Abstract: A flexible gear coupling includes two external gears and two internal gears meshing with the respective two external gears. A tooth root crowning radius of each external gear is smaller than a tooth tip crowning radius of the external gear. The external gear is formed such that a reference tooth height that is a tooth height at a tooth width direction middle position is smaller than an end tooth height that is a tooth height at a tooth width direction end position. A ratio of the end tooth height to the reference tooth height is set to 1.21 or more, and/or a ratio Rc/Rb of the tooth root crowning radius to the tooth tip crowning radius is set to 0.37 or less.

Abstract: A flexible gear coupling includes two external gears and two internal gears meshing with the respective two external gears. A tooth root crowning radius of each external gear is smaller than a tooth tip crowning radius of the external gear. The external gear is formed such that a reference tooth height that is a tooth height at a tooth width direction middle position is smaller than an end tooth height that is a tooth height at a tooth width direction end position. A ratio of the end tooth height to the reference tooth height is set to 1.21 or more, and/or a ratio Rc/Rb of the tooth root crowning radius to the tooth tip crowning radius is set to 0.37 or less.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to monitor the load of a bus with high accuracy. A bus load monitoring device includes a determination circuit that determines whether the bus load monitoring device is in a bus-off state or a normal state, a first monitoring circuit that monitors the load of a bus when the bus load monitoring device is in the normal state, a second monitoring circuit that monitors the load of the bus when the bus load monitoring device is in the bus-off state, and a switching circuit that switches a monitoring circuit monitoring the load of the bus to the first monitoring circuit or the second monitoring circuit on the basis of the determination result of the determination circuit.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to monitor the load of a bus with high accuracy. A bus load monitoring device includes a determination circuit that determines whether the bus load monitoring device is in a bus-off state or a normal state, a first monitoring circuit that monitors the load of a bus when the bus load monitoring device is in the normal state, a second monitoring circuit that monitors the load of the bus when the bus load monitoring device is in the bus-off state, and a switching circuit that switches a monitoring circuit monitoring the load of the bus to the first monitoring circuit or the second monitoring circuit on the basis of the determination result of the determination circuit.

Abstract: A data processor (1) includes a plurality of oscillation circuits (13 and 24) that individually generate a first clock signal (HCK) and a second clock signal (LCK) with a lower frequency, in which a CPU (10) performs data processing in synchronization with the oscillation output of an oscillation circuit selected by a clock switching circuit (22). In a state where the low power consumption mode is set, the data processor stops the first clock signal and maintains the oscillation of the second clock signal, selects whether or not to initiate the oscillation of the first clock signal in response to the trigger to cancel the low power consumption mode, and initiates the oscillation of the first clock signal without the CPU interrupt process which is enabled by the cancellation of the low power consumption mode.

Abstract: An ink-jet image forming method forms an image by forming dots using a fast-drying ink and a slow-drying ink, in which, when forming an image, an ambient temperature of an area where the image is formed is detected, and dot density of a predetermined area of the image is recognized based on image data. A process used to form dots is selected based on the detected ambient temperature and the recognized dot density. Under the condition where the inks are easily dried, the slow-drying ink is used to form dots, and under the condition where it is difficult to dry the inks, the slow-drying ink is used suitably with the fast-drying ink to form dots. As a result, the inks can be dried efficiently while suppressing deterioration of image quality.

Abstract: An ink-jet image forming method forms an image by forming dots using a fast-drying ink and a slow-drying ink, in which, when forming an image, an ambient temperature of an area where the image is formed is detected, and dot density of a predetermined area of the image is recognized based on image data. A process used to form dots is selected based on the detected ambient temperature and the recognized dot density. Under the condition where the inks are easily dried, the slow-drying ink is used to form dots, and under the condition where it is difficult to dry the inks, the slow-drying ink is used suitably with the fast-drying ink to form dots. As a result, the inks can be dried efficiently while suppressing deterioration of image quality.

