Abstract: A developer cartridge includes an outer barrel member, an inner barrel member rotatably provided with respect to the outer barrel member, and a regulating member rotatably provided with respect to the inner barrel member. The regulating member includes a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion. The inner barrel member includes a first to-be-engaged portion that engages the first engaging portion and an operating member. The outer barrel member includes a second to-be-engaged portion that engages the second engaging portion. When the first engaging portion and the first to-be-engaged portion engage each other and engagement between the second engaging portion and the second to-be-engaged portion is released, the inner barrel member is rotatable together with the regulating member with respect to the outer barrel member.

Abstract: A developer cartridge includes a developer storing portion in which a developer is stored, a developer supplying portion for supplying the developer to a main body of an image forming unit, an opening-and-closing member that opens and closes the developer supplying portion, an operating member for operating the opening-and-closing member, and an engaging portion engagable with a to-be-engaged portion formed on the main body of the image forming unit. The opening-and-closing member takes one of an opening position where the opening-and-closing member opens the developer supplying portion and a closing position where the opening-and-closing member closes the developer supplying portion, when the engaging portion engages the to-be-engaged portion. The opening-and-closing member takes the closing position where the opening-and-closing member closes the developer supplying portion, when the engaging portion disengages from the to-be-engaged portion.

Abstract: A transparent electroconductive film having a low resistivity is provided. In a film-forming method of the present invention, a transparent electroconductive film is formed on a surface of a substrate by sputtering, in a vacuum atmosphere, a target in which ZnO is a main component and Al2O3 and TiO2 are added to ZnO, and then the transparent electroconductive film is annealed by the heating thereof at a temperature of 250° C. or more and 400° C. or less. The resistivity of the obtained transparent electroconductive film is reduced because the film has ZnO as the main component and Al and Ti added therein. The transparent electroconductive film formed by the present invention is suitable as a transparent electrode for the FDP, etc.

Abstract: A transparent electroconductive film having a low resistivity is provided. In a film-forming method of the present invention, a transparent electroconductive film is formed on a surface of a substrate by sputtering, in a vacuum atmosphere, a target in which ZnO is a main component and Al2O3 and B2O3 are added, and then the transparent electroconductive film is annealed by the heating thereof at a temperature of 300° C. or more and 400° C. or less. The resistivity of the obtained transparent electroconductive film is reduced because the film has ZnO as the main component and Al and B added thereto. The transparent electroconductive film formed by the present invention is suitable as a transparent electrode for the FDP, etc.

Abstract: A charging apparatus includes a charging roller and a cleaning member. The charging roller charges a surface of an image bearing body. The cleaning member extends in a longitudinal direction parallel to the charging roller and that cleans the charging roller. The charging apparatus includes a bearing and a supporting member. The bearing supports a shaft of the charging roller. The cleaning member is mounted to the supporting member the cleaning member is held between the supporting member and the charging roller. The supporting member includes a surface to which the cleaning member is mounted, the surface being a curved surface configured to a circumferential surface of the charging roller. The supporting member includes a surface to which the cleaning member is mounted, the surface including a flat portion extending upstream with respect to rotation of the charging roller and a curved portion extending downstream.

Abstract: A toner cartridge is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus and supplies toner to the image forming apparatus. The locking mechanism is positioned either at a locking position or at a non-locking position. Shortly after the toner cartridge has been attached to the image forming apparatus, the locking mechanism is at a non-locking position. When a user operates a driving member of the toner cartridge after the toner cartridge has been attached to the image forming apparatus, the operating lever engages the locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move to a locking position. When the locking mechanism is at the locking position, the locking mechanism limits the driving member to move relative to the engagement portion, so that the toner cartridge is not allowed to be detached from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A toner cartridge is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus and supplies toner to the image forming apparatus. The locking mechanism is positioned either at a locking position or at a non-locking position. Shortly after the toner cartridge has been attached to the image forming apparatus, the locking mechanism is at a non-locking position. When a user operates a driving member of the toner cartridge after the toner cartridge has been attached to the image forming apparatus, the operating lever engages the locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move to a locking position. When the locking mechanism is at the locking position, the locking mechanism limits the driving member to move relative to the engagement portion, so that the toner cartridge is not allowed to be detached from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A developer cartridge holds developer that is supplied into a print process cartridge of an image forming apparatus. The developer cartridge includes a fresh developer chamber and a waste developer chamber. The fresh developer chamber holds fresh developer in it. The waste developer chamber holds waste developer in it. An inlet is formed in the waste developer chamber. The waste developer is received through the inlet into the waste developer chamber. A first opening-and-closing member opens and closes the inlet. A mechanism drives the first opening-and-closing member to open the inlet when an operating member is positioned to a first position after the developer cartridge is attached to the print process cartridge. The mechanism driving the first opening-and-closing member to close the inlet when the operating member is positioned to a second position before the developer cartridge is detached from the print process cartridge.

Abstract: A squeezable plastic bottle with a handle which is bendable by forming a bending deformation portion in the handle. The bending deformation portion of the handle can be a bending portion formed in the middle portion of the longitudinal direction of the handle. Further a bending rib can be formed between the handle and the body wall surface. The body may be squeezable and deformable by forming a bending rib in the bottle body.

Abstract: According to the invention, when targets are sputtered, each of them moves with respect to a substrate; and therefore, the entire area of the substrate is opposed to the targets during sputtering, so that a film of homogeneous quality can be formed on the surface of the substrate. During the sputtering, not only the targets but also magnetic field forming devices are moved relative to the targets, and therefore, a large area of the targets can be sputtered. In addition, when the magnetic field forming devices are also moved with respect to the substrate, the region of the target which is highly sputtered, moves with respect to the substrate, so that the thickness distribution of the film formed on the substrate can be even more uniform.

