Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit and a pair of measuring units. The transfer unit transfers an image onto at least one recording medium by applying a voltage between the at least one recording medium and the image along a thickness direction of the at least one recording medium. Before the transfer unit applies the voltage, the pair of measuring units measure respective electrical resistance values of a front surface and a rear surface of the at least one recording medium in a direction crossing the thickness direction.

Abstract: An electric vehicle includes front and rear wheels, a battery, an electric motor that drives at least one of the front and rear wheels, an accelerator, and a mode shift operator that is operated by a user in order to switch drive modes. The electric vehicle includes a driving force characteristics setter that sets, for each of the plurality of drive modes, driving force characteristics which are characteristics of an accelerator opening degree and a target motor driving force for the rotational speed of the electric motor. The electric vehicle further includes a controller which shifts up, according to an operation of the mode shift operator, the drive mode from a first drive mode to a second drive mode and which controls the target motor driving force according to the driving force characteristics. When a shift-down prohibition condition is met, the controller prohibits a shift down from the second drive mode to the first drive mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit and a pair of measuring units. The transfer unit transfers an image onto at least one recording medium by applying a voltage between the at least one recording medium and the image along a thickness direction of the at least one recording medium. Before the transfer unit applies the voltage, the pair of measuring units measure respective electrical resistance values of a front surface and a rear surface of the at least one recording medium in a direction crossing the thickness direction.

Abstract: There is provided a fixing device. An endless fixing belt has an inner circumferential surface to which lubricant is applied and that is rotated. A first plate-shaped body is disposed along the inner circumferential surface and is in contact with the inner circumferential surface. A second plate-shaped body is disposed along the first plate-shaped body at a distance to cause a capillary phenomenon in the lubricant. A bent portion is provided in an end portion of the second plate-shaped body in a rotating direction of the fixing belt and is bent on an inner circumferential surface side on a downstream side of an end portion of the first plate-shaped body in the rotating direction of the fixing belt.

Abstract: An electric vehicle includes front and rear wheels, a battery, an electric motor that drives at least one of the front and rear wheels, an accelerator, and a mode shift operator that is operated by a user in order to switch drive modes. The electric vehicle includes a driving force characteristics setter that sets, for each of the plurality of drive modes, driving force characteristics which are characteristics of an accelerator opening degree and a target motor driving force for the rotational speed of the electric motor. The electric vehicle further includes a controller which shifts up, according to an operation of the mode shift operator, the drive mode from a first drive mode to a second drive mode and which controls the target motor driving force according to the driving force characteristics. When a shift-down prohibition condition is met, the controller prohibits a shift down from the second drive mode to the first drive mode.

Abstract: There is provided a fixing device. An endless fixing belt has an inner circumferential surface to which lubricant is applied and that is rotated. A first plate-shaped body is disposed along the inner circumferential surface and is in contact with the inner circumferential surface. A second plate-shaped body is disposed along the first plate-shaped body at a distance to cause a capillary phenomenon in the lubricant. A bent portion is provided in an end portion of the second plate-shaped body in a rotating direction of the fixing belt and is bent on an inner circumferential surface side on a downstream side of an end portion of the first plate-shaped body in the rotating direction of the fixing belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport unit that transports a recording medium; a forming unit that forms a toner image on the recording medium, the toner image including a resin and a flat metallic pigment; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image to the recording medium by heating and pressing the toner image; and a cooling unit that cools the toner image fixed by the fixing unit, the cooling unit being disposed at a position at which the cooling is started when a temperature of the toner image is higher than or equal to a glass transition temperature.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transport unit that transports a recording medium; a forming unit that forms a toner image on the recording medium, the toner image including a resin and a flat metallic pigment; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image to the recording medium by heating and pressing the toner image; and a cooling unit that cools the toner image fixed by the fixing unit, the cooling unit being disposed at a position at which the cooling is started when a temperature of the toner image is higher than or equal to a glass transition temperature.

Abstract: A developing device including a toner holding member that faces but is not in contact with an image carrier carrying a latent image and that rotates while holding a nonmagnetic toner, a charging member that charges the toner, and a developing electric field forming unit that forms a developing electric field at least including a direct current component to cause the charged toner to fly and adhere to the latent image to develop the latent image. When the developing electric field is applied such that the toner is caused to fly toward the image carrier by the direct current component of the developing electric field, maintaining a non-electrostatic adhesion of the toner to the toner holding member to be about 2 nN or more under a low-temperature low-humidity environment of a temperature of 10° C. and a relative humidity of 15%. The toner holding member's surface has a specific surface roughness specified by a specific oil retention volume.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process of solidifying a phosphoric ester-based flame retardant in which high-level purification is not required and stress load is not employed. In the process of solidifying a phosphoric ester-based flame retardant, a seed crystal is added at a temperature of not higher than 55° C. and at an amount of 1 to 50 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of a phosphoric ester compound in a molten state, which compound is represented by the following Formula (I): (wherein, R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and n represents a number of 1 to 5). It is preferred that the amount of the phosphoric ester compound represented by the aforementioned Formula (I) wherein n is 1 be less than 90% by mass and that R1 and R2 be a hydrogen atom.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a heating unit that heats the belt, a rotating body that rotates while applying pressure to a recording medium interposed between the rotating body and the belt, a pressing member that forms a first area in which the recording medium is to be nipped between the belt and the rotating body by pressing the belt against the rotating body from an inside of the belt, and a driving member that drives the rotating body so that the rotating body rotates at a speed determined such that a time obtained by dividing a length of the first area in a direction in which the rotating body is rotating by the speed is approximately 20 milliseconds or less.

