Abstract: An electron-emitting apparatus includes an element having a lower electrode, an emitter section composed of a dielectric material, and an upper electrode having a plurality of micro through holes: and a drive voltage applying circuit having a power supply and a circuit that applies a voltage generated by the power supply between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. In order to emit electrons accumulated in the emitter section, the power supply generates a voltage gradually increasing from a first voltage to a second voltage. In order to accumulate electrons In the emitter section, the power supply generates a voltage gradually decreasing from the second voltage to the first voltage. A rapid change in element voltage and excessive element current can thereby be avoided, and unnecessary electron emission can be prevented.

Abstract: An electron-emitting element has an electron emission unit including a lower electrode, an emitter section composed of a dielectric material, and an upper electrode having a plurality of micro through holes; and a power supply for applying a power supply voltage to the electron emission unit. During the period between the point at which emission of electrons accumulated in the emitter section is started and the point at which the electron emission is completed, the power supply generates a first power supply voltage, whose absolute value changes with forming a sinusoidal wave so that the potential of the upper electrode is higher than the potential of the lower electrode.

Abstract: The invention offers an inkjet printer which does not produce defective prints when bubbles enter ink supply tube. There is provided an air trap in an ink supply tube near an ink delivery port of an ink tank. The air trap is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with a flow passage length of Lx, a height of Lh as measured from the bottom of an ink flow to a highest part, and a width of W. On its downstream end, the air trap has an outlet having a height of Ly as measured from the bottom of an ink flow. The air trap has a bubble catching space above the outlet. The dimensions are determined so that bubbles float at least up to height Ly while passing through the flow passage of length Lx. When bubbles flow into the air trap, they float and are caught in the space of the air trap before reaching the outlet.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink containing section including an ink absorbing body made of a porous material for retaining ink. The ink cartridge satisfies 200?N·R?320, where N is the cell density, expressed in the number of pores per inch, of the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink containing section; and R is a compressibility, which is a volume ratio of the ink absorbing body when the ink absorbing body is contained in a compressed state in the ink containing section to the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink containing section.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink containing section including an ink absorbing body made of a porous material for retaining ink. The ink cartridge satisfies 200?N·R?320, where N is the cell density, expressed in the number of pores per inch, of the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink containing section; and R is a compressibility, which is a volume ratio of the ink absorbing body when the ink absorbing body is contained in a compressed state in the ink containing section to the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink containing section.

Abstract: A fixing device of the present invention includes a pressure roller and a peeling roller both of which press a heat roller. The pressure roller is disposed upstream to the peeling roller in a transport direction of a recording paper. An outer diameter of the heat roller, an outer diameter of the pressure roller, and an outer diameter of the peeling roller decrease in this order. With this arrangement, it is possible to realize a fixing device which achieves a reduced size and reduced power requirements, while ensuring a fixing property and a peeling property with respect to a recording medium.

Abstract: Ink absorption pads are associated with waste ink storage apparatus in ink jet printers. Waste ink is emitted from the tubes. The waste ink is absorbed by the pads.

Abstract: Ink absorption pads are associated with waste ink storage apparatus in ink jet printers. Waste ink is emitted from the tubes. The waste ink is absorbed by the pads.

Abstract: A laser treatment apparatus for performing treatment by irradiating an affected part with a laser beam, the apparatus including: a laser source which emits a laser beam having a wavelength in a visible wavelength region; a polarization splitting member which splits the laser beam emitted from the laser source into a P-polarized component and an S-polarized component; and a polarization combining member which combines optical axes of the split components in a predetermined positional relation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an ink tank; and an ink supplying path for supplying the ink from the ink tank to a print head, wherein the ink supplying path therein includes a filter, which generates negative pressure when the ink is supplied, the negative pressure being smaller than ink absorbing pressure of a nozzle of the print head. Further, the ink tank therein includes, for example, a porous ink absorbing body for retaining ink.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which ink depletion detection accuracy will not be deteriorated even if an air bubble is created in an ink supplying path. The mage forming apparatus is provided with (a) an ink storage section for storing ink therein, (b) an ink supplying path for supplying, to a print head, the ink stored in the ink storage section, and (c) an electrode for detecting whether the ink is present or absent in the ink supplying path, an amount of the ink supplied into the ink supplying path being 1.0 cc or less per minute.

