Abstract: A cover (220, 320, 420) for covering a part in a circumferential direction of an outer circumferential surface of a rigid endoscope 10 includes an outer cover portion (222, 322, 422) having flexibility and an inner cover portion (223, 323, 423) provided on an inner surface of the outer cover portion (222, 322, 422) and configured to define a flow passage for a washing fluid to be supplied to an observation window portion 14 of the rigid endoscope 10, and the outer cover portion(222, 322, 422) is mounted onto the outer circumferential surface of the rigid endoscope 10 by the outer cover portion (222, 322, 422) bending.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that forms a first toner layer on a medium on which an image is to be formed, a first fixing unit that fixes the first toner layer onto the medium, a second image forming unit that forms a second toner layer on the first toner layer on the medium by using a toner having a melting point lower than a melting point of a toner that is included in the first toner layer, and a second fixing unit that performs, in a state in which a foil layer is superposed on the second toner layer, a fixing operation at a temperature lower than a temperature at which the first fixing unit performs a fixing operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that forms a first toner layer on a medium on which an image is to be formed, a foil layer forming unit that forms a foil layer on the first toner layer on a surface of the medium on which an image is to be formed, and a second image forming unit that forms a second toner layer below the foil layer on the surface of the medium, on which an image is to be formed, in such a manner as to compensate for image steps that are formed by the first toner layer.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell including a fuel electrode being supplied with fuel gas and an oxidant electrode being supplied with oxidant gas and generating electric power by causing the fuel gas and the oxidant gas to react with each other, a voltmeter measuring an output voltage of the fuel cell, an ammeter measuring an output current of the fuel cell, a restricting valve provided upstream and downstream of an oxidant electrode side of the fuel cell and being opened in a power generation state and being closed in a stopped state or under the oxygen consuming control, and a load control unit controlling a current value of an output current to be output by the fuel cell and, under the oxygen consuming control, controlling the output voltage of the fuel cell such that the output current reduces as the output voltage of the fuel cell increases.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that forms a first toner layer on a medium on which an image is to be formed, a first fixing unit that fixes the first toner layer onto the medium, a second image forming unit that forms a second toner layer on the first toner layer on the medium by using a toner having a melting point lower than a melting point of a toner that is included in the first toner layer, and a second fixing unit that performs, in a state in which a foil layer is superposed on the second toner layer, a fixing operation at a temperature lower than a temperature at which the first fixing unit performs a fixing operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that forms a first toner layer on a medium on which an image is to be formed, a foil layer forming unit that forms a foil layer on the first toner layer on a surface of the medium on which an image is to be formed, and a second image forming unit that forms a second toner layer below the foil layer on the surface of the medium, on which an image is to be formed, in such a manner as to compensate for image steps that are formed by the first toner layer.

Abstract: A transport device includes a first belt member, a second belt member, a first roller, a second roller, a third roller, a fourth roller, a fifth roller, and a sixth roller. The second belt member is in contact with the first belt member to form a contact portion in cooperation with the first belt member. The first roller is capable of adjusting a tilt in a longitudinal direction of the first roller. The second roller is capable of adjusting a tilt in a longitudinal direction of the second roller. The third and fourth rollers are located adjacent to the first roller. The fifth and sixth rollers are located adjacent to the second roller. The third roller, the fourth roller, the fifth roller, and the sixth roller each have a uniform diameter in a longitudinal direction of the roller, and are disposed at positions other than the contact portion.

Abstract: A transport device includes a first belt member movably stretched, a second belt member, a first roller, a second roller, a third roller, a fourth roller, a fifth roller, and a sixth roller. The second belt member is in contact with the first belt member to form a contact portion in cooperation with the first belt member. The second belt member is movably stretched. The first roller stretches the first belt member and is capable of adjusting a tilt in a longitudinal direction of the first roller. The second roller stretches the second belt member and is capable of adjusting a tilt in a longitudinal direction of the second roller. The third roller stretches the first belt member and is located adjacent to the first roller and upstream of the first roller in a movement direction of the first belt member. The fourth roller stretches the first belt member and is located adjacent to the first roller and downstream of the first roller in the movement direction of the first belt member.

