Abstract: A grounding assembly includes a shaft bearing connected to an associated shaft. The bearing includes a cylindrical portion and an annular head portion. A structure having a first surface with an aperture defined therein receives the cylindrical portion of the shaft bearing. The annular head portion of the bearing has a shoulder for seating against the first surface of the structure. A grounding member includes an annular portion positioned between the first surface of the structure and the annular head portion of the shaft bearing. The grounding member further includes fingers positioned between the cylindrical portion of the shaft bearing and an inner cylindrical surface of the structure that defines a length of the aperture. At least one of the fingers includes (1) a first bend for allowing the at least one of the fingers to enter the aperture and (2) a second bend for allowing the at least one of the fingers to contact the cylindrical portion of the shaft bearing.

Abstract: An offset printing apparatus having a coated imaging member for use with phase-change inks, has a substrate, an optional intermediate layer, and thereover an outer coating with a mica-type silicate material, and an optional heating member associated with the offset printing apparatus.

Abstract: A digital printing apparatus is capable of a plurality of selectable output speeds, by varying motor speed or pitch configuration. A user using the apparatus at a basic speed can request a temporary increase in speed of his printing apparatus from a vendor who controls aspects of the printing apparatus over a network. The temporary speed increase can be pre-scheduled, such as to occur one day per week. The user can be charged at different per-print rates depending on the selected speed.

Abstract: An encryption key depositing apparatus comprising a unit that generates an encryption key for a user; and a unit that starts a process in response to the generation of the encryption key, the process allowing a depositary deposited with the generated encryption key to store the key in question in a subsequently recoverable manner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, such as a copier or a printer, in which recyclable components to be discarded are recycled in newly producing an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a first image forming section for forming an image of first type, a control board and a first drive circuit. The first drive circuit drives the first image forming section. The first drive circuit is connected to the control board. The control board has a connection section to be connected to a second board on which a second drive circuit for driving a second image forming section is mounted. The second image forming section forms an image of second type.

Abstract: Provided is a cleaning sheet adapted to clean a surface of a heating roll in a fixing device, which causes a recording sheet bearing a toner image formed of a magnetic toner containing a magnetic material to pass through the fixing device under a state in which the recording sheet is in press contact with the surface of the heating roll having arranged thereon a contact component in contact with the surface of the heating roll and heated to a fixing temperature to rotate, to perform fixing of the toner image, including a synthetic resin sheet with a thickness of 100 ?m or more, which is made of a thermoplastic resin with a melting point higher than the fixing temperature and Rockwell hardness of M60 or more or thermosetting resin with Rockwell hardness of M60 or more.

Abstract: A magenta toner for developing electrostatic images provided which contains a binder resin and a colorant, wherein the colorant includes a mixed crystal of two or more colorants and when a solid patch is fixed on art paper complying with the ISO standard by using this toner, a resulting fixed image color satisfies at least one of the following formulae (b*)<0.85 (a*)?67.92; and (b*)>?7.94(a*)+591.85. The color difference ?E between the color of the fixed image and the color characterized by L*: 46.6, a*: 75.1 and b*: ?4.4 is preferably less than 6. The colorant is preferably a mixed crystal of a quinacridone colorant and a monoazo colorant. Moreover, the invention provides a method for producing the magenta toner, a developer containing the magenta toner, and an image-forming method using the magenta toner.

Abstract: A project management system including a record system that records, for each project involving a plurality of users, communication history information containing information determining a communication occurrence time point of a user involved in the project, document history information containing information determining an occurrence time point of operation on a document relating to the project, and access history information containing information determining an occurrence time point of access to the document or a communication message relating to the project as distinguished from each other, a collecting unit that collects a record concerning an attention project from the record system, and an image generating unit that generates an image indicating a record frequency of the communication history information, the document history information, and the access history information in the time-series relationship based on the record collected by the collecting unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing hydroxyl group-containing polymer particles including causing cross-linked polymer particles containing a (meth)acrylate polymer to react in the presence of a metal-containing ester-exchange reaction catalyst with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a compound including at least two hydroxyl groups and a compound including at least one primary amino group and at least one hydroxyl group, the cross-linked polymer particles comprising the (meth)acrylate polymer represented by the following formula (I): wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R2 to R4 may be the same or different from each other, and each independently represents a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group or a substituted or non-substituted aryl group, any one of which has 1 to 12 carbon atoms; and n represents an integer of 1 or more.