Abstract: An ink-jet image forming method forms an image by forming dots using a fast-drying ink and a slow-drying ink, in which, when forming an image, an ambient temperature of an area where the image is formed is detected, and dot density of a predetermined area of the image is recognized based on image data. A process used to form dots is selected based on the detected ambient temperature and the recognized dot density. Under the condition where the inks are easily dried, the slow-drying ink is used to form dots, and under the condition where it is difficult to dry the inks, the slow-drying ink is used suitably with the fast-drying ink to form dots. As a result, the inks can be dried efficiently while suppressing deterioration of image quality.

Abstract: An ink-jet head for ejecting ink droplets from a nozzle by the pressure caused by bubbles, includes: a pressure chamber; a multiple number of heating areas for generating bubbles inside the pressure chamber. Heater films arranged in the heating areas are electrically connected in parallel. The thermal conductivity of the insulating film in each heating area is made different from that of the other heating areas so as to produce difference in thermal efficiency between the surfaces facing the pressure chamber so that the heating area closest to the nozzle has the highest thermal efficiency. As a result, heating areas where bubbles should be generated can be selected by varying the applied energy level, whereby it is possible to perform multilevel control of the ejected amount of ink droplets.

Abstract: A heater portion including a heating element is arranged between two substrates with a void and a cavity interposed therebetween. When the heater portion is heated by voltage application to the heating element and reaches the bubbling temperature, the ink filling the cavity gives off bubbles so that ink droplets are ejected from the nozzle. The heater portion elastically buckles projected downwards due to thermal stress when the heater portion reaches the buckling temperature. When heater portion reaches the heating temperature, the mid part of the heater portion comes into contact with the top surface of the substrate so as to release heat from the heater portion through the substrate. At this moment, the heater is cooled down rapidly when the voltage application to the heater is stopped.

Abstract: An ink-jet image forming method forms an image by forming dots using a fast-drying ink and a slow-drying ink, in which, when forming an image, an ambient temperature of an area where the image is formed is detected, and dot density of a predetermined area of the image is recognized based on image data. A process used to form dots is selected based on the detected ambient temperature and the recognized dot density. Under the condition where the inks are easily dried, the slow-drying ink is used to form dots, and under the condition where it is difficult to dry the inks, the slow-drying ink is used suitably with the fast-drying ink to form dots. As a result, the inks can be dried efficiently while suppressing deterioration of image quality.

Abstract: A deformable mirror includes a first base plate having a first reference surface, a transparent second base plate having a second reference surface opposed to the first reference surface, a flexible member disposed between the first base plate and the second base plate and having a reflective surface on a surface thereof, the flexible member being adapted to be fitted on the first reference surface or on the second reference surface, and a driver for fitting the flexible member on the first reference surface or on the second reference surface, wherein the flexible member is held between the first base plate and the second base plate, and the light rays to be reflected by the reflective surface are imparted with the first degree of spherical aberration or with the second degree of spherical aberration by fitting the flexible member on the first reference surface or on the second reference surface by the driver.

Abstract: An ink-jet head is provided with a container having an ink-discharge opening in its wall section; a structural element that has peripheral edges at least both ends in one direction of which are secured to the wall faces inside the container, that divides the inside of the container in a fluid-separated state, and that is allowed to be distorted; and a voltage-applying unit for applying a voltage to the structural element. The structural element is constituted of a piezoelectric material, and the shape of the structural element is changed in response to the voltage applied by the voltage-applying unit so that ink is allowed to discharge from the ink-discharge opening. Therefore, the above-mentioned arrangement makes it possible to provide a greater ink-discharging force and ink-discharging speed, while maintaining a small size of the head. Moreover, it is possible to provide an ink-jet head having a good discharging efficiency with long service life.

