Abstract: A portable foldable keyboard comprised of two housings, each of which contains a key assembly, and a central hinge. The two housings can be slid together when the keyboard is unfolded and they interlock to form a sturdy keyboard having the standard QWERTY keyswitch layout.

Abstract: A motor having a stator and a rotor housed in a U-shaped cylindrical case. The cylindrical case has a connector bushing fitted at one end, and an opening at the other. Located on the periphery of the opening is a cylindrical support that projects inside the cylindrical case. A ball bearing is fitted inside the cylindrical support. A shaft is inserted into the opening and one end of the shaft is supported in the bearing. The other end of the shaft is supported in another bearing, which in turn, is mounted in a bearing bushing housed in the cylindrical case. One end of the stator touches a step of the inner circumference of the case, thereby fixing the position of the stator in the axial direction. One end of the inner circumference of the stator is fitted to an outer circumference of the cylindrical support, thereby fixing its position in the radial direction. Two rotor cores are mounted on the shaft. The gap between the stator core and the rotor cores is approximately 40-50 microns.

Abstract: A spindle motor for use in a disk drive having a base frame, a housing cover, a fixed shaft and a rotatable bearing sleeve. The fixed shaft has a larger diameter section and a smaller diameter section with a step formed therebetween. The rotatable bearing sleeve has a central cylindrical opening, the shaft being inserted into the central cylindrical opening. A bearing gap is formed between the fixed shaft and the rotatable bearing sleeve, the bearing gap being filled with lubricating fluid. One end of the fixed shaft is secured to the base frame while another end of the shaft is secured to the housing cover.

Abstract: In order to expose a required exposed line for which an exposing deviation caused by a fixing accuracy of an exposing head is corrected, when exposing images by dynamic lighting control, an image forming apparatus comprises a exposing head 24 having a plurality of arrayed illuminants aligned in the main scanning direction wherein, when an image bearing body moving in the auxiliary direction at a predetermined scanning speed is exposed to form an image by controlling dynamically to light arrayed illuminants according to image data, a detector for a position of a print head 17 detects a deviation from a predetermined standard fixing point generating a deviating position detecting signal. A memory control circuit 14 selects as an exposing data from image data of the k?1 (k is an integer greater than 1) precedent line to image data of the current line based on a correcting value determined in accordance with a deviation denoted by the position-detecting signal.

Abstract: A keyboard assembly having a keyboard membrane and a set of electrical connections. The keyboard membrane includes conductors arranged on the membrane to convey electrical signals generated by depression and/or release of keyboard keys to electrical terminals affixed to the membrane. The electrical connections are made between the membrane terminals and corresponding mutually-opposing terminals of a printed circuit board affixed within the body of the keyboard. The connections are arranged in first and second linear rows. The first row of connections is arranged at a uniform spacing in a direction approximately parallel to a long dimension of the membrane. The connections of the second row are arranged at a uniform spacing in a direction approximately perpendicular to the long dimension. An inter-terminal pitch among the connections of the first row is substantially greater than a inter-terminal pitch among the connections of the second row.

Abstract: To avoid developing ghost and selective developing without complicating a developing apparatus and to supply surly charged toner to a developing roll while unevenness of images is not generated to obtain stable images for a long time even when continuous printing, a method for developing in a hybrid developing apparatus is provided, which is characterized in that a data amount of each image, which an image forming apparatus prints and a number of paper sheets passed are detected and that an interval of the action of recovering and exchanging a toner layer on the developing roll to the magnetic roll after printing between paper sheets is variably set in accordance with a printing coefficient determined by the data amount and the number of paper sheets passed and further, a method for developing in a color tandem-type image forming apparatus provided with a plurality of the hybrid developing apparatuses for all different colors of toner, which are disposed along the moving direction of a transfer medium of imag

Abstract: An impact printing apparatus is also disclosed with printing pin actuation timing correction dependent upon scanning speed or platen shape, striking duration timing dependent upon scanning rate, or printing pin actuation timing dependent upon stored shift amounts.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic thrust bearing, particularly forming a part of a bearing system for a rotary bearing of spindle motors utilized to power hard disk drives. The thrust bearing includes at least one annular thrust plate and a counter bearing corresponding to the thrust plate, wherein the thrust plate is firmly connected to a shaft rotatably supported by means of a radial bearing system. The thrust plate is arranged on the shaft which has an axial bore in the area where the thrust plate is to be positioned. A fixing element affixing the thrust plate to the shaft is pressed into the axial bore of the shaft. The outer diameter of the fixing element is greater than the inner diameter of the axial bore. This type of press connection between the thrust plate and the shaft allows thinner thrust plates to be utilized with the performance of the thrust bearing remaining the same or improving.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic bearing system for use in a spindle motor, especially for the actuation of hard disk drives, wherein the bearing arrangement features a shaft and a sleeve which, supported by a lubricant circulating between their bearing surfaces, are rotatable relative to one another. A reservoir for the lubricant is formed by a recess provided in the shaft and the inner surface of the sleeve. The reservoir is provided in the area of the face of at least one opening in the sleeve. To enable the fill level of the lubricant in the reservoir to be checked, the recess is provided with tapering transitional areas contours of which form an acute angle with the cutting plane of the shaft.

