Abstract: A hinge arrangement may be used for a vehicle seat bottom to facilitate pivoting of the seat bottom to open a storage area below the seat bottom. The hinge arrangement may include at least one hinge having two plates connected by a pivot pin and a support structure separate from the at least one hinge. The support structure may be positioned adjacent to the at least one hinge to stop the hinge pin or pins from being ejected in the presence of an impact force.

Abstract: A hinge arrangement may be used for a vehicle seat bottom to facilitate pivoting of the seat bottom to open a storage area below the seat bottom. The hinge arrangement may include at least one hinge having two plates connected by a pivot pin and a support structure separate from the at least one hinge. The support structure may be positioned adjacent to the at least one hinge to stop the hinge pin or pins from being ejected in the presence of an impact force.

Abstract: A design support system includes memory, a receiving unit, and an associating unit. The memory stores information on design element classification that classifies a design element included in a product, and information on design requirement classification that classifies a design requirement required for the product. The receiving unit receives technical information regarding a design trouble. The associating unit refers to technical information regarding a design trouble, received by the receiving unit, and associates a classification item in the design requirement classification to which the design trouble belongs and a classification item in the design element classification to which a design element causing the design trouble belongs with each other, along with information on a phenomenon indicating a failure status of the design element included in the technical information.

Abstract: A design support system includes memory, a receiving unit, and an associating unit. The memory stores information on design element classification that classifies a design element included in a product, and information on design requirement classification that classifies a design requirement required for the product. The receiving unit receives technical information regarding a design trouble. The associating unit refers to technical information regarding a design trouble, received by the receiving unit, and associates a classification item in the design requirement classification to which the design trouble belongs and a classification item in the design element classification to which a design element causing the design trouble belongs with each other, along with information on a phenomenon indicating a failure status of the design element included in the technical information.

Abstract: A design support system includes a storage unit, an accepting unit, a selecting unit, and an associating unit. The storage unit stores information regarding design element classifications into which design elements constituting a product are classified and design requirement classifications into which design requirements required for the product are classified. The accepting unit accepts technical information regarding a trouble due to design. The selecting unit refers to the technical information regarding the trouble, selects a classification item to which the trouble belongs from among the design requirement classifications, and selects a classification item to which a design element that has caused the trouble belongs from among the design element classifications.

Abstract: A design support system includes a storage unit, an accepting unit, a selecting unit, and an associating unit. The storage unit stores information regarding design element classifications into which design elements constituting a product are classified and design requirement classifications into which design requirements required for the product are classified. The accepting unit accepts technical information regarding a trouble due to design. The selecting unit refers to the technical information regarding the trouble, selects a classification item to which the trouble belongs from among the design requirement classifications, and selects a classification item to which a design element that has caused the trouble belongs from among the design element classifications.

Abstract: The specification discloses an image forming apparatus which forms a visual image on a belt transfer member by at least one of image forming units and transfers the formed visual image onto a recording medium with the aid of the belt transfer member. In the image forming apparatus, the belt transfer member includes an endless belt wound on a plurality of tension rolls. A bending member, which bends the endless belt toward the inside of a tangential line connecting points on the outer circumferences of a couple of tension rolls, and locates the bent endless belt inside the tangential line, is additionally provided outside the endless belt located between at least the couple of adjacent tension rolls. An image forming unit may be additionally provided within an outside bending concave region of the endless belt, which is bent by the bending member and the tension rolls adjacent to the bending member.

Abstract: The specification discloses an image forming apparatus which forms a visual image on a belt transfer member by at least one of image forming units and transfers the formed visual image onto a recording medium with the aid of the belt transfer member. In the image forming apparatus, the belt transfer member includes an endless belt wound on a plurality of tension rolls. A bending member, which bends the endless belt toward the inside of a tangential line connecting points on the outer circumferences of a couple of tension rolls, and locates the bent endless belt inside the tangential line, is additionally provided outside the endless belt located between at least the couple of adjacent tension rolls. An image forming unit may be additionally provided within an outside bending concave region of the endless belt, which is bent by the bending member and the tension rolls adjacent to the bending member.