Abstract: The present invention can reduce the amount of ink in an outlet-side space which is sucked together with gas, without making the thickness of an isolating member for separating the inside of the sub-tank into an inlet-side space and the outlet-side space in the horizontal direction extremely thin nor making an inflow channel for allowing the ink in the inlet-side space to flow into the outlet-side space extremely small. The present invention has an isolating member in the form of a plate for separating the inside of a sub-tank coupled to a recording head into an inlet-side space connected to a main-tank and an outlet-side space connected to the recording head, and an inflow channel in the form of a slit for increasing the ink level in the inlet-side space while allowing the ink in the inlet-side space to flow into the outlet-side space from the isolating member.

Abstract: The invention offers an inkjet printer which does not produce defective prints when bubbles enter ink supply tube. There is provided an air trap in an ink supply tube near an ink delivery port of an ink tank. The air trap is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with a flow passage length of Lx, a height of Lh as measured from the bottom of an ink flow to a highest part, and a width of W. On its downstream end, the air trap has an outlet having a height of Ly as measured from the bottom of an ink flow. The air trap has a bubble catching space above the outlet. The dimensions are determined so that bubbles float at least up to height Ly while passing through the flow passage of length Lx. When bubbles flow into the air trap, they float and are caught in the space of the air trap before reaching the outlet.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink containing section including an ink absorbing body made of a porous material for retaining ink. The ink cartridge satisfies 200≦N·R≦320, where N is the cell density, expressed in the number of pores per inch, of the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink containing section; and R is a compressibility, which is a volume ratio of the ink absorbing body when the ink absorbing body is contained in a compressed state in the ink containing section to the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink containing section.

Abstract: An organic insulating coating formed on a substrate is composed of two layers of a first parylene coating and a second parylene coating. Heat treatment is performed to at least the first parylene coating after being formed, at a temperature below 125° C. for two hours. Then the second parylene coating is formed on the first parylene coating. Occurrence of pinholes is thus prevented at least in one of the two layers of the organic coatings, with the result that insulating properties of the coatings are improved.

Abstract: A laser treatment apparatus for performing treatment by irradiating an affected part with a laser beam, the apparatus including: a laser source (9) which emits a laser beam having a wavelength in a visible wavelength region; a polarization splitting member (11) which splits the laser beam emitted from the laser source into a P-polarized component and an S-polarized component; and a polarization combining member (16) which combines optical axes of the split components in a predetermined positional relation.

Abstract: An ophthalmic laser treatment apparatus which irradiates a laser beam to a patient's eye to be treated is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a first optical fiber which delivers a first laser beam emitted from a first laser source; a first light delivery optical system which forms an image of an emission end surface of the first optical fiber on the affected part of the eye in a predetermined first spot size being in a range of 50 &mgr;m to 1000 &mgr;m; a second optical fiber which delivers a second laser beam emitted from a second laser source; and a second light delivery optical system which forms an image of an emission end surface of the second optical fiber on the affected part of the eye in a predetermined second spot size in a range of 500 &mgr;m to 7000 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A laser treatment apparatus having a guide beam forming mechanism for guiding a treatment laser beam to a diseased part, including a laser beam irradiation optical system which irradiates the diseased part with the treatment laser beam, a target for obtaining a position of the central fovea of a patient's eye which is projected to the fundus, and a fixation mark for fixing the patient's eye so that the central fovea is located at a predetermined position with respect to the target. With the laser treatment apparatus, the central fovea of a patient's eye is easily judged, and, even for a patient's eye having reduced central visual acuity, the fixation is stably conducted.

Abstract: A laser apparatus has a laser device, a first reflection mirror, an output mirror and a second reflection mirror. The laser device oscillates first and second laser light beams. The first reflection mirror reflects a first laser light beam and is fixed at one end of an optical axis. The second reflection mirror reflects a second laser light beam and is arranged between the laser device and the first reflection mirror so as to be movable with respect to the optical axis. The output mirror reflects the first and second laser light beams and is fixed at the other end of the optical axis. With such a structure, the second reflection mirror is set to first and second positions. Specifically, the second reflection mirror is remote from the optical axis in the first position. Consequently, the first laser light beam is amplified between the first reflection mirror and the output mirror. On the other hand, the second reflection mirror is placed on the optical axis in the second position.

Abstract: A laser treatment apparatus providing a slit-lamp microscope with which an eye of a patient is observed, a box unit which is provided with an optical system to deliver a laser beam inside an observing visual field of the slit-lamp microscope, an attachable device which mounts the box unit on the slit-lamp microscope, and an optical fiber through which a laser beam for ophthalmic treatment is delivered to the box unit, wherein the box unit is provided with a dichroic mirror having characteristics of reflecting the laser beam for treatment to the patient's eye while absorbing a therapeutic surgery laser beam being incident to the dichroic mirror.