Abstract: A compressor slider has a carbon content of 2.0 wt % to 2.7 wt %, a silicon content of 1.0 wt % to 3.0 wt %, a balance of iron that includes unavoidable impurities, graphite that is smaller than the flake graphite of flake graphite cast iron, and a hardness that is greater than HRB 90 but less than HRB 100 in at least a portion of the slider.

Abstract: The compressor includes a first constituent element and a first slider. The first constituent element is capable of being laser welded. The first slider is composed of cast iron capable of being laser welded and having a carbon content of from 2.0 wt % or more to 2.7 wt % or less. This first slider is joined to the first constituent element by laser welding without using a filler.

Abstract: A lenticular lens sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a transparent toner layer forming section and a lens forming section. The transparent toner layer forming section includes a photoreceptor drum, a charging section and a exposure section that form an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor drum, a developing section that forms a transparent toner image, a transfer section that transfers the transparent toner image to one side of a transparent substrate, and a fixing section that heats the transparent toner image transferred to one side of the transparent substrate to fix the transparent toner image, thereby forming a transparent toner layer on one side of the transparent substrate. The lens forming section pressurizes under heating the transparent toner layer formed on one side of the transparent substrate to shape the layer into a concavo-convex shape, thereby forming a lens layer having a concavo-convex shape on one side of the transparent substrate.

Abstract: The compressor includes a first constituent element and a first slider. The first constituent element is capable of being laser welded. The first slider is composed of cast iron capable of being laser welded and having a carbon content of from 2.0 wt % or more to 2.7 wt % or less. This first slider is joined to the first constituent element by laser welding without using a filler.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing a lenticular sheet includes a photoconductor, a light emitting section for forming an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor, a developing section for forming a transparent toner layer by applying a transparent toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor, a transferring section for transferring the transparent toner layer on a transparent sheet and a lens forming section for forming a lenticular lens by molding and fixing the transferred transparent toner layer on the transparent sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, an intermediate transfer section, a secondary transfer section, a fixing section, a power source, a voltage detection section, a temperature detection section, and a fixing section control circuit. The fixing section control circuit includes a switching control section, a voltage judgment section, a temperature judgment section, and a preparation control section. When the switching control section switches the current conduction state to the heat source and the driving section from an off conduction state to an off conduction state and the voltage judgment section judges to be less than a threshold voltage, the preparation control section controls the preparation operation of the heating section such that the switching control section continues the on conduction state over a given idle time after the temperature judgment section has judged to be a preset temperature or higher.

Abstract: In a positioning apparatus, a fixed scroll engaged with a movable scroll is pressed against a housing member, and then, is stirred to an appropriate position by applying impact force to the fixed scroll in this state. Thus, the stirring of the fixed scroll terminates in the state that the fixed scroll is pressed against the housing member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing roller and a pressure roller. The fixing roller and the pressure roller each have an elastic layer formed between a core bar and a release layer, which release layer serves as a surface of the fixing roller and the pressure roller. The pressure roller has a lower Asker-C hardness than that of the fixing roller, and has a greater micro rubber roller than that of the fixing roller. This prevents the surface of the pressure roller from deteriorating in a short period of time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided having a fixing device which heats a fixing roller from the surface thereof by means of an external heating device, which image forming apparatus is capable of improving fixability immediately just after a start-up and enhancing a job efficiency. An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming section, a transfer section, a fixing device, and an interrupt control section. At least two levels are set as a job interrupt reference temperature, the interrupt control section individually selects, from among the at least two levels of job interrupt reference temperature, the level to be used for either or both of a job immediately after the start-up from a power-on and a job immediately after a return from a sleep mode, and the level(s) for other job(s), and carries out an interrupt control using the selected level of job interrupt reference temperature.

Abstract: A compressor is configured to compress a refrigerant and use a lubricating oil. The compressor includes a compression mechanism configured to compress the refrigerant, a driving shaft configured to rotate about a rotation axis in order to drive the compression mechanism, a slide bearing slidably supporting the driving shaft, a first surface fixed to the driving shaft and intersecting with a line arranged in parallel to the rotation axis, a second surface facially abutted to the first surface, and a recovery space formed in the compressor. The recovery space is configured and arranged to recover the lubricating oil leaking out of bottom ends of sliding surfaces of the slide bearing and the driving shaft. The first surface and the second surface respectively continue to surfaces forming the recovery space.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a compressor slider includes a slider preform manufacturing step, a resin coating step, and a machining step. In the slider preform manufacturing step, an iron slider preform in which at least one property selected from the tensile strength and the tensile modulus of elasticity is greater than that of flake graphite cast iron is manufactured using a prescribed mold. In the resin coating step, the slider preform is not machined, but the resin coating layer is formed on all or a part of the slider preform. In the machining step, only the resin coating layer is machined, and a completed slider is obtained.

