Abstract: There is provided a toner set including a yellow toner, a cyan toner and a magenta toner, the toners each comprising an external additive and colored resin particles comprising a binder resin, a colorant and a charge control agent. An absolute value of an average of q/d for any of the yellow, cyan and magenta toners is expressed by charge amount q (fC) and particle diameter d (?m). It is obtained by measurement using an electric field detachment-type charge amount distribution measurement device. It is in a range of 2.0 to 6.5 fC/10 ?m, and a standard deviation (SD) of q/d is 13 fC/10 ?m or less. A difference between average values of q/d for any two of the yellow, cyan and magenta toners is 2.0 fC/10 ?m or less. A difference (?SD) between standard deviations of q/d for the two toners is 5.0 fC/10 ?m or less.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a toner which is able to inhibit the occurrence of fog, which is excellent in intermittent endurance, and which is excellent in followability during toner transfer and is thus excellent in top edge part uniformity in solid pattern printing. Disclosed is a toner for developing electrostatic images, comprising colored resin particles containing a binder resin, a colorant and a release agent, and an external additive, wherein static and kinetic friction coefficients obtained by measuring, using a 3-mm-diameter stainless-steel ball as a contactor, a 55-mm-diameter disk-shaped pellet obtained by pressing 4 g of the toner at 9 MPa for one minute, are 0.220 to 0.320 and 0.190 to 0.270, respectively, and a difference calculated by subtracting the kinetic friction coefficient from the static friction coefficient is 0.010 to 0.090.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a toner for developing electrostatic images, which is configured to have excellent low-temperature fixability, resistance to filming, inhibition of fog in a high temperature and high humidity environment, and excellent printing durability in a high temperature and high humidity environment (resistance to fog under load of continuous printing). Disclosed is a toner for developing electrostatic images, including colored resin particles containing a binder resin and a colorant, and external additives, wherein, as the external additives, the toner contains the specific amount of the zinc oxide fine particles having the specific particle diameter and the specific amount of the alumina fine particles having the specific particle diameter.

Abstract: A reference range identifying device acquires and records, at a predetermined time interval, a measuring result of a load and exhaust temperature of an engine. The device identifies, based on combinations of the load and exhaust temperature recorded at multiple points of time, for each load zone, for example a 95% confidence interval of a distribution of exhaust temperatures as a reference range. Subsequently, the device calculates an approximate curve for lower limits and upper limits of reference ranges identified for the load zones. The device identifies a range sandwiched by the calculated two approximate curves as a reference range that changes in accordance with a load. The device, upon detecting that a current load and exhaust temperature of the engine is not included in the reference range, notifies the detected fact to a user.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer roller, a stripping electrode, and a protective member. The transfer roller transfers a toner image formed on an image bearing member to a sheet in a transfer position. The stripping electrode is arranged downstream from the transfer position to which the sheet is to be carried. The stripping electrode includes a plurality of needle electrodes. The protective member is arranged on the transfer roller side with respect to the stripping electrode and overlaid on the stripping electrode. The protective member includes a cutout provided in a position facing at least one of the needle electrodes.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a multiplex control device includes three or more control modules to execute same operations for same input signals, and a majority decision module to output an output signal that matches majority of output signals outputted by the control modules. Each control module includes an input module to convert an input signal into an input value, a first determination module to obtain input values from input modules of respective control modules to determine whether majority of input values among the obtained input values match, an operation executing module to execute an operation using the matched input value to generate an output value, a second determination module to obtain output values from operation executing modules of respective control modules to determine whether majority of output values among the obtained output values match, and an output module to convert the matched output value to generate an output signal.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer roller, a stripping electrode, and a protective member. The transfer roller transfers a toner image formed on an image bearing member to a sheet in a transfer position. The stripping electrode is arranged downstream from the transfer position to which the sheet is to be carried. The stripping electrode includes a plurality of needle electrodes. The protective member is arranged on the transfer roller side with respect to the stripping electrode and overlaid on the stripping electrode. The protective member includes a cutout provided in a position facing at least one of the needle electrodes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a coating portion configured to perform a coating process that forms a coating film on a recording sheet with an image formed thereon, a main transport path configured to transport the recording sheet with the image formed thereon and to have a branching portion formed thereon, and a sub transport path configured to be once branched from the main transport path at the branching portion and to be returned to the main transport path again. The coating portion is disposed on the sub transport path.

Abstract: There is provided a toner comprising a binder resin, a wax, a charge control resin and a colorant. As a result of gas chromatography analysis, a first total amount of components detected in a range of a peak detecting time of hydrocarbons having 5 to 9 carbons is 500 ppm or less in terms of styrene; a second total amount of components detected in a range of a peak detecting time of hydrocarbons having 10 to 18 carbons is 5,000 ppm or less in terms of styrene; and an amount of a component corresponding to a maximum peak of peaks of hydrocarbons having 10 to 18 carbons is 3,000 ppm or less in terms of styrene.

