Abstract: An endless belt transports a recording medium through image forming sections and transfers toner images from corresponding ones of the image forming sections onto the recording medium. The endless belt has a surface resistivity and a volume resistivity. The surface resistivity and the volume resistivity are related such that 0.3?(log ? s?log ? v)?1.3 where ? s is the surface resistivity in ?/? measured after a voltage of substantially 500 V is applied to the endless belt for ten seconds and ? v is the volume resistivity in ?·cm ten after a voltage of substantially 250 V is applied to the endless belt for ten seconds.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first roller; a second roller; a belt tensely provided between the first roller and the second roller; and a guiding member for guiding an edge of the belt. Further, the belt has an edge surface having a step portion of equal to or smaller than 0.05 mm and a ten-point mean roughness (Rz) of equal to or smaller than 5.0 ?m.

Abstract: A belt unit includes an endless belt and a cleaning member. The endless belt has a value of ten-point height of roughness Rz not larger than 0.2 ?m, a value of shininess not less than 100, a creep not larger than 0.03%. The cleaning member is in contact with said endless belt and removes foreign matter adhering to said endless belt. The belt unit may be applied to an image forming apparatus either of direct transfer type and intermediate transfer type.

Abstract: An endless belt transports a recording medium through image forming sections and transfers toner images from corresponding ones of the image forming sections onto the recording medium. The endless belt has a surface resistivity and a volume resistivity. The surface resistivity and the volume resistivity are related such that 0.3 ?(log ? s?log ? v)?1.3 where ? s is the surface resistivity in ?/? measured after a voltage of substantially 500 V is applied to the endless belt for ten seconds and ? v is the volume resistivity in ?·cm ten after a voltage of substantially 250 V is applied to the endless belt for ten seconds.

Abstract: An endless belt includes base resin, polyaniline, and alkyl imide acid. Alternatively, the endless belt includes base resin, polyaniline, and alkylsulfonic acid. With such an arrangement, it becomes possible to keep constant the electric resistance of the endless belt despite the change in circumstances or the change with the passage of time, and to thereby enhance the printing quality.

Abstract: A washing machine includes an electric motor developing torque used for wash, rinse and dehydration operations, a current detector detecting current flowing into the motor, and a torque controller performing a vector control for the motor on the basis of the current detected by the current detector so that the torque developed by the motor is optimum for at least each of the wash and dehydration operations.

Abstract: A belt is entrained about the rollers. A belt guide is secured to an inner surface of the belt and is guided by pulleys. The belt guide is formed of a material that has a dissipation factor of tan ??0.05 at a resonance frequency of 1 Hz±10% and at a temperature of 50±0.5° C., and a storage modulus of E??8.0×106 (Pa) at a resonance frequency of 1 Hz±10% and at a temperature of 50±0.5° C. Another material has tan ??0.05 at 1 Hz±10% and at 50±0.5° C., and E??8.0×106 (Pa) at 1 Hz±10% and at 50±0.5° C. The belt guide may be formed of a plurality of layers.

Abstract: This invention provides a roller member including a metallic core roller 3 and a substantially unshrinkable sleeve 4 having a thermally-induced inner diameter shrinkage of 3.0% or less, which unshrinkable sleeve 4 is applied onto the core roller with interference fit and is heat-welded directly onto the surface of the roller, wherein the unshrinkable sleeve 4 is formed from an elastomer material, and has a Young's modulus of 120-200 MPa and a thickness 50-200 ?m. The roller member exhibits improved cleaning characteristics, among other characteristics.

Abstract: A direct drive washing machine is disclosed which is capable of performing a washing operation by efficiently converting electric energy supplied into an electric motor (10) into mechanical energy or with less vibration and noise. When a washing operation is carried out with efficient energy conversion, an acceleration time and a deceleration time of an agitator (8) rotated by the motor (10) are controlled on the basis of a measured value of a vibration sensor (25) or a measured value of clothes weight so that vibration of a water-receiving tub (4) becomes maximum. On the other hand, when a quiet washing operation with less vibration is carried out, the acceleration time and the deceleration time of an agitator (8) rotated by the motor (10) are controlled on the basis of the measured value of the vibration sensor (25) or the measured value of clothes weight so that vibration of the water-receiving tub (4) becomes minimum.