Abstract: An intake apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an intake apparatus body including a plurality of intake pipes which are connected to respective cylinders of the internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine including the cylinders of which the number is multiples of three, and an outside gas distribution portion distributing outside gas to each of the plurality of intake pipes, the outside gas distribution portion including a single first outside gas distribution pipe connected to an outside gas supply source, a plurality of second outside gas distribution pipes branched from the first outside gas distribution portion, an outside gas collective passage gathering outside gas from the plurality of second outside gas distribution pipes, and three third outside gas distribution pipes branched from the outside gas collective passage and connected to the plurality of intake pipes respectively.

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 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 image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a first charging unit that charges a surface of the image holding member, a latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on a charged surface of the image holding member, a second charging unit that charges a toner contained in a liquid developer, a developing unit that accommodates the liquid developer and develops the electrostatic latent image by using the liquid developer containing the toner charged by the second charging unit to form a toner image, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image to a recording medium, and a fixing unit that fixes the toner image to the recording medium. The liquid developer includes a toner in which a compound having a charge-accepting functional group has been bonded to a surface of toner particles, an ionization-controlling agent that ionizes the charge-accepting functional group, and a carrier liquid.

Abstract: An intake apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an intake apparatus body including a plurality of intake pipes which are connected to respective cylinders of the internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine including the cylinders of which the number is multiples of three, and an outside gas distribution portion distributing outside gas to each of the plurality of intake pipes, the outside gas distribution portion including a single first outside gas distribution pipe connected to an outside gas supply source, a plurality of second outside gas distribution pipes branched from the first outside gas distribution portion, an outside gas collective passage gathering outside gas from the plurality of second outside gas distribution pipes, and three third outside gas distribution pipes branched from the outside gas collective passage and connected to the plurality of intake pipes respectively.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing unit that includes a first heating unit and a pressing unit that forms a fixing region, in which a recording material is sandwiched between the pressing unit and the first heating unit and an image on the recording material is fixed onto the recording material, a second heating unit that applies heat to a portion of the recording material, the portion not having reached the fixing region, and a deformation-suppression unit that suppresses deformation of the recording material due to the heat applied to the recording material by the second heating unit.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating member that has a heat source, comes into contact with a surface of a continuous medium having an image transferred thereto and heats the surface; a pressure member that is provided so as to oppose the heating member with the medium therebetween and applies pressure to the medium; and a tensioning member that is provided on a downstream side of a fixing area, where the heating member and the pressure member oppose each other, in a medium-transport direction, applies tension to the medium by pressing the medium toward the pressure member, and wraps the medium around the pressure member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating member that has a heat source, comes into contact with a surface of a continuous medium having an image transferred thereto and heats the surface; a pressure member that is provided so as to oppose the heating member with the medium therebetween and applies pressure to the medium; and a tensioning member that is provided on a downstream side of a fixing area, where the heating member and the pressure member oppose each other, in a medium-transport direction, applies tension to the medium by pressing the medium toward the pressure member, and wraps the medium around the pressure member.

Abstract: A pasting device includes a contact member disposed at a position that is downstream of a fixing unit that heats and fixes a developer transferred to a surface of a medium and that is upstream of a position at which a temperature of the heated developer decreases to a glass transition temperature with respect to a direction in which the medium is transported, the contact member contacting an image that has passed through the fixing unit; and a pasting member that is disposed downstream of the contact member with respect to the direction in which the medium is transported and that pastes a multilayered object to the surface of the medium.

Abstract: This air intake apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a throttle-side air intake pipe having one end connected to a throttle and another end connected to a surge tank, an external gas inlet provided in at least one of the throttle-side air intake pipe and the surge tank, introducing external gas into at least one of the throttle-side air intake pipe and the surge tank, and a gas distributivity improvement fin provided inside at least one of the throttle-side air intake pipe and the surge tank, which corresponds to the external gas inlet, diffusing the external gas to intake air from the throttle.

Abstract: A liquid developer includes a toner in which a compound having a charge-accepting functional group has been bonded to a surface of toner particles, and a carrier liquid which makes a charge density of a surface of the toner become 1 ?C/m2 or less when the toner is dispersed in the carrier liquid.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing member provided in a fixing area where an unfixed image on surface of a medium is fixed, the fixing member including at least a thermoplastic surface layer that softens at a temperature below a fixing temperature at which the image is fixed; and a cleaning member provided on a downstream side with respect to the fixing area in a direction of rotation of the fixing member and that cleans the fixing member while coming into contact with a hardened portion of the fixing member in a cleaning area, the cleaning area being at a temperature below the temperature at which the thermoplastic surface layer of the fixing member softens.