Abstract: In order to improve the performance of a semiconductor device, a p type impurity is ion implanted into an area of an n type semiconductor film that is epitaxially grown over a p type semiconductor substrate, and the p type impurity is not ion implanted into an area of the n type semiconductor film, which is adjacent to the area in which the p type impurity is ion implanted. In this way, a p? type drift layer comprised of the area in which the p type impurity is introduced, as well as an n? type semiconductor region comprised of the area in which the p type impurity is not introduced are formed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device SD includes a substrate SUB, a plurality of gate electrodes GE, a gate pad GEP, and gate interconnects GINC. The plurality of gate electrodes GE are formed in the substrate SUB, and extend electrically in parallel to each other. The gate pad GEP is formed in a region different from that in which the plurality of gate electrodes GE are formed in the substrate SUB. Each of a plurality of gate interconnects GINC connects the plurality of gate electrodes GE to the gate pad GEP.

Abstract: Provided is a glass sheet forming method, including: causing molten glass (MG), which overflows to both sides from a supply channel (2) formed along a top of a forming trough (1), to flow downward along wedge-shaped inclined surface portions (3b) of the forming trough (1) while expansion in a width direction of the molten glass (MG) is restricted with a pair of guides (4); and fusing streams of the molten glass (MG) integrally to each other at a lower end portion (5) of the forming trough (1), to thereby form a glass sheet. A value of a ratio (H/T) is set to fall within a range of from 0.8 to 1.5, where H represents a projection dimension of each of the pair of guides (4) with respect to each of the wedge-shaped inclined surface portions (3b) and T represents a thickness of the molten glass (MG) to flow downward between the pair of guides (4).

Abstract: Disclosed is a corona charging apparatus for electrically charging a surface of an image bearing member to which the corona charging apparatus faces and which is rotatably provided in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the corona charging apparatus including: a discharging electrode; a shield case that covers the discharging electrode, the shield case being opened at least in a region where the discharging electrode and the image bearing member face each other; and a sheet-like member being made from aluminum and being attached to a first surface of the shield case which first surface faces the discharging electrode.

Abstract: A charging device is provided. A charging device includes a charging section and a discharge product adsorption removal section. The charging section includes a shield case having a shield opening, a discharge electrode, and a rotation shaft which is parallel to a rotation axis of a photoreceptor. The discharge product adsorption removal section has an adsorption layer that adsorbs a discharge product and is disposed downward in a vertical direction of the photoreceptor. The charging section is displaceable about an axial line of the rotation shaft from a position where the shield opening opposes to the photoreceptor to a position where the shield opening opposes to the discharge product adsorption removal section.

Abstract: To a toner used in an image forming apparatus is added an external additive whose main components are oxide fine particles in which dimethylsilyl groups are introduced to surfaces thereof, and whose volatilizing amount of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane in a first volatilizing test is 0.2 ?g or less. Consequently, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from attaching to a discharging electrode included in the image forming apparatus. The first volatilizing test is performed in such a manner that 2 g of the external additive is put in a sealing container and the inside of the sealing container is kept at 120° C. for 10 minutes so that octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane volatilizes from the external additive.

Abstract: Disclosed is a corona charging apparatus for electrically charging a surface of an image bearing member to which the corona charging apparatus faces and which is rotatably provided in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the corona charging apparatus including: a discharging electrode; a shield case that covers the discharging electrode, the shield case being opened at least in a region where the discharging electrode and the image bearing member face each other; and a sheet-like member being made from aluminum and being attached to a first surface of the shield case which first surface faces the discharging electrode.

Abstract: In a toner supply container, an air blowing mechanism includes an air blowing fan, an air blowing tube, and an air inlet coupling member. The air inlet coupling member is in close contact with a side wall of the toner container around an air inlet, and includes a skirt made of elastic silicone rubber that covers a joint part of the air blowing tube and the air inlet. An exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust outlet coupling member, an exhaust tube, and an air cleaning filter. The exhaust outlet coupling member is in close contact with an upper wall of the toner container around an exhaust outlet, and includes a skirt made of elastic silicone rubber that covers a joint part of the exhaust tube and the air outlet.

Abstract: A charging device is provided. A charging device includes a charging section and a discharge product adsorption removal section. The charging section includes a shield case having a shield opening, a discharge electrode, and a rotation shaft which is parallel to a rotation axis of a photoreceptor. The discharge product adsorption removal section has an adsorption layer that adsorbs a discharge product and is disposed downward in a vertical direction of the photoreceptor. The charging section is displaceable about an axial line of the rotation shaft from a position where the shield opening opposes to the photoreceptor to a position where the shield opening opposes to the discharge product adsorption removal section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image forming section for forming an image, the image forming section including a photoconductor, a charging unit, a developing unit, a toner supply unit which supplies a toner to said developing unit, and a developing bias power supply section which supplies a developing bias voltage to said developing unit; and a controller that activates said image forming section, determines a target value of a charging potential of said photoconductor and/or a developing bias voltage, for forming the image, and controls the charging unit and/or the developing bias power supply section in accordance with a determined result, wherein when an absolute value of the determined target value of the charging potential or an absolute value of the determined developing bias voltage is larger than a prescribed value, said controller controls replacement of a prescribed amount of a toner in the developing unit.

