Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating member configured to heat a toner image on a front surface of a recording medium; a pressing member having an outer circumferential surface formed with a concave portion into which a gripping portion configured to grip a front end side of the recording medium enters, the pressing member being configured to rotate and press the recording medium together with the heating member; a moving portion configured to cause the heating member and the pressing member to relatively move between a position where the heating member comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pressing member directly or via the recording medium and a position where the heating member moves away from the outer circumferential surface of the pressing member when the concave portion passes; and a switching portion configured to switch, between high and low, a load to be applied to a contact portion between the heating member and the outer circumferential surface of the pressing member in a

Abstract: A method for facilitating storage system upgrades is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes identifying host systems configured to access a storage system. The method identifies a current host code level for each host system. The method determines a latest storage code level for the storage system that is supported by each host system at its current host code level. The method reports the latest storage code level to a user to enable the user to upgrade the storage system to the latest storage code level without upgrading any of the current code levels of the host systems. In certain embodiments, reporting the latest storage code level further includes reporting an overlapping range of storage code levels that are supported by each host system at its current code level. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A rotation apparatus includes a first rotating body rotatable; a second rotating body movable to a contact position at which the second rotating body contacts an outer circumferential surface of the first rotating body and a separation position at which the second rotating body is separated from the first rotating body outward in a radial direction of the first rotating body and rotatable in a reverse direction to the rotation direction; a first drive mechanism that rotationally drives the first rotating body at a first circumferential speed and rotates the second rotating body at the contact position; and a second drive mechanism that generates a driving force, rotationally drives the second rotating body at a second circumferential speed lower than the first circumferential speed at the separation position, and applies a resistance force to the first rotating body via the second rotating body at the contact position.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing roller and a fixing drum that rotates in a rotation direction with a recording medium having an image formed thereon pinched between the fixing roller and the fixing drum, to fix the image onto the recording medium. The fixing drum includes a drum body having a recessed portion formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and a sheet-shaped wound member that is wound around the outer circumferential surface and is attached to the drum body in a state in which a portion of the wound member on a downstream side in the rotation direction is bent radially inward of the drum body at a corner portion of the recessed portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a conveyance section that conveys a recording medium; a heating roll that rotates and heats the recording medium being conveyed by the conveyance section; a pressure roll that is disposed to face the heating roll and rotates, around which at least a portion of the recording medium being conveyed is wound, and that pressurizes the wound portion of the recording medium toward the heating roll; a gripping section that is disposed in the conveyance section, grips a leading end of the recording medium being conveyed, and releases the gripping of the leading end of the recording medium when the recording medium passes through a facing position where the pressure roll and the heating roll face each other; and a blowing section that blows air in a direction different from a direction toward the recording medium released from being gripped by the gripping section to cool the pressure roll.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a heating roll that heats a recording medium having a toner image formed on the recording medium while rotating in contact with the recording medium; a pressure roll that sandwiches the recording medium with the heating roll to pressurize the recording medium; a first cleaning section that removes toner adhering to the heating roll; and a second cleaning section that is located downstream of the first cleaning section in a rotation direction of the heating roll and removes wax adhering to the heating roll.

Abstract: A sensor that includes a switch unit and that detects a pressure applied from the front side to the switch unit or a finger approaching the switch unit from the front side is located on the back side of upholstery. A base member has a protruding portion on its surface. The upholstery includes: a light-transmitting region that is located over a light guide portion of the base member and the switch unit of the sensor and that allows light from a light source to transmit therethrough to the front side; and a non-light-transmitting region that blocks the light from the light source. A raised portion that is raised on the front side of the upholstery is located near the light-transmitting region in the non-light-transmitting region of the upholstery. The protruding portion of the base member is placed in the raised portion from the back side of the upholstery.

Abstract: A sensor that includes a switch unit and that detects a pressure applied from the front side to the switch unit or a finger approaching the switch unit from the front side is located on the back side of upholstery. A base member has a protruding portion on its surface. The upholstery includes: a light-transmitting region that is located over a light guide portion of the base member and the switch unit of the sensor and that allows light from a light source to transmit therethrough to the front side; and a non-light-transmitting region that blocks the light from the light source. A raised portion that is raised on the front side of the upholstery is located near the light-transmitting region in the non-light-transmitting region of the upholstery. The protruding portion of the base member is placed in the raised portion from the back side of the upholstery.

Abstract: A particle diameter is decreased and a surface area per unit flow amount is increased by spraying a VOC-containing liquid from a spraying device spraying that is a two-fluid nozzle in a vacuum container, so that only water in the VOC-containing liquid can be greatly evaporated and exhausted, and a concentrated VOC-containing liquid having high concentration can be refined and processed.

Abstract: A particle diameter is decreased and a surface area per unit flow amount is increased by spraying a VOC-containing liquid from a spraying device spraying that is a two-fluid nozzle in a vacuum container, so that only water in the VOC-containing liquid can be greatly evaporated and exhausted, and a concentrated VOC-containing liquid having high concentration can be refined and processed.

Abstract: A transport object is sealed in a sterilized sealed bag including a volume adjuster, the volume of which is changed according to a temperature change. The sealed bag is placed into a metal sealed container. The sealed container is placed into a temperature-controlled metal soaking container. In a state where the soaking container is fixed to the inside of an insulated container with an insulation material disposed around the soaking container, the internal pressure of the sealed container is maintained at a constant atmospheric pressure by changing the state of a pressure adjustment valve from a closed state to an open state, the pressure adjustment valve being provided in an air ventilation tube which is disposed to extend to the outside of the soaking container and the insulated container from the sealed container.

