Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit which includes a belt member having an outer peripheral surface which contacts an image holding member, and a transfer member, and the belt member is wound around both of the image holding member and the transfer member, wherein a toner to be used includes a binder resin containing an amorphous resin and a crystalline resin and has specific physical properties described in the specification, and paraffin wax having a melting temperature of 60° C. to 80° C., and an absolute value of a difference between the melting temperature of the crystalline resin and the melting temperature of the paraffin wax is 10° C. or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a charging unit, an electrostatic charge image forming unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a fixing unit including a fixing belt, a pressurizing rotator that forms a nip by pressurizing an outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt, a sliding member that slides on an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt in the nip, and a pressing member that presses the fixing belt in the direction of the pressurizing rotator, wherein a toner to be used includes a binder resin containing an amorphous resin and a crystalline resin and has specific physical properties described in the specification, and paraffin wax having a melting temperature of 60° C. to 80° C., and an absolute value of a difference between the melting temperature of the crystalline resin and the melting temperature of the paraffin wax is 10° C. or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a fixing belt, a pressurizing rotator that forms a nip portion between the fixing belt and the pressurizing rotator by pressurizing an outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt, a first heating rotator that is provided so as to contact an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt in the nip portion and heats the fixing belt, and a second heating unit that heats the fixing belt separately from the first heating rotator, wherein a toner to be used has physical properties described in the specification and includes an amorphous resin, a crystalline resin, and paraffin wax having a melting temperature of 60° C. to 80° C., and an absolute value of a difference in a melting temperature between the crystalline resin and the paraffin wax is 10° C. or less.

Abstract: A belt cleaner is provided which does not damage the belt surface during the scraping operation where tips on an arcuate scraper held in a holder are inclined and pushed against the belt surface with rotary shafts of the holder rotated by a resilient force. A scraper (20) is provided with a flat slope (29) extending in parallel with the belt surface from top edges of the tips (21) in the belt running direction (F), said flat slope (29) is made to contact with the belt surface in a manner of surface-contact connection when the tips are shifted up the posture from a vertical posture to an inclined posture, and a width (W) of said flat slope (29) in the belt running direction with respect to the thickness (t) of said tip (21) is formed under the condition of t<W.

Abstract: A belt cleaner is provided which does not damage the belt surface during the scraping operation where tips on an arcuate scraper held in a holder are inclined and pushed against the belt surface with rotary shafts of the holder rotated by a resilient force. A scraper (20) is provided with a flat slope (29) extending in parallel with the belt surface from top edges of the tips (21) in the belt running direction (F), said flat slope (29) is made to contact with the belt surface in a manner of surface-contact connection when the tips are shifted up the posture from a vertical posture to an inclined posture, and a width (W) of said flat slope (29) in the belt running direction with respect to the thickness (t) of said tip (21) is formed under the condition of t<W.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a charging unit, an electrostatic charge image forming unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a fixing unit including a fixing belt, a pressurizing rotator that forms a nip by pressurizing an outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt, a sliding member that slides on an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt in the nip, and a pressing member that presses the fixing belt in the direction of the pressurizing rotator, wherein a toner to be used includes a binder resin containing an amorphous resin and a crystalline resin and has specific physical properties described in the specification, and paraffin wax having a melting temperature of 60° C. to 80° C., and an absolute value of a difference between the melting temperature of the crystalline resin and the melting temperature of the paraffin wax is 10° C. or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit which includes a belt member having an outer peripheral surface which contacts an image holding member, and a transfer member, and the belt member is wound around both of the image holding member and the transfer member, wherein a toner to be used includes a binder resin containing an amorphous resin and a crystalline resin and has specific physical properties described in the specification, and paraffin wax having a melting temperature of 60° C. to 80° C., and an absolute value of a difference between the melting temperature of the crystalline resin and the melting temperature of the paraffin wax is 10° C. or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a charging unit; an electrostatic image forming unit, a development unit, a transfer unit; a fixing unit, and a cleaning unit. A toner for electrostatic image development contains a binder resin containing an amorphous resin and a crystalline resin, and paraffin wax. The toner has a volume-average particle diameter of 6 ?m to 9 ?m, a shape factor SF1 of 140 or more, and a toluene insoluble content within a range of 25% to 40%. The melting temperature of the paraffin wax is 60° C. or more and 80° C. or less. The absolute value of difference between the melting temperature of the crystalline resin and the melting temperature of the paraffin is 10° C. or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a fixing belt, a pressurizing rotator that forms a nip portion between the fixing belt and the pressurizing rotator by pressurizing an outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt, a first heating rotator that is provided so as to contact an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt in the nip portion and heats the fixing belt, and a second heating unit that heats the fixing belt separately from the first heating rotator, wherein a toner to be used has physical properties described in the specification and includes an amorphous resin, a crystalline resin, and paraffin wax having a melting temperature of 60° C. to 80° C., and an absolute value of a difference in a melting temperature between the crystalline resin and the paraffin wax is 10° C. or less.

