Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of forming an image with a uniform density includes a toner carrier, an opposing electrode, a high voltage power source for supplying a voltage to generate potential difference between the toner carrier and the opposing electrode, a control electrode arranged between the toner carrier and the opposing electrode and having a plurality of electrodes, and a control power source unit for implementing a plurality of potential states to each of the electrodes of the control electrode. The control electrode includes an insulating substrate, the plurality of electrodes provided on the insulating substrate and having passage portions for the toner, and a dielectric layer formed on a side facing the opposing electrode such that attracting force Fc attracting the toner adhered on the surface of the control electrode facing the opposing electrode is made smaller than attracting force Fb attracting the toner adhered on the opposing electrode.

Abstract: A lubricating oil composition containing a base oil of lubricating viscosity, overbased sulfurized alkylphenate detergent or its calcium salt, an overbased alkylsulfonate detergent or its calcium salt, an ashless dispersant, and a zinc dialkyldithiophosphate and/or zinc diaryidithiophosphate is described. The lubricating oil composition provides improved heat stability and anti-wear performance in marine diesel engines operated under severe conditions where the cylinder liner temperature may reach 200 to 260° C.

Abstract: A lubricating oil composition containing a base oil of lubricating viscosity, overbased sulfurized alkylphenate detergent or its calcium salt, an overbased alkylsulfonate detergent or its calcium salt, an ashless dispersant, and a zinc dialkyldithiophosphate and/or zinc diaryidithiophosphate is described. The lubricating oil composition provides improved heat stability and anti-wear performance in marine diesel engines operated under severe conditions where the cylinder liner temperature may reach 200 to 260° C.

Abstract: A lubricating oil composition containing a base oil of lubricating viscosity, overbased sulfurized alkylphenate detergent or its calcium salt, an overbased alkylsulfonate detergent or its calcium salt, an ashless dispersant, and a zinc dialkyldithiophosphate and/or zinc diaryldithiophosphate is described. The lubricating oil composition provides improved heat stability and anti-wear performance in marine diesel engines operated under severe conditions where the cylinder liner temperature reach 200 to 260° C.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of forming an image with uniform density includes a toner carrier for carrying a toner, an opposing electrode arranged opposing to the toner carrier, a high voltage power supply unit for supplying a voltage to generate a potential difference between the toner carrier and the opposing electrode, a control electrode including a plurality of electrodes arranged between the toner carrier and the opposing electrode, and a control power supply unit for implementing a plurality of potential states at respective ones of the electrodes of the control electrode, controlling passage of the toner through a passage portion, and for forming an image on a surface of a recording medium conveyed over the opposing electrode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a carrier for carrying toner, a back electrode disposed with a space between the carrier and back electrode, a control electrode disposed between the carrier and back electrode, for forming an electric field capable of causing toner on the carrier to fly toward the back electrode from the carrier and for forming an image by causing selectively the toner to fly and adhere to a recording medium according to an image signal, and a voltage applying section for applying an oscillating voltage to the control electrode. In order to prevent resonance of the control electrode, the oscillating voltage to be applied to the control electrode is set so that minimum natural numbers m and n satisfying that m times a frequency of the oscillating voltage to be applied to the control electrode is equal to n times the characteristic vibration frequency of the control electrode are more than 10.

