Abstract: A predetermined sheet retaining plane C for absorbing a record sheet is provided in the circumferential surface of a sheet carrier, and a low-reflectivity area which is to be partially covered with the record sheet is provided at a leading portion of the sheet retaining plane C. Reflection photosensors for detecting the reflectivity of the sheet carrier including the low-reflectivity area are disposed around the sheet carrier. Whether a record sheet is held in the sheet retaining plane C is judged on the basis of detection signals of the photosensors.

Abstract: An oriented conductive thin film useful as a thin film electrode or a thin film resistor is disclosed, comprising an epitaxial or oriented ABO.sub.3 type oxide (e.g., BaPbO.sub.3) conductive thin film which is obtained by coating a single crystal oxide substrate or a single crystal semiconductor substrate with a solution of a metal oxide precursor comprising an organometallic compound, thermally decomposing the coating layer, followed by annealing. An epitaxial or oriented ABO.sub.3 type ferroelectric thin film may further be provided on the conductive thin film.

Abstract: An optical element comprising (i) a matrix having an Si--O covalent bond unit, wherein at least part of the silicon atoms of said Si--O covalent bond unit is covalently bonded to an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing not more than 4 carbon atoms, and (ii) at least one functional material selected from the group consisting of an organic material showing a nonlinear optical effect, a material showing a refractive index-regulating action, and an organic dye for laser oscillation, said functional material being present within said matrix. A functional group is stably held in the matrix and fully manifests its function in the matrix.

Abstract: A document exposure apparatus includes a glass plate on which a document original is located, a press cover for covering the glass plate, an open/close discriminating unit for discriminating an open state and a close state of the press cover, an exposure unit, disposed under the glass plate, for illuminating the original with light, and a control unit for controlling the illuminating operation of the exposure unit according to an open/close state of the press cover, which is discriminated by the open/close discriminating unit.

Abstract: A facsimile apparatus is disclosed which comprises code input means (20) for inputting codes for dialing, such as 0-9, #, and *, and predetermined codes (for example, "!") other than the codes for dialing, code storage means (21) for storing a train of codes, control means (22) for reading the codes one by one and outputting, when the read code is other than a predetermined code, the code as it is, and waiting, when the code is a predetermined code, outputting of the following signal until a predetermined signal from the apparatus on the other end of the line is received, dial signal transmission means (23) for transmitting signals over the line according to output codes from the control means, and signal monitor means (24) for monitoring received signals from the apparatus on the other end of the line for a predetermined signal. By the apparatus, controlling of various facsimile applications with the use of DTMF signals can be made possible.

Abstract: A method of processing image data to reproduce an image having good half-tone reproduction, sharpness, and details, through pulse modulation of a laser beam. In the method, the laser beam is turned on and off in accordance with the result of comparing an input image signal with a reference signal which has been frequency modulated in accordance with a shape feature of the input image signal. In the case of an image having low input contrast, the tone performance of an image output unit is improved by the mesh dots of the low spatial frequency. In the case of an image having high input contrast, an image having high sharpness and details is reproduced by the mesh dots of the high spatial frequency.

Abstract: An optical element which exhibits a great improvement in durability even after repeated use. The optical element comprising a substrate having thereon (a) a recording layer comprising a liquid crystal polymer composition and (b) a surface protective layer in this order, in which the protective layer comprises a plurality of layers laminated such that the hardness thereof increases from the layer adjacent to the recording layer toward the uppermost layer in order, or the protective layer comprises a plurality of layers laminated such that the glass transition point thereof becomes higher from the layer adjacent to the recording layer toward the uppermost layer in order. Furthermore, the layer adjacent to the recording layer preferably has a pencil hardness of HB or higher and the uppermost layer preferably has a pencil hardness of 3 H or higher.

Abstract: A charging device includes a substantially cylindrical charging electrode formed by rolling a flexible, semiconductive film, an electrode support member inserted in the substantially cylindrical charging electrode to support the charging electrode so as to be in contact with the turning surface of a charge acceptor, and a voltage applying means for applying a charging voltage to the charging electrode. The electrode support member is held with a gap between the electrode support member and the charge acceptor so that the charging electrode can be turned by an electrostatic force acting between the charging electrode and the charge acceptor. When a charging voltage is applied to the charging electrode, the charging electrode is pulled toward the charge acceptor by an electrostatic force acting between the charging electrode and the charge acceptor.

Abstract: A developing-equipment switching apparatus is provided with a rotary retainer 23 for holding a plurality of developing implements 23, a driving motor 24, control means 28 for controlling the rotation of the driving motor 24, a primary drive transmission member 25 which is anchored to the rotary shaft 24a of the driving motor, and a secondary drive transmission member 23b which is anchored to the rotary retainer 23, so that the developing implements 21 are switched from one to another by transmitting the torque of the driving motor 24 to the rotary retainer 23 via the primary drive transmission member 25 and the secondary drive transmission member 23b to rotate the rotary retainer, wherein the control means 28 causes the driving motor 24 to rotate every integral number of times and sets the rotational ratio between the primary drive transmission member 25 and the secondary drive transmission member 23b in such a way that the rotary retainer 23 rotates by a set angle between the adjoining developing implements

Abstract: In a sheet feeding roller unit in which the pickup roller and the sheet feeding roller are integrated into one body, bearing members are respectively arranged at both ends of the sheet feeding roller shaft of the sheet feeding roller. The first bearing member is inserted into the first bearing engaging member arranged in the sheet feeding unit, and the third bearing member is arranged so that it can be moved by the lever member in the axial direction, and the third bearing member is attached to the second bearing engaging member when it is moved in the axial direction. Under the condition that it is pushed by the spring, the sheet feeding roller can be fixed and held with respect to the sheet feeding unit.

