Abstract: An optical recording medium according to the present invention includes a phase change recording layer where reversible phase changes between a crystal phase and an amorphous phase are used, wherein the recording layer includes at least Sb, Mn, and Te and, in a state corresponding to the crystal phase, has a structure where one diffracted ray is detected by X-ray diffraction as being present in respective ranges of spacings (Å) of 3.10±0.03, 2.25±0.03, and 2.15±0.03, in a range of between 3.13 and 2.12 spacing inclusive, with diffracted rays not being detected in other ranges within the 3.13 to 2.12 spacing range. Accordingly, the optical recording medium can be reliably crystallized even when the irradiation time of laser light is short, and also has superior thermal stability in an amorphous state.

Abstract: Information including a NewCartridgeBit indicating that a cartridge having an internal non-volatile memory is a new (unused) cartridge and information including a FirstInstallDate related to the NewCartridgeBit and the date of indicating first use of the cartridge have been recorded in the non-volatile memory of the cartridge. If an update command for updating the NewCartridgeBit has been issued, the NewCartridgeBit is updated and then the FirstInstallDate is updated if the FirstInstallDate is an initial value. If an update command for updating the FirstInstallDate has been issued, then, when the NewCartridgeBit is not an initial value, the FirstInstallDate is updated if it is the initial value. As a result, the conformity between the interrelated information the NewCartridgeBit and the FirstInstallDate can be maintained.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a memory has a first storage area for storing information related to image formation as predetermined unit data and a second storage area for storing the information as bit-unit data. A printer control unit, which controls writing/reading of the information related to image formation to/from the memory, stores the information related to image formation, stored in the first storage area as the predetermined unit data as the bit-unit data, into said second storage area.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a metal surface-treating method which is capable of forming a zinc phosphate coat suitable for the cationic electrodeposition coating of a metallic shaped product, particularly a metallic shaped product having both an iron type metallic surface and a zinc type metallic surface and is suited to a closed system.

Abstract: This invention provides a metal surface-treating method which comprises a chemical conversion step of dipping a substrate in an acidic aqueous zinc phosphate solution, and using an aqueous zinc nitrite solution as an accelerator, said aqueous zinc nitrite solution being substantially free of calcium ion and containing 0 to 6500 ppm of sodium ion and 0 to 20 ppm of sulfate ion in case of assuming the concentration of zinc nitrite [Zn(NO2)2] therein to be 10 weight % as NO2.

Abstract: Information NewCartridgeBit indicating that a cartridge having an internal non-volatile memory is a new (unused) cartridge and information FirstInstallDate related to NewCartridgeBit and indicating first use of the cartridge have been recorded in the non-volatile memory of the cartridge. If an update command for updating NewCartridgeBit has been issued, NewCartridgeBit is updated and then FirstInstallDate is updated if FirstInstallDate is an initial value. If an update command for updating FirstInstallDate has been issued, then, when NewCartridgeBit is not an initial value, FirstInstallDate is updated if it is the initial value. As a result, the conformity between the interrelated information NewCartridgeBit and FirstInstallDate can be maintained.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit for forming an image on either a free-size sheet of an arbitrary size other than a regular size or a regular-size sheet, a controlling unit for controlling, when the image forming unit forms the image on the regular-size sheet, a controlling target unit according to a size of the regular-size sheet, an inputting unit for inputting a size of the free-size sheet, and a converting unit for converting the size inputted by the inputting unit, to suit the converted size to the controlling performed by the controlling unit to the regular-size sheet, wherein the controlling unit performs the different controlling for each group of the sheet sizes, and the converting unit performs the converting to suit the size of the free-size sheet to the group.

Abstract: This invention is related to a method for recovery of aqueous wash in a phosphate chemical conversion of a shaped metal product involving carrying out chemical conversion and subsequent cleaning with water, wherein said cleaning with water is performed in one or more stages and comprises a step of withdrawing aqueous wash from a first cleaning stage and adjusting the pH of the wash with at least one acid selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrosilicofluoric acid and fluoroboric acid, a step of treating said pH-adjusted aqueous wash with a first reverse osmosis membrane to separate it into a first filtrate and a first concentrate, and a step of neutralizing said first filtrate with an alkali and treating the alkali-neutralized filtrate with a second reverse osmosis membrane to separate it into a second filtrate and a second concentrate, said first concentrate being recycled for said phosphate chemical conversion, said second filtrate being recycled as a

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit for forming an image on either a free-size sheet of an arbitrary size other than a regular size or a regular-size sheet, a controlling unit for controlling, when the image forming unit forms the image on the regular-size sheet, a controlling target unit according to a size of the regular-size sheet, an inputting unit for inputting a size of the free-size sheet, and a converting unit for converting the size inputted by the inputting unit, to suit the converted size to the controlling performed by the controlling unit to the regular-size sheet, wherein the controlling unit performs the different controlling for each group of the sheet sizes, and the converting unit performs the converting to suit the size of the free-size sheet to the group.

Abstract: This invention provides a metal surface-treating method

Abstract: This invention is related to a method for recovery of aqueous wash in a phosphate chemical conversion of a shaped metal product involving carrying out chemical conversion and subsequent cleaning with water,

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a guide unit for guiding sheets fed by a sheet feed unit to an image forming unit, a discharge guide unit for discharging the sheets onto which images are formed, by the image forming unit, a re-transportation guide unit for branching the sheets from the discharge guide unit and guiding them through the image forming apparatus again, and a plurality of sheet sensors disposed in the re-transportation guide unit at intervals in a sheet transportation direction for determining positions at which the sheets are placed in a standby state, wherein the number of sheets, which are placed in the standby state is selected based on sheet size information so that more sheets are placed in the standby state when a sheet size is short than when it is long. Accordingly, the throughput of short sheets can be increased when images are recorded on both sides thereof.

Abstract: An optical recording medium of phase change type which exhibits an increased number of overwritable operations is provided. The optical recording medium comprises a substrate, and a first dielectric layer, a recording layer, a second dielectric layer, and a metal reflective layer disposed on the substrate in this order, and the first dielectric layer comprises a dielectric layer 1a on the side of the substrate and a dielectric layer 1b in contact with the recording layer. The dielectric layer 1a comprises ZnS--SiO.sub.2, and the dielectric layer 1b comprises Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and/or Ge.sub.3 N.sub.4. The second dielectric layer may comprise a single layer of ZnS--SiO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2 or oxide of a rare earth metal. The second dielectric layer may also comprise a laminate of a dielectric layer 2a comprising ZnS--SiO.sub.2 on the side of the substrate and a dielectric layer 2b comprising SiO.sub.2 or oxide of a rare earth metal on the side of the reflective layer. The dielectric layer 1b has a thickness of 0.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic device includes an organic insulating layer of a raised shape and a soft magnetic alloy thin film covering the organic insulating layer. The soft magnetic alloy thin film has a composition which varies to provide a magneto-striction distribution such that magnetostriction is positive or negative in a top region and negative or positive in a bottom region of the raised shape whereby the device has uniaxial anisotropy in a desired direction.