Abstract: A transferring and fixing apparatus includes a transferring and fixing member and a pressure member in close and pressing contact with each other, forming a transferring and fixing region therebetween. A fused toner image held and heated by the transferring and fixing member is transferred and fixed into in the transferring and fixing region onto a recording paper fed to the transferring and fixing region, an end portion of the transferring and fixing region where the recording paper is fed is set to have a highest pressure in the transferring and fixing region. With this arrangement the present invention prevents micro offset phenomenon in a transferring and fixing process of toner into a recording paper in a simultaneous transferring and fixing mode, thereby achieving high picture quality.

Abstract: A compression mechanism is configured to be used in a scroll compressor. The compression mechanism includes a fixed scroll and a movable scroll. One of the fixed scroll and the movable scroll is a cast iron molding fabricated through semi-molten die casting, and the other of the fixed scroll and the movable scroll is a grey iron casting.

Abstract: A scroll compressor includes first and second scroll members housed in a casing. The first scroll member has a fluid inlet and a first through hole spaced from the fluid inlet. A fluid introducing pipe is configured to connect to the first through hole. A piston, having an annular groove and a second through hole, is disposed in the first through hole and is biased toward the fluid introducing pipe. The piston is configured to shut an end of the first through hole when fluid pressure larger than the biasing force is introduced into the fluid introducing pipe and to open the end of the first through hole when fluid pressure smaller than the biasing force is introduced into the fluid introducing pipe. A piston ring is fitted into the annular groove of the piston and has a stepped fitting end.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a scroll member includes a casting step and a cutting step. In the casting step an iron casting having a spiraling part is formed. In the cutting step, the iron casting obtained in the casting step is cut to obtain a final shape of the scroll member. Preferably the iron casting obtained in the casting step has a fixing part with the spiraling part extending from one side and a protruding part extending from an opposite side. A specified portion of the spiraling part, a central portion of the fixing part and/or the protruding part has a larger dimension before the cutting step is performed than after the cutting step is performed.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a scroll member for a compression mechanism installed in a scroll compressor includes a casting step and a cutting step. An iron casting is formed in the casting step, which includes a spiraling part. The iron casting obtained in the casting step is cut during the cutting step in order to obtain a final shape of the scroll member. The iron casting may include a fixed part having a central portion with a first axial thickness and an external periphery portion with a second axial thickness larger than the first axial thickness before the cutting step. A dimension of a specified portion of the spiraling part may be larger before the cutting step is performed than after the cutting step is performed, with the specified portion preferably disposed toward an external periphery of the spiraling part.

Abstract: Support rollers suspending an endless belt are arranged so that a distance between each support roller and a fixing roller is smaller than a height of a belt regulating member provided on each side of the support roller in moving the support rollers to the second position which allows the endless belt to be in contact with the fixing roller so that a contact area therebetween is smaller than in the first position. As a result, in a fixing apparatus which includes the regulating member for regulating a position of an external heating belt in a rotational axis direction so that a contact area size between the external heating belt and the fixing member is variable, it is possible to appropriately vary the contact area between the belt and the fixing material.

Abstract: A compressor slider has a carbon content of 2.0 wt % to 2.7 wt %, a silicon content of 1.0 wt % to 3.0 wt %, a balance of iron that includes unavoidable impurities, graphite that is smaller than the flake graphite of flake graphite cast iron, and a hardness that is greater than HRB 90 but less than HRB 100 in at least a portion of the slider.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided having a fixing device which heats a fixing roller from the surface thereof by means of an external heating device, which image forming apparatus is capable of improving fixability immediately just after a start-up and enhancing a job efficiency. An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming section, a transfer section, a fixing device, and an interrupt control section. At least two levels are set as a job interrupt reference temperature, the interrupt control section individually selects, from among the at least two levels of job interrupt reference temperature, the level to be used for either or both of a job immediately after the start-up from a power-on and a job immediately after a return from a sleep mode, and the level(s) for other job(s), and carries out an interrupt control using the selected level of job interrupt reference temperature.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus and an image forming apparatus of the present invention, an external heating section is provided that includes: an external heating belt; two heat rollers suspending the external heating belt and pressed against a fixing roller via the external heating belt; and a release/contact mechanism for causing the two heat rollers to separate from or contact with the fixing roller. With the heat rollers separated from the fixing roller by the release/contact mechanism, the external heating belt and the fixing roller are in contact with each other and the external heating belt follows rotation of the fixing roller. As a result, a fixing apparatus is provided that includes an external release/contact mechanism that can quickly operate in a small space and at low power without encouraging deterioration of the belt member. An image forming apparatus provided with such a fixing apparatus is also provided.