fine particles which contain silicon, in which the oxide fine particles have a primary particle diameter of 30 nm to 300 nm in number average, a standard deviation ? of a particle size distribution of the primary particle diameter satisfies a relation of: R/4???R, in which the R expresses the primary particle diameter, the oxide fine particles are substantially spherical having a circularity SF1 defined as equation (1) of 100 to 130 and a circularity SF2 defined as equation (2) of 100 to 125; SF1=(L2/A)×(?/4)×100??equation (1) SF2=(P2/A)×(1/4?)×100??equation (2), in the equations, “L” expresses the absolute maximum length of the oxide fine particles; “A” expresses a projected area of the oxide fine particles; and “P” expresses a maximum perimeter of the oxide fine particles.

Abstract: A toner is provided containing a parent particulate material, which contains; a first colorant, a second colorant, and a binder resin, wherein the first colorant contains an organic pigment having a primary particle diameter distribution with a median diameter of from 0.08 to 0.12 ?m, and the second colorant contains an organic pigment having a primary particle diameter distribution with a median diameter of from 0.01 to 0.

Abstract: To provide an image forming method including forming a latent electrostatic image on a latent electrostatic image bearing member, developing the latent electrostatic image using a toner to form a visible image, transferring the visible image to a recording medium, and fixing a transfer image transferred on the recording medium, wherein the toner includes a toner base particle containing at least a binder resin, a colorant and an inorganic fine particle, and a charge control agent; and wherein the condition Xsurf>Xtotal is satisfied (where Xsurf is an average proportion of the inorganic fine particles in a near-surface region of the toner base particle, Xtotal is an average proportion of inorganic fine particles in the whole toner base particle.

Abstract: To provide a toner that can provide long-term removability and high-definition images with reduced image layer thickness and densely-packed toner particles, a developer capable of forming high-quality images using the toner, a toner container for containing the toner, a process cartridge using the toner, an image forming apparatus using the toner, and an image forming method using the toner. The toner of the present invention is a toner having a substantially spherical shape with irregularities on its surface and containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, wherein a surface factor SF-1 that represents the sphericity of toner particles is 105 to 180, a surface factor SF-2 that represents the degree of surface irregularities of the toner particles is correlated with the volume-average diameter of the toner particles, and the toner particles have an inorganic oxide particle-containing layer within 1 ?m from their surfaces.

Abstract: A toner which is negatively charged to develop an electrostatic latent image is provided that contains a colorant; and a binder resin, wherein the toner has an acid value of from 5 to 20 mg KOH/g and an amine value of from 0.5 to 10 mg KOH/g.