Abstract: An image forming device which is capable of preventing generation of toner filming and obtaining a stable image quality without defects over a long period and which is environmentally friendly. The image forming device, for forming an image with a spherical toner, includes image holding members, contact type charging member, exposing member, developing member, and transfer member. A toner shape change ratio (Tt) of deformed toner particles passed between the contacting portions of the image holding members and the charging member is in a range of 50 to 100 percent.

Abstract: An image forming device which is capable of preventing generation of toner filming and obtaining a stable image quality without defects over a long period and which is environmentally friendly. The image forming device, for forming an image with a spherical toner, comprises image holding members, contact type charging means, exposing means, developing means and transfer means. A toner shape change ratio (Tt) of deformed toner particles passed between the contacting portions of the image holding members and the charging means is in a range of 50 to 100 percent.

Abstract: A sandwich panel is manufactured-by providing: a first step (a), (b) of attaching another end portion of an insert 1 whose one end portion is made sharp to an inner side of a facing member 2 in which a hole is cut in advance; a second step (c) of pressing the insert 1 into the core member 4 such that the one end portion of the insert 1 force-cuts a core member 4; and a third step (d) of attaching another facing member 2 to a side of the core member 4 opposing the insert-inserting side thereof.

Abstract: A heat generating medium for image fixing includes a conductive support layer of good electrical and thermal conductivity, a low surface energy layer formed on one of the surfaces of the conductive support layer, and a heat generating layer formed on the other surface of the conductive support layer. A fixing apparatus is also disclosed, which includes the heat generating medium as described above, and a power supplying device for feeding current to the heat generating layer, wherein a recording sheet bearing a non-fixed toner image thereon is brought into press contact with the heat generating layer which generates heat when it receives current from the power supply device.

Abstract: A charging member has a conductive core, a conductive elastic layer formed on the surface of the conductive core, and a wearing surface layer to be used also as a resistance controlling layer formed on the surface of the conductive elastic layer, and comprising a surface layer-forming resin and a resistance controlling conductive filler, developing conductivity by electron conduction and having a specific wearing amount of 5.0×10−4 (mm3/N·km) or more, the charging member capable of preventing deterioration of the charging performance of a charging member caused by contamination of the surface layer of the charging member, and maintaining stable and satisfactory uniform charging property and image quality for a long period of time, and always keeping the surface clean by positively wearing the surface layer of the charging member.

Abstract: A glow sensor which combines functions of a diesel engine glow plug with an ion sensor for sensing engine combustion initiation and characteristics includes a ceramic rod retained in a supporting ceramic sleeve carried by a metal shell mountable in an engine cylinder head. The ceramic rod includes a heating element in a glow tip at the inner end of the rod which, in use, extends into an engine combustion chamber or pre-chamber. A conductive material such as platinum or palladium is coated on the lower end of the glow tip and connected by a conductor with a source of electric voltage. In use, the voltage produces a current carried by electrons generated by ionization of the combustion chamber gases during combustion. The current varies with the degree of ionization and the amount of electrons generated during various phases of the combustion event. The resulting information is usable in controlling engine operation or evaluating its operation for test purposes.

Abstract: The invention is to suppress a fluctuation in resistance of a charging member due to the environment and the applied voltage, and to suppress the charging potential of a photosensitive article to realize uniformity in charging by preventing generation of leakage at a part of a low resistance on the surface of the photosensitive article. The charging member may have a conductive core material, a conductive elastic layer formed on a surface of the conductive core material, and a resistance adjusting layer for adjusting a resistance between the conductive core material and the surface of the article to be charged, formed on a surface of the conductive core material, have a material for forming the resistance adjusting layer and a conductive filler for adjusting resistance that exhibits conductivity by electronic conduction, and having a volume resistivity of 5.times.10.sup.5 .OMEGA..multidot.cm or more at an electric field of 5.times.10.sup.4 V/cm.

Abstract: A charging device which is pressed against a surface of a body to be charged in a state that a voltage is applied to charge the body, having: an electrically conductive support to which a voltage is applied; an electrically conductive elastic body layer fixed on the electrically conductive support for dispersing electrically conductive particles to regulate resistance and hardness; an electrode layer provided on the electrically conductive elastic body layer, and having an electrically conductive inorganic material; and a resistance regulation layer provided on the electrode layer for regulating resistance.

Abstract: A developer carrier comprising a cylindrical support having provided on the outer surface thereof a coating layer for retaining a developer, wherein the coating layer comprises electrically conductive fine particles and a binder resin comprising a phenolic resin having a weight-average molecular weight of from 3,000 to 5,000 as determined before being crosslinked. Also disclosed is a developing apparatus which comprises a developer carrier for retaining a developer on the surface thereof and for conveying the developer onto the position at which an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent image carrier is developed, wherein the developer carrier comprises a cylindrical support having provided on the outer surface thereof a coating layer for retaining a developer, wherein the coating layer comprises electrically conductive fine particles and a binder resin comprising a phenolic resin having a weight-average molecular weight of from 3,000 to 5,000 as determined before being crosslinked.

Abstract: The present invention describes a charging device pressed against the surface of a body to be charged in a state of being applied with a voltage so as to charge the body. The charging device includes an electrically conductive support to which a voltage is to be applied; an electrically conductive elastic body layer fixed on the electrically conductive support; a resistance regulation layer covering the electrically conductive elastic body layer; and a protective layer laminated on the resistance regulation layer, having hardness of 6 H or more in pencil hardness, and made from a silicon compound.

