Abstract: A cleanerless cartridge in which a photoconductor body and a charger are integrated, and a cleaner-equipped cartridge in which a photoconductor body, a charger and a cleaner are integrated are prepared. An image forming apparatus body is configured such that the cartridges are attachable to first- to fourth-stage image forming sections. When the cleanerless cartridge is attached to the first- to fourth-stage image forming sections, an image forming operation is controlled under an image formation condition for a cleanerless process. When the cleaner-equipped cartridge is attached to the first- to fourth-stage image forming sections, an image forming operation is controlled under an image formation condition for a cleaner-equipped process.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the invention holds a first developing agent of a first color and inverse transfer preventing agent, supplies the first developing agent with predetermined potential, supplies the first developing agent to an image portion of an image carrier, supplies the inverse transfer preventing agent with the first developing agent and electric charge of an inverse polarity, supplies the inverse transfer preventing agent to a non-image portion having a predetermined potential difference relative to an image portion, brings the image carrier into contact with a transfer object medium to which a second developing agent of a second color different from the first color is already transferred and transfers the first developing agent to the transfer object medium.

Abstract: A symmetric-key cryptographic technique capable of realizing both high-speed cryptographic processing having a high degree of parallelism, and alteration detection. The invention includes dividing plaintext composed of redundancy data and a message to generate plaintext blocks each having a predetermined length, generating a random number sequence based on a secret key, generating a random number block corresponding to one of the plaintext blocks from the random number sequence, outputting a feedback value obtained as a result of operation on the one plaintext block and the random number block, the feedback value being fed back for using in the operation on another plaintext block, and performing an encryption operation using the one plaintext block, random number block, and feedback value.

Abstract: A CPU controls a shutter of a developing device so as to enable movement of a developer between a first chamber and a second chamber that store the developer. The CPU rotates a developing roller and mixers of the first and second chambers for a predetermined time T, and stirs and conveys the developer. Thereby, the developer is moved from the first chamber into the second chamber. The amount of movement of the developer is understandable from the rotational speed and shape of each mixer. Hence, the amount of developer, which is moved from the first chamber to the second chamber, is estimated in advance, and about half the developer in the first chamber is replaced.

Abstract: A symmetric-key cryptographic technique capable of realizing both high-speed cryptographic processing having a high degree of parallelism, and alteration detection. The invention includes dividing plaintext composed of redundancy data and a message to generate plaintext blocks each having a predetermined length; generating a random number sequence based on a secret key, generating a random number block corresponding to one of the plaintext blocks from the random number sequence, outputting a feedback value obtained as a result of operation on the one plaintext block and the random number block, the feedback value being fed back for using the operation on another plaintext block, and performing an encryption operation using the one plaintext block, random number block, and feedback value.

Abstract: This invention provides a dripping nozzle device to produce ADU particles with good sphericity, a device for recovering a feedstock liquid to prepare a uniform feedstock liquid, a device for supplying a feedstock liquid to form drops with a uniform volume, a device for solidifying the surfaces of drops so that the drops will not deform easily when they fall onto and hit the surface of an aqueous ammonia solution, a device for circulating an aqueous ammonia solution so that the uranyl nitrate in the drops can be changed to ammonium diuranate completely, to such an extent that uranyl nitrate in the center of each drop is changed to ammonium diuranate, and an apparatus for producing ammonium diuranate particles with good sphericity. The dripping nozzle device is provided with a single vibrator to vibrate nozzles simultaneously. The device for recovering a feedstock liquid recovers the feedstock liquid remaining in the nozzles and mixes it with a fresh feedstock liquid.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus using the cleaner-less processing, a developer vent is provided to a developing device so as to discharge paper dust mixing in the developing device together with developer comprising carrier and toner or carrier only through the developer vent, when removing residual toner.

Abstract: The printing ink of the present invention is characterized by containing a photo-curable high polymer precursor, and a photopolymerization initiator, and containing 3 to 8 parts by weight of inorganic fine particles having a mean particle size of 0.1 ?m or less to 100 parts by weight of the high polymer precursor. Moreover, the printing ink of the present invention is characterized by having a viscosity at a shear rate of 5 (l/s) of 8 to 75 (Pa·s), a viscosity at a shear rate of 20 (l/s) of 3 to 25 (Pa·s), and a thixotropic index value of 1.5 to 3.5. As a result of using this printing ink, letters, figures, symbols, graphics, etc., having a thickness of 0.2 mm or more can be printed rapidly without affecting the printed base material.

Abstract: A method for forming a glittering coating film in which after a glittering base coating film is formed on a substrate to be coated by applying thereto a glittering base coating material containing a colloid particle liquid containing noble metal or copper colloid particles, the glittering base coating film is heated or set, and then a clear coating film is formed. By the method, a glittering coating film is provided which has weathering resistance and high gloss, and develops a metal feeling or a coloring metal feeling giving rise to a less feeling of metal particles than by the plating-tone coating film, and superior in design property.

