Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (I) or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof is used as an activator of PPAR wherein each of R1 and R2 is hydrogen, C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkyl substituted with halogen, or the like; each of R3, R4, R5, and R6 is hydrogen, C1-8 alkyl, or the like; X is sulfur or the like; Y is oxygen, a bond, or the like; p is 0 or 1; A is oxygen, CH2, N—NH2, or the like; when p is 1, B is phenyl, which can have a substituent; when p is 0, B is a condensed ring such as benzisoxazole, which can have a substituent; m is an integer of 1 to 4; and n is an integer of 0 to 5.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet conveyance section having a sheet storing member to store sheets that have been aligned in a prescribed placing direction, which conveys a sheet stored in the sheet storing member; an image forming section having an image carrier, which forms an image on the image carrier; an image transfer section which transfers the image formed on the image carrier onto a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance section; a winding detection section which detects whether or not the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance section is wound around the image carrier; and a controller which controls to instruct an operator to conduct a change operation of the placing direction of the sheets stored in the sheet storing member based on a sheet winding detection signal outputted from the winding detection section.

Abstract: Provided is an elevator renovation method, which is capable of reducing a renovation period and enabling effective use of a space when an existing hydraulic elevator is renovated to a non-hydraulic elevator. The elevator renovation method involves renovating a hydraulic elevator in which a plunger (3) provided integrally with a car (1) is hydraulically driven to a non-hydraulic elevator. The elevator renovation method includes; providing a driving device for generating a driving force for raising the car; leaving the plunger so that the plunger can be raised and lowered inside an existing jack (4); and obtaining the non-hydraulic elevator by exerting the driving force of the driving device in a direction in which the plunger is moved up to raise the car.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that heat-fixes a toner image onto a recording sheet passing through a fixing nip formed by pressing a pressurizing member against a heating rotational body heated by a heater, comprising: a storage unit storing a basic power consumption level of the heater determined in advance in a situation where inflow of inrush current to the heater is not occurring; an estimation unit calculating an estimated power consumption level of the heater by estimating an increase in the power consumption level, with respect to the basic power consumption level, brought about by inflow of inrush current to the heater; and an output unit outputting the estimated power consumption level. The heater switches between a heating state of receiving power supply and a non-heating state of not receiving power supply. The increase is estimated according to a duration of a non-heating state immediately preceding the heating state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus provided with a sheet feeding tray to store sheets for image forming; a sheet feeding section to feed the sheets form the sheet feeding tray so as to supply the sheets for the image forming; and a control section to individually administer remaining sheets stored in the sheet feeding tray in advance and replenishment sheets replenished when the sheet feeding tray is replenished with the sheets in a state where the sheets stored in the sheet feeding tray in advance is remaining. Whereby, a JOB can be continued or aborted appropriately with reference to information and remaining amounts of remaining sheets and replenishment sheets in one sheet feeding tray, since the information and the remaining amounts are administered individually.

Abstract: A light source device includes first to third light sources, a fluorescent material, and a dichroic mirror. The dichroic mirror is constituted so that excitation light emitted from the first light source is transmitted through the dichroic mirror and applied to the fluorescent material, light of a first wavelength bandwidth emitted from the second light source is transmitted through the dichroic mirror and emitted in a predetermined emitting direction, generated light emitted from the fluorescent material is reflected by the dichroic mirror and emitted in the predetermined emitting direction, and at least a part of light of a second wavelength bandwidth from the third light source passes the outside of the dichroic mirror without entering the dichroic mirror, and is emitted in the predetermined emitting direction.

Abstract: A light source unit includes an excitation light source, a plurality of light sources at least one of which emits a light ray in a wavelength band different from that of the excitation light source, a plurality of collimator lenses which make light rays from the light sources into parallel ones, a luminous light emitting device which receives the light ray from the excitation light source to emit a luminous light ray, a microlens array which diffuses the light rays from the light sources to a predetermined range and distributes the luminance thereof uniformly within the predetermined range and a collective lens which collects the light rays from the light sources which are emitted from the microlens array, and the light sources are disposed so that the light rays from the plurality of light sources intersect the light ray from the excitation light source at right angles.

