Abstract: To switch between four nip modes, a cam is driven by a single drive to move between first to fourth positions. At the first position, a first nip between a first pressing body and a fixing member has a first width, and a second nip between a second pressing body and the fixing member has a second width. At the second position, the first nip has a third width smaller than the first width, and the second nip has a width greater than or equal to the second width. At the third position, the first nip has a width greater than or equal to the first width, and the second nip has a fourth width smaller than the second width. At the fourth position, the first nip has a fifth width smaller than the first width, and the second nip has a sixth width smaller than the second width.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes: first and second pressure members each of which is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of an endless belt and nips the endless belt between itself and a cylindrical member; a frame supporting the first and second pressure members; an actuator that moves the first pressure member between a first position and a second position in a movement direction of a portion, of the endless belt, positioned between the first and second pressure members; and an elastic body that generates nipping force to nip the endless belt. The nipping force by the elastic body is generated between the cylindrical member and the first and second pressure members, both in a case that the first pressure member is positioned in the first position and a case that the first pressure member is positioned in the second position.

Abstract: An image stabilization apparatus includes a shake detector configured to detect an image blur, a generation unit configured to generate a first shake correction signal and a second shake correction signal based on a shake signal corresponding to a detection result from the shake detector, the generation unit extracting a low-frequency band signal from the shake signal, changing an amplitude of the extracted low-frequency band signal to generate the first shake correction signal, and generating the second shake correction signal based on the change in the amplitude and the shake signal, a first shake correction unit configured to correct the image blur based on the first shake correction signal, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the second shake correction signal to a second image stabilization apparatus.

Abstract: An UV-irradiation apparatus of an embodiment is provided with an irradiation unit, a measuring unit, a detecting unit, a calculator and a display. The irradiation unit irradiates treatment water as a treatment target with treating ultraviolet rays. The measuring unit measures ultraviolet ray intensity of ultraviolet rays transmitted through the treatment water. The detecting unit detects a deterioration of the irradiation unit in accordance with the ultraviolet ray intensity measured by the measuring unit. The calculator calculates the ultraviolet ray permeability of the treatment water, on the basis of the ultraviolet ray intensity of ultraviolet rays emitted from the irradiation unit depending on a preset setting value and the ultraviolet ray intensity measured by the measuring unit. The display displays the detection result of the deterioration of the irradiation unit by the detecting unit, and the ultraviolet ray permeability calculated by the calculator.

Abstract: A fuser is described including a heater, a belt, a rotating member, and a pad. A nip portion is formed between the belt and the rotating member as the pad presses the belt toward the rotating member. The pad is biased toward a restricting member. The biasing may be performed by one or more springs. The spring may be a compression spring, a tension spring, and/or a plate spring among other types of springs.

Abstract: An image blur correction device detects a hand shake or the like using a shake detection unit and corrects image blur on the basis of a shake detection signal. An offset estimation unit estimates an offset component of an output of the shake detection unit. A noise term calculation unit separates an amount of shake detected by the shake detection unit into bands using a filter to calculate an amount of high frequency shake and an amount of low frequency shake. The noise term calculation unit performs control for changing characteristics of the offset estimation unit to delay updating of an offset estimation value as the amount of high frequency shake becomes larger and changing the characteristics of the offset estimation unit to advance the updating of the offset estimation value as the amount of low frequency shake becomes larger.

Abstract: A device for manufacturing an absorbent body includes: a shaping unit that includes a recessed portion and that makes liquid absorbent fiber and superabsorbent polymer to be deposited in the recessed portion, shaping the absorbent body; and a supply unit that supplies the liquid absorbent fiber and the superabsorbent polymer to the recessed portion. The recessed portion includes a protruding portion, and the protruding portion protrudes from a bottom surface and includes an inclined surface. In a cross section orthogonal to a ridge line of the protruding portion, an angle of the inclined surface with respect to a surface parallel to the bottom surface is greater than an angle of repose of the superabsorbent polymer and smaller than 90 degrees.

Abstract: In an insulator including an adsorbent configured to adsorb gas, an initial adsorption performance of the remaining gas inside the insulator using the adsorbent and a long-term adsorption performance of gas introduced into the insulator from the outside are improved so that the short-term performance and the long-term performance of the insulator can be simultaneously improved. An adsorbent that is a first part of an adsorbent included in a vacuum insulator is accommodated in a first space formed with an inside surface of a container, and an adsorbent that is a second part of the adsorbent is dispersed into a second space formed with an inside surface of an outer envelope and an outside surface of the container.

Abstract: In an imaging apparatus, a first motion vector detector calculates a first motion vector on the basis of images with a low spatial resolution and a second motion vector detector calculates a second motion vector on the basis of images with a high spatial resolution. A first control amount having a great weight for information with a low frequency resolution with respect to frequency components of the first motion vector information and a second control amount having a great weight for information with a high frequency resolution with respect to frequency components of the second motion vector information are calculated. A third control amount is calculated through multiplication by a predetermined weight regardless of the frequency resolution with respect to frequency components of the first or second motion vector information. Drive control of an image blur correction lens is performed according to the first to third control amounts.

Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus detects shake and the like applied to an image pick-up apparatus by a vibration sensor. A motion vector detection unit detects a motion vector of an image in an image signal by an imaging unit. A feature point tracking unit calculates coordinate values of a subject on an imaging screen that changes over time on the basis of the motion vector. A feature coordinate map and a position and attitude estimation unit estimates a position and attitude of the image pick-up apparatus and a positional relationship including a depth between the subject and the image pick-up apparatus based on an output of the vibration sensor and the coordinate values of the subject. A computation unit calculates a control amount of image blur correction using feature points of a main subject, a feature coordinate map and position or attitude information of the image pick-up apparatus.

