Abstract: A fixing liquid is provided which fixes a toner comprising a resin on a recording medium, in which a fluid particle comprising a component which dissolves or swells at least a portion of the resin comprised in the toner is dispersed in a dispersive medium, as a micro-emulsion.

Abstract: A fixing liquid configured to fix a toner containing a resin on a recording medium is disclosed, wherein a particle containing a component capable of dissolving or swelling at least one portion of the resin contained in the toner is dispersed in a nonaqueous dispersing medium. A toner fixing method of fixing a toner containing a resin on a recording medium is disclosed, wherein the fixing liquid as described above is used. A toner fixing apparatus configured to fix a toner containing a resin on a recording medium is disclosed, wherein the toner fixing method as described above is used.

Abstract: A power transmitting shaft including a coupling member that is connected to a counterpart, a cylindrical intermediate member that is disposed on a side of one end of the coupling member and has a mechanical strength larger than that of the coupling member, a tube member having one end portion that is connected to either one of an inner circumferential portion of the intermediate member and an outer circumferential portion of the intermediate member, and an increased diameter portion that is disposed on one end portion of the intermediate member which is opposed to the one end of the coupling member in an axial direction of the power transmitting shaft, the increased diameter portion being connected with the one end of the coupling member in the axial direction.

Abstract: A fixing solution for fixing toner to a recording medium, includes aliphatic ester held by solvent in a soluble manner, and having solubility or swelling property with respect to resin included in the toner.

Abstract: A disclosed fixing device fixes resin particles onto a medium by applying a fixer including a softening agent onto the resin particles resting on the medium. The softening agent softens the resin particles by dissolving or causing swelling of at least part of resin included in the resin particles. A foamed fixer is generated from the fixer. The foamed fixer whose layer thickness is controlled is applied onto the resin particles resting on the medium.

Abstract: A support device of a propeller shaft comprises an annular bracket fixed to a floor member of a vehicle body; an annular elastic member disposed in the annular bracket; an annular supporting structure disposed in the annular elastic member and rotatably supporting a cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft through a ball bearing unit; and an annular seal member intimately disposed in an annular space defined between the annular supporting structure and the cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft. One of outer and inner cylindrical surfaces of the annular seal member is in slidable contact with either one of an inner cylindrical surface of the annular supporting structure and an outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing liquid for fixing microparticles containing a resin to a medium, a fixing device using this fixing liquid, and an image forming apparatus comprising this fixing device. The fixing liquid of the present invention is a fixing liquid for fixing resin microparticles to a medium, and is a water-in-oil type fixing liquid comprising a continuous oil phase at least one portion of which comprises a softener for softening the resin microparticles by dissolving or swelling at least one portion of the resin microparticles, and an aqueous phase, as a separate phase, dispersed in the oil phase. As a result, the fixing liquid combines preservability during storage and drying property on a medium after application of the fixing liquid, is free of residual oily feel during application, and affords better fixing responsiveness than conventional fixing liquids.

Abstract: A fixing liquid is provided which fixes a toner comprising a resin on a recording medium, in which a fluid particle comprising a component which dissolves or swells at least a portion of the resin comprised in the toner is dispersed in a dispersive medium, as a micro-emulsion.

Abstract: A fixing liquid configured to fix a toner containing a resin on a recording medium is disclosed, wherein a particle containing a component capable of dissolving or swelling at least one portion of the resin contained in the toner is dispersed in a nonaqueous dispersing medium. A toner fixing method of fixing a toner containing a resin on a recording medium is disclosed, wherein the fixing liquid as described above is used. A toner fixing apparatus configured to fix a toner containing a resin on a recording medium is disclosed, wherein the toner fixing method as described above is used.

Abstract: A fixing solution for fixing toner to a recording medium, includes aliphatic ester held by solvent in a soluble manner, and having solubility or swelling property with respect to resin included in the toner.

Abstract: A drive-transmission device includes an absorbing mechanism. The absorbing mechanism having a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a tubular intermediate shaft, a first joint and a second joint. The drive shaft is connected with a first end portion of the tubular intermediate shaft through the first joint, and the driven shaft is connected with a second end portion of the tubular intermediate shaft through the second joint. The absorbing mechanism absorbs an axial load by permitting at least one of the drive and the driven shaft to slide into the tubular intermediate shaft through the each joint.

Abstract: An ink jet head of the present invention compresses ink with an electrostatic force generated between each vibration plate and a counter electrode facing it. A glass substrate is formed with through holes in which a conductor is buried. A metal wiring pattern and conductor bumps are provided on the rear of each counter electrode. The conductor bumps and counter electrodes associated therewith are electrically connected together. Ink is fed from the rear of the glass substrate to a common ink chamber via a through hole assigned to ink feed. A metal wiring pattern on the rear of the glass substrate allows the conductor bumps to be arranged at any desired positions. The head does not need any flexible printed circuit board or any wiring substrate.

