Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a cylindrical substrate; and a surface layer located on an outer surface of the cylindrical substrate. At least a substrate central portion in a cylindrical axial direction of the outer surface of the cylindrical substrate is formed as a rough surface, and a surface roughness of a surface-layer central portion in the cylindrical axial direction of an outer surface of the surface layer is larger than that of at least one of two surface-layer end portions in the cylindrical axial direction of the outer surface of the surface layer. An image forming apparatus includes the electrophotographic photoreceptor; and a peripheral member capable of contacting a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.

Abstract: A purge stocker has a plurality of shelf zones each including a plurality of purge shelves each configured to purge inside of a storage container placed thereon with purge gas. The purge stocker includes: a flow-rate adjusting unit configured to adjust the flow rate of purge gas supplied to the purge shelves for each shelf zone; a conveying device configured to convey the storage container; and a control unit configured to control conveyance of the storage container by the conveying device. When the number of scattered empty shelves is equal to or larger than a predetermined shelf count that is the number of the purge shelves included in each shelf zone, the control unit performs shelf-changing control of causing the conveying device to transfer the storage container such that an empty shelf zone in which all of the purge shelves included therein are empty is newly formed.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a cylindrical substrate; and a surface layer located on an outer surface of the cylindrical substrate. At least a substrate central portion in a cylindrical axial direction of the outer surface of the cylindrical substrate is formed as a rough surface, and a surface roughness of a surface-layer central portion in the cylindrical axial direction of an outer surface of the surface layer is larger than that of at least one of two surface-layer end portions in the cylindrical axial direction of the outer surface of the surface layer. An image forming apparatus includes the electrophotographic photoreceptor; and a peripheral member capable of contacting a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a cylindrical substrate; and a surface layer located on an outer surface of the cylindrical substrate. At least a substrate central portion in a cylindrical axial direction of the outer surface of the cylindrical substrate is formed as a rough surface, and a surface roughness of a surface-layer central portion in the cylindrical axial direction of an outer surface of the surface layer is larger than that of at least one of two surface-layer end portions in the cylindrical axial direction of the outer surface of the surface layer. An image forming apparatus includes the electrophotographic photoreceptor; and a peripheral member capable of contacting a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a cylindrical substrate; and a surface layer located on an outer surface of the cylindrical substrate. At least a substrate central portion in a cylindrical axial direction of the outer surface of the cylindrical substrate is formed as a rough surface, and a surface roughness of a surface-layer central portion in the cylindrical axial direction of an outer surface of the surface layer is larger than that of at least one of two surface-layer end portions in the cylindrical axial direction of the outer surface of the surface layer. An image forming apparatus includes the electrophotographic photoreceptor; and a peripheral member capable of contacting a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.

Abstract: A purge stocker has a plurality of shelf zones each including a plurality of purge shelves each configured to purge inside of a storage container placed thereon with purge gas. The purge stocker includes: a flow-rate adjusting unit configured to adjust the flow rate of purge gas supplied to the purge shelves for each shelf zone; a conveying device configured to convey the storage container; and a control unit configured to control conveyance of the storage container by the conveying device. When the number of scattered empty shelves is equal to or larger than a predetermined shelf count that is the number of the purge shelves included in each shelf zone, the control unit performs shelf-changing control of causing the conveying device to transfer the storage container such that an empty shelf zone in which all of the purge shelves included therein are empty is newly formed.

Abstract: An electricity storage device includes: a first battery stack (15) including a plurality of cells that are aligned in a first direction; a second battery stack (11 to 14) including a plurality of cells that are aligned in a second direction different from the first direction, the second battery stack being placed under the first battery stack; and a duct for coolant. The duct is disposed along the first battery stack and is positioned between the first battery stack and the second battery stack.

Abstract: There is provided an electrophotographic photoreceptor whose surface layer does not easily become thin in use of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, so that occurrence of image defects such as image non-uniformity can be avoided. An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a cylindrical substrate; a photosensitive layer formed on the cylindrical substrate, the photosensitive layer including at least a photoconductive layer; and a surface layer formed on the photosensitive layer. The surface layer contains amorphous carbon, and has a ratio of an integrated intensity of D band to an integrated intensity of G band in a Raman spectrum of the surface layer being 0.86 or higher and 1.23 or lower. There is realized an electrophotographic photoreceptor whose surface layer does not easily become thin in use of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, so that occurrence of image defects such as image non-uniformity can be prevented.

