Abstract: An electronic device includes a layered piezoelectric element and a driven member. The driven member is bonded to the top surface of the layered piezoelectric element by means of an epoxy resin adhesive. The piezoelectric element includes a side electrode on one side surface of the element, which is one of the outer surfaces of the element. The piezoelectric element includes, in the vicinity of the upper end portion of the side surface, a dam portion formed of a material for preventing epoxy bleed out of the adhesive. Therefore, even when the epoxy bleed out of the adhesive occurs, a bled-out portion of the components of the adhesive does not reach the side electrode. Thus, when the side electrode is connected to an external circuit by, for example, soldering, reduction in the connection strength or similar problems are avoided.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image data acquiring unit that acquires image data of an image formed on a sheet; an identification information image reading unit that reads an identification information image formed on the sheet, the identification information image corresponding to identification information that identifies the sheet on which the image is formed; an image forming unit that forms a first image based on the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit on the sheet with a decolorable colorant which becomes colorless by a predetermined chemical reaction; and a storage control unit that stores the identification information and the image data of the image to be formed on the sheet, on which the identification information image corresponding to the identification information is formed, in a predetermined storage region in a correlated manner.

Abstract: A device using a piezoelectric element includes a layered piezoelectric element and a driven member. The layered piezoelectric element includes an active portion formed of stacked piezoelectric layers each being sandwiched between a first internal electrode layer and a second internal electrode layer, and an inactive portion (first end inactive portion) formed of a first end piezoelectric layer stacked on the active portion. The driven member is bonded to the top surface of the first end piezoelectric layer by means of an adhesive. The piezoelectric layers and the first end piezoelectric layer are formed such that the porosity of the inactive portion is greater than that of the active portion. Therefore, since numerous open pores are emerged on the top surface of the first end piezoelectric layer, the adhesive enters into the open pores to have the driven member be strongly bonded to the top surface.

Abstract: A circuit board that can decrease thermal stress acting between a semiconductor element and a board in association with temperature alteration and has high mechanical strength (rigidity) as a whole board (including a multilayer wiring layer) is provided. Ceramic base material having a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of a semiconductor element and inner layer wiring are integrally sintered, and the circuit board is configured so that fine-lined conductor structure corresponding to a multilayer wiring layer in the inner layer wiring has predetermined width, intralayer interval and interlayer interval. Thereby, thermal stress acting between a semiconductor element and the board when the board is exposed to temperature alteration in a condition where it is joined with the semiconductor element is suppressed, rigidity of the board is maintained, and its reliability against temperature cycle is increased.

Abstract: In the laminated and sintered ceramic circuit board according to the present invention, at least a portion of the inplane conductor is fine-lined, such that the shape of the cross-section surface of the fine-lined inplane conductor is trapezoid, and the height (a), the length (c) of the lower base and the length (d) of the upper base of the trapezoidal cross-section surfaces, and the interval (b) between the lower bases of the trapezoidal cross-section surfaces of the inplane conductors adjacent in a plane parallel to the principal surfaces of the board meet a certain relation. This provides a laminated ceramic circuit board with low open failure rate, short-circuit failure rate and high reliability against high temperature and high humidity in a downsized and short-in-height (thin) semiconductor package.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image data acquiring unit that acquires image data of an image formed on a sheet; an identification information acquiring unit that acquires identification information that identifies the sheet on which the image is formed; an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data on the sheet with a decolorable colorant which becomes colorless by a predetermined chemical reaction and that forms an identification information image based on the identification information on the sheet with a non-decolorable colorant which does not become colorless by the chemical reaction; and a storage control unit that stores the identification information and the image data of the image to be formed on the sheet, on which the identification information image corresponding to the identification information is formed, in a predetermined storage region in a correlated manner.

Abstract: In the laminated and sintered ceramic circuit board according to the present invention, at least a portion of the inplane conductor is fine-lined, such that the shape of the cross-section surface of the fine-lined inplane conductor is trapezoid, and the height (a), the length (c) of the lower base and the length (d) of the upper base of the trapezoidal cross-section surfaces, and the interval (b) between the lower bases of the trapezoidal cross-section surfaces of the inplane conductors adjacent in a plane parallel to the principal surfaces of the board meet a certain relation. This provides a laminated ceramic circuit hoard with low open failure rate, short-circuit failure rate and high reliability against high temperature and high humidity in a downsized and short-in-height (thin) semiconductor package.

Abstract: A circuit board that can decrease thermal stress acting between a semiconductor element and a board in association with temperature alteration and has high mechanical strength (rigidity) as a whole board (including a multilayer wiring layer) is provided. Ceramic base material having a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of a semiconductor element and inner layer wiring are integrally sintered, and the circuit board is configured so that fine-lined conductor structure corresponding to a multilayer wiring layer in the inner layer wiring has predetermined width, intralayer interval and interlayer interval. Thereby, thermal stress acting between a semiconductor element and the board when the board is exposed to temperature alteration in a condition where it is joined with the semiconductor element is suppressed, rigidity of the board is maintained, and its reliability against temperature cycle is increased.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion to form an image on a sheet using an erasable ink, a sheet supply tray to load the sheet on which the image was formed using the erasable ink, a mark detecting portion to detect a mark indicating that the image formed on the sheet conveyed from the sheet supply tray includes a confidential information, and an overwriting portion to overwrite so as not to make recognizable the image of at least an area including the confidential information out of the image formed on the sheet, in case that the mark is detected by the mark detecting portion.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element includes a step of subjecting the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film to a heat treatment and a polarization treatment after the film is allowed to stand until the value of an electric constant has converged after the heat treatment. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive element manufactured in this method has small stress remaining in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film, and predetermined performance regarding, for example, a displacement amount, a displacement-generating force, and an electric power efficiency (consumed electric power) as a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element (piezoelectric/electrostrictive film) is never spoiled.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator 10 according to each embodiment of the present invention comprises: a column-like piezoelectric body 31, whose bottom face is fixed to a base portion 20, and which stands from the base portion; and a driving power supply section for applying a driving voltage to the piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric body includes two sets (32, 33) of a pair of electrodes for providing electrical fields to the piezoelectric body. The two sets are formed so that each of the two sets is provided to each of two regions into which the piezoelectric body is divided by a virtual plane VPL1 parallel to the center axis CL of the piezoelectric body. The driving power supply section applies the driving voltage Vin having a “frequency between the second-order bending resonant frequency and the first-order expansion-contraction resonant frequency” to either one of the two sets, selectively.

