Abstract: A first phase structure corrects at least one of a spherical aberration due to a difference between a protective substrate thickness t1 and a protective substrate thickness t2 and a spherical aberration due to a difference between a first wavelength ?1 and a second wavelength ?2, and a second phase structure corrects at least one of a spherical aberration generated when the first wavelength ?1 is changed in a range of ±10 nm, a best image point movement generated when the first wavelength ?1 is changed in a range of ±10 nm, and a spherical aberration generated when environmental temperature is changed.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a developing unit which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier by using a two-component developing agent containing polymerized toner. The developing unit includes a supply/convey member which conveys the two-component developing agent in the axial direction while agitating it and a toner density sensor which detects the toner density of the two-component developing agent. The toner density sensor is placed to be in a non-contact state with respect to the supply/convey member and oppose it with a gap of 0.8 mm or less. The diameter of the supply/convey member is set to 23 mm or more.

Abstract: To provide a microwave baking furnace in which an inner wall which constitutes a heating element partitioning a baking chamber is prevented from being damaged due to a thermal shock, and the life time thereof can be extended. A microwave baking furnace 31 includes a partition wall 35 of a heating element 33 which partitions a baking chamber and which has an inner wall 35b made of a material self-heating by microwave radiation and transmitting part of microwaves radiated thereto, and an outer wall 35a made of an insulating material permitting the microwaves to be transmitted therethrough and covering an outer circumference of the inner wall 35b. A clearance 39, which serves as a convection path of heat inside the baking chamber 23, is secured between the inner wall 35a and the outer wall 35a. The inner wall 35b is attached to the outer wall 35a such that it can move relative to the outer wall 35a by a predetermined distance in all directions.

Abstract: A microwave burning furnace including a housing constituted by a metal on which a microwave is to be irradiated, a metallic door provided in the housing, a burning chamber provided in the housing and surrounded by a material having a low microwave absorption characteristic and a high heat insulating property, and microwave generating means, wherein the burning chamber includes a heater element constituted by at least two types of heating materials having a heating material for a high temperature region which automatically generates a heat mainly in the high temperature region to have a burning temperature by an irradiation of a microwave and a heating material for a low temperature region which automatically generates a heat mainly in the low temperature region including an ordinary temperature.

Abstract: An objective optical system for use in an optical pickup apparatus, comprises an aberration correcting element having at least two phase structures of a first and second phase structures; and a light converging element to converge the first light flux emitted from the aberration correcting element onto an information recording plane of the first optical disk and to converge the second light flux emitted from the aberration correcting element onto an information recording plane of the second optical disk; wherein the second phase structure refrains at least one of a change in the light converging characteristic of the objective optical system due to a change in the wavelength of the first light flux and a change in the light converging characteristic of the objective optical system due to a change in environmental temperature.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes: first-third light sources; a packaged multiple light source unit for packaging emitting points of at least two of the first-third light sources in one housing; an objective optical system for converging light fluxes emitted by light sources onto information recording surfaces of at least three kinds of optical disks; and a magnification adjusting optical unit having an actuator and a movable lens group and being arranged in an optical path between the packaged multiple light source unit and the objective optical system, wherein the movable lens group is driven by the actuator along the optical axis so as to change a magnification of the objective optical system according to a wavelength of a light flux emitted by the packaged multiple light source unit.

Abstract: An optical system utilized in an optical pickup apparatus comprising: an aberration-correcting element made of a plastic material; and a converging lens to converge a light flux emitted from the aberration-correcting element, the converging lens being made of a plastic material, wherein the aberration-correcting element has a first optical surface provided thereon an optical path difference generating structure and has a second optical surface provided thereon a diffractive structure, and the converging lens is a single refractive lens having at least an aspherical surface.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a developing unit which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier by using a two-component developing agent containing polymerized toner. The developing unit includes a supply/convey member which conveys the two-component developing agent in the axial direction while agitating it and a toner density sensor which detects the toner density of the two-component developing agent. The toner density sensor is placed to be in a non-contact state with respect to the supply/convey member and oppose it with a gap of 0.8 mm or less. The diameter of the supply/convey member is set to 23 mm or more.

Abstract: An information processing system and a multi-level hierarchical storage device for use in the information processing system having a plurality of instruction processors and a plurality of main storage devices. The multi-level hierarchical storage device includes a first-cache storage device of a write-through type provided for each instruction processor, a second-cache storage device of a write-back type provided for each main storage device, and a third-cache storage device of a write-through type provided between the first-cache storage device and the second-cache storage device.

Abstract: A photocatalyst comprising inorganic porous particles having photosemiconductor particles deposited on at least a part of the surfaces and at least a part of the walls of the pores of the particles, and a photocatalyst comprising inorganic porous particles having photosemiconductor particles and microorganisms possessing water purification activity deposited on at least a part of the surfaces and at least a part of the walls of the pores of the particles are disclosed. The photocatalysts have a stable photocatalytic function for an extended period of time and easy separability from the treated water system so that it is useful for various photocatalytic reactions. Particularly they can be effectively used in water purification, and allow annihilation of harmful organisms such as algae, fungi and bacteria, decomposition of deleterious materials, as well as deodorization and decoloration to be conveniently and easily accomplished.

Abstract: Acicular magnetic iron particles comprising acicular iron substrate particles having first layer consisting of at least one of hydrous oxides and anhydrous oxides of aluminum and zirconium and mixtures thereof and second layer consisting of hydrous oxides and anhydrous oxides of aluminum and mixtures thereof coated on the surfaces of the particles are produced by coating the surfaces of hydrated iron oxide particles as substrate with at least one of aluminum compounds and zirconium compounds, then heating the coated substrate particles to convert to hematite particles, thereafter coating the surfaces of the resultant hematite substrate particles with at least one of aluminum compounds, and then reducing under heat the coated hematite particles.