Abstract: A recording device having a highly integrated recording head, which can perform high-quality high-speed printing of halftone image and which is compact and inexpensive to manufacture and can work at reduced running cost (with no need of replacing its recording head due to contamination with ink) and at saved power consumption. The recording device comprises an ink feeding unit for applying ultraviolet curing ink to an image transfer intermediate, an ultraviolet ink-curing head for selectively ultraviolet curing ink applied to the image transfer intermediate according to an image pattern, a platen for pressing a recording medium against the image transfer intermediate to transfer not-cured ink from the image transfer intermediate onto the recording medium, ultraviolet thermal ink-curing unit for fixing the ink on the recording medium and an ink removing unit for removing residual ink from the image transfer intermediate.

Abstract: A pair of opposite end portions of a buckling exothermic body as an exothermic resistor are fixed onto a substrate via insulating members. The buckling exothermic body heats with resistance thereof by applying a voltage from a power source to the buckling exothermic body via a switch. As inner temperature of the exothermic resistor reaches a predetermined temperature or higher required for the exothermic resistor to buckle, and a compressive force exceeds a buckling load, the exothermic resistor buckles and distorts towards thermosensible paper from a non-shifted state in which there is virtually no thermal stress. As the buckled and distorted exothermic resistor comes into contact with the thermosensible paper, recording, such as printing, is performed only at the contact portion. This reduces thermal mutual interference between neighboring buckling exothermic bodies. As a result, recording of high resolution and high print quality is performed.

Abstract: A deformable mirror including: a flexible member including a reflective surface for reflecting light incident thereupon; and a reference surface substrate including a support portion for supporting a peripheral portion of the flexible member, and a curved portion provided inside the support portion, the curved portion providing a space for allowing for the flexible member to be elastically deformed. A height of a central portion of the curved portion of the reference surface substrate is set to be equal to or less than a height of the support portion of the reference surface substrate. The flexible member is elastically deformed by being drawn toward the curved portion of the reference surface substrate, thereby giving a predetermined aberration to light incident upon the reflective surface of the flexible member.

Abstract: Spacer particles are supplied and allocated onto a particle distributing jig plate having numerous spacer particle positioning depressed portions for receiving the spacer particles in a one-to-one correspondence. Then the particle distributing jig plate is made to face, and be registered with, the liquid crystal display element substrate, so that the spacer particles allocated to the depressed portions are transferred to the substrate of a liquid crystal display element.

Abstract: An ink jet head, having a long life, capable of discharging ink with a strong force and at a high speed is provided at a small size. A container comprises a casing and a nozzle plate covering the upper surface of the casing and an ink discharge opening. A buckling structure is fixed at its longitudinal ends to the bottom surface of the container via an installing member, and its center portion can be deformed upward by buckling. A diaphragm is positioned above the buckling structure with a space therebetween and placed on an inner wall of the casing with its periphery fixed thereto so as to liquid-tightly partition the inside of the container into a space and an ink chamber. A connection member connects the diaphragm and the buckling structure at their center. Electrodes are provided at both ends of the buckling structure to generate thermal stress therein by supplying electric current for buckling and consequently to apply pressure to ink in the ink chamber for discharging.

Abstract: Method of forming a complex, minute three-dimensional structure, known as micromachining, which includes forming a plurality of thin films at least one of which is provided as a temporary layer composed of a lower layer made of an organic material and an upper layer made of an amphoteric metal material which is formed on the lower layer; and selectively removing the temporary layer to provide a three-dimensional structure. The temporary layer may comprise a composite sacrificial layer of photoresist and aluminum.

Abstract: An ink jet printer performs a control of a supply of electric power for each heating element based on a temperature dependency of a resistance value by monitoring its resistance value while ink is being discharged. Accordingly, the ink jet printer permits a damage of the heating element and a discharge inferior caused by a difference in characteristics in heating elements, ambient temperature, etc., to be suppressed. Additionally, as the temperature of the heating element is not detected directly, the ink jet printer permits high speed control of the electric value, thereby permitting high speed printing.