Abstract: A snowboard boot includes a toe portion, a heel portion and a leg portion. The heel portion and the leg portion are coupled so that the leg portion is capable of inclination in a longitudinal direction relative to the heel portion, and/or the heel portion and the leg portion are coupled so that the leg portion is capable of inclination in a lateral direction relative to the heel portion. In a more specific embodiment, a rigid heel overlap member is coupled to the heel portion, and a rigid leg overlap member is coupled to the leg portion. The heel overlap member and the leg overlap member overlap in a longitudinal direction. The heel overlap member and the leg overlap member are capable of relative movement in a vertical direction and/or rotation around a longitudinal axis. If desired, the heel overlap member and the leg overlap may interface through an arcuate or approximately spherical surface to facilitate relative movement in the desired directions.

Abstract: A sole for a snowboard boot is made of a nylon reinforced fiberglass material. The snowboard boot includes an intermediate layer made of a resin material. between the sole and an upper portion of the shoe. The upper portion of the shoe is made of a leather-like material. A first adhesive adhers the upper to the intermediate layer. A second adhesive adheres the intermediate layer to the sole. The first and second adhesives have differing properties and advantages. For instance, the first adhesive 65 provides good adhesive properties between leather material and resin materials. The second adhesive 70 provides good adhesive properties between nylon reinforced fiberglass materials and resin based materials.

Abstract: An image reader sets the level of illumination provided by a light source and the gamma correction provided by a density correction circuit in dependence upon a user selected density setting button on a control panel.

Abstract: An image fixing apparatus includes a heater; a film movable in contact with the heater at one side thereof and in contact with a recording material at the other side thereof, wherein a visualized image on the recording material is heated and fixed by heat from the heater through the film; the heater including a heat generating layer extending in a direction crossing a movement direction of the film, for producing the heat by the application of a voltage between its longitudinal opposite ends; an electric path branched out of an image fixing part of the heat generating layer; and a selector for selecting the electric path in accordance with a size of the recording material.

Abstract: A corona discharging apparatus is adapted to vibrate a corona discharge wire and/or grid wires by the use of a vibrating element to remove foreign matters deposited on the corona discharging wire and/or grid wires.

Abstract: A cleaning device in an image forming apparatus for removing developer, dust and/or corona products adhering to a surface to be cleaned includes a cleaning member bearing against a surface to be cleaned to clean the surface to be cleaned, receiving means for receiving magnetic powder removed from the surface to be cleaned by the cleaning member, and magnets provided at the opposite ends of the cleaning member to prevent the magnetic powder removed from the surface to be cleaned by the cleaning member from scattering outwardly.

Abstract: The present invention aims at improvement in the image forming method, wherein ion current is modulated in an image form, on the basis of which a secondary electrostatic latent image is formed on a recording sheet, an insulated drum, and other recording media, and the thus formed electrostatic latent image is developed. In more detail, the entire region of such sheet and drum where such secondary electrostatic latent image is formed is uniformly charged beforehand to a desired potential, whereby the fogging phenomenon to occur at the time of development, and changes in the formed image which take place due to variations in the modulating quantity of the ion current on account of deterioration in an ion current modulating element can be prevented. Setting of the member to form thereon such secondary electrostatic latent image at a desired arbitrary potential can be done by, for example, varying the voltage to be applied to a grid provided in a corona discharger.