Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable drum; charging means for charging the drum, the charging means including a first carrying member for carrying electroconductive magnetic particles and a second carrying member for carrying the magnetic particles, the second carrying member being disposed at a downstreammost position with respect to a rotational direction of the drum, wherein the magnetic particle is in contact with the drum while charging the drum; latent image forming means, disposed at a position downstream of the charging means, for forming a latent image on the drum; potential detecting means for detecting a surface potential of the drum, the potential detecting means being disposed downstream of the charging means and upstream of the latent image forming means; phase detecting means for detecting information relates to a rotational phase of the second carrying member; control means for controlling voltages applied to the first carrying member and to the second carrying member; and wherein t

Abstract: A charging apparatus for charging a member to be charged by contacting magnetic particles to the member to be charged, includes a magnetic particle carrying member for magnetically carrying the magnetic particles, wherein the magnetic particle carrying member is provided at a longitudinal end portion of the magnetic particle carrying member with an insulative portion for electrically insulating from the magnetic particles carried by the magnetic particle carrying member; and an electroconductive member disposed for contacting the magnetic particles carried on the insulative portion, wherein an absolute value of a potential of the electroconductive member is lower than an absolute value of a voltage applied to the magnetic particle carrying member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging device, including a rotatable magnetic particle carrying member and electroconductive magnetic particles carried on the rotatable magnetic particle carrying member, for charging the image bearing member by contacting the magnetic particles to the image bearing member; the measuring device for measuring magnitudes of a first force in a first direction and a second force in a second direction which are produced in a contact region between the image bearing member and the magnetic particle, wherein the first direction and second direction are independent from each other; and a control device for controlling an image forming operation on the basis of the forces measured by the measuring device.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor layer including silicon carbide, which has been formed on a substrate; a semiconductor region 15 of a first conductivity type defined on the surface of the semiconductor layer 10; a semiconductor region 14 of a second conductivity type, which is defined on the surface 10s of the semiconductor layer so as to surround the semiconductor region 15 of the first conductivity type; and a conductor 19 with a conductive surface 19s that contacts with the semiconductor regions 15 and 14 of the first and second conductivity types. On the surface 10s of the semiconductor layer, the semiconductor region 15 of the first conductivity type has at least one first strip portion 60 that runs along a first axis i. The width C1 of the semiconductor region 15 of the first conductivity type as measured along the first axis i is greater than the width A1 of the conductive surface 19s as measured along the first axis i.

Abstract: A semiconductor device 100 includes: a semiconductor substrate 10 of silicon carbide of a first conductivity type; a silicon carbide epitaxial layer 20 of the first conductivity type, which has been grown on the principal surface 10a of the substrate 10; well regions 22 of a second conductivity type, which form parts of the silicon carbide epitaxial layer 20; and source regions 24 of the first conductivity type, which form respective parts of the well regions 22. A channel epitaxial layer 30 of silicon carbide has been grown over the well regions 22 and source regions 24 of the silicon carbide epitaxial layer 20. A portion of the channel epitaxial layer 30 that is located over the well regions 22 functions as a channel region 40. And a dopant of the first conductivity type has been implanted into the other portions 33 and 35 of the channel epitaxial layer 30 except the channel region 40.

Abstract: An impact tool for simultaneously providing a rotational force and an impact force to an object has an output shaft rotated by a motor, hammer for intermittently providing an impact force to the output shaft, hammer holder for movably holding the hammer, and an impact force generator for generating the impact force from an output of the motor. An air chamber is formed between the hammer and the hammer holder such that a volume of the air chamber is variable in response to a position of the hammer relative to the hammer holder. In addition, the hammer receives a bias force generated in a direction toward the output shaft by a biasing device. This bias force effectively increases the impact force in cooperation with an air pressure caused by a volume change of the air chamber.

