Abstract: An infrared detecting arrangement includes an infrared detecting element having a heat insulating film and an infrared detector which are disposed between an interior space of a hermetically sealed casing for the element and a cavity formed within a substrate of the element and communicating through a ventilator with the interior space.

Abstract: To provide graphitic cast steel given with improved machining and mechanical properties, a large number of fine graphite nodules can be crystallized in the cast steel, and the occurrence of chain-like formation of graphite crystals can be avoided by limiting the Bi content in the cast steel to the range between 0.005% and 0.0150%. The composition essentially consists of 0.45 to 1.5 wt % carbon (C), 1.0 to 5.5 wt % silicon (Si), 0.008 to 0.25 wt % rare earth elements (REM), optionally, 0.002 to 0.020 wt % calcium (Ca, 0.005 to 0.0150 wt % bismuth (Bi), 0.005 to 0.080 wt % aluminum (Al), and balance iron (Fe) and inevitable impurities. The cast steel can achieve favorable machining and mechanical property even in its as cast condition.

Abstract: An image receiving sheet of the present invention for receiving a desired image thereon includes a support layer and an absorbing layer containing heat-meltable or thermoplastic particles. A desired image can be formed in the absorbing layer of the image receiving sheet. Through heating the image receiving sheet formed with the desired image, the heat-meltable or thermoplastic particles are thermally melted or softened to attain a glossy and transparent surface formed with the desired image. As a result, an image bearing product coated with a glossy and transparent surface formed with the desired image is obtained. Through thermally pressing the image receiving sheet formed with the visible image toward an article of arbitrary type, on the other hand, the heat-meltable or thermoplastic particles are thermally melted or softened to be adhered to a surface of the article, so that the desired image is transferred onto the surface of the article.

Abstract: The invention relates to an image receiving sheet which is a retransfer sheet for forming an image on an optional transferred medium The image receiving sheet comprises a support member, a transparent layer and a thermoplastic fine particles layer Light having an image information is irradiated toward a photosensitive recording medium having microcapsules which change their hardness by being exposed to one of heat or light. Then, a chemical latent image corresponding to the image is represented by the microcapsules having different hardness. When the photosensitive recording medium and the image receiving sheet are superposed and pressed against each other, the unhardened microcapsules are ruptured and the pigment or dye in the unhardened microcapsules flows from the ruptured microcapsules. The pigment or dye that flows from the microcapsules is absorbed into the thermoplastic fine particles layer. As a result, a visible image corresponding to the image is formed on the image receiving sheet.

Abstract: An electrostatic relay essentially comprises a fixed electrode with a fixed contact insulated therefrom, a movable electrode plate with a movable contact insulated therefrom, and a fixed pair of oppositely charged electrets. The movable electrode plate is pivotally supported at a pivot in a cantilever fashion or a seesaw fashion, and also to move about the pivot axis relative to the fixed electrode between two rest positions of closing and opening the contacts. A control voltage source is connected across the fixed electrode and the movable electrode plate to generate a potential difference therebetween. The electrets are disposed adjacent the movable electrode plate to generate electrostatic forces attracting and repelling the movable electrode plate, respectively, when the movable electrode plate is charged to a given polarity. That is, the attracting and repelling forces are cooperative to produce a torque for moving the movable electrode plate in one direction from one of the rest positions to the other.

Abstract: A recording system for recording visible images on a recording medium according to source image information, including a coating device applying to the medium at least one kind of image-recording toner including a photosensitive toner, and an exposing device image-wise exposing the medium having thereon the photosensitive toner, to a radiation having the source image information so as to form on the medium images representing the source image information. The coating device may apply to the medium at least one of the photosensitive microcapsules and developer material which serve as the at least one kind of toner, according to the source image information, and the exposing device may expose to the radiation the medium having the microcapsules serving as the photosensitive toner so as to form microcapsule-based latent images.

Abstract: A light-and pressure-sensitive recording sheet and an original, overlapping each other, are introduced into an image forming apparatus, and are exposed to radiation on a transparent drum by means of a light source in the drum, whereupon a latent image, based on the contents of the original, is formed on the recording sheet. Then, the recording sheet is separated from the original by means of a separator, and is passed between a pair of pressure rolls. When the recording sheet is exposed, microcapsules thereon change their hardness. These microcapsules are ruptured selectively by pressure applied to the sheet. As a result, a chromogenic material, contained in the microcapsules, and a developer material, on the surface of a substrate of the recording sheet, react with each other, so that the sheet surface changes its color. Thus, the latent image is developed to accomplish copying in accordance with the original.

Abstract: In an image recording method of the present invention, a photosensitive sheet having a transparent substrate coated on one surface with microcapsules encapsulating a photosensitive material, that undergoes a viscosity change upon irradiation by light, and a chromogenic material is superposed upon a photosensitive member and subjected to light exposure. As a result, a chemical latent image corresponding to an original image is formed on the photosensitive sheet and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the original image is formed on the photosensitive member. Subsequently, an electrostatically charged developer, which reacts with the chromogenic material, is deposited on the photosensitive sheet at a portion on which the chemical latent image is formed. The photosensitive sheet on which the develper is deposited is then superposed, microcapsule side down, on an optional recording medium and the microcapsules having low viscosity are ruptured and discharge the chromogenic material.

Abstract: In a transfer-type image recording device utilizing a recording medium comprising a continuous-form recording sheet and a cut-form developing sheet, the former is arranged to be fed in a predetermined speed, coated with a plurality of photo and pressure sensitive microcapsules each containing a dye-precursor and a component to change the strength thereof when exposed to light. And the latter is designed to be coated with a developer material which is reactable with the dye-precursor. In the image recording device, a visible image is obtained by transferring an image having been formed on the recording sheet onto a surface of the developing sheet. A roller member for peeling off the microcapsules from a surface of the recording sheet after a transfer operation of an image is executed. Thus, any recognizable image on the recording sheet, for example, a visible negative image formed by the remained microcapsules, is erased after the visible image is obtained on the developing sheet.