Abstract: A twin clutch type transmission that permits a quick shifting of a mechanical clutch without shock. Numbers of gear teeth of speed-change gears of odd and even-numbered gear ranges, which mesh with the same output gear, are made to be identical each other; gear ratios of input gear trains of even and odd-numbered gear ranges are configured so that the speed-change ratios between adjoining gear ranges will form a geometric progression; and gear ratios between speed-change gears of odd and even-numbered gear ranges are configured to be proportional to square of the common ratio. In speed-changing intermediate shaft on which the speed-change gear is installed is coupled with input shaft through friction clutch, and speeds of revolutions of the speed-change gear and the intermediate shaft on which such speed-change gear is installed are brought into synchronized state.

Abstract: A twin clutch transmission for a large horsepower vehicle having a compact size and a high transmission efficiency is obtained. In a twin clutch transmission, there are provided an input shaft, an odd-numbered level speed change mechanism 30, an even-numbered level speed change mechanism 60, a synchronizing speed change mechanism 100, and an output mechanism 90. The speed change mechanisms 30 and 60 include transmission gear trains 32 and 62, main clutches 34 and 64 for selectively transmitting the powers of the transmission gear trains 32 and 62 to the transmission shafts 40 and 70. The synchronizing speed change mechanism 100 includes synchronizing gear trains 110 and 120 for coupling the rotation of the odd-numbered level transmission shaft 32 with the rotation of the even-numbered level transmission shaft 62, and synchronizing clutches 112 and 122 for selecting coupling by this synchronizing gear train.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor including: an electroconductive substrate; an intermediate layer; and a photoconductive layer, the intermediate layer and the photoconductive layer being on the electroconductive substrate, wherein the intermediate layer includes an inorganic pigment and a binder resin, wherein a volume ratio of the inorganic pigment in the intermediate layer is 30% by volume to 50% by volume, wherein the inorganic pigment comprises titanium oxide and a content of the titanium oxide in the inorganic pigment is 70% by mass to 90% by mass, wherein the inorganic pigment has a specific surface area of 70 m2/g to 140 m2/g, and wherein the intermediate layer has a volume resistivity at an electrical field intensity of 2.5×105 V/cm of 5×1011 ?·cm to 1×1013 ?·cm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second. image-forming portions and an intermediate transporting portion. A control unit checks fixing units in the image-forming portions and determines whether or not the fixing unit, in the first image-forming portion is a fixing unit for an envelope. If not, the control unit controls a manipulation and display unit to display guidance for urging a user to exchange the first fixing unit. If so, the control unit determines whether or not too fixing unit in the second image-forming portion is a fixing unit for an envelope. If not, the control portion controls a manipulation and display unit to display a guidance for urging a user to exchange the second fixing unit, If both of fixing units in the first and second image-forming portions are fixing units for the envelope, the control unit allows an envelope mode control operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus contains a first printer forming a first image on a surface of the sheet member, a reversing section reversing a surface of the sheet member and a second printer forming a second image on a back of the sheet member. The second printer contains a correction section correcting a deflection of the sheet member. A straight sheet-member-transporting path extends from the reversing section to the second printer. A distance between a position at which the sheet member enters the sheet-member-transporting path and a position at which the correction section corrects the deflection of the sheet member is set so as to be not smaller than a length of the sheet member having the largest size among the sheet members to be handled.

Abstract: The process for producing a magnet according to the invention is characterized by comprising a first step in which a heavy rare earth compound containing Dy or Tb as a heavy rare earth element is adhered onto a sintered compact of a rare earth magnet and a second step in which the heavy rare earth compound-adhered sintered compact is subjected to heat treatment, wherein the heavy rare earth compound is a Dy or Tb iron compound.

Abstract: An image forming system has a first image forming section to form an image on a sheet, wherein the first image forming section heats the sheet to fix the image on the sheet, a second image forming section to form an image to the sheet on which the image has been formed by the first image forming section, and a transporting section to transport the sheet from first image forming section to the second image forming section. The transporting section has a first transporting part to transport the sheet to a predetermined position, and a second transporting part to reverse a surface of the sheet which has been transported by the first transporting part as transporting the sheet from the predetermined position to an area below the predetermined position.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor including a conductive substrate and a photoconductive layer thereover, wherein the photoconductive layer contains a charge generation agent and a charge transport agent represented by General Formula (A-I), (B-I) or (C-I), and an amine compound represented by General Formula (II): where R1-3 each represent hydrogen, halogen or (un)substituted C1-6 alkyl, and n is 1 or 2, where R1-2 each represent C1-6 alkyl and R3-6 each represent hydrogen, halogen or (un)substituted C1-6 alkyl, where R8-33 each represent hydrogen, C1-4 alkyl, C1-4 alkoxy, or (un)substituted phenyl, and may be identical or different, where A and B each represent a group represented by formula (i) or (ii), and may be identical or different: —CH2X??formula (i) —CH2CH2Y??formula (ii) where X and Y each represent an (un)substituted aromatic group.

