Abstract: An object of the invention is to facilitate processing and to obtain sliders as many as possible when the sliders for thin-film magnetic heads are manufactured through the use of a circular-plate-shaped wafer in which a plurality of rows of sections to be the sliders are aligned. The circular-plate-shaped wafer includes the rows of the sections to be the sliders aligned in one orientation. Each of the sections to be the sliders includes a thin-film magnetic head element. Three types of slider materials having different widths are cut out from the wafer. Each of the three types of slider materials includes rows of the sections to be the sliders. Processing including lapping is performed on a surface to be medium facing surfaces of each of the three types of slider materials. The materials are then separated to form slider aggregates each of which includes one of the rows of the sections to be the sliders. Rails are formed in a surface to be the medium facing surfaces of the slider aggregates.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to facilitate processing and to obtain sliders as many as possible when the sliders for thin-film magnetic heads are manufactured through the use of a circular-plate-shaped wafer in which a plurality of rows of sections to be the sliders are aligned. The circular-plate-shaped wafer includes the rows of the sections to be the sliders aligned in one orientation. Each of the sections to be the sliders includes a thin-film magnetic head element. Three types of slider materials having different widths are cut out from the wafer. Each of the three types of slider materials includes rows of the sections to be the sliders. Processing including lapping is performed on a surface to be medium facing surfaces of each of the three types of slider materials. The materials are then separated to form slider aggregates each of which includes one of the rows of the sections to be the sliders. Rails are formed in a surface to be the medium facing surfaces of the slider aggregates.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to facilitate processing and to obtain sliders as many as possible when the sliders for thin-film magnetic heads are manufactured through the use of a circular-plate-shaped wafer in which a plurality of rows of sections to be the sliders are aligned. The circular-plate-shaped wafer includes the rows of the sections to be the sliders aligned in one orientation. Each of the sections to be the sliders includes a thin-film magnetic head element. Three types of slider materials having different widths are cut out from the wafer. Each of the three types of slider materials includes rows of the sections to be the sliders. Processing including lapping is performed on a surface to be medium facing surfaces of each of the three types of slider materials. The materials are then separated to form slider aggregates each of which includes one of the rows of the sections to be the sliders. Rails are formed in a surface to be the medium facing surfaces of the slider aggregates.

Abstract: A slider is provided with air bearing surfaces. Each of the air bearing surfaces are constituted of a protective film and slider base body surfaces. The protective films, which are laminated on part of the slide base body surfaces, cover at least the ends of the electromagnetic transducers.

Abstract: A toner for electrophotography is so prepared that a wax in a binder resin has an average diameter in the range from 0.1 to 3.0 &mgr;m so as to alleviate hot offsetting and filming, and that the toner contains 1.0 to 2.5% by volume of a fine particle toner with particle diameters of 5.04 &mgr;m or smaller so as to grind, at an early stage, the toner components that have attached to a photoconductor and thereby prevent filming.

Abstract: In a replenishment toner for use in an image forming apparatus that detects the toner concentration in a two-component developer by the use of a magnetic permeability detecting means, the percentage by volume of toner particles with particle diameters of 5.04 &mgr;m or smaller contained in the replenishment toner is in the range from 1.5 to 3.5 times the percentage by volume of such toner particles contained in the initial toner loaded initially in the image forming apparatus. This makes it possible to minimize the variation in magnetic permeability even when the toner is charged with an increasingly large amount of electric charge as image formation proceeds, and thereby maintain the toner concentration in the developer properly. By limiting the median particle diameter on a volume basis of the replenishment toner in the range from 8.0 to 12.

Abstract: An air-bag 12 is designed to vertically expand after transversely expanding while being inflated. The air-bag 12 having a substantially circular shape is folded from its opposite ends toward its middle along a direction “a” corresponding to vertical direction and rolled in an opposite direction, is then folded in a zigzag manner one fold over another from its opposite ends toward its middle along a direction “b” (transverse direction), and is accommodated in a container casing 14. Accordingly, the inventive air-bag device and air-bag folding method can suppress an inflation (expansion) of the air-bag toward a passenger at an early stage of the inflation of the air-bag, promote a transverse expansion more than a vertical expansion of the air-bag at the early stage of the inflation, and prevent a blow out of a gas toward the passenger.

Abstract: An air-bag 12 is designed to vertically expand after transversely expanding while being inflated. The air-bag 12 having a substantially circular shape is folded from its opposite ends toward its middle along a direction “a” corresponding to vertical direction and rolled in an opposite direction, is then folded in a zigzag manner one fold over another from its opposite ends toward its middle along a direction “b” (transverse direction), and is accommodated in a container casing 14. Accordingly, the inventive air-bag device and air-bag folding method can suppress an inflation (expansion) of the air-bag toward a passenger at an early stage of the inflation of the air-bag, promote a transverse expansion more than a vertical expansion of the air-bag at the early stage of the inflation, and prevent a blow out of a gas toward the passenger.

Abstract: A carrier for use in development of an electrostatic latent image and an image forming apparatus using the carrier, with which a stable charging ability is maintained for a long period of time, and a high density image free from fog can be formed. The carrier has magnetic material particles coated with a coating resin. The coating resin is a thermoplastic resin, with a hardness of rank F to B in the terms of the pencil scratch test, and is present in an amount of 0.5 to 5 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the magnetic material particles.