Abstract: A stepping motor has a cylindrical case that houses a motor stator and a sensor stator. The motor stator and the sensor stator are located at the opposing ends of the case. A motor rotor and a sensor rotor are mounted on a shaft and face the motor stator and the sensor stator, respectively. The sensor rotor and the sensor stator together form a rotational position sensor. The incorporation of the rotational position sensor in the case reduces demand for installation space. The gap of approximately 40 to 50 microns between a motor stator core and motor rotor cores is achieved by accurately locating the motor stator and the motor rotor. The case is sealed by the front flange and the rear cover, thereby, unfailingly preventing the invasion of contaminating foreign matter such as dust particles, oil, moisture etc.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for image forming includes a hybrid developing apparatus that supplies surly charged toner to a developing roll. The apparatus includes a developing roll that is electrically conductive at least on its surface. The image forming apparatus and the method have a constitution capable of applying an alternating current bias having a duty ratio in the range of 10 to 50% and a direct current bias superposed thereon. The developing roll is directly confronted with a latent image bearing body through an insulative toner thin layer at the nearest region of the developing roll and the latent image bearing body. An independent bias is applied to each of the developing roll and the magnetic roll, and the toner is refreshed by the varying duty ratio of the alternate current bias and the direct current bias after developing.

Abstract: A fluid dynamic bearing assembly including a shaft and a bearing sleeve. A bearing gap is formed between the shaft and the bearing sleeve and is filled with a lubricating fluid. A reservoir containing the excess of the lubricating fluid is formed at one end of the bearing sleeve. The reservoir is not located in close proximity to the shaft. A fluid trapping recess is formed in the shaft, the fluid trap being configured to prevent migration of the lubricating fluid along the shaft into the environment.

Abstract: There is disclosed a reduced-scale digital data deinterleaver of simple structure. In a preferred embodiment each word is comprised of 32 bits of data, and 32 words form a block. In each block, each word is separated into four phases cyclically. The resulting bit lines and word lines are interchanged to produce interleaved data items. One block of the interleaved data items is written into a RAM. A higher significant address of 5 bits and a lower significant address of 5 bits of the RAM are specified by the higher significant 5 bits and the lower significant 5 bits, respectively, of the output from a counter. Whenever a block of data is written to the RAM the higher significant 5 bits and the lower significant 5 bits are interchanged to produce first and second count signals. Data is read from the specified address, 1 bit at a time and data is written, 1 bit at a time, into the address just from which data was read out.

Abstract: The retainer of the present invention is made of a composite material having a body made from a polymer, a layer of solid lubricant formed over the body by chemically coating the body with a porous layer of solid lubricant and impregnating the solid lubricant with another lubricant using conventional methods such as vacuum impregnation. The retainer is placed between an outer raceway and an inner raceway to form a self-lubricating bearing. The bearing made in this manner has high lubrication tolerance (i.e. it performs well in the absence of external lubrication). Because of its high lubrication tolerance, the bearing is suitable for use in various applications such as dental/medical hand pieces that are periodically sterilized and other applications which occasionally experience periods of lubrication starvation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a keyboard switch structure that allows the height of a keyboard switch to be sufficiently minimized so as to be suitable for notebook personal computers or other portable devices. The present invention also provides a keyboard switch assembly that allows the keytop attached to the keyboard switch to be removed and replaced in a simple manner without destroying or damaging the keyboard switch. The keyboard switch is configured in a pantograph structure having cross arms that intersect each other to form an X-like structure. The upper portion of the pantograph structure is movably attached to a coupling plate on the underside of the keytop and the lower portion of the structure is movably attached to a base plate so as provide the keytop with movement in the vertical direction. The keyboard switch has two frame members that each have two cross arms that are parallel and fixed relative to each other.

Abstract: A key switch stabilizer mechanism having a first approximately C-shaped stabilizer wire which is connected to both a key top and a base plate, and is further supported so as to be able to turn with respect to the key top; and a second stabilizer wire having a flat portion connected to the base plate, a bent portion, and another flat portion connected to the key top. Therefore, touching even very lightly any part of the key top surface, in particular the top end peripheral edge, allows a pushing pressure to be imparted to the first and second wires arrayed within the key top, by means of which a membrane push mechanism operates. When pressure on the key top is released, the first and second stabilizer wires follow the reaction force from the membrane switch push mechanism and rise, such that the membrane switch can be operated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved ergonomic handle that comprises an elongated member having a distal end, a proximal end, a first portion adjacent to the distal end, a second portion adjacent to the proximal end, and a middle portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion defining a grip. A hand supported implement is attached to the distal end of the elongated member, and the second portion is aligned along an axis and comprises a forearm support member. The middle portion forms an angle of substantially at least ninety degrees to the axis, and a barrier is formed at a junction between the first portion and the middle portion for inhibiting the handle from slipping out of a hand. A user grips the middle portion of the elongated member with his or her hand and places his or her forearm on the forearm support member.

Abstract: A shaped plastic magnet comprising a shaped body obtained by molding a mixture of an SmFeN magnetic powder with a resin binder into a desired shape, where the surface of the shaped body is subjected to a coating treatment using a phosphate. Preferably, the coating treatment is performed by using a paint containing a phosphate. The shaped plastic magnet may be used as a rotor to be incorporated in motors. The product is highly resistant against corrosion, and provides extended life to motor rotors and the like.