Abstract: A printing instruction device which generates a print job of document information as an object to be printed and sends it to a printer device, includes an embossed printing instruction unit that instructs embossed print setting including an object to be embossed-printed; an extraction unit that analyzes the document information to be printed and extracts the object instructed by the embossed printing instruction unit; an embossed print drawing command generation unit that generates, in accordance with the extracted object, an embossed print drawing command needed for embossed printing of the object; and a print job generation unit that generates the print job by adding the embossed print drawing command to a non-embossed print drawing command needed for non-embossed printing of the document information to be printed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toner for electrophotography comprising a binder resin, a coloring agent and a release agent, wherein the toner has a storage modulus G? of 5.0×102 to 1.0×105 Pa at 180° C. and an adhesive force to an aluminum substrate of not more than 50 N/m at 180° C. The invention also provides an image-forming method, which includes charging a surface of an image-bearing body; forming an electrostatic latent image according to image information on the charged surface of the image-bearing body; developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image-bearing body with the toner to provide a toner image; transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the image-bearing body to a surface of a recording medium, and fusing the toner image transferred on the surface of the recording medium.

Abstract: A droplet-jetting device having high jetting ability, which includes an actuator featuring a liquid chamber and a heater and a controller. The liquid chamber has an aperture for jetting droplets of an operation liquid which the liquid chamber accommodates. The heater provides thermal energy to the operation liquid and forms bubbles for droplet-jetting. The controller controls a driving signal, which is inputted to the heater. The driving signal includes a preparatory heating pulse signal, which corresponds to a preparatory heating energy for preparatory heating of the operation liquid, and a trigger pulse signal, which corresponds to a jetting thermal energy for bubble creation and growth. A power supplied by the preparatory heating pulse signal is smaller than a power supplied by the trigger pulse signal, and a heating duration by the preparatory heating pulse signal is longer than a heating duration by the trigger pulse signal.

Abstract: An alignment system includes a first module having a plurality of emitters and a first receiver configuration located on the face of the first module. A second module has a second plurality of emitters and a second receiver configuration located on the face of the second module. First and second trigger signal generators fire the first and second plurality of the emitters. The generated signals are sensed by at least some of the receivers. A converter arrangement obtain and convert the received signals into digital data representative of the readings received by selected receivers. A processing system computes at least one of an absolute six degree offset or a relative six degree offset between the faces. The offset information is then used to achieve a desired alignment between the face of the first module and the face of the second module.

Abstract: A display device composed of: (a) a cathode; (b) an anode; (c) a luminescent region between the cathode and the anode; and an optional region adjacent one of the electrodes, wherein at least one of the cathode, the anode, the luminescent region, and the optional region includes a metal-organic mixed layer composed of: (i) an inorganic metal containing material, (ii) an organic material, and (iii) optionally, at least one component selected from the group consisting of metals, organic materials, and inorganic materials.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying an electrical charge to a charge retentive surface, wherein a bias charge roll member is situated proximately to a surface to be charged such as, a photoreceptor. The bias contact roll member is supplied with an electrical bias including an oscillating voltage signal having, in one mode of operation, a clipped AC input voltage and in a second mode, an unclipped AC input voltage.

Abstract: An ink stick for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer includes an ink stick body that has a bottom surface and a lateral dimension. The ink stick body has a lateral center of gravity, and a guide element formed in the bottom surface of the ink stick body, which guide element is substantially vertically aligned with the lateral center of gravity of the body. The ink stick is used in a solid ink feed system for a phase change ink jet printer. The feed system includes a longitudinal feed channel, and a feed channel guide rail substantially centered in a lower portion of the feed channel. The guide element formed in the bottom surface of the ink stick body slidingly engages the central feed channel guide rail in the feed channel.

Abstract: An image processing system receives image input terminal information and image output terminal information. Based on the content of the image input terminal information and the image output terminal information a new system tone reproduction curve is determined. This device independent methodology allows system tone reproduction curves to be generated as needed, and allows the additional flexibility for changes in the image input terminal or the image output terminal.