Abstract: A developing roll includes a tubular sleeve driven for turn, and a magnet roll fixedly supported. An intensively magnetized block, shaped like U in cross section, is buried in the magnet roll at a location thereof where the magnet roll faces the latent electrostatic image bearing member. In this case, one side of the intensively magnetized block having a groove formed therein is directed toward the axis of the magnet roll, while the other side thereof is flush with the outer surface of the magnet roll. A material of the intensively magnetized block is more intensively magnetized, by its nature, than a material of the magnet roll. The intensively magnetized block is magnetized to form a single magnetic pole or a developing magnetic pole.

Abstract: A support structure for supporting an acoustic oscillation transferring device has a cushion forming a part of an automobile's seat and having an open space therein in which a frame of the device is supported, and an unstretchable but flexible band material for securing a frame of the device to a frame of the automobile's seat.

Abstract: A system for removing foreign matter on a photosensitive body or a developer carrying body in an image forming apparatus, in which a foreign matter removing unit 11 is arranged between a discharge lamp 7 and a transfer drum 9, the foreign matter removing unit 11 having a rotatable cylindrical electrode 11a that closely confronts a photosensitive body 2 at a predetermined distance. A high-voltage sinusoidal wave generator 12 whose frequency, dc component potential, and effective potential are variable is connected to the cylindrical electrode 11a. An ac electric field is generated between the cylindrical electrode 11a and the photosensitive body 2 by the high-voltage sinusoidal wave generator 12 and aggregates of toner particles whose size is larger than that of toner particles are resonated by the ac electric field. Application of a very weak dc electric field under this condition causes the aggregates of toner particles to move toward the cylindrical electrode 11a.

Abstract: A developing apparatus for developing a latent image on a surface of a photosensitive body by forming a toner cloud in a developing region through electrode wire, in which movably supporting units for supporting electrode supporting unit movably between operative positions and inoperative positions are provided so that the electrode wire supported by the electrode supporting units can be kept in an operative position near to a surface of a developing roll when the electrode supporting units are in their operative positions and, on the other hand, the electrode wire can be kept in an inoperative position far from the surface of the developing roll when the electrode supporting units are in their inoperative positions. Thereby, foreign matters trapped in the electrode wire or accumulated on the electrode wire can be removed easily.

Abstract: A developer mixture used in an electrophotographic printing machine to develop an electrostatic latent image recorded on the photoconductive member includes weakly magnetically attractable toner particles and strongly magnetically attractable carrier granules adhering triboelectrically to one another. The toner particles and carrier granules are substantially the same size. During development, the toner particles are deposited on the latent image forming a toner powder image. Subsequently, the toner powder image is transferred to a copy sheet and permanently fixed thereto.

Abstract: A magnetic brush developing device for a xerographic copying machine is constructed to prevent toner from being leaked out of the developer housing. A magnetic brush roll is provided opposite to a photosensitive member, and at least one air current blade is provided along the lower outer periphery of the surface of the magnetic brush roll. One end of the air current blade is closely adjacent the surface of the photosensitive member, and the other end of the air current blade projects back toward the interior of the developer housing. An air circulating path is defined between the air current blade and the lower outer wall of the developer housing. This air circulating path is effective to conduct entrained air carrying excess toner back into the developer housing.

Abstract: A development apparatus in which particles stored in a chamber of a housing are deposited on a latent image. Air flow is controlled to prevent leakage of the particles from the chamber of the housing.

Abstract: An improved magnetic brush developing device mounted adjacent to a photosensitive member has a magnet and a cylinder mounted to rotate around the periphery of the magnet. The magnet is stationary during operation of the device, but the magnet is mounted so that its position relative to the photosensitive member can be changed each time a predetermined number of copies has been made. This arrangement solves two problems caused by developer which has deteriorated from use, the problems being (1) poor reproduction of a low contrast image, and (2) staining the background of an image.