Abstract: An air-cooled and ventilated heat exchanger includes a fin and a plurality of heat transfer tubes. The fin has a plate-shaped part and a plurality of protruding parts. The plate-shaped part is positioned so that a plate-thickness direction intersects an air-flow direction generated by ventilation, and the protruding parts protrude from the plate-shaped part in the plate-thickness direction. The heat-transfer tubes are-inserted into the fin so as to intersect the air-flow direction. The protruding parts have a first protruding part and a second protruding part. An inclination angle of the first protruding part with respect to the plate-shaped part is a first angle, an inclination angle of the second protruding part with respect to the plate-shaped part is a second angle, and the second angle is different from the first angle. The second protruding part is placed adjacent to the first protruding part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a developed image, a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to be supplied to the image bearing member, a cleaning blade for removing the developer from the image bearing member, and a controller for executing, at predetermined timing during a non-image-formation period, sequence controls for moving developer to the image bearing member and removing developer from the image bearing member by the cleaning blade. In addition, a removing unit removes the developer at a position before the developer, moved to the image bearing member by the sequence control, reaches the cleaning blade. An amount of the developer removed by the cleaning blade is controlled to be smaller in a first sequence control than in a second sequence control.

Abstract: In an outdoor unit, first through third intermediate heat exchangers and an outdoor heat exchanger are disposed to stand along an air inlet of an outdoor casing, and the outdoor heat exchanger is located above the first through third intermediate heat exchangers.

Abstract: A finned tube heat exchanger includes a plurality heat-transfer fins and a plurality of heat-transfer tubes. The heat-transfer fins are disposed along an airflow direction. The plurality of heat-transfer tubes are inserted into the heat-transfer fins and arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to the airflow direction. Each of the heat transfer fins includes a plurality of sets of cut-and-raised parts with each set being straightly aligned from the upstream side toward the downstream side. At least one set of cut-and-raised parts is connected by a straight line sloped relative to the airflow direction. Each of the heat transfer fins includes a plurality of concavities with each concavity formed on a periphery of one of the heat-transfer tubes at least partially below a horizontal plane that passes through a center axis of the heat-transfer tubes and lies on an upper surface of the heat transfer fin having the concavity formed therein.

Abstract: A first header collecting pipe is divided into an upper space corresponding to an upper heat exchange region and a lower space corresponding to a lower heat exchange region. The lower space is divided into a plurality of communication spaces corresponding respectively to auxiliary heat exchange parts of the lower heat exchange region. A second header collecting pipe is divided into a communication space corresponding to both of a first main heat exchange part and the third auxiliary heat exchange part, and into communication spaces corresponding respectively to other main heat exchange parts and the other auxiliary heat exchange parts. Each of pairs of communication space and communication space is connected to an associated one of communication pipes.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes flat tubes and fins. The plate-like fins are spaced from one another by a predetermined distance in the direction in which the flat tubes extend. The flat tubes are inserted in pipe insertion portions of the fins. In the fins, parts of the fins between vertically adjacent ones of the flat tubes are heat transfer parts. Each of the heat transfer parts includes protrusions and louvers. The protrusions are located at a windward region of the heat transfer part and formed by making the heat transfer part protrude in an inverted V shape. The louvers are located in a leeward region of the heat transfer part and bend out from the heat transfer part.

Abstract: A plurality of flat tubes is, at one end thereof, connected to a first header collecting pipe, and is, at the other end thereof, connected to a second header collecting pipe. Some of the flat tubes forms a main heat exchange part, and the other flat tubes forms an auxiliary heat exchange part. The number of flat tubes of the auxiliary heat exchange part is less than the number of flat tubes of the main heat exchange part. The total cross-sectional area of flow paths per flat tube provided in the auxiliary heat exchange part is greater than the total cross-sectional area of flow paths per flat tube provided in the main heat exchange part.

Abstract: A developing device for use with an image forming apparatus, includes a developing roller for carrying a developer and for forming a developer image on an image bearing member; a supplying roller for supplying the developer to the developing roller, wherein the supplying roller has a foam layer at its surface and forms a nip between itself and the developing roller; an accommodating portion, provided below the supplying roller, for accommodating the developer; and a feeding member for feeding the developer from the accommodating portion onto the nip by being rotated in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of the supplying roller. The supplying roller is rotated in a direction which is from a lower end of the nip to an upper end of the nip. The supplying roller is provided so that its top is higher than a top of the developing roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a developed image; a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to be supplied to the image bearing member; a cleaning blade for removing the developer from the image bearing member; a control device for executing, at predetermined timing during a non-image-formation period, sequence controls for moving a developer from the sleeve to the drum and removing a developer moved to the drum by the cleaning blade; and a removing device capable of removing the developer in a position before developer moved to the image bearing member by the cleaning blade, wherein the sequence controls includes a first sequence control and a second sequence control, and wherein an amount of the developer removed by the cleaning blade is controlled such that the amount is smaller in the first sequence control than in the second sequence control.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of flat tubes and at least one wavily folded fin disposed between a pair of the flat tubes. The fin includes a heat transfer portion having a folded portion joined to a planar portion of each of the pair of flat tubes, and a cut-and-raised portion. The cut-and-raised portion is formed by raising a periphery of a cutting line segment when a material of the fin is wavily folded. The cutting line segment is set in a vicinity of a hypothetical center line of the folded portion before the material of the fin is wavily folded. The cutting line segment is formed by a combination of cutting line segments intersecting with the hypothetical center line, or a combination of a cutting line segment intersecting with the hypothetical center line and a cutting line segment displaced with respect to the hypothetical center line.