Abstract: A charging apparatus having a corona electrode is provided which exhibits high durability against ozone and moisture in the air, which can charge a surface of a photoreceptor drum stably throughout the life of an image forming apparatus, and which can be manufactured at a low cost. In a charging apparatus including corona electrode having a flat plate section and a pointed projection section, a support member, a shield case, and a grid electrode, a coating layer including a material different from the material of the corona electrode is formed at least on part of the surface of pointed projections constituting the pointed projection section.

Abstract: A glass sheet defect detection device includes a light source and a light reception device which are placed at opposed positions so as to sandwich a glass sheet. The glass sheet has light-transparent surfaces opposed to each other in a thickness direction. The glass sheet is placed between the light source and the light reception device so that the light-transparent surfaces are inclined with respect to a light axis of an optical system of the glass sheet defect detection device at a predetermined angle. Moreover, the light reception device and the glass sheet are placed in such a positional, relationship that a focal length of a lens system of the light reception device is smaller than a distance from a light reception element of the light reception device and the glass sheet.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus according to the present invention carries out intake and exhaust so as to generate air flow between a photoconductor drum and a charger in a long side direction of the charger. As a result, it is possible to always exhaust O3, NOx, and the like caused by corona discharge. Therefore, it is possible to always form a high-quality image without deterioration of images caused by charge unevenness.

Abstract: In a toner supply container, an air blowing mechanism includes an air blowing fan, an air blowing tube, and an air inlet coupling member. The air inlet coupling member is in close contact with a side wall of the toner container around an air inlet, and includes a skirt made of elastic silicone rubber that covers a joint part of the air blowing tube and the air inlet. An exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust outlet coupling member, an exhaust tube, and an air cleaning filter. The exhaust outlet coupling member is in close contact with an upper wall of the toner container around an exhaust outlet, and includes a skirt made of elastic silicone rubber that covers a joint part of the exhaust tube and the air outlet.

Abstract: In an optical discharge apparatus used in an electrographic image forming apparatus, by forming, on a light guiding member, a diffusing reflecting face for reflecting light from an LED lamp towards a photosensitive drum, and by supplementing the amount of light by altering the height of the diffusing reflecting face to the light emitting face and the width of the diffusing reflecting face in accordance with their distance from the light source, the light intensity distribution of the irradiating light that is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum is made uniform. An optical discharge apparatus may include a light guiding member arranged facing a photoreceptor; and a light source, a diffusing reflecting face for reflecting the light from the light source toward the photoreceptor is formed on the light guiding member, and a reflecting member is arranged on an upper face in the vicinity of an end portion of the light guiding member.

Abstract: To a toner used in an image forming apparatus is added an external additive whose main components are oxide fine particles in which dimethylsilyl groups are introduced to surfaces thereof, and whose volatilizing amount of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane in a first volatilizing test is 0.2 ?g or less. Consequently, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from attaching to a discharging electrode included in the image forming apparatus. The first volatilizing test is performed in such a manner that 2 g of the external additive is put in a sealing container and the inside of the sealing container is kept at 120° C. for 10 minutes so that octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane volatilizes from the external additive.

Abstract: To provide a toner and an image forming apparatus using the toner, the toner contains an external additive that can suppress adherence of impurities to a discharge electrode of a corona discharger and prevent occurrence of charging unevenness. The external toner additive is comprised of a particulate metal oxide with trimethylsilyl groups introduced on the surface thereof, the volatile amount of trimethylsilanol being specified to be 0.25 ?g or below based on a method for quantitative analysis of trimethylsilanol in the external additive. The toner of the present invention is specified such that the volatile amount of trimethylsilanol is specified to be 0.02 ?g or below based on a method for quantitative analysis of trimethylsilanol in the toner.

Abstract: The commodity selling intermediation apparatus includes a main control unit that causes a customer to input order information related to a plurality of commodities, compares totals of the prices of the plurality of ordered commodities in the shops with each other with reference to a shop commodity information database to show the customer the totals, causes the customer to select one of the shops as a selling agent, and places an order to the shop selected by the customer through a network on the basis of order contents of the commodities.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image forming section for forming an image, the image forming section including a photoconductor, a charging unit, a developing unit, a toner supply unit which supplies a toner to said developing unit, and a developing bias power supply section which supplies a developing bias voltage to said developing unit; and a controller that activates said image forming section, determines a target value of a charging potential of said photoconductor and/or a developing bias voltage, for forming the image, and controls the charging unit and/or the developing bias power supply section in accordance with a determined result, wherein when an absolute value of the determined target value of the charging potential or an absolute value of the determined developing bias voltage is larger than a prescribed value, said controller controls replacement of a prescribed amount of a toner in the developing unit.

Abstract: A charging apparatus having a corona electrode is provided which exhibits high durability against ozone and moisture in the air, which can charge a surface of a photoreceptor drum stably throughout the life of an image forming apparatus, and which can be manufactured at a low cost. In a charging apparatus including corona electrode having a flat plate section and a pointed projection section, a support member, a shield case, and a grid electrode, a coating layer including a material different from the material of the corona electrode is formed at least on part of the surface of pointed projections constituting the pointed projection section.