Abstract: A composition containing a polymer compound and medium being a solvent or a binder resin, wherein the polymer compound comprises monomer units represented by the general formula (1): 1

Abstract: A composition comprises a non-aqueous solvent containing reverse micelle particles formed of block polymers having amphipathic properties. A particle composition and a composition wherein particles are dispersed, which exhibits excellent dispersion properties and can form superbly uniform particles, is provided. Further, display elements, a recording method, and recording apparatus, which employ the composition having excellent dispersion properties and forming superbly uniform particles, are provided.

Abstract: A decolorable ink usable in various printing processes and an image forming method utilizing such decolorable ink. The decolorable ink comprises a block polymer having a stimulus responsiveness, a colorant which decolors in response to a change in a property of the block polymer when a stimulus is applied to the block polymer, and a solvent. Also the image forming method conducts recording by applying ink onto a recording medium, utilizing the decolorable ink as the ink.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink composition containing a pigment dispersed uniformly in a solvent and a block polymer having an ionic functional group, an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus employing the ink composition.

Abstract: In order to provide an adjusting tool for a golf club to enhance directionability or a driving distance with a flex characteristics of a shaft which is suitable for the taste of a player, there is provided a golf club adjusting tool for adjusting feeling of a golf club in use, characterized by comprising: a fixed portion coupled and fixed in contact with a shaft portion of the golf club in the contact range of 5 to 40 mm in a longitudinal direction; and a vibration absorbing portion projecting in the longitudinal direction of the shaft portion continuously with the fixed portion and out of contact with the shaft portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stimuli-responsive composition that comprises a polymer, a solvent and a substance having a predetermined function. One embodiment of the present invention is a composition comprising a block polymer, a solvent and a substance having a predetermined function. The present invention also relates to an ink composition containing the composition, an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus using the composition, and a recording medium applying the composition. Further, the present invention relates to an ABC type block polymer compound wherein the polymer is an ABC type triblock polymer, and wherein at least one of the blocks in the triblock polymer changes in nature from solvophilic to solvophobic or from solvophobic to solvophilic in response to stimuli, and more preferably, the A component, then the B component, and finally the C component respond to the stimuli.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stimulus responsive composition, which includes a polymer complex that a polymer including repeated units of polyvinyl ether structure is chemically bonded to a functional substance, and a solvent. It is desirable that a solvent is water and that the polymer in the composition contains a polyvinyl ether structure. The present invention also relates to an ink composition including the above composition, an image forming method and image forming device using the above composition, and recording medium contains a stimulating material or composition which stimulates the above composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stimuli-responsive composition that contains a polymer, a solvent and a substance having a predetermined function. One embodiment of the composition contains a block polymer, a solvent and a substance having a predetermined function. Preferably, the solvent in the composition is water; and the polymer in the composition has a polyvinyl ether structure. The superior dispersion stability of the composition is provided in the present invention. The present invention also relates to an ink composition containing the composition, an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus using the ink composition, and a recording medium having the composition.

Abstract: This invention provides an image forming process that by turn provides an excellent ink fixation effect for high speed low energy consumption printing. Two-valued or multi-valued gradation expression of a picture element, or the smallest output unit, is realized by controlling the number of liquid droplets impacting on a recording medium for each dot formed on the recording medium. The liquid droplets are subjected to physical or chemical modification so as to be fixed to the recording medium. The present invention also provides an image forming apparatus, an ink for liquid droplet recording and a liquid droplet ejection and projection method that can be used for the image forming process.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of transparent substrates each having thereon a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition lacking cholesteric phase disposed between the substrates so as to assume at least two optically stable states. At least one of the substrates is provided with an alignment film which comprises a polyimide represented by a recurring unit of formula (I) shown below and has been subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment. ##STR1## wherein A denotes a tetravalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group free from a planar structure or a tetravalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and n is an integer of at least 1. The chiral smectic liquid crystal composition may preferably contain at least one species of fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound comprising a fluorocarbon terminal portion and a hydrocarbon terminal portion connected with a central core and having a smectic phase or a latent smectic phase.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of oppositely disposed substrates including a first substrate provided with a first alignment control layer which has been subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment and a second substrate provided with a second alignment control layer which has not been subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment, a sealing member disposed so as to seal up a peripheral portion of the first and second substrates to form a spacing therebetween, and a dispersion member (e.g., spacer beads or adhesive particles) and a liquid crystal disposed in the spacing while contacting the first and second aligning control layers. The dispersion member has been subjected to a surface treatment with a material constituting the second alignment control layer. The surface-treated dispersion member is effective in suppressing an occurrence of a reverse domain within a display region of the liquid crystal device, thus preventing flickering and improving a contrast.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of transparent substrates each having thereon a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition disposed between the substrates so as to assume at least two optically stable states. At least one of the substrates is provided with an alignment film which comprises a polyimide represented by a recurring unit of formula (I) shown below and has been subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment. ##STR1## wherein A denotes a planar tetravalent organic residue group comprising an aromatic ring, an aromatic polycyclic ring, a heterocyclic ring or a condensed polycyclic ring, and B denotes a divalent aliphatic group comprising .paren open-st.CH.sub.2 .paren close-st..sub.n (n: an integer of at least 1) or an alicyclic ring.