Abstract: A heat exchanger grooved tube is made of a copper alloy having a 0.2% proof stress of greater than or equal to 40 N/mm2, and the relationship among the fin width b, the number N of fins (3), and the root thickness t is represented by 8<bN/t<20.

Abstract: A fin tube type heat exchanger includes heat transfer fins spaced apart from each other along plate thickness directions and heat transfer tubes inserted into the heat transfer fins in directions substantially orthogonal to a gas current flow direction. Each heat transfer fin includes cut and raised parts lined up from upstream to downstream on both sides of each heat transfer tube. The cut and raised parts are inclined with respect to the gas current flow direction to guide gas current to a rear side of the heat transfer tubes. A height of each of the cut and raised parts increases gradually toward the downstream side. A value calculated by dividing an average height of each cut and raised part by a fin pitch is greater than 0.3 and less than 0.6. The fin pitch is a spacing between the heat transfer fins.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes heat transfer tubes forming one or more refrigerant passages, and a plurality of plate-shaped fins aligned and stacked at a predetermined spacing with the heat transfer tubes passing through in a substantially perpendicular manner. A relationship between a center-to-center distance S between an adjacent pair of heat transfer tubes and an outside diameter D of the heat transfer tubes is 2.5<S/D<3.5. The center-to-center distance S is measured substantially perpendicularly to the adjacent pair of heat transfer tubes. A relationship between a length L of the one or more refrigerant passages and the outside diameter D of the heat transfer tubes is 0.28×D1.17<L<1.10×D1.17. The heat exchanger is preferably for a refrigerant circuit using either a single refrigerant or a mixed refrigerant including the single refrigerant.

Abstract: A fin tube heat exchanger has heat transfer fins disposed in an air flow and plural heat transfer tubes that are inserted in the heat transfer fins and disposed in a direction substantially orthogonal to a flow direction of the air flow. On the heat transfer fins, a set of guide fins and a set of guide fins arranged straightly from upstream to downstream in the flow direction of the air flow are formed, by cutting and raising, on the heat transfer fin surfaces on both sides of the heat transfer tubes. Straight lines that hypothetically interconnect the guide fins and the guide fins slant with respect to the flow direction of the air flow so as to guide the air flow in the vicinities of the heat transfer tubes to rear sides of the heat transfer tubes in the flow direction.

Abstract: A finned tube heat exchanger includes a plurality heat-transfer fins and a plurality of heat-transfer tubes. The heat-transfer fins are disposed along an airflow direction. The plurality of heat-transfer tubes are inserted into the heat-transfer fins and arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to the airflow direction. Each of the heat transfer fins includes a plurality of sets of cut-and-raised parts with each set being straightly aligned from the upstream side toward the downstream side. At least one set of cut-and-raised parts is connected by a straight line sloped relative to the airflow direction. Each of the heat transfer fins includes a plurality of concavities with each concavity formed on a periphery of one of the heat-transfer tubes at least partially below a horizontal plane that passes through a center axis of the heat-transfer tubes and lies on an upper surface of the heat transfer fin having the concavity formed therein.

Abstract: In a photovoltaic cell composed of a photovoltaic element and a coating film provided thereon, the photovoltaic element has an electrode portion or portions having a thickness larger than the average thickness of the coating film, and in addition, the thickness of the coating film which is in contact with the electrode portion or portions is equal to or smaller than the average thickness described above.

Abstract: A heat exchanger-use fin includes a fin body, collars and erect portions. The fin body has a plurality of holes. The collars surround the holes. The collars are disposed between two straight lines on a surface of the fin body. Outer peripheries of the collars contact the straight lines. The erect portions are positioned outside the two straight lines. Distal ends of the erect portions are in higher positions than distal ends of the collars relative to the surface of the fin body. A guide used with the fin includes first and second alternately arranged grooves. The second grooves are deeper than the first grooves. A method of using the guide includes slidably fitting the collars into one of the first grooves, and fitting the erect portions into the second groove adjacent to the first groove having the collars fitted therein.

Abstract: A centrifugal blower is arranged in the casing so as to extend its axis of rotation along the depth direction of an air conditioner. A pair of heat exchangers are arranged on the right and left sides of the centrifugal fan so as to superimpose on the centrifugal fan when viewed from the direction perpendicularly intersecting the axis of rotation of the centrifugal fan. In other words, each heat exchanger is arranged symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane including the axis of rotation of the centrifugal fan. Accordingly, the centrifugal fan and the heat exchanger do not overlap in the depth direction of the air conditioner in the casing. Thus, the air conditioner can be made compact in the depth direction.

Abstract: A gasket provided with a sliding-treated layer on the surface of a fluorine rubber gasket body. The sliding-treated layer is a baked coated film of a sliding treating agent. The sliding treating agent is an aqueous emulsion containing a solid lubricant, an urethane-based resin as a matrix, and a reactive group-coupled alkyltrialkoxysilane series compound represented by the following chemical formula as an adherability modifier.

Abstract: In a photovoltaic cell composed of a photovoltaic element and a coating film provided thereon, the photovoltaic element has an electrode portion or portions having a thickness larger than the average thickness of the coating film, and in addition, the thickness of the coating film which is in contact with the electrode portion or portions is equal to or smaller than the average thickness described above.