Abstract: A vibration sensor of an image pick-up apparatus detects shake of an image pick-up apparatus and acquires shake information. An imaging unit outputs an image signal of a subject to an imaging signal processing unit. A motion vector detection unit calculates a motion vector according to an image signal after imaging. A feature point tracking unit performs feature point tracking by calculating a coordinate value of a subject on a photographing screen using the motion vector. A feature coordinate map and position and attitude estimation unit estimates a position or attitude of the image pick-up apparatus on the basis of information obtained by a band limit filter performing band limitation on shake information from a vibration sensor and an output of the feature point tracking unit.

Abstract: Provided is a vacuum insulator having both an excellent insulating performance and an excellent bending strength. A vacuum insulator (1) is configured by a sack-shaped enveloping member (3) and at least one sheet (7) including a plurality of inorganic fibers and includes a core member (5) enclosed in the enveloping member (3). The sheet (7) includes a plurality of bundled inorganic fibers (9) formed by bundling some inorganic fibers from among the plurality of inorganic fibers. At least a part of the bundled inorganic fibers (9) are in contact with each other.

Abstract: An absorbent article is provided with a central elastic material for positioning in a state in which it is extended in the front/rear direction in the outer direction in relation to an absorbent body, and an elastic material cover sheet which abuts the outer direction side surface of the central elastic material. The elastic material cover sheet covers an extension region where the central elastic material is positioned in an extended state, and a non-extension region where the central elastic material is positioned in a non-extended state. An adhesive agent for fixing in the extended state is coated onto the central elastic material of the extension region. An adhesive agent is coated onto at least the non-extension region of the outer direction side surface of the elastic material cover sheet, and the adhesive agent coated onto the outer direction side surface penetrates to the inner direction side surface of the elastic material cover sheet.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes: first and second pressure members each of which is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of an endless belt and nips the endless belt between itself and a cylindrical member; a frame supporting the first and second pressure members; an actuator that moves the first pressure member between a first position and a second position in a movement direction of a portion, of the endless belt, positioned between the first and second pressure members; and an elastic body that generates nipping force to nip the endless belt. The nipping force by the elastic body is generated between the cylindrical member and the first and second pressure members, both in a case that the first pressure member is positioned in the first position and a case that the first pressure member is positioned in the second position.

Abstract: There is provided a fuser including: a cylindrical member; an endless belt; a pressing member; a pressing roller; and a lateral guide contacting a lateral end of the endless belt. A part of an outer circumferential surface of the pressing roller is located on a downstream of the second nip area in a first direction. A guide surface of the lateral guide has: a first guide surface located on an opposite side to the pressing roller with respect to a virtual plane including the center of a first nip area and the center of rotation of the cylindrical member, and a second guide surface located on a side of the pressing roller with respect to the virtual plane, located on the downstream side of the rotation axis of the pressing roller in the first direction, and arranged on a same plane as the first guide surface.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first pressure structure, a second pressure structure, a fixing member, a first arm, a second arm, and an elastic member. The fixing member is disposed between the first and second pressure structures. The first arm is pivotable about a first shaft and includes a first pressing portion and a first connection portion. The second arm is pivotable about a second shaft and includes a second pressing portion and a second connection portion. The elastic member biases the first and second pressing portions toward each other. A first leverage ratio of a distance between the first shaft and the first connection portion to a distance between the first shaft and the first pressing portion is different from a second leverage ratio of a distance between the second shaft and the second connection portion to a distance between the second shaft and the second pressing portion.

Abstract: To switch between four nip modes, a cam is driven by a single drive to move between first to fourth positions. At the first position, a first nip between a first pressing body and a fixing member has a first width, and a second nip between a second pressing body and the fixing member has a second width. At the second position, the first nip has a third width smaller than the first width, and the second nip has a width greater than or equal to the second width. At the third position, the first nip has a width greater than or equal to the first width, and the second nip has a fourth width smaller than the second width. At the fourth position, the first nip has a fifth width smaller than the first width, and the second nip has a sixth width smaller than the second width.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first pressure structure, a second pressure structure, a fixing member, a first arm, a second arm, and an elastic member. The fixing member is disposed between the first and second pressure structures. The first arm is pivotable about a first shaft and includes a first pressing portion and a first connection portion. The second arm is pivotable about a second shaft and includes a second pressing portion and a second connection portion. The elastic member biases the first and second pressing portions toward each other. A first leverage ratio of a distance between the first shaft and the first connection portion to a distance between the first shaft and the first pressing portion is different from a second leverage ratio of a distance between the second shaft and the second connection portion to a distance between the second shaft and the second pressing portion.

Abstract: There are provided an electric-current sensing device capable of detecting an electric current with high accuracy, a load driving system, and a method for manufacturing the electric-current sensing device. According to one embodiment, the electric-current sensing device includes a sense IGBT through which an electric current proportional to an electric current flowing through a main IGBT flows. Further, a depth of a P type floating region from a lower end of each of a plurality of trench gates provided in the sense IGBT is shallower than a depth of another P type floating region from a lower end of each of a plurality of trench gates provided in the main IGBT.

Abstract: A low-resistivity carbon nanotube aggregate includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes each having one or more walls, wherein a ratio of a total number of carbon nanotubes that have two or three walls relative to a total number of said plurality of carbon nanotubes is 75% or greater, and wherein, in a G band of a Raman spectrum in the Raman spectroscopy of the plurality of carbon nanotubes, a G+/Gtotal ratio that is indicative of an amount of semiconductor carbon nanotubes relative to metallic carbon nanotubes is 0.70 or greater.