Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image bearer and a cleaning blade configured to remove toner particles remaining on the image bearer. The cleaning blade includes an elastic member in contact with a surface of the image bearer to remove the toner particles. The elastic member has a Martens hardness of from 3 to 8 N/mm2 when measured by a nanoindentation method with a load of 1 ?N. The toner particles comprise toner base particles and an external additive, and the external additive comprise silica particles. A liberation ratio (Xs) of the silica particles liberated from the toner particles is from 40% to 75% when measured by an ultrasonic vibration method. A proportion (R70) of the silica particles having a volume-based particle diameter of 70 nm or more in the silica particles liberated from the toner particles is from 70% to 90% by number.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image bearer, a developing unit configured to develop with a toner, an intermediate transfer member, and a transferring unit, wherein the intermediate transfer member is a laminate including a base layer and an elastic layer including particles at a surface thereof to form convex-concave shapes at the surface, the particles have volume resistivity of from 1×100 ohm*cm through 1×109 ohm*cm, the toner includes additive, an amount of the additive separated from the toner is from 20 percent by mass through 35 percent by mass relative to a total amount of the additive in the toner when a toner dispersion liquid in which the toner is dispersed in a dispersant is irradiated with ultrasonic wave vibration with an irradiation energy dose of 4 kJ, and the toner has a dielectric constant of 2.6 or greater but 3.9 or less.

Abstract: A toner is provided. The toner comprises toner particles each comprising a toner base particle and an external additive. The toner base particle comprises a binder resin and a colorant. The toner satisfies the following conditions (a) and (b): (a) an average surface roughness Ra [nm] of the toner particles, detected by a scanning probe microscope analyzer, satisfies the following formula (1): 10<Ra<200??Formula (1); and (b) the external additive comprises coalesced particles being non-spherical secondary particles in which primary particles are coalesced with each other, the coalesced particles having a number average particle diameter of 50 nm or more.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack at least includes a stack body including a plurality of power generation cells each having a membrane electrode assembly stacked in a stacking direction, and a first dummy cell provided at one end of the stack body in the stacking direction. A dummy structural body of the first dummy cell is joined to a dummy resin frame member through an adhesive layer which adheres a first outer peripheral portion and a second outer peripheral portion, and inner periphery of the dummy resin frame member to each other.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a power feeding portion and a powered portion that contacts the power feeding portion. At least one of the power feeding portion and the powered portion includes a surface layer, a primary coat layer, and an exposed portion. The surface layer is made of a first conductive metal and includes a contact portion where the power feeding portion contacts the powered portion. The primary coat layer mounts the surface layer and is made of a second conductive metal. The exposed portion is separated from the contact portion and exposed to an atmosphere.

Abstract: In order to manufacture a wearable article of the first size, the introduction velocity is set to the first introduction velocity having a high velocity and the arrangement velocity is set to the first the arrangement velocity having a high velocity. In order to manufacture wearable article of the second size having a shorter length in the carrying direction than that of the first size, the introduction velocity is set to the second introduction velocity lower than the first introduction velocity and the arrangement velocity is set to the second arrangement velocity lower than the first the arrangement velocity and the drum velocity is set to a fixed velocity regardless of the size.

Abstract: In a joining method in a method of producing a dummy cell, a dummy structural body and a dummy resin frame member are stacked together into a dummy stack body in a state where an adhesive is interposed between the dummy structural body and the dummy resin frame member, and heat and pressure are applied to the dummy stack body to harden the adhesive to join components of the dummy stack body together into a single piece of the dummy stack body. In the joining step, in a state where a limitation projection is brought into contact with an outer peripheral end surface of the dummy resin frame member to limit outward deformation of the dummy resin frame member, heat and pressure are applied to the dummy stack body.

Abstract: A ceramic heater including a heater electrode embedded in a plate made of ceramic, wherein, of the heater electrode, a specific area surrounding portion surrounding a specific temperature area in which temperature of the plate becomes low has a smaller thickness than a normal portion of the heater electrode.

