Abstract: A baffleless, easily accessible, copy sheet transport apparatus without sheet baffles that enables viewing and accessing jammed sheets without opening any baffles. The transport includes a pulley driven narrow timing belt with biased idler rolls providing normal force on belt driven copy sheets. Unobstructive copy sheet side guides are included to enhance viewing and removal of copy sheets from the copy sheet transport.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for automatically detecting the characteristics of a document object placed on the platen of a digital copier or similar scanning system. The invention accomplishes the detection by processing a digitized image in a highly efficient manner using binary moments, and using the moments characterizes the shape of a boundary about the object. Once determined, the shape of the object may be employed to further process the image to automatically crop, derotate, and register the image at a predefined location in an output image suitable for rendering on a document substrate.

Abstract: An image forming method and an image forming apparatus, wherein a thin film of an electroconductive polymer which holds and releases a dye by means of an electric field enables a construction including a driving circuit, a driving device and an image forming medium to be used for the transfer of an image pattern. The image forming method includes forming a thin film of the electroconductive polymer on an electroconductive substrate, which can take in, hold and release ionic dye molecules in accordance with the change of the state of the electroconductive polymer, that can assume at least two physicochemical states among an oxidized state, a neutral state and a reduced state of the thin film; and bringing the thin film into contact with an image receiving medium. The image receiving medium has suppressed electroconductivity.

Abstract: A system of managing a large number of complex versioned documents. Each document is given a tree structure such as document, chapters, sections and paragraphs. Also, the document is divided into locking units which can be individual nodes, such as one chapter, or subtrees such as one chapter and its three sections. Each locking unit must be checked out by the editing user, at which time it is not available for editing by any other user. Each locking unit contains pointers to the content of its nodes and to a shadow object for each node. The shadow object is allocated in unversioned storage, which does not have to be checked out. The shadow object contains pointers to its corresponding node, to clusters the node belongs to and to the nodes' parent node or nodes. This structure allows a user to reuse parts of a document in another document or include that part in a cluster even when the locking unit containing the part is checked out by another user.

Abstract: An execution control section specifies a function object to next be executed on the basis of icon layout information. When there is a second icon is adjoining or adjacent to the right side or the lower side of a first icon, the execution control section applies an output of the function corresponding to the first icon to the function of the second icon, to trigger the function of the second icon. Icon layout information can be formed by merely juxtaposing icons. The execution control section successively executes the functions of the icons in an order in which the icons are juxtaposed. Also, when an icon is operated, a window management system generates an event. In accordance with the event, an operation environment control portion executes and displays an object corresponding to the icon. A program is composed from function objects corresponding to icons laid out.

Abstract: An adjuster 10 includes a magnet block 20 which is able to turn on and off the magnetic force with a switch 21. A leg 40 is coupled through a bracket 30 to the magnet block 20 with a screw 41. With the attractive surface 22 of the magnet block 20 in close contact with the bottom surface 4a of the base 4 of a copying machine 1, the switch 21 is turned on to magnetically attach the magnet block 10 to the bottom surface 4a of the base 4 of the copying machine 1. A flange 42 is turned to move the leg 40 towards the floor F with the aid of the screw 41 until a pad 43, which is the bottom of the leg 40, is brought into contact with the floor F, thereby to eliminate the vibration of the copying machine. The magnetic force of the magnet block 20 is turned on and off merely by operating the switch 21, so that the adjuster is attached to or removed from the copying machine with ease. When it is required to move the copying machine, the adjuster is removed therefrom.

Abstract: A method of automatically identifying sentence boundaries in a document image without performing character recognition to generate an ASCII representation of the document text. The identification process begins by selecting a connected component from the multiplicity of connected components of a text line. Next, it is determined whether the selected connected component might represent a period based upon its shape. If the selected connected component is dot shaped, then it is determined whether the selected connected component might represent a colon. Finally, if the selected connected component is dot shaped and not part of a colon, the selected connected component is labeled as a sentence boundary.

Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus, wherein a visible image retained on an intermediate transfer belt is collectively transferred to recording material by means of a collective transfer device including a transfer roller and a back-up roller. The recording material that has passed through a transfer nipping region is guided by means of a recording material guide member. In such an image forming apparatus, the intermediate transfer belt is set at an angle of 50.degree. or less relative to the reference line passing through the exit of the transfer nipping region between the transfer roller and the back-up roller among normals orthogonal to a line passing through the center shafts of the transfer roller and the back-up roller, in the area downstream from the transfer nipping region, and the recording material guide member is provided downward at an angle of 5.degree. to 20.degree. relative to the reference line L.

Abstract: A database management system is provided to reduce the process time required for data sharing between the server process and the client process. When the client process sends the data reading command to the server process, the server process reads the page specified by the command from the database file, writes the page in the sharing memory device that includes the mapped file and the page buffer and sends the offset that specifies the page within the region in the mapped file to the client process. The client process maps the logic address of the access space in its process to the region specified by the offset to enable accessing of the page written in the page buffer.