Abstract: A development method is used for a developing device including a toner holding member that faces but is not in contact with an image carrier carrying a latent image and that rotates while holding a nonmagnetic toner, a charging member that charges the toner, and a developing electric field forming unit that forms a developing electric field at least including a direct current component to cause the charged toner to fly and adhere to the latent image to develop the latent image. The method includes, when the developing electric field is applied such that the toner is caused to fly toward the image carrier by the direct current component of the developing electric field alone, maintaining a non-electrostatic adhesion of the toner to the toner holding member to be about 2 nN or more under a low-temperature low-humidity environment of a temperature of 10° C. and a relative humidity of 15%.

Abstract: A fixing belt includes a base layer that contains a resin, a flat metal heat-generating layer that is provided on the base layer and contains metal as a main component, and a protective layer that is provided on the metal heat-generating layer and contains a resin, wherein the metal heat-generating layer contains resin portions that pass through the metal heat-generating layer in a thickness direction of the layer, and the resin portions contain at least one of the resin of the base layer and the resin of the protective layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process of solidifying a phosphoric ester-based flame retardant in which high-level purification is not required and stress load is not employed. In the process of solidifying a phosphoric ester-based flame retardant, a seed crystal is added at a temperature of not higher than 55° C. and at an amount of 1 to 50 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of a phosphoric ester compound in a molten state, which compound is represented by the following Formula (I): (wherein, R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and n represents a number of 1 to 5). It is preferred that the amount of the phosphoric ester compound represented by the aforementioned Formula (I) wherein n is 1 be less than 90% by mass and that R1 and R2 be a hydrogen atom.

Abstract: A flame retardant composition contains, with respect to a flame retardant composition containing 1 to 99 parts by mass of a salt of piperazine and an inorganic phosphorus compound (component (A)) selected from piperazine phosphate, piperazine pyrophosphate, piperazine polyphosphate, or a mixture of at least two of the piperazine salts, and 99 to 1 parts by mass of a salt of melamine and an inorganic phosphorus compound (component (B)) selected from melamine phosphate, melamine pyrophosphate, melamine polyphosphate, or a mixture of at least two of the melamine salts (wherein the total of the component (A) and the component (B) is 100 parts by mass): 0.01 to 10 parts by mass of silicone oil; and 0.01 to 20 parts by mass of a monoamide compound of a higher aliphatic carboxylic acid and/or a monoester compound produced by reacting a higher aliphatic carboxylic acid with a monovalent to trivalent alcohol compound.

Abstract: The invention provides a flame retardant composition comprising 1-99 weight parts of a salt of piperazine and an inorganic compound selected from among piperazine phosphate, piperazine pyrophosphate and piperazine polyphosphate, or a mixture of two or more of these piperazine salts (ingredient (A)), 99-1 weight parts of a salt of melamine and an inorganic compound selected from among melamine phosphate, melamine pyrophosphate and melamine polyphosphate, or a mixture of two or more of these melamine salts (ingredient (B)) (wherein, the sum of ingredient (A) and ingredient (B) is 100 weight parts), 0-50 weight parts of an arbitrary ingredient (ingredient (C)), and 0.01-20 weight parts of a silicone oil having a viscosity at 25° C. of 5000 mm2/s (ingredient (D)) which is added thereto. This flame retardant not only has superior flame retarding properties, but also has enhanced powder properties and anti-hygroscopic properties, and when it is added to a resin, there is little change of electrical resistance.

Abstract: The present invention provides piperazine pyrophosphate represented by chemical formula (I) which has a sodium content of 10 ppm or lower and a process of producing the same. The piperazine pyrophosphate has high purity and provides a flame retardant composition exhibiting excellent flame retardancy. The process includes dehydration condensation of piperazine diphosphate and is able to produce the piperazine pyrophosphate at low cost.

Abstract: The invention provides a flame retardant composition comprising 1-99 weight parts of a salt of piperazine and an inorganic compound selected from among piperazine phosphate, piperazine pyrophosphate and piperazine polyphosphate, or a mixture of two or more of these piperazine salts (ingredient (A)), 99-1 weight parts of a salt of melamine and an inorganic compound selected from among melamine phosphate, melamine pyrophosphate and melamine polyphosphate, or a mixture of two or more of these melamine salts (ingredient (B) ) (wherein, the sum of ingredient (A) and ingredient (B) is 100 weight parts), 0-50 weight parts of an arbitrary ingredient (ingredient (C)), and 0.01-20 weight parts of a silicone oil having a viscosity at 25° C. of 5000 mm2/s (ingredient (D)) which is added thereto. This flame retardant not only has superior flame retarding properties, but also has enhanced powder properties and anti-hygroscopic properties, and when it is added to a resin, there is little change of electrical resistance.

Abstract: A flame-retardant resin composition comprising (A) a synthetic resin, (B) (b1) a specific phosphoric acid salt or (b2) a combination of specific phosphoric acid salts, and (C) an anti-dripping agent.

Abstract: The process for producing a low acid value phosphoric ester of the present invention is characterized by comprising treating a phosphoric ester having an acid value with an organic ortho-acid ester. The phosphoric ester preferably has a specific structure. The organic ortho-acid ester is preferably an ester of orthoformic acid, orthoacetic acid or orthopropionic acid with an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.