Abstract: To provide an easy-to-use iron club having a low gravitational center, a hosel portion (12) is formed on a base proximal end portion of a face (13) of a head portion (11), and a shaft hole (14) which penetrates from an upper end of the hosel portion (12) to a lower surface of the head portion (11) or does not penetrate to the lower surface of the head portion (11). A shaft (21) is inserted into the shaft hole (14).

Abstract: An optically active compound of the formula (I) according to claim 1 is suitable as a component for a liquid crystal composition providing improved response speed. The optically active compound of the formula (I) is characterized by having a fluorine-substituted optically active cite and ##STR1## group connected by 1-6 methylene groups. The above liquid crystal composition is useful as an element of a liquid crystal device and a display apparatus providing a good display characteristics.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition comprises at least three compounds represented by formulae (A), (B) and (C), respectively as in Claim 1. The compound of the formula (A) has an indan skeleton, the compound of the formula (B) has a quinoxaline skeleton, and the compound of the formula (C) has a pyrimidine skeleton or a benzothiazole skeleton and a terminal cyclic group comprising a cyclohexyl group or a phenyl group. The liquid crystal composition is effective in improving a display quality and drive characteristics of a liquid crystal device using the composition when the liquid crystal device is continuously driven for a long time.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of substrates at least one of which is provided with an alignment control film, and a liquid crystal composition disposed between the substrates and contacting the alignment control film. The alignment control film comprises an amide polymer and a pyridine-based polymer. The liquid crystal device using a mixture alignment control film described above is effective in improving a switching characteristic by minimizing a depolarization field while keeping a uniform alignment characteristic.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition contains a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (A): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; X.sub.1 denotes a single bond, --O--, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; and A.sub.1 denotes ##STR2## and a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (B): ##STR3## wherein R.sub.3 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; X.sub.2 denotes a single bond, --O--, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; X.sub.3 denotes a single bond, --OCH.sub.2 --, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; n is an integer of 3-16; and A.sub.2 denotes ##STR4## The liquid crystal composition may preferably be formulated as a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition is useful in providing a liquid crystal device using the liquid crystal composition with a good alignment characteristic, a good drive characteristic, and a high contrast ratio.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition contains a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (A): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 independently denote a single bond, --O--, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; and A.sub.1 denotes a single bond, ##STR2## or ##STR3## and A.sub.2 denotes ##STR4## or ##STR5## and a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (B): ##STR6## wherein R.sub.3 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; X.sub.3 and X.sub.4 independently denote a single bond, --O--, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; m is an integer of 3-16; and A.sub.3 denotes ##STR7## or ##STR8## The liquid crystal composition may preferably be formulated as a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition contains a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (A): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; X.sub.1 denotes a single bond, --O--, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; and A.sub.1 denotes ##STR2## and a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (B): ##STR3## wherein R.sub.3 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms; X.sub.2 and X.sub.3 independently denote a single bond, --O--, --CO--O-- or --O--CO--; m is an integer of 3-16; and A.sub.2 denotes ##STR4## or ##STR5## The liquid crystal composition may preferably be formulated as a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition is useful in providing a liquid crystal device using the liquid crystal composition with a good alignment characteristic, a good drive characteristic, and a high and stable contrast ratio.

Abstract: A mesomorphic compound of the formula (I) according to claim 1 is suitable as a component for a liquid crystal composition providing improved response speed and decreased. The mesomorphic compound of the formula (I) is characterized by having at least one terminal cyclic group free from a side chain and also having a core structure including at least one group ##STR1## The above liquid crystal composition is useful as an element of a liquid crystal device and a display apparatus providing a good display characteristics.