Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a composite material in which the dispersibility of an exfoliated layered substance in a resin or the like is improved and with which a synthetic resin having significantly improved properties, such as impact resistance, can be obtained. A method for producing a composite material including an exfoliated layered substance and a coating substance coating a surface of the exfoliated layered substance includes a disintegrating step of disintegrating secondary particles of an exfoliated layered substance in a solution containing a coating substance, or a method for producing a composite material including an exfoliated layered substance and a coating substance coating a surface of the exfoliated layered substance includes a disintegrating step of disintegrating secondary particles of an exfoliated layered substance in a solvent and a dissolving step of dissolving a coating substance in a dispersion containing the exfoliated layered substance that has been disintegrated.

Abstract: A management device includes: a detection unit configured to detect addition of a function unit to a network including one or a plurality of on-vehicle function units; a generation unit configured to acquire function unit information of a new function unit that is detected, and function unit information of the on-vehicle function unit, and configured to generate configuration information of a new network that is the network in which the new function unit is further included; and an acquisition unit configured to acquire feasibility information indicating feasibility of the new network and corresponding to the configuration information generated by the generation unit. When the feasibility information corresponding to the configuration information generated by the generation unit is not present in a database, the acquisition unit transmits the configuration information generated by the generation unit in order to verify the feasibility of the configuration information.

Abstract: A network of a new configuration is flexibly constructed while maintaining a stable operation in the network. A management device includes: a detection unit that detects a new function unit as a function unit to be newly added to a network including one or a plurality of on-vehicle function units; a generation unit that acquires function unit information of the new function unit detected by the detection unit and function unit information of the on-vehicle function unit, and generates, based on the respective pieces of function unit information, configuration information of a new network that is the network in which the new function unit is further included; and an acquisition unit that acquires, from a database in a storage device, feasibility information indicating feasibility of the new network and corresponding to the configuration information generated by the generation unit.

Abstract: To adsorb a substance to be treated in a fluid (7) with a higher adsorption capacity and lower pressure loss, an adsorptive sintered compact (20) includes powder adsorbent materials (1a, 1b), and resin structures (2) in which voids (3) are formed in a three-dimensional network. The powder adsorbent materials (1a, 1b) include free adsorbent materials (1a) free-movably contained in the voids (3) between the resin structures (2), and fixed adsorbent materials (1b) fixed to a surface (2a) of the resin structure (2) and/or at least partly embedded inside the resin structure (2), and the powder adsorbent materials (1a, 1b) are at least one of powdered activated carbon, powdered activated clay, and zeolite.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus has a flexible rotatable member; a slidable member for sliding contact with an inner surface of the rotatable member; a back-up member for forming a nip with the slidable member with the rotatable member interposed therebetween, wherein a projection extended along a longitudinal direction of the rotatable member, and provided on such a portion of a sliding surface of the slidable member as is downstream of a center of the sliding surface with respect to a recording material feeding direction in which the recording material is fed, and wherein the projection is effective to provide a maximum pressure in a distribution, with respect to the recording material feeding direction, of pressure applied to the nip.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus according to the present invention includes a fixing sleeve, a guide member that is arranged in an inner circumferential section of fixing sleeve and rotatably holds the fixing sleeve, a pressure roller that press-contacts with the guide member through the fixing sleeve and forms a fixing nip, and heating unit that heating the fixing sleeve and heats paper conveyed in the fixing nip with the rotation of the fixing sleeve. Grease that increases slide property is applied to an interface between the fixing sleeve and guide member, and the surface roughness of at least an area of an inside surface of the fixing sleeve contacting with the above-described guide member is made to be 0.05 or more in an Rz value.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus for heating and image formed on a recording material, includes a flexible rotatable member: a slidable member for sliding contact with an inner surface of the rotatable member; a back-up member for forming a nip with the slidable member with the rotatable member interposed therebetween, wherein the nip is effective to nip and feed the recording material, and the image is heated by heat supplied from the rotatable member; wherein a projection extended along a longitudinal direction of the rotatable member and provided on such a portion of a sliding surface of the slidable member as is downstream of a center of the sliding surface with respect to a recording material feeding direction in which the recording material is fed, and wherein the projection is effective to provide a maximum pressure in a distribution, with respect to the recording material feeding direction, of pressure applied to the nip.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a self-diagnosis system suitable for grasping conditions relating to electrophotographic parameters of an engine in an image forming apparatus on the market, and for reducing customer complaints. The self-diagnosis system enables the electrophotographic parameters to be displayed and/or output, has a function of displaying the electrophotographic parameters by converting the electrophotographic parameters into indices other than physical quantities, the function of printing the electrophotographic parameters on an output sheet, and the function of enabling the electrophotographic parameters to be transferred to an external information apparatus by a communication device, and includes a device for transferring the electrophotographic parameters to a formatter through a video interface or from the formatter to a host computer, a computer in a service center, or the like via a communication line or the internet.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that has an image bearing body for bearing a toner image, a conveying member for bearing and conveying a recording material, and a transferring member for transferring a toner image on the image bearing body to the recording material conveyed by the conveying member by the application of a voltage, wherein the transferring member has ion conductivity.