Abstract: A developing device includes a container that contains a developer containing a toner therein, a supply tank that is provided adjacent to the container and is supplied with the toner at a supply point within the supply tank, a transport member that is rotatably driven within the supply tank to transport the toner to the container, and an annular member, wherein the annular member has an inner diameter larger than a diameter of a rotatably-driven shaft in the transport member, the rotatably-driven shaft extends through the annular member, and the annular member is held in a partial section in a longitudinal direction of the rotatably-driven shaft.

Abstract: A system and a method for automatically packaging item(s) are disclosed, as well as associated packages. The method includes generally four steps. First, an outer tray containing one or more item(s) is received. Second, an inner tray is placed in the outer tray over the one or more item(s), and the inner tray includes a plurality of preformed columnar compartments. Third, the inner tray and the outer tray are sealed to form at least a partial vacuum between an exterior surface of the inner tray and an interior surface of the outer tray. The item(s) are firmly secured in the at least partial vacuum such that the item(s) will not shift within the package during shipment. Fourth, a cover is placed over the inner tray to close the plurality of preformed columnar compartments to thereby form a plurality of air compartments, which collectively protect the item(s) from external impact.

Abstract: An electrochemical device includes a power generating element, an outer package, a current collector, and a movement restricting member. The power generating element includes a main portion and a terminal portion. The main portion includes an electrode prepared by forming an active material layer on a metal foil surface of the electrode. The terminal portion is provided on a side of the main portion. The outer package houses the power generating element. The current collector is connected to the terminal portion of the power generating element. The movement restricting member includes a holding portion arranged between the side of the main portion of the power generating element and an inner surface of the outer package opposite the side of the main portion.

Abstract: An electrochemical device includes a power generating element including a main portion and a terminal portion, the main portion including an electrode prepared by forming an active material layer on a metal foil surface, the terminal portion being provided on a side of the main portion, the terminal portion including layers of metal foils, an outer package including a container and a lid, the container including a side wall and a bottom wall and housing the power generating element, the lid being formed with a terminal, a current collector including a leg portion to which the layers of metal foils are attached, and a movement restricting member being arranged between the terminal portion of the power generating element and an inner surface of the side wall opposite the terminal portion. The movement restricting member includes a holding portion.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image carrier, a charging device that charges the surface of the image carrier, an electrostatic image forming device that forms an electrostatic image on the surface of the image carrier, a developing device that uses a developer containing toner particles and external additives adhering to the surface of the toner particle to develop the electrostatic image into a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a recording medium, a cleaning device having a blade that cleans off residual toner from the image carrier, a suction device that suctions all or part of residual toner excepting the external additives released from the surface of the toner particles, and a fixing device that fixes the toner image to the recording medium.

Abstract: A developing device includes a container chamber that contains developer containing carrier and toner; a supply portion that is adjacent to the container chamber and to which supplying toner or supplying developer, which contains the supplying toner and supplying carrier, is supplied at a supplying position in the supply portion; a transporting member that transports the supplying toner or the supplying developer toward the container chamber in the supply portion; and a guide capable of guiding the developer to the supplying position.

Abstract: A developing device includes a container that contains a developer containing a toner therein, a supply tank that is provided adjacent to the container and is supplied with the toner at a supply point within the supply tank, a transport member that is rotatably driven within the supply tank to transport the toner to the container, and an annular member, wherein the annular member has an inner diameter larger than a diameter of a rotatably-driven shaft in the transport member, the rotatably-driven shaft extends through the annular member, and the annular member is held in a partial section in a longitudinal direction of the rotatably-driven shaft.

Abstract: An ink for forming a functional layer, which is used when any thin film layer among functional layers consisting of a plurality of thin film layers is formed, includes a functional layer forming material and a solvent for dissolving the functional layer forming material, and in which the number of particles of 0.5 ?m or more is 7 or less in 10 ml of the ink for forming a functional layer.

Abstract: An ink for forming a functional layer, which is used when any thin film layer among functional layers consisting of a plurality of thin film layers is formed, includes a functional layer forming material and a solvent for dissolving the functional layer forming material, and in which the number of particles of 0.5 ?m or more is 7 or less in 10 ml of the ink for forming a functional layer.

Abstract: A powder container includes a container chamber that contains powder; a transporting member that transports the powder in the container chamber; an opening that is provided in a wall of the container chamber and through which the powder is discharged out of the container chamber as the transporting member transports the powder; and a closing member that closes a lower portion of the opening and moves vertically relative to the opening in a direction opposite to a direction of vertical movement of the opening due to tilting of the container chamber.

Abstract: An ink for forming a functional layer, which is used when any thin film layer among functional layers consisting of a plurality of thin film layers is formed, includes a functional layer forming material and a solvent for dissolving the functional layer forming material, and in which the number of particles of 0.5 ?m or more is 7 or less in 10 ml of the ink for forming a functional layer.