Abstract: An organic electronic device comprises a layer containing a charge-transporting polyester comprising a repeating unit comprising at least one of partial structural units represented by the following formulae (I-a) and (I-b) as a partial structure of repeating unit: ##STR1## where the symbols in the above formulae are defined in the specification.

Abstract: In a color image forming apparatus, as the second and subsequent development processes of the simultaneously transfer type, a non-contact type AC field double-element development is employed, and an absolute value of the difference between the maximum bias which provides the maximum toner developing electric field in the direction to the side of the latent image carrier and the average value of the developing bias is set larger than an absolute value of the difference between the minimum bias voltage which provides the minimum toner developing electric field in the direction to the side of the latent image carrier and the average value of the developing bias, while the bias voltage region located between the maximum bias voltage and the average bias voltage is set to a ratio of from 0.25 to 0.45 for one period of the AC voltage, and the frequency of the bias voltage is set from 4 kHz to 10 kHz.

Abstract: In a sheet discharger with a simple structure, the subsequently discharged sheet can be stored under such a condition that this subsequently discharged sheet is overlapped on the rear surface of the previously discharged sheets. The sheet discharger includes a vertical type sheet discharge tray inclined backwardly along an upper direction; an discharge roller apparatus having a front side discharge roller and a rear side discharge roller, which are arranged at a lower end portion of the vertical type sheet discharge tray. The vertical type sheet discharging tray includes a rear surface supporting member for supporting a rear surface of an discharged sheet, a bottom member for supporting a lower end of the discharged sheet, and a front surface supporting member for defining a forward position of the lower end of the discharged sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an opening portion that opens toward a photosensitive body and has a stagnant portion in which discharge products produced by a discharging means stagnate. A partition member is disposed in the vicinity of an opening of the opening portion, the opening opposing a photosensitive body, the partition member preventing discharge products that fall from the stagnant portion from falling directly into contact with the photosensitive body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: an image recording unit including image carriers on which toner images are respectively formed, a paper carrier which conveys paper fed to a paper drawing-in position while drawing therein, and transfer units which transfer respective toner images on the image carriers onto the paper on the paper carrier at predetermined image transfer positions of the image carriers; paper jam detecting means for detecting a paper jam occurring when the paper drawn in by the paper carrier adheres to the surfaces of the image carriers; conveyor rollers disposed in a paper feeding unit which feeds the paper to a paper drawing-in position in the image recording unit at a predetermined timing; an inlet chute including an upper paper guide and a lower paper guide for guiding the paper fed from the conveyor rollers toward the paper drawing-in position; conveyor roller rotation control means which suspend the rotation of the conveyor rollers until the paper stretched between the image recordin

Abstract: An oriented conductive thin film useful as a thin film electrode or a thin film resistor may be made by coating a single crystal substrate with a metal oxide precursor solution containing an organometallic compound, and subjecting the coating layer to thermal decomposition, followed by annealing the coated substrate. The result is an epitaxial or oriented perovskite ABO.sub.3 structure oxide conductive thin film. A further layer of an epitaxial or oriented ABO.sub.3 type ferroelectric thin film can be formed on the conductive thin film.

Abstract: A image formation process comprising the steps of forming an electrostatic latent image on an electrostatic latent image carrier, developing the electrostatic latent image with a developer to provide a toner image, transferring the toner image to a transfer material, and heat-fixing the toner image on the transfer material, wherein the developer comprises a toner for developing electrostatic latent images comprising a binder, a colorant, and 1 to 30% by weight of a lubricant which comprises a modified polyethylene wax which is obtained by homopolymerizing ethylene or copolymerizing ethylene and an .alpha.

Abstract: An inorganic thin film EL device comprises, on an insulating substrate 1, a back electrode 2, an insulating layer 3, a light emission layer 4, an insulating layer 3, and a transparent electrode 5 formed on the substrate 1 in this order. The emission layer comprises lanthanum fluoride and at least one member selected from the group consisting of rare earth element metals and compounds thereof. The rare earth element is, for example, cerium, praseodymium, neodium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and mixture thereof. The compounds maybe those compounds of the rare earth elements and fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and oxygen. The rare earth element is preferably present in the emission layer in an amount of from 5 to 90 wt %.

Abstract: A document data storing section stores document data which incorporates tags that separate the document data into data portions to express its structure. Part of the tags are omissible. A type storing section stores a pattern of the document data structure expressed by the tags. An essential structure searching means identifies a minimum necessary range of the document data in which range omitted tags should be restored, based on a structure retrieving instruction including an object structure. A structure restoring section restores the omitted tags in the minimum necessary range to thereby produce a partial retrieved data. A structure retrieving section retrieves a tag of the object structure from the partial retrieved data.