Abstract: A hammer drill includes a motor; a spindle rotatingly driven by the motor and holding an output bit; a motion conversion member for converting rotational movement of the motor to reciprocating movement; a striker reciprocatingly driven by the motion conversion member for applying an axial striking force to the output bit; a striking-motion-releasing mechanism for releasing the striking force applying action exercised by the striker; and a tightening-torque adjusting clutch for interrupting the transfer of the rotational force to the output bit by increasing a load torque.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is fabricated on an off-cut semiconductor substrate 11. Each unit cell 10 thereof includes: a first semiconductor layer 12 on the surface of the substrate 11; a second semiconductor layer 16 stacked on the first semiconductor layer 12 to have an opening 16e that exposes first and second conductive regions 15 and 14 at least partially; a first conductor 19 located inside the opening 16e of the second semiconductor layer 16 and having a conductive surface 19s that contacts with the first and second conductive regions 15 and 14; and a second conductor 17 arranged on the second semiconductor layer 16 and having an opening 18e corresponding to the opening 16s of the second semiconductor layer 16.

Abstract: A hammer drill includes a motor; a spindle rotatingly driven by the motor and holding an output bit; a motion conversion member for converting rotational movement of the motor to reciprocating movement; a striker reciprocatingly driven by the motion conversion member for applying an axial striking force to the output bit; a striking-motion-releasing mechanism for releasing the striking force applying action exercised by the striker; and a tightening-torque adjusting clutch for interrupting the transfer of the rotational force to the output bit by increasing a load torque.

Abstract: A wide frequency range signal from a test sound source is reproduced successively by a plurality of speakers, and the reproduced sound is detected by a plurality of microphones, after which the frequency characteristics are obtained at FFTs, while obtaining the frequency characteristics of the wide frequency range signal at an FFT. A high frequency range level is normalized with a low frequency range level, and a determination section compares the normalized value with a reference value stored in a reference value storage section to determine the number and positions of people in the sound field. The transfer functions between the speakers and the microphones are calculated at transfer function calculators, and impulse responses are obtained at IFFTs, after which a reverberation time calculator calculates the reverberation time based on the impulse responses. An audio signal is adjusted based on the results.

Abstract: A field-effect transistor power device includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, a wide gap semiconductor including a channel region and a drift region, the channel region and the drift region forming a series current path between the source electrode and the drain electrode, a gate insulating film that covers the channel region, and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film. In the series current path which is electrically conducting when the field-effect transistor power device is in an ON state, any region other than the channel region has an ON resistance exhibiting a positive temperature dependence, and the channel region has an ON resistance exhibiting a negative temperature dependence. A ratio ?Ron/Ron(?30° C.) is 50% or less.

Abstract: A production method for a semiconductor device includes the steps of: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate having a semiconductor layer 2 of a first conductivity type formed on a surface thereof; (b) forming a first mask 30 so as to cover a predetermined region of the semiconductor layer 2; (c) forming a well region 6 of a second conductivity type by implanting impurity ions of the second conductivity type into the semiconductor layer 2 having the first mask 30 formed thereon; (d) reducing the thickness t1 of the first mask 30 by removing a portion of the first mask 30; (e) forming a second mask 34 covering a portion of the well region 6 by using photolithography; and (f) forming a source region 8 of the first conductivity type by implanting impurity ions of the first conductivity type into the semiconductor layer 2 having the first mask 30? with the reduced thickness and the second mask 34 formed thereon.

Abstract: A semiconductor encapsulation material of the present invention contains a glass for metal coating which has a strain point of 480° C. or higher, a temperature corresponding to a viscosity of 104 dPa·s of 1,100° C. or lower, and a thermal expansion coefficient at 30 to 380° C. of 70×10?7 to 110×10?7/° C. The semiconductor encapsulation material of the present invention contains no environmentally harmful substances, has a heat resistance temperature as high as 500° C. or above, and can be used for the encapsulation of metals susceptible to oxidation, e.g., Dumet.