Abstract: A lens alignment apparatus includes a main lens holding frame having a main lens secured thereto; an adjusting lens holding frame to which an adjusting lens to be aligned with the main lens is secured; at least one radial groove formed in one of adjacent end surfaces of the main lens holding frame and the adjusting lens holding frame; a centering hole, corresponding to the radial groove, formed in the other of the adjacent end surfaces of the main lens holding frame and the adjusting lens holding frame; and an alignment member including a centering pillar portion inserted in the centering hole and an aligning portion engaged in the radial groove, the aligning portion being provided with a plurality of pairs of parallel alignment surfaces having an identical width and different distances from the axis of the centering pillar portion.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus in which the developing portion is provided with a mechanism capable of forming the developing agent image and recovering residual developing agent left remained on the image carrier, and the electrification portion of the image-forming unit disposed at the second stage further provided with a developing agent-removing member which is contact with the electrifying member, thereby enabling the developing agent which is reversely transferred from the transferred image of preceding stage and recovered by the electrification portion to be removed from the electrification portion.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cleaning a plurality of drums in an image forming apparatus includes applying a first bias to each of a plurality of disturbing members, each disturbing member associated with a corresponding drum of a plurality of drums. While performing an image forming operation wherein at least one of the plurality of drums is not use, the bias is changed of a disturbing member corresponding to at least one of the plurality of drums not used in performing the image forming operation from the first bias to a second bias different from the first bias.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus using simultaneous developing and cleaning type developing units, this invention installs brush members to disturb toners remaining on photosensitive drums movably in the direction to contact with photosensitive drums corresponding to the displacement of the surfaces of the photosensitive drums by empty weights and keep the ends of the brush members always in contact with the photosensitive drums.

Abstract: In a tandem type color image forming apparatus having a function which collects a residual toner for recycle, a particle diameter distribution of a carrier is expressed as that a ratio of the number of carrier particles whose particle diameter is not smaller than ?40 ?m is not greater than 5% and a ratio of the number of carrier particles-whose particle diameter is not smaller than ?30 ?m is not greater than 20%, or an intermediate transfer body which has a laminated structure including two or more layers and has a layer with the low hardness arranged on an image carrier, or a total toner layer thickness T1+T2+T3 of first to third transfer image is less than 30 ?m.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus comprising a developing device containing a toner having an average particle diameter of 2 to 5 ?m and a spherical degree of 1 to 1.2, and a transfer member which is pressed against the image carrier by a pressing force having a total load of 150 g to 1500 g and a surface load of 10 to 150 g/cm2 at the time of transfer.

Abstract: A symmetric-key cryptographic technique capable of realizing both high-speed cryptographic processing having a high degree of parallelism, and alteration detection. The invention includes dividing plaintext composed of redundancy data and a message to generate plaintext blocks each having a predetermined length, generating a random number sequence based on a secret key, generating a random number block corresponding to one of the plaintext blocks from the random number sequence, outputting a feedback value obtained as a result of operation on the one plaintext blocks and the random number block, the feedback value being fed back for using in the operation on another plaintext blocks, and performing an encryption operation using the one plaintext blocks, random number block, and feedback value.

Abstract: An ID-based encryption and signature technique, according to which more efficient and higher speed processing is possible. In generation of public parameters, an element P of a group G1 of order q is selected, and then, g=e(P, P) calculated in advance is added to the public parameters. At the time of encryption and verification, a public key ID is associated with an element PID of the group G1, using u?Zq* and two elements P1 and P2 (included in the public parameters) of G1 and calculating PID=P1+uP2. The above-mentioned elements P1 and P2 are determined by P1=s1P and P2=s2P using random numbers s1, s2?Zq* as a part of a master key, and a private key of a user is determined by dID=(s1+us2)?1P.

Abstract: There is provided a photoreceptor cleanerless image forming apparatus capable of decreasing color mixture or an exposure error due to reverse transfer toner or untransferred toner. An image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention comprises four image forming units 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d configured to be photoreceptor cleanerless in a 4-drum tandem manner. Each image forming unit includes a photoreceptor 103a, 103b, 103c, or 103d, a charger 105a, 105b, 105c, or 105d, an exposure apparatus 106a, 106b, 106c, or 106d, and a developing apparatus 109a, 109b, 109c, or 109d. When exposure intensities Iy, Ic, Im, and Ik are assumed for exposure sources of the exposure apparatuses in the image forming units which form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black images, respectively, the exposure intensities are configured to satisfy conditions of Ik?Ic?Im?Iy and Ik>Iy. This decreases an exposure error (image hysteresis) in an image formed on paper.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member, a first forming portion having a first transfer unit, a second forming portion provided downstream from the first forming portion, a third forming portion provided downstream from the second forming portion, a fourth forming portion provided downstream from the third forming portion, and a control portion. The control portion controls a bias of at least one of the corresponding developing unit and the corresponding transfer unit, when transfer of the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to the recording medium is completed, so that a toner-image residue toner material resting on the intermediate transfer member is returned to the corresponding developing unit through the image bearing member of at least one of the first to fourth forming portions.

Abstract: There is provided a photoreceptor cleanerless image forming apparatus capable of decreasing color mixture or an exposure error due to reverse transfer toner or untransferred toner. An image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention comprises four image forming units 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d configured to be photoreceptor cleanerless in a 4-drum tandem manner. Each image forming unit includes a photoreceptor 103a, 103b, 103c, or 103d, a charger 105a, 105b, 105c, or 105d, an exposure apparatus 106a, 106b, 106c, or 106d, and a developing apparatus 109a, 109b, 109c, or 109d. When exposure intensities Iy, Ic, Im, and Ik are assumed for exposure sources of the exposure apparatuses in the image forming units which form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black images, respectively, the exposure intensities are configured to satisfy conditions of Ik?Ic?Im?Iy and Ik>Iy. This decreases an exposure error (image hysteresis) in an image formed on paper.