Abstract: A packaging system (10) in which a lid portion (30) is secured to a base portion (20) by means of adhesive along two opposite sidewalls (24, 25). The system (10) includes a tear strip opening device (40) which provides access to the contents thereof. Structure (60, 66) is provided in each of the opposite sidewalls (24, 25) above the position of the opening device (40) which allows the lid portion (30) to be pressed onto the base portion (20) without detaching the lid portion (30) and base portion (20), the structure (66) in sidewall (25) also forms a hinge about which the lid portion (30) can be rotated once the opening device (40) has been operated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mono-component developer comprising toner particles containing a binding resin, a colorant and an additive and a method of forming images by use thereof. In the present invention said additive is preferably a titanium compound prepared by through the reaction between TiO(OH).sub.2 and a silane compound or through the reaction between TiO(OH).sub.2 and a silicone oil. The specific gravity of the said titanium compound is in the range of 2.8 to 3.6. The average particle diameter thereof is in the range of 10 to 70 nm. The said toner particle is preferably a non-magnetic particle. By making use of the mono-component developer and the method for forming an image using it, charging of the toner, and carriage of the toner can be stabilized over a long period of time, and stable image formation can be obtained.

Abstract: A apparatus of fabricating a multisegmented ball for an electrical twisting ball display device, which is made up of spheroidal balls rotatably disposed in an elastomer substrate. The ball is composed of segments arrayed substantially parallel to one another, each segment being adjacent to at least one other segment and to no more than two other segments, adjacent segments being adjoined to one another at substantially planar interfaces. The apparatus has a plurality of separator members, each separator member having two opposed surfaces and an edge region in contact with both of said surfaces. A liquid flow is associated with each separator member and one of the surfaces on the separator member. Each one of the liquid flows is provided across its associated separator members toward the edge region of the separator member. Each of the liquid flows is of a hardenable liquid material and has an optical modulation characteristic and a flow rate.

Abstract: In a "hi-fi" color printing system, wherein colorants of hi-fi colors beyond the regular CMYK primary colorants are available, a main gamut obtainable with the CMYK colorants only is mutually exclusive with at least one extended gamut in which a hi-fi colorant is used and a complementary one of the CMY colorants is excluded. Because the main and extended gamuts are mutually exclusive, no more than four colorants are used in any part of the image, and no more than four halftone screens need be used to obtain any desired color.

Abstract: A compact design for the electronic circuits to provide electrical contact to a SED roll of a segmented electrode development unit is provided. In this invention, all the required high voltage and low voltage circuitry is placed on a printed flexible circuit which is folded and rolled into a cylindrical circuit to be connected to the SED roll. The flexible printed circuit has a plurality of output terminals each of which will be connected to one of the electrodes of the SED roll.

Abstract: A method to provide a highly intelligent, automated diagnostic system that identifies the need to replace specific parts to minimize machine downtime rather than require extensive service troubleshooting. In particular, a systematic, logical test analysis scheme to assess machine operation from a simple sensor system and to be able to pinpoint parts and components needing replacement is provided by a series of first level of tests by the control to monitor components for receiving a first level of data and by a series of second level of tests by the control to monitor components for receiving a second level of data. Each of the first level tests and first level data is capable of identifying a first level of part failure independent of any other test. Each of the second level tests and second level data is a combination of first level tests and first level data or a combination of a first level test and first level data and a third level test and third level data.

Abstract: An organic electroluminescent (EL) device comprised of a starburst aromatic amine compound represented by the formula ##STR1## wherein N is nitrogen; A.sup.1 to A.sup.3 each individually represent biaryl; R.sub.a, R.sub.b, and R.sub.c represent independently one of the functional groups of the following formulae ##STR2## wherein N is nitrogen; each Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.2 are aryl; R.sub.1 to R.sub.8 are substituents independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydrocarbon, and alkoxy; and X represents oxygen, sulfur, or an alkylene.

Abstract: A charging module for applying a uniform electrostatic charge to a charge retentive surface is provided. The charging module is operably electrically connectable to a power supply for supplying an electrical bias to the charging apparatus. The charging module is mountable into a process cartridge. The process cartridge includes a cartridge mounting surface for cooperation with the charging apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing including a housing mounting feature and an electrode. The electrode is mounted to the housing and is positioned adjacent the surface in a non-contact relationship therewith. The housing mounting feature is adapted to be cooperable with the cartridge mounting surface to secure the placement of the charging module into the cartridge without the need for any installation tools.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a production method of a toner for developing an electrostatic charge image having an excellent charging property, the method comprising the steps of: forming aggregative particles in a dispersion including at least dispersed resin particles to prepare an aggregative particle dispersion; adding a resin-containing fine particle dispersion containing dispersed resin-containing fine particles into the aggregative particle dispersion and mixing therewith to form adhered particles having said resin-containing fine particles adhering to said aggregative particles; and heating said adhered particles to be fused, wherein concentration of a dissociation group of said resin-containing particles per unit volume is lower than that of a dissociation group of said resin-containing fine particles per unit volume.

Abstract: The ink composition of the present invention comprises water, colorant and fine particles of a resin containing fluoroolefin units. The fine particles of resin may be preferably fine particles of fluorine-containing vinyl ether resin composed of fluoroolefin units and vinyl ether units represented by the following general formula: ##STR1## wherein X is selected from the group consisting of F, CF.sub.3 and Cl; Y is selected from the group consisting of R.sub.2, R.sub.3 OH and R.sub.4 COOH; R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; R.sub.2 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are alkylene groups having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms respectively, n and m are integers, and the ratio of m to n, m/n, is in the range of 1/99 to 99/1. The ink composition of the present invention is able to record an image of high density and superior water resistance with only a small amount of ink.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing electrostatic charge of particles in a waste container. In one embodiment the waste container is coated with a liquid having a viscosity sufficient to prevent tribocharging between the waste container and the waster toner particles, and to collect toner particles deposited from the cyclone separator into the waste container. Another embodiment describes the use of a flange extending into the waste container to prevent tribocharging that can cause explosions in the waste toner bottle.