Abstract: An aspect of a piezoelectric actuator according to the present invention comprises: a plate-like piezoelectric element (20); a sheet (30); and a movable body (50). The piezoelectric element is provided to the sheet (30) in such a manner that the upper surface of the plate-like piezoelectric element is parallel to the upper surface of the sheet. The sheet includes a movable body driving section (40) formed on one of the upper and the lower surfaces of the sheet. A movable body includes a contact section (51) contacting with the sheet at the movable body driving section. The actuator moves the movable body driving section in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the sheet by using expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the piezoelectric element to move the movable body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus picks up each one of sheets stacked in a tray, allows a detecting sensor to detect whether a mark indicating a reusable sheet is assigned to the picked-up sheet, and cumulates the sheet in which the mark is not detected by the detecting sensor in a cumulative unit. The image forming apparatus erases a color of an image forming material by heating the sheet of which the mark is detected by the detecting sensor and receives the sheet of which the image forming material is erased in a sheet cassette. The image forming apparatus forms an image with the image forming material erasable by applying heat to the sheet received in the sheet cassette.

Abstract: A device using a piezoelectric element includes a layered piezoelectric element and a driven member. The layered piezoelectric element includes an active portion formed of stacked piezoelectric layers each being sandwiched between a first internal electrode layer and a second internal electrode layer, and an inactive portion (first end inactive portion) formed of a first end piezoelectric layer stacked on the active portion. The driven member is bonded to the top surface of the first end piezoelectric layer by means of an adhesive. The piezoelectric layers and the first end piezoelectric layer are formed such that the porosity of the inactive portion is greater than that of the active portion. Therefore, since numerous open pores are emerged on the top surface of the first end piezoelectric layer, the adhesive enters into the open pores to have the driven member be strongly bonded to the top surface.

Abstract: An electronic device 10 includes a layered piezoelectric element 20 and a driven member 30. The driven member 30 is bonded to the top surface 20a of the layered piezoelectric element 20 by means of an epoxy resin adhesive S. The piezoelectric element 20 includes a side electrode 24 on one side surface of the element, which is one of the outer surfaces of the element 20. The piezoelectric element 20 includes, in the vicinity of the upper end portion of the side surface, a dam portion 28 formed of a material for preventing epoxy bleed out of the adhesive S. Therefore, even when the epoxy bleed out of the adhesive S occurs, a bled-out portion of the components of the adhesive S does not reach the side electrode 24. Thus, when the side electrode is connected to an external circuit by, for example, soldering, reduction in the connection strength or similar problems can be avoided.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image data acquiring unit that acquires image data of an image formed on a sheet; an identification information acquiring unit that acquires identification information that identifies the sheet on which the image is formed; an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit on the sheet with a decolorable colorant which becomes colorless by a predetermined chemical reaction and that forms an identification information image based on the identification information on the sheet with a non-decolorable colorant which does not become colorless by the chemical reaction by which the decolorable colorant becomes colorless; and a storage control unit that stores the identification information and the image data of the image to be formed on the sheet, on which the identification information image corresponding to the identification information is formed, in a predetermined storage region in a correlated m

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion to form an image on a sheet using an erasable ink, a sheet supply tray to load the sheet on which the image was formed using the erasable ink, a mark detecting portion to detect a mark indicating that the image formed on the sheet conveyed from the sheet supply tray includes a confidential information, and an overwriting portion to overwrite so as not to make recognizable the image of at least an area including the confidential information out of the image formed on the sheet, in case that the mark is detected by the mark detecting portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus picks up each one of sheets stacked in a tray, allows a detecting sensor to detect whether a mark indicating a reusable sheet is assigned to the picked-up sheet, and cumulates the sheet in which the mark is not detected by the detecting sensor in a cumulative unit. The image forming apparatus erases a color of an image forming material by heating the sheet of which the mark is detected by the detecting sensor and receives the sheet of which the image forming material is erased in a sheet cassette. The image forming apparatus forms an image with the image forming material erasable by applying heat to the sheet received in the sheet cassette.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element includes a step of subjecting the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film to a heat treatment and a polarization treatment after the film is allowed to stand until the value of an electric constant has converged after the heat treatment. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive element manufactured in this method has small stress remaining in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film, and predetermined performance regarding, for example, a displacement amount, a displacement-generating force, and an electric power efficiency (consumed electric power) as a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element (piezoelectric/electrostrictive film) is never spoiled.

Abstract: A method is provided for manufacturing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element that includes a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body containing an alkali metal or alkaline-earth metal and that exhibits stable electrical characteristics without variation. The method includes the step of firing the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body and the step of washing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element including the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body with an acidic solution or pure water. The step of washing is performed at least once after the step of firing.