Abstract: The invention also relates to a method to increase stain resistance and penetration resistance of aqueous coating compositions which method comprises providing a coating composition which contain at least one pigment, at least one film-forming polymer in the form of an aqueous polymer dispersion and at least one anionic surfactant, wherein the anionic surfactant comprises at least 85% by weight, preferably at least 90% by weight, more preferably at least 95% by weight, based on the total weight of anionic surfactant in the coating composition, of at least one anionic surfactant S, which is selected from semi-esters of sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid with an alcohol, which alcohol carries at least one alkyl radical having from 8 to 30 carbon atoms or an alkyl substituted phenyl radical wherein alkyl has from 4 to 30 carbon atoms and which alcohol may carry an oligo-C2-C3-alkylene-ether group provided that the number of repeating units in the oligo-C2-C3-alkylene-ether group is at most 15, or a salt thereof.

Abstract: A deposition apparatus includes a processing chamber internally having a reduced-pressure space for deposition process to be carried out therein, a base material holding member for holding a base material to be subjected to the deposition process, a target support member for supporting a target thereon, and a power supply unit for applying electric power to the target support member to generate a plasma in the reduced-pressure space. In the deposition apparatus, deposition process is carried out by using the target, which has a recess portion in its surface and in which a powder target formed of a powder material is placed in an inner surface of the recess portion. Thus, the in-plane uniformity of deposition rate is improved and a stable film deposition is fulfilled.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a polymer dispersion (PD) comprising at least one polymer (P), obtainable by free-radical emulsion polymerization of at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer (M1) and at least one monomer (M2) different therefrom and selected from esters of phosphonic acid or of phosphoric acid with unalkoxylated or alkoxylated hydroxyalkyl(meth)acrylates, and at least one emulsifier (E) selected from phosphoric esters with unalkoxylated or alkoxylated C8-C30 alkanols, and their salts, in coating materials to improve the scrub resistance of the coatings produced therefrom and/or to improve the burnish resistance of the coatings produced therefrom and/or to improve the stain resistance of the coatings produced therefrom and/or to improve the pigment distribution in the coatings produced therefrom and/or to reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds by the coatings produced therefrom, to polymer dispersions used in accordance with the invention, and to coating materials c

Abstract: A plasma display panel including a front panel having a first substrate, a first electrode, a first dielectric layer and a protective layer wherein the first electrode is formed on the first substrate, the first dielectric layer is formed over the first substrate so as to cover the first electrode, and the protective layer is formed on the first dielectric layer, and a rear panel having a second substrate, a second electrode, a second dielectric layer and a phosphor layer wherein the second electrode is formed on the second substrate, the second dielectric layer is formed over the second substrate so as to cover the second electrode, the phosphor layer is formed on the second dielectric layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a polymer dispersion (PD) comprising at least one polymer (P), obtainable by free-radical emulsion polymerization of at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer (M1) and at least one monomer (M2) different therefrom and selected from esters of phosphonic acid or of phosphoric acid with unalkoxylated or alkoxylated hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylates, and at least one emulsifier (E) selected from phosphoric esters with unalkoxylated or alkoxylated C8-C30 alkanols, and their salts, in coating materials to improve the scrub resistance of the coatings produced therefrom and/or to improve the burnish resistance of the coatings produced therefrom and/or to improve the stain resistance of the coatings produced therefrom and/or to improve the pigment distribution in the coatings produced therefrom and/or to reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds by the coatings produced therefrom, to polymer dispersions used in accordance with the invention, and to coating materials

Abstract: In the manufacturing method of the plasma display panel, the protective layer of the front plate has a base film evaporated on a dielectric layer, and this base film is surface-treated, and an ink film formed of agglomerated particles agglomerating a plurality of crystal particles of metal oxide and an organic solvent is formed, and after vacuum drying, the organic solvent is removed from the ink film, and thereby the plurality of agglomerated particles are bonded and formed on the base film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a front panel for a plasma display panel which can suppress the incidence of chipping of the barrier rib of a rear panel for a PDP, can enhance the stability of initial electron emission in a dielectric layer, and can reduce a voltage required for maintaining a wall charge. The front panel for a plasma display panel includes a substrate, a plurality of electrodes formed on the substrate, a dielectric layer formed to cover the respective electrodes and the substrate, a dielectric-protection layer formed to cover the dielectric layer, and powder components dispersed on the dielectric-protection layer, wherein an annealed layer having a thickness of 10 to 300 nm is formed on at least the exposed surface of each of the powder components, wherein said exposed surface does not contact the dielectric-protection layer.

Abstract: A PDP, which has a plurality of display electrodes formed therein, and is provided with a front plate in which the display electrodes are covered with a first dielectric layer and a protective film and a back plate having a plurality of address electrodes that are formed in a direction orthogonal to the display electrode, and covered with a second dielectric layer (backing dielectric layer, is designed so that the protective film has a structure in which grain-state crystals are aggregated and a grain size of the crystals is large, with a void between adjacent crystals being formed with a small size.

Abstract: The present invention provides a front panel for a plasma display panel which can suppress the incidence of chipping of the barrier rib of a rear panel for a PDP, can enhance the stability of initial electron emission in a dielectric layer, and can reduce a voltage required for maintaining a wall charge. The front panel for a plasma display panel includes a substrate, a plurality of electrodes formed on the substrate, a dielectric layer formed to cover the respective electrodes and the substrate, a dielectric-protection layer formed to cover the dielectric layer, and powder components dispersed on the dielectric-protection layer, wherein an annealed layer having a thickness of 10 to 300 nm is formed on at least the exposed surface of each of the powder components, wherein said exposed surface does not contact the dielectric-protection layer.