Abstract: A doctor blade is provided in contact with frictionally charged toner in a toner tank, which regulates the amount of toner held on a toner holder. A charge control unit supplies to the doctor blade a voltage for selectively charging the toner. As a result, the amount of toner held on the toner holder is regulated, and simultaneously, the toner is charged to a specific polarity with a potential of the frictional charge or more. An electrostatic latent image is formed by the selectively charged toner. The toner is moved and transferred onto a papersheet which is sequentially transported, under the influence of an electric field generated by application of a voltage to an opposite electrode disposed opposing the toner holder. An image by the toner is thus formed on the papersheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a toner carrier, a counter electrode, and a control electrode, which have the same potential as a ground potential of the image forming apparatus during a non-operational period while a flight electric field-use operational voltage and control voltages are not applied. During an operational period while the operational voltage and the control voltages are applied, a flight suppressing voltage for suppressing flight of the toner in the control voltages is first applied to the control voltage, and thereafter the operational voltage is applied to the counter electrode. When the application of the operational voltage and the control voltage are suspended, the flight suppressing voltage is first applied as the control voltage, then the application of the operational voltage is suspended, and thereafter the application of the flight suppressing voltage is suspended.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, flying of toner from a toner holder towards a counter electrode is controlled by giving a potential to a control grid according to an image signal. Here, a distance between the control grid and the toner holder is set so as to be shorter than a pitch of a gate. The toner passes through a plurality of gates which is a passing section of the toner in the control grid and adheres to a sheet so as to form an image on the sheet. Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus, image signals to be inputted serially from an image reading unit are distributed to odd lines and even lines so as to respectively stored into the odd memory and the even memory. The image signals are stored into the odd memory and at the same time the image signals stored in the even memory are read out.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in accordance with the present invention is provided with a unit composed of members such as a photoreceptor drum and an optical system, the unit being attachably and detachably provided with respect to the image forming apparatus main body. With the arrangement, the replacement of the photoreceptor drum can be made at the user's end with ease. It is not necessary to carry out fine adjustments at the user's end for positioning the photoreceptor drum and optical system with respect to the image forming apparatus main body. Thus, professional skill is not required for the replacement of the photoreceptor drum, thereby resulting in that the operations such as maintenance can be effectively made. It is preferable that a cleaner is further provided for removing any contaminated materials adhering to the inner surface of the photoreceptor drum.

Abstract: A recording material recognizing device which enables a detection determining whether or not the recording material has passed and a detection determining the width of the recording material to be performed at one time, and also enables a detection determining a thickness, a resistance and a dielectric constant, of the recording material to be performed when physical values of the recording material are also required for stabilizing an image quality.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging roller for charging a surface of a photoconductive layer in a photoreceptor so as to have a prescribed polarity, a first exposing unit which is arranged on a downstream side of the charging roller on the basis of a direction in which the photoreceptor moves, a developer unit which is placed on a downstream side of the first exposing unit and which keeps toner, to which a charge with a polarity opposite to the prescribed polarity is applied, in contact with a photoconductive layer, and a second exposing unit for directing light generated according to an image signal to a back of the photoconductive layer at a contact position of the toner and the photoconductive layer. The first exposing unit directing light reflected from a document to which a light is applied to the surface of photoconductive layer so as to form a first electrostatic latent image.

Abstract: An apparatus for diagnosing the characteristic of an acceleration sensor and a method for diagnosis thereof are disclosed. The acceleration sensor includes a movable electrode (or mass part) displaced in accordance with an acceleration and a fixed electrode disposed opposite to the movable electrode. In a diagnosis mode, a signal for diagnosis is applied to the fixed electrode so that an electrostatic force as a force corresponding to a predetermined acceleration is generated between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode. In the case where the acceleration sensor is sound, the movable electrode or mass part is normally displaced. A failure of the acceleration sensor, the deterioration thereof in performance, a change in characteristic thereof caused from the lapse of time, or the like is self-diagnosed by detecting a change in capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode upon generation of the diagnosis signal.

Abstract: A crash detection apparatus of an air bag system comprises a detection unit for detecting acceleration caused therein by an automobile and outputting electric signals corresponding to the acceleration, a discrimination unit for discriminating, from the signals from the detection unit, a crash signal which is outputted on the basis of the acceleration caused by crash of the automobile, the crash signal being inputted into an inflator to inflate an air bag. The detection unit is a capacitance type semiconductor detector comprising a pair of fixed electrodes and a cantilevered movable electrode disposed between the fixed electrodes and fixed at an end thereof, and a servo control unit is electrically connected to the detection unit so as to form a negative feedback loop, of a detection signal.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes a writing device for selectively writing image data on a liquid crystal cell by beam light, a printer for printing out an image on a recording medium, an erasing device for erasing the image written on the liquid crystal cell by a beam of light from a specified region, and a controller for controlling the writing device for writing a novel image in the region from which the previously written image has been erased.