Abstract: An impact tool for simultaneously providing a rotational force and an impact force to an object has an output shaft rotated by a motor, hammer for intermittently providing an impact force to the output shaft, hammer holder for movably holding the hammer, and an impact force generator for generating the impact force from an output of the motor. An air chamber is formed between the hammer and the hammer holder such that a volume of the air chamber is variable in response to a position of the hammer relative to the hammer holder. In addition, the hammer receives a bias force generated in a direction toward the output shaft by a biasing device. This bias force effectively increases the impact force in cooperation with an air pressure caused by a volume change of the air chamber.

Abstract: An electric power tool includes a tool body and a battery pack removably mounted to the tool body. The battery pack is used as a power source of the tool body. The electric power tool further includes a lock unit for keeping the battery pack mounted to the tool body and an interrupter switch for interrupting the operation of the tool body when the lock unit does not keep the battery pack mounted to the tool body. Accordingly, the electric power tool is not operable when the battery pack is not completely mounted to the tool body.

Abstract: A hammer drill includes a motor; a spindle rotatingly driven by the motor and holding an output bit; a motion conversion member for converting rotational movement of the motor to reciprocating movement; a striker reciprocatingly driven by the motion conversion member for applying an axial striking force to the output bit; a striking-motion-releasing mechanism for releasing the striking force applying action exercised by the striker; and a tightening-torque adjusting clutch for interrupting the transfer of the rotational force to the output bit by increasing a load torque.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a charging device configured to charge the image bearing member. The charging device includes a magnetic particle carrier and a magnetic particle regulating member configured to regulate magnetic particles carried by the magnetic particle carrier. The charging device causes the magnetic particles carried by the magnetic particle carrier to contact the image bearing member, and applies a voltage to the magnetic particle carrier to charge the image bearing member. An electrode has a contact area via which the electrode can contact magnetic particles stored in a particle pool defined by the magnetic particle carrier and the magnetic particle regulating member. The contact area is variable according to an amount of the magnetic particles stored in the particle pool. A current detection device detects a value of current flowing from the magnetic particle carrier to the electrode via the magnetic particles.

Abstract: Image reading device, when connected directly with a printer supporting a predetermined communications standard, enables the printer to print an image with a size or a layout desired by a user, irrespective of the internal setting of the printer. The inventive devices comprises an image detecting portion reading an original image, an image data generating portion generating an original image data, an image data outputting portion which outputs an image data with a communication mode which can be received by a printer supporting a predetermined communication standard and which renders an image represented by the image data printable with the printer, and an image modification processing portion modifying the original image data based on an image data for modification obtained by reading a reference image containing a predetermined pattern printed through the printer, and thereby an original image will printed with a desired size or a desired layout.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor layer 10; a semiconductor region 15s of a first conductivity type defined on the surface 10s of the semiconductor layer; a semiconductor region 14s of a second conductivity type defined on the surface 10s of the semiconductor layer to surround the semiconductor region 15s; and a conductor 19 with a conductive surface 19s to contact with the semiconductor regions 15s and 14s. The semiconductor layer 10 includes silicon carbide. At least one of the semiconductor region 15s and the conductive surface 19s is not circular. The semiconductor region 15s and the conductive surface 19s are shaped such that as the degree of misalignment between the conductive surface 19s and the semiconductor region 15s increases from zero through one-third of the width of the conductive surface 19s, a portion of the profile of the conductive surface 19s that crosses the semiconductor region 15s has smoothly changing lengths.

Abstract: A power impact tool includes a main body accommodating a chuck at a front end portion thereof; a clutch handle for setting a torque applied to the chuck; a grip including a base portion; a free end portion; and a reinforcing connecting portion connected to the front end portion of the main body at the back of the clutch handle and to the free end portion of the grip. The reinforcing connecting portion is disposed in front of the grip; and a part protruded most forward among the reinforcing connecting portion is located directly in front of the trigger switch disposed at the base portion of the grip. A part of the reinforcing connecting portion disposed behind the clutch handle retreats backward toward the free end portion of the grip.