Abstract: A washing machine includes an electric motor developing torque used for wash, rinse and dehydration operations, a current detector detecting current flowing into the motor, and a torque controller performing a vector control for the motor on the basis of the current detected by the current detector so that the torque developed by the motor is optimum for at least each of the wash and dehydration operations.

Abstract: This invention provides a roller member including a metallic core roller and an unshrinkable sleeve which is heat-welded onto the surface of the roller, which sleeve is formed from an elastomer material and has a Young's modulus of 120-200 MPa. The roller member exhibits enhanced durability, as well as improved cleaning characteristics and charge-imparting or charge-eliminating characteristics.

Abstract: A toner carrier is included in an image forming apparatus wherein the electrical resistance between a shaft of the toner carrier and a surface which covers the shaft is different depending on the polarity of the voltage applied between th shaft and the surface. A resistance characteristic is thereby obtained having a resistance that allows prescribed current to flow from the shaft side to the surface side and which makes current flow from the surface side to the shaft side difficult. This prevents leakage current being received from the surface of the photosensitive drum. The amount of charging up of the toner therefore does not drop and a prescribed amount of charging up can be maintained, which means that fog of the image background surface does not occur. Furthermore, because there is no voltage dependence at the toner carrier surface from the shaft side, stable image density can be achieved, enabling high image quality to be achieved.

Abstract: A washing machine includes a rotatable tub in which an agitator is disposed. A tub shaft connected to the rotatable tub is mounted on a base for rotation. A clutch is mounted on the tub shaft to be reciprocally moved so that the clutch engages a clutch engagement hole of the base and an engagement protrusion of a motor rotor alternately. An operation lever mounted on the base is operated so that the clutch is reciprocally moved. The bottom of the base includes a region of rotational locus of the clutch. The region is flat except for the clutch engagement hole so that the clutch is prevented from engaging a portion other than the clutch engagement hole. A reed switch is mounted on the base to be turned on when detecting engagement of the clutch with the clutch engagement hole. A control device proceeds from a dehydration stage to a next stage only when the reed switch is turned on.

Abstract: A wide-band loop antenna consists of a main loop antenna conductor and a sub-loop antenna conductor. The main loop antenna conductor is provided on a dielectric plate to extend from one terminal of a pair of feed terminals to another one of the terminals so as to form a one-turn open loop. The loop antenna conductor is provided on the dielectric plate so as to extend along the main antenna conductor to provide a one-turn open loop and is connected to the pair of feed terminals to constitute a synthesized antenna together with the main antenna conductor. Short-circuting conductors are provided to connect the main antenna conductor with the sub-antenna conductor for shifting a resonance frequency of the synthesized antenna outside the operating band to obtain a wide-band frequency characteristic. In a modification, the sub-antenna conductor forms a closed loop serving as a parasitic antenna which improves an impedance characteristic of the main antenna conductor.

Abstract: A motor mounting structure for washing machines includes a motor mount mounted on the outer bottom of a water-receiving tub by bolts and having an upper surface and short columnar rubber buffers interposed between a bracket of a motor and the upper surface of the motor mount. Metallic end plates are secured to upper and lower ends of each rubber buffer so that each rubber buffer is coupled to the motor bracket and the upper surface of the motor mount, respectively.

Abstract: An automatic washing machine includes a coiled clutch spring would about both tub and drive shafts so as to be tightly wound up about the tub shaft and wound up with rotation of the drive shaft to transmit rotation of the drive shaft to the tub shaft, an inner cylindrical member disposed so as to enclose the clutch spring and having an engagement portion engaging one end of the clutch spring at the drive shaft side