Abstract: There are provided a plurality of sheet feed trays in which sheets are stored, a sheet feeding section which enables a continuous sheet feeding of sheets stored in the above sheet feed tray, and a control section which controls the above sheet feeding section and has an auto tray switch function, and the aforesaid control section obtains information on an amount of sheets stored in the above sheet feed tray, during a continuous sheet feeding from the above sheet feed tray, and judges whether or not the amount of the remaining sheets in the above sheet feed tray satisfies the prescribed condition. In the case where the above prescribed condition is satisfied, the control section stops motion of sheet feeding from the above sheet feed tray while leaving sheets in the above sheet feed tray.

Abstract: A light source unit including an excitation light source for emitting light in a blue wavelength band, a fluorescent wheel, a light emitting device for emitting light in a red wavelength band and a light guiding optical system for guiding light emitted from the fluorescent wheel and the light emitting device to a light guiding device. The fluorescent wheel has a fluorescent area where a green fluorescent material layer for emitting fluorescent light in a green wavelength band is disposed and a diffuse area for converting light emitted from the excitation light source into diffuse light of which directivity is weak are disposed end to end in a circumferential direction. A concentration of weight content of the green fluorescent material and a thickness thereof are such that a luminescent intensity of fluorescent light emitted from the green fluorescent material layer is enhanced.

Abstract: Provided is a track car drive system, which is assisted by a generator motor so that it may attain a gear array for equalizing the number of speed range and the gear ratios at the individual gears as a transmission for the forward speed and the backward speed and which can be combined with the generator motor. A transmission (15) for receiving the output of an engine (14) at an input shaft (30) is constituted by combining a forward range (31) and a backward range (32) with two intermediate shafts (41 and 42) having different speed ranges (51 to 54) between themselves and an output shaft (45). By shifting/fastening a first clutch (43) or a second clutch (44) selectively, the rotation of either the forward range (31) or the backward range (32) is transmitted to either of the intermediate shafts (41 and 42). When one of the speed ranges (51 to 54) is selected, the same gear number and gear ratio are taken no matter whether the track car might run forward or backward.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor including a conductive support and a photosensitive layer, wherein the photosensitive layer contains a charge generation agent, a charge transport agent and a binder resin, and wherein the charge generation agent contains an asymmetric disazo pigment represented by General Formula (I), the charge transport agent contains a triphenylamine compound represented General Formula (IX), and the mass ratio of the charge transport agent to the binder resin is 0.3 to 2.0, where R1 and R2 each represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, alkoxy group, aryl group or heterocyclic group, provided that R1 and R2 are different, where R3 to R5 each represent hydrogen, a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, which may have a substituent, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, which may have a substituent, or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A twin-clutch type hybrid transmission is configured to include an input shaft 10, an odd-numbered stage shift mechanism 30, an even-numbered stage shift mechanism 60, a motor power mechanism 20, and an output mechanism 90. The shift mechanisms 30 and 60 include transmission gear trains 32 and 62, and main clutches 34 and 64, respectively, the main clutches 34 and 64 for selectively transmitting the power of the transmission gear train 32 and the power of the transmission gear train 62 to transmission shafts 40 and 70, respectively. The shift mechanisms 30 and 60 also include shift gear trains 41, 43, 45, 47, 72, 74, 76, and 78 provided to the transmission shafts 40 and 70 to transmit rotation to the output mechanism 90, respectively, and mechanical clutches 50, 52, 80, and 82 for selectively engaging the corresponding shift gear trains and the transmission shafts 40 and 70, respectively. As a result, a compact twin-clutch type hybrid transmission having high transmission efficiency can be obtained.