Abstract: In a fixing belt having at least a release layer and a metal layer formed of electroformed nickel, the electroformed nickel has, in its crystal texture, crystallites having an average size of 0.05 &mgr;m or more and 0.2 &mgr;m or less. This fixing belt has high durability, and an image heat fixing assembly using this fixing belt has high durability and high reliability and realizes low-energy heating by utilizing a heating element with a small heat capacity.

Abstract: A laminate film showing good durability under pressure and heat application, and suitably used as a fixing film for toner image fixation, is provided. Such a laminate film is provided by forming a polyimide resin layer on a metal base layer at a controlled imidation percentage of 70-93%.

Abstract: In a fixing belt having at least a release layer and a metal layer formed of electroformed nickel, the electroformed nickel has, in its crystal texture, crystallites having an average size of 0.05 &mgr;m or more and 0.2 &mgr;m or less. This fixing belt has high durability, and an image heat fixing assembly using this fixing belt has high durability and high reliability and realizes low-energy heating by utilizing a heating element with a small heat capacity.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus according to the present invention includes a fixing sleeve, a guide member that is arranged in an inner circumferential section of fixing sleeve and rotatable holds the fixing sleeve, a pressure roller that press-contacts with the guide member through the fixing sleeve and forms a fixing nip, and heating unit that heating the fixing sleeve and heats paper conveyed in the fixing nip with the rotation of the fixing sleeve. Grease that increases slide property is applied to an interface between the fixing sleeve and guide member, and the surface roughness of at least an area of an inside surface of the fixing sleeve contacting with the above-described guide member is made to be 0.05 or more in an Rz value.

Abstract: Providing a brassiere production management system that enables the efficient production of a brassiere that fits a given user.

Abstract: To provide a high-durable fixing belt and an image fixing apparatus with high durability and high reliability for using a heating body needing a small amount of thermal capacity to enable heating with low energy. The fixing belt according to the present invention includes at least a release layer and a metal layer made by electroforming nickel, in which the electroformed nickel has a crystal orientation ratio 1(200)/1(111) of 3 or more, in which a surface(200) is preferentially grown, and a microvickers hardness of 280 to 450.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a self-diagnosis system suitable for grasping conditions relating to electrophotographic parameters of an engine in an image forming apparatus on the market, and for reducing customer complaints. The self-diagnosis system enables the electrophotographic parameters to be displayed and/or output, has a function of displaying the electrophotographic parameters by converting the electrophotographic parameters into indices other than physical quantities, the function of printing the electrophotographic parameters on an output sheet, and the function of enabling the electrophotographic parameters to be transferred to an external information apparatus by a communication device, and includes a device for transferring the electrophotographic parameters to a formatter through a video interface or from the formatter to a host computer, a computer in a service center, or the like via a communication line or the internet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a transfer material bearing member with a first image bearing member and a second image bearing member sequentially disposed along a conveying direction of the transfer material borne by the transfer material bearing member. A first voltage applying device and a second voltage applying device are positioned to apply voltages to the transfer material bearing member so that the images on the first image bearing member and the second image bearing member are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the transfer material borne by said transfer material bearing member. A detector is located to detect a current flowing through the transfer material bearing member when a predetermined voltage is applied to an area, on which the transfer material is borne, of the transfer material bearing member before an image transfer is started, and a controller controls the first voltage and the second voltage based on a detected result of the detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of image bearing members for bearing respective color images, and a transfer material bearing member for bearing and conveying a transfer material, wherein, at transfer positions where the image bearing members are contacted with the transfer material bearing member, the images on the image bearing members are successively transferred electrostatically onto the transfer material born on the transfer material bearing member in a superimposed fashion, and wherein a transfer material conveying path defined by the transfer material bearing member including the transfer positions is protruded toward a side opposite to a side on which the image bearing members are provided.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members for respectively bearing toner images, a moving member, a plurality of transfer devices for electrostatically transferring a toner image on each of the image bearing members onto the moving member or a transfer material borne by the moving member, a plurality of collecting devices for respectively collecting toner on each image bearing member, a selecting device for selecting an image bearing member to which toner on the moving member is to be transferred to the plural image bearing members.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member, a charger for charging the image bearing member image forming means for selectively erasing charge on the image bearing member to thereby form an electrostatic image, and a developing device for developing the electrostatic image. The developing device includes a developing roll contacting with the image bearing member and is capable of having a developing bias applied thereto and contacting and spacing device for contacting and spacing the developing roll with respect to the image bearing member. The contacting and spacing device contacts the developing roll having the developing bias applied to the area thereof charged by the charger with the image bearing member at a start of image formation.