Abstract: A target is produced inexpensively by safely incorporating an additive which is inflammable in the atmosphere. A primary alloy in a molten state is formed by adding an additive into a principal material in a low-level oxygen atmosphere, and a secondary alloy is produced by increasing the volume of the primary alloy through adding the principal material to the molten primary alloy in the atmospheric atmosphere. Since the primary alloys in the molten or solid condition are stable, it does not ignite in the atmosphere. Since the volume of the primary alloy is smaller than that of the secondary alloy, a smaller size of a vacuum chamber 11 for the formation of the first atmosphere suffices.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetron sputtering method and a magnetron sputtering apparatus that can significantly reduce a non-erosion region causing an abnormal electrical discharge on a surface of a target and deposition of target materials. A plurality of targets 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D are disposed in a vacuum atmosphere while being electrically independent to each other; and sputtering is performed by generating magnetron discharge in the vicinity of the targets 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D. During the sputtering, voltages having a phase difference of 180 degrees are alternately applied to the adjacent targets 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D at a predetermined timing.

Abstract: A developer cartridge includes a developer storing portion in which a developer is stored, a developer supplying portion for supplying the developer to a main body of an image forming unit, an opening-and-closing member that opens and closes the developer supplying portion, an operating member for operating the opening-and-closing member, and an engaging portion engagable with a to-be-engaged portion formed on the main body of the image forming unit. The opening-and-closing member takes one of an opening position where the opening-and-closing member opens the developer supplying portion and a closing position where the opening-and-closing member closes the developer supplying portion, when the engaging portion engages the to-be-engaged portion. The opening-and-closing member takes the closing position where the opening-and-closing member closes the developer supplying portion, when the engaging portion disengages from the to-be-engaged portion.

Abstract: A developer cartridge holds developer that is supplied into a print process cartridge of an image forming apparatus. The he developer cartridge includes a fresh developer chamber and a waste developer chamber. The fresh developer chamber holds fresh developer in it. The waste developer chamber holds waste developer in it. An inlet is formed in the waste developer chamber. The waste developer is received through the inlet into the waste developer chamber. A first opening-and-closing member opens and closes the inlet. A mechanism drives the first opening-and-closing member to open the inlet when an operating member is positioned to a first position after the developer cartridge is attached to the print process cartridge. The mechanism driving the first opening-and-closing member to close the inlet when the operating member is positioned to a second position before the developer cartridge is detached from the print process cartridge.

Abstract: A vehicle control system for a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle control system includes a communication network and a plurality of control units in communication with each other via the communication network. At least one of the control units includes a nonvolatile memory device with a write environment determination program written thereon. This control unit receives vehicle data from at least one other control unit. The write environment determination program is run to determine whether a writing environment is appropriate based on the vehicle data, and a writing process of the control program commences when it is determined that the writing environment is appropriate.

Abstract: This lubricant for a fluid dynamic bearing has a base oil containing a phosphate triester represented by a general formula (I) (wherein, RA, RB and RC respectively represent alkyl groups), wherein in the base oil, a phosphate triester in which the three alkyl groups in the general formula (I) are saturated hydrocarbon groups and number of carbon atoms of one of the three saturated hydrocarbon groups differs from number of carbon atoms of the other two saturated hydrocarbon groups is contained as a primary base oil.

Abstract: The technical problem of this invention is to establish a method of processing a synthetic resin tube, in which the shape of a part of the tube wall is changed to form easily an attractively hollowed and/or raised portion in a fairly wide area of the tube wall. The object of this invention is to provide a tubular container having excellent decorativeness, appearance, or functionality that has never been found before.

Abstract: A toner cartridge is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus and supplies toner to the image forming apparatus. The locking mechanism is positioned either at a locking position or at a non-locking position. Shortly after the toner cartridge has been attached to the image forming apparatus, the locking mechanism is at a non-locking position. When a user operates a driving member of the toner cartridge after the toner cartridge has been attached to the image forming apparatus, the operating lever engages the locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move to a locking position. When the locking mechanism is at the locking position, the locking mechanism limits the driving member to move relative to the engagement portion, so that the toner cartridge is not allowed to be detached from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A roller shaft extends between a pair of frame walls. A feed roller is mounted on the roller shaft for feeding a stack of sheets placed on a feeding tray one by one from an uppermost sheet. A transmission gear is concentrically coupled to one end portion of the roller shaft to be rotated by driving of a driving motor. A boss extends axially inwardly from a center position of the transmission gear. The roller shaft has a flat key portion at the one end portion thereof. The flat key portion has a substantially D-shape in cross section. The flat key portion is coupled to the boss by being received in a non-circular hole of the boss. With this arrangement, an eccentric displacement of the roller shaft relative to the transmission gear is suppressed, and the feed roller is easily detachable from the roller shaft with a simplified operation.

Abstract: According to the invention, when targets are sputtered, each of them moves with respect to a substrate; and therefore, the entire area of the substrate is opposed to the targets during sputtering, so that a film of homogeneous quality can be formed on the surface of the substrate. During the sputtering, not only the targets but also magnetic field forming devices are moved relative to the targets, and therefore, a large area of the targets can be sputtered. In addition, when the magnetic field forming devices are also moved with respect to the substrate, the region of the target which is highly sputtered, moves with respect to the substrate, so that the thickness distribution of the film formed on the substrate can be even more uniform.