Abstract: A charging device which is pressed against a surface of a body to be charged in a state that a voltage is applied to charge the body, having an electrically conductive support to which a voltage is applied; an electrically conductive elastic body layer fixed on the electrically conductive support for dispersing electrically conductive particles to regulate resistance and hardness; an electrode layer provided on the electrically conductive elastic body layer, and having an electrically conductive inorganic material; and a resistance regulation layer provided on the electrode layer for regulating resistance.

Abstract: A database system is provided for reading data from a database to a database buffer and performing a physical sequential scan for the data on the buffer. If the preceding request for physical sequential scan is under execution, the database system operates to keep the succeeding request for scan in a waiting state until the preceding requested scan is completed and then execute the succeeding request for scan after the preceding requested scan is completed. If there are more than one succeeding requests for physical sequential scan, they are executed at the same time. Another scanning method is also provided. If the preceding request for scan is under execution, the succeeding requested scan is executed for the data existing after the halfway location at which the preceding scan process now reads the data. The short data is read from its head for completing the subsequent scan.

Abstract: An ink transfer medium for toner is disclosed, comprising the following layers, in this order: a heat-generating resistive layer heated by input of electrical signal, a conductive layer, and an ink release layer having a toner layer on it, an adhesion from 0.2 g/mm to 40 g/mm as measured by the 90.degree. peeling off method and consisting of a viscoelastomer having a critical surface tension of 35 dyne/cm or less. It can be re-inked by attaching toner to the portions of the ink transfer medium from which the ink has been removed, using toner held in a toner holding means.

Abstract: An ink transfer medium for toner is disclosed, comprising the following layers, in this order: a heat-generating resistive layer heated by input of electrical signal, a conductive layer, and an ink release layer having a toner layer on it, an adhesion from 0.2 g/mm to 40 g/mm as measured by the 90.degree. peeling off method and consisting of a viscoelastomer having a critical surface tension of 35 dyne/cm or less. It can be re-inked by attaching toner to the portions of the ink transfer medium from which the ink has been removed, using toner held in a toner holding means.

Abstract: A color toner providing a toner image excellent in brightness, clearness and graininess and a process for producing the same are disclosed, wherein a proportion of dispersed pigment particles having a circle-equivalent diameter of 0.3 .mu.m or greater does not exceed 0.1% of the total number of said dispersed pigment particles. The process comprises kneading a water-containing pigment paste and a binder resin at a temperature of 100.degree. C. or higher under pressure in a heat and pressure kneader to remove a water content to obtain a pigment dispersion, melt-kneading the resulting pigment dispersion together with a binder resin, and grinding the mixture.

Abstract: An ink transfer medium for toner is disclosed, comprising the following layers, in this order: a heat-generating resistive layer heated by input of electrical signal, a conductive layer, and an ink release layer having a toner layer on it, an adhesion from 0.2 g/mm to 40 g/mm as measured by the 90.degree. peeling off method and consisting of a viscoelastomer having a critical surface tension of 35 dyne/cm or less. It can be re-inked by attaching toner to the portions of the ink transfer medium from which the ink has been removed, using toner held in a toner holding means.

Abstract: An electro-sensitive thermal transfer recording medium comprises a metal support, and an electric resistor layer which is formed on one side of the metal support and comprises a resin and a conductive powder, said resistor layer having an absolute value of a linear expansion coefficient of not larger than 2.times.10.sup.-5 /.degree.C. in a temperature range of from 23.degree. C. to 450.degree. C., a tensile elongation of not larger than 5% at a stress of 0.5 Kgf/mm, and a volume specific resistance of from 10.sup.-1 to 10.sup.3 .OMEGA.cm at 23.degree. C. The medium may have an ink layer on the resistor layer or on the opposite side of the metal support. Alternatively, a powder ink-retaining layer may be formed on the other side of the metal support. In the latter type of medium, a powder ink is applied to the ink-retaining layer for electro-sensitive thermal transfer recording.

Abstract: A method for fixing a full color toner image by inserting a transfer medium to which a toner image is transferred, between a pair of rolls of a fixing apparatus, and pressing the medium therebetween, wherein the toner image is formed of a full color toner prepared by dispersing a colorant into a polyester resin containing a diol component represented by the following general formula (I) as a constituent and having a softening point of 100.degree. to 120.degree. C., as measured by a ring and ball method, a glass transition temperature of 55.degree. C. or more, a Gardner color scale of 2 or less and a haze value of 15 or less, and the fixing operation is conducted while supplying a functional group-containing organopolysiloxane having a viscosity of 10 to 100,000 cs at 25.degree. C.

Abstract: A high alumina sintered body composed of a substrate consisting substantially of .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and a surface layer of mullite precipitated in situ on the substrate. The sintered body is obtained by molding and sintering a composition comprising a main component containing at least 75% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, of .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and a predetermined amount of silica, a mullite mineralyzing agent and B.sub.2 O.sub.3. The sintered body has a combination of excellent thermal shock resistance and mechanical properties such as flexural strength.

Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic latent image characterized by a vinyl copolymer whose acid value is in the range of about 5 to 100.