Abstract: An image forming substance removing apparatus for preventing an unstabilizing liquid from being excessively applied to a sheet material unnecessarily, preventing a bad state of transporting the sheet material, and not requiring a long time for drying the sheet material is provided. In the above-mentioned apparatus, an unstabilizing liquid supplying unit applies the unstabilizing liquid to the transfer material and is constructed with an applying roller for pumping up the unstabilizing liquid by an action of its rotation, a restriction roller for bringing the applying roller into contact with the transfer paper, and others. And further, in order to move the restriction roller between a position of coming into contact with the applying roller and a position of departing therefrom, a tip end sensor for sensing the tip end of the transfer paper, a spring, and a solenoid, etc. are provided in the apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming substance removing apparatus for preventing an unstabilizing liquid from being excessively applied to a sheet material unnecessarily, preventing a bad state of transporting the sheet material, and not requiring a long time for drying the sheet material is provided. In the above-mentioned apparatus, an unstabilizing liquid supplying unit applies the unstabilizing liquid to the transfer material and is constructed with an applying roller for pumping up the unstabilizing liquid by an action of its rotation, a restriction roller for bringing the applying roller into contact with the transfer paper, and others. And further, in order to move the restriction roller between a position of coming into contact with the applying roller and a position of departing therefrom, a tip end sensor for sensing the tip end of the transfer paper, a spring, and a solenoid, etc. are provided in the apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming substance removing apparatus for preventing an unstabilizing liquid from being excessively applied to a sheet material unnecessarily, preventing a bad state of transporting the sheet material, and not requiring a long time for drying the sheet material is provided. In the above-mentioned apparatus, an unstabilizing liquid supplying unit applies the unstabilizing liquid to the transfer material and is constructed with an applying roller for pumping up the unstabilizing liquid by an action of its rotation, a restriction roller for bringing the applying roller into contact with the transfer paper, and others. And further, in order to move the restriction roller between a position of coming into contact with the applying roller and a position of departing therefrom, a tip end sensor for sensing the tip end of the transfer paper, a spring, and a solenoid, etc. are provided in the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for recycling a recording medium having an image forming substance deposited on both sides of the recording medium. A first image removing unit removes the image forming substance from a first side of the recording medium and a second image removing unit removes the image forming substance from a second side of the recording medium. A driving portion feeds the recording medium sequentially through the first image removing unit and then through the second image removing unit. Each image removing unit includes an image separating material which is constructed of a substance to which the image forming substance tends to adhere to and a backpressing material, which is formed opposite to the image separating material, and which presses the recording medium against the image forming substance. A surface of the backpressing material is formed of a material to which the image forming substance tends not to adhere.

Abstract: A sealing device for an universal joint includes a lip portion arranged to be in close contact with an outer peripheral edge of a bearing cap, and a dust cover portion arranged at the outer periphery of the lip portion substantially in parallel thereto with a predetermined clearance so as to extend over the outer peripheral edge of the bearing cap.

Abstract: An image forming method including the steps of bringing an image-forming liquid in which finely-divided resin particles are dispersed in a dispersion medium into contact with an image-bearing member capable of repelling the dispersion medium of the image-forming liquid, and selectively applying heat and/or pressure to the image-bearing member or the image-forming liquid by use of a heat-application system and/or pressure-application system in accordance with signals corresponding to an image to be formed to deposit imagewise the finely-divided resin particles in the image-forming liquid on the surface of the image-bearing member, thereby obtaining a resin image corresponding to the image on the image-bearing member. In addition, an image forming apparatus for the above-mentioned image forming method is disclosed.

Abstract: A recording method in which a liquid adhesion region and a liquid non-adhesion region of a surface of a material are utilized in a recording process. A latent image is formed by applying a heat onto portions of recording material. The recording material includes a surface having a receding contact angle, which receding contact angle decreases either when a temperature of the surface becomes more than a predetermined temperature in a condition where the surface is in contact with a liquid or when the surface is made to come in contact with a liquid in a condition where the temperature of the surface is at or exceeds a predetermined temperature. A plurality of visible color images corresponding to the latent image are formed by causing the surface come into contact with a recording agent containing a coloring agent and a fine powder of the recording material, each color image except for the color image formed first being formed on a layer formed of fine powder contained in a previously applied recording agent.

Abstract: An ink jet printing head driving method includes steps of: applying a voltage falling edge of a first pulse signal to cause a piezoelectric element to contract so that a capacity of a liquid passage is increased so as to supply ink to the liquid passage; applying a voltage rising edge of the first pulse signal to cause the piezoelectric element to expand so that the capacity of the liquid passage is decreased, for discharging an ink droplet through a discharge port, the first pulse signal having a first pulse width and a first peak voltage amplitude; and applying a voltage rising edge of a second pulse signal to the piezoelectric element after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since application of the first pulse signal for discharging the ink droplet, a pulse width of the second pulse signal being smaller than the first pulse width, and a peak voltage amplitude of the second pulse signal being equal to the first peak voltage amplitude.