Abstract: A resonator is provided that suppresses vibration of a retainer caused by undesired vibration of a vibrating portion and also achieves size reduction. Specifically, the resonator includes a vibrating member that includes a semiconductor layer, a first piezoelectric film formed on the semiconductor layer, and a first upper electrode formed on the first piezoelectric film. Moreover, a retainer is provided to retain the vibrating member such that the vibrating portion can vibrate and one or more coupling members are provided to couple the vibrating member to the retainer. Finally, the resonator includes a vibration suppressing member that includes a second piezoelectric film formed on the retainer and a second upper electrode formed on the second piezoelectric film.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrostatic image developer containing colored resin particles containing a binder resin and a colorant, and an external additive, wherein, as the external additive, the electrostatic image developer contains plate-shaped zinc oxide fine particles having an average longer length of 50 to 2,000 nm and a value S of 0.0001 to 0.03 nm?1, which is a value obtained by dividing an average thickness d of the particles by an average base area A of the particles, and a content of the plate-shaped zinc oxide fine particles is in the range from 0.05 to 1 part by mass, with respect to 100 parts by mass of the colored resin particles.

Abstract: There is provided a toner set including a yellow toner, a cyan toner and a magenta toner, the toners each comprising an external additive and colored resin particles comprising a binder resin, a colorant and a charge control agent. An absolute value of an average of q/d for any of the yellow, cyan and magenta toners is expressed by charge amount q (fC) and particle diameter d (?m). It is obtained by measurement using an electric field detachment-type charge amount distribution measurement device. It is in a range of 2.0 to 6.5 fC/10 ?m, and a standard deviation (SD) of q/d is 13 fC/10 ?m or less. A difference between average values of q/d for any two of the yellow, cyan and magenta toners is 2.0 fC/10 ?m or less. A difference (?SD) between standard deviations of q/d for the two toners is 5.0 fC/10 ?m or less.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a transfer roller, a stripping electrode, and a protective member. The transfer roller transfers a toner image formed on an image bearing member to a sheet in a transfer position. The stripping electrode is arranged downstream from the transfer position to which the sheet is to be carried. The stripping electrode includes a plurality of needle electrodes. The protective member is arranged on the transfer roller side with respect to the stripping electrode and overlaid on the stripping electrode. The protective member includes a cutout provided in a position facing at least one of the needle electrodes.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a multiplex control apparatus includes first to Nth input modules to convert input signals to input values, where N is an integer of three or more, and first to Nth operation modules to operate the input values to generate output values. The apparatus further includes first to Nth output modules to convert the output values to output signals outputted to a majority decision module, and first to Nth power supply modules to supply power to the first to Nth input, operation and output modules, respectively. An Xth output module is configured so that an output signal line between the Xth output module and the majority decision module is placed in an open state that is a safe-side status, if power supply from an Xth power supply module to the Xth output module is at a stop, where X is an integer from 1 to N.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a wireless communication device includes wireless section, storage, controller, confirmer and modifier. The wireless section executes a communication task in which the wireless communication device transmits and receives a wireless signal to and from another device. The storage stores schedule information indicative of a time when the communication task is permitted to be executed. The controller controls execution of the communication task based on the schedule information. The confirmer confirms a reception response from the another device. The modifier modifies the schedule information based on a result for the reception response from the confirmer.

Abstract: A utility vehicle includes: a chassis frame, a cargo bed, a cabin, and an engine. The utility vehicle further includes: a torque rod bracket fixed to an engine body forming a shell or outline of the engine and projecting upward from an upper end of the engine body; and a torque rod provided at a position higher than the upper end of the engine body and coupling the torque rod bracket and a frame member provided at one end in a vehicle width direction of the engine.

Abstract: A utility vehicle includes: a chassis frame, a cargo bed, a cabin, and an engine. The utility vehicle further includes: a torque rod bracket fixed to an engine body forming a shell or outline of the engine and projecting upward from an upper end of the engine body; and a torque rod provided at a position higher than the upper end of the engine body and coupling the torque rod bracket and a frame member provided at one end in a vehicle width direction of the engine.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a registration roller configured to adjust a starting time point of conveying a paper sheet; a printing unit configured to form a color image or a monochrome image on a photosensitive drum, and transfer the image to the paper sheet at a downstream side with respect to the registration roller in a conveyance direction to print; a line sensor configured to detect a conveyance position at an upstream side with respect to the printing unit in the conveyance direction; and a control unit configured to obtain a displacement amount with respect to a preset reference position based on the conveyance position, correct an image formation position according to the displacement amount to correct a printing position on the paper sheet, and change a correction method for the printing position according to whether any of the color image and the monochrome image is formed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a multiplex control device includes three or more control modules to execute same operations for same input signals, and a majority decision module to output an output signal that matches majority of output signals outputted by the control modules. Each control module includes an input module to convert an input signal into an input value, a first determination module to obtain input values from input modules of respective control modules to determine whether majority of input values among the obtained input values match, an operation executing module to execute an operation using the matched input value to generate an output value, a second determination module to obtain output values from operation executing modules of respective control modules to determine whether majority of output values among the obtained output values match, and an output module to convert the matched output value to generate an output signal.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator that includes a piezoelectric substrate, first and second electrodes, and a conductive layer. The first and second electrodes are configured to apply a voltage to the piezoelectric substrate. The conductive layer is formed on the first electrode. The conductive layer is made of a metal or an alloy different in color from the second electrode.