Abstract: An image recording medium is provided with an identifying index indicative of whether or not one side of the image recording medium is a front side coated with developing agent. In another image recording medium coated with developing agent, electrical resistance material is coated on at least one side of the image recording medium. In a detecting device for the another image recording medium, an electrode unit is provided for measuring electric conductivity of one side of the image recording medium. A control unit is connected to the electrode unit for identifying the image recording medium on the basis of the electric conductivity measured by the electrode unit. In another detecting device, a light emitting unit emits light with which at least one of front and back sides of an image recording medium is illuminated. A light receiving unit receives light reflected from the at least one side of the image recording medium.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus which can provide an output visible image on an ordinary sheet. The apparatus uses a photosensitive recording medium whose surface is provided with microcapsules encapsulating therein a chromogenic material or dye precursor. Developer material particles are supplied over one of the photosensitive recording medium and the ordinary sheet for generating a chromogenic reaction with the dye precursor.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus uses coloring photosensitive toner for a full-color copying which is in the form of a microcapsule having a shell, a photosensitive resin and a chromogenic material both encapsulated in the shell, and a developer material coated on the outer surface of the shell. To increase the monochromatic copying speed, the apparatus further uses a monochromatic toner. When a user's switch is depressed, a driver unit selects either one of the full-color and monochromatic color copying mode. When the monochromatic image is to be copied, a pressure developing unit which is used for pressure developing a color latent image is retracted, so that a recording medium on which a monochromatic toner image is deposited is free from the pressure imparted by the pressure developing unit and the pressure developing unit is not smeared with the monochromatic toner powders.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for forming a three-dimensional article with photosetting or thermosetting material on the basis of a three-dimensional information on the article by means of an ink jet method. The material is jetted from at least one ink jet head to a stage and laminated thereon. The laminated material is exposed to light by a light source to be cured. In this process, a jetting direction of the material from the ink jet head to the stage and/or a jetting amount of the material jetted from the ink jet head is changed in accordance with the information by a control unit, thereby forming a solid article having a desired three-dimensional shape.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus incorporating two sheet cartridges each storing a photosensitive recording sheet. In one example of the invention, one of the sheet cartridge stores a microcapsule sheet adapted to record a full-color iamge and the other sheet cartridge stores another kind of microcapsule sheet adapted to record a monochromatic image. When a monochromatic image recording is to be performed, the relevant microcapsule sheet is selected and conveyed past an exposure station, a developing station, and a fixing station at a speed higher than a conveying speed of the full-color image recording microcapsule sheet. In another example of the invention, one of the sheet cartridge stores a microcapsule sheet adapted to record an image of a positive film and the other sheet cartridge stores a thermally developable silver halide photosensitive sheet adapted to record an image of a negative film.

Abstract: To produce an image recording medium having a support member and a developer material deposited thereon, the support member is charged to a first polarity and powders of a mixture of the developer material and a thermally fusible material both charged to a second polarity opposite to the first polarity are applied to the surface of the support member. Then, the developer material thereon is fixed to the support member by thermally fusing the thermally fusible material with the use of a fixing unit. The recording medium thus produced is used in conjunction with a microcapsule sheet to form an image on the recording medium. On the surface of the microcapsule sheet, photosensitive and pressure rupturable microcapsules are coated and a chromogenic material is encapsulated therein. The image is formed by the reaction of the chromogenic material with the developer material.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes laminated photoelectric conversion elements each having a semiconductor thin film carrying out the photoelectric conversion, the respective semiconductor thin film having a relationship L.ltoreq.1/.alpha.(.lambda.) when incident light is of a wavelength .lambda., the semiconductor thin film is of an absorbtion coefficient .alpha.(.lambda.) with respect to the light of the wavelength .lambda. and the carrier collecting length is L, whereby the optimum combination of the incident light wavelength and the sensitivity of the device can be obtained to realize a high photoelectric conversion efficiency.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming visible images on a recording medium according to source image information, comprises microcapsules, a stirring roller, a photosensitive drum, a microcapsules coating device, a corotron, an exposing device, a heater and a developing device. Each of the microcapsules includes a chromogenic material and a material having a heat-softening property wherein it is softened by heat and a photocuring property wherein it is cured by light. The stirring roller frictionally charges the microcapsules. The photosensitive drum has an electrically chargeable drum surface, the drum surface permits electrostatic latent image to be formed therein according to the source image information. The microcapsules coating device coates the charged microcapsules onto the drum surface of the photosensitive drum according to the electrostatic latent images. The corotron transfer the microcapsules from the drum surface of the photosensitive drum to the recording medium.

Abstract: A recording medium which enables formation of an image on any desired substrate is disclosed, which comprises a support having provided thereon at least a color developer capable of color-forming reaction with a dye precursor, and an adhesive such as heat-sensitive adhesives, tackifying composition, etc.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a cathode ray tube as a light source which is controlled by a control circuit including an image signal inverting circuit for inverting a polarity of an image signal and a vertical deflecting circuit for inverting an image formed on the cathode ray tube in a mirror image relationship on the basis of the vertical synchronizing signal. Thus, the image forming apparatus can provide two kinds of color images obtained by using a microcapsule sheet or a silver chloride sheet.

Abstract: An imaging device wherein a latent image is formed on a photo and pressure sensitive recording sheet by exposing a light thereon and the latent image is then developed by applying a pressure thereon. The degree of pressing is automatically and/or manually controlled so as to obtain a visible image of stable color deepness and of good quality.