Abstract: Provided is a proximity sensor that can limit degradation in voltage resistance. A proximity sensor includes: a housing; a coil portion that is accommodated in one end of the housing; a clamp portion that is connected to the other end of the housing; a substrate which is accommodated inside the housing and the clamp portion, and on which a circuit electrically connected to the coil portion is mounted; a shield that covers a part of the substrate located on a side of the housing; and a resin portion which is arranged inside the housing and the clamp portion, and covers at least a part of the substrate. The shield has an extension portion which extends to an inside of the clamp portion and covers at least a part of the circuit located inside the clamp portion.

Abstract: Providing a white pigment dispersion that shows good storage stability because the white pigment contained therein is less likely to sediment, an ink composition comprising the white pigment dispersion, and a method of image formation using the ink composition.

Abstract: A toner is provided. The toner comprises toner base particles, resin particles adhered to surfaces of the toner base particles, and an external additive adhered to the surfaces of the toner base particles. The toner base particles each comprising a binder resin, a colorant, and a wax. The toner has a storage elastic modulus G? of 4.0×105 or less at 70° C. An embedment degree of the external additive is from 15% to 40%, as the embedment degree is measured by stirring 10 g of the toner and 20 g of a carrier in a 50-mL vial at 67 Hz for 60 minutes using a rocking mill.

Abstract: A method of stabilizing perfluoro(2-methylene-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane) (hereinafter simply referred to as a “stabilization method”), including incorporating at least one selected from the group consisting of a hydroxy group-containing fluoroaromatic compound represented by General Formula (1) below and a hydroxy group-containing fluoroaromatic compound represented by General Formula (2) below into a composition containing perfluoro(2-methylene-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane): (in the formula, R1 to R6 each independently represent one selected from the group consisting of a fluorine atom, a perfluoroalkyl group and a hydroxy group, and at least one of R1 to R6 is a hydroxy group); (in the formula, R7 to R14 each independently represent one selected from the group consisting of a fluorine atom, a perfluoroalkyl group and a hydroxy group, and at least one of R7 to R14 is a hydroxy group).

Abstract: A polycyclic aromatic compound in which a plurality of aromatic rings are connected by a boron atom and an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom or a selenium atom and substituted by a specific aryl such as anthracene, is useful as a material for an organic device. By the polycyclic aromatic compound, an organic EL device having at least one of efficiency and device life can be provided.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device is provided. The photoelectric conversion device comprises a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion element, an output unit configured to output a signal for generating an image from each of the plurality of pixels, a detection unit configured to detect a maximum value and a minimum value of each of signals output from pixels included in a predetermined pixel group among the plurality of pixels; and a switching unit configured to allow the output unit or the detection unit to selectively process the signals output from the plurality of pixels. The detection unit and the switching unit are disposed for each of the plurality of pixels.

Abstract: The present apparatus for manufacturing an article includes a velocity-changing device that changes velocity so that circumferential velocity of a holding pad is continuously decelerated or continuously accelerated during a period from a first start time, at which hand-over of a workpiece of a first size at an upstream position as a hand-over position on a circling path is started, to a second start time, at which hand-over of a workpiece of a second size at a downstream position as the hand-over position downstream of the upstream position on the circling path is started.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a sensor. The sensor has a casing having an opening portion, a clamp having a recessed part on its outer periphery and having one end inserted into the opening portion, and a sealing ring attached to the recessed part and disposed between the casing and the clamp. The method includes using a first divided mold to form a first component of the clamp, the first component including a main body portion and a first part located at one end side of the main body portion and forming a part of the recessed part. The first divided mold is divided so that a dividing surface intersects the main body portion and separates in an axial direction of the main body portion.

Abstract: A conductive laminate includes a first organic film, a fine metal wire arranged on the first organic film, and a second organic film arranged to cover the fine metal wire, in which the fine metal wire includes a blackening layer, an intimate attachment layer, and a metal conductive layer in order from a side of the first organic film, and moisture contents of the first organic film and the second organic film are less than 3.00%.

Abstract: This proximity sensor includes: a cylindrical housing having an opening at one end in the axial direction; a detection part housed at the other end of the housing and detecting the presence or absence of a detection target contactlessly; a substrate housed in the housing and mounted with a control circuit for controlling the detection part; a detection part shield preventing external noise from entering the detection part and including a first face part adhered to the front surface on the other side of the detection part, and a side face part configured from multiple side pieces connected to the outer periphery of the first face part and bent from the first face part to cover the side surface of the detection part; and a resin provided around the detection part and the detection part shield.