Abstract: An electricity storage device includes: a first battery stack (15) including a plurality of cells that are aligned in a first direction; a second battery stack (11 to 14) including a plurality of cells that are aligned in a second direction different from the first direction, the second battery stack being placed under the first battery stack; and a duct for coolant. The duct is disposed along the first battery stack and is positioned between the first battery stack and the second battery stack.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor integrated circuit for generating a frequency division clock signal that approximates a desired clock signal without increasing a size thereof. The semiconductor integrated circuit masks, for each programmable cycle, a clock signal to be supplied to a transmission clock generation unit 100, thereby delaying a counting operation of a clock counter 101, and setting a timing for extending a transmission clock signal so as to cause a transmission rate of an average frequency of the transmission clock signal to approximate a predetermined transmission rate, wherein the transmission clock generation unit 100 divides a frequency of a clock source signal S301 that is a high-speed clock signal.

Abstract: A transfer system includes: a first shelf disposed to block an original transfer path from a transfer position at which the transporting vehicle transfers the transported object to the port and can transfer the transported object with the transporting vehicle; a second shelf which puts the transported object; a displacing device can reciprocate the transported object with respect to the first shelf and the port in a first direction, toward and away from the processing apparatus, and which can reciprocate the transported object at first direction position, which is away in the first direction by the transported object from the first shelf and the port, in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a communicating device which receives a transfer request from the transporting vehicle, which can transmit a transfer permission to the transporting vehicle.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor in which protrusions from the surface of the photoreceptor are partly or completely covered by a resin. The effect of such resin covering is to reduce toner deposition, thereby reducing or eliminating spotting defects in images formed using the electrophotographic photoreceptor. The invention further relates to an image-forming apparatus incorporating such an electrophotographic photoreceptor.

Abstract: A transfer system includes: a first shelf disposed to block an original transfer path from a transfer position at which the transporting vehicle transfers the transported object to the port and can transfer the transported object with the transporting vehicle; a second shelf which puts the transported object; a displacing device can reciprocate the transported object with respect to the first shelf and the port in a first direction, toward and away from the processing apparatus, and which can reciprocate the transported object at first direction position, which is away in the first direction by the transported object from the first shelf and the port, in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a communicating device which receives a transfer request from the transporting vehicle, which can transmit a transfer permission to the transporting vehicle.

Abstract: A transfer system includes: a first shelf blocking an original transfer path from a transfer position at which the transporting vehicle transfers the transported object to the port and which transfers the transported object with the transporting vehicle; a second shelf that puts the transported object; a displacing device which reciprocates the transported object with respect to the first shelf and the port in a first direction, toward and away from the processing apparatus, and reciprocates the transported object at a first direction position, away in the first direction by the transported object from the first shelf and the port, in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a communicating device receiving a first system signal indicating a transfer request from the transporting vehicle, which transmits a second system signal indicating a transfer permission to the transporting vehicle, which transmits the first system signal to the processing apparatus.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor integrated circuit for generating a frequency division clock signal that approximates a desired clock signal without increasing a size thereof. The semiconductor integrated circuit masks, for each programmable cycle, a clock signal to be supplied to a transmission clock generation unit 100, thereby delaying a counting operation of a clock counter 101, and setting a timing for extending a transmission clock signal so as to cause a transmission rate of an average frequency of the transmission clock signal to approximate a predetermined transmission rate, wherein the transmission clock generation unit 100 divides a frequency of a clock source signal S301 that is a high-speed clock signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor in which protrusions from the surface of the photoreceptor are partly or completely covered by a resin. The effect of such resin covering is to reduce toner deposition, thereby reducing or eliminating spotting defects in images formed using the electrophotographic photoreceptor. The invention further relates to an image-forming apparatus incorporating such an electrophotographic photoreceptor.

Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of a vacuum pump when stopping the gas transferring operation thereof, the vacuum pump having a housing in which a pump chamber is formed and a gas transferring body which is rotatably disposed in the pump chamber for transferring gas, the method comprises the steps of reducing rotational speed of the gas transferring body to a first preset speed below a second preset speed that is lower than a normal speed of the gas transferring body during normal gas transferring operation of the vacuum pump, maintaining the speed of the gas transferring body below the second preset speed, and stopping the rotation of the gas transferring body when the temperature of the housing reaches a predetermined temperature which is lower than that of the housing during the normal gas transferring operation of the vacuum pump.

Abstract: This invention relates to a fiber reinforced plastic sheet having a gradient layer structure wherein the number of reinforcing fibers continuously varies. The fiber reinforced plastic sheet of the invention is excellent in smooth appearance, fluidity during molding to an article, fiber filling ability into a complex form portion of an article and mechanical strength and can be produced inexpensively.

Abstract: This invention relates to a fiber reinforced plastic sheet having a gradient layer structure wherein the number of reinforcing fibers continuously varies and a process for producing the same by spreading a mixture of the fibers different in the number of filaments over the traveling zone of a conveyor and then pressing it while it contains a resin. The fiber reinforced plastic sheet of the invention is excellent in smooth appearance, fluidity during molding to an article, fiber filling ability into a complex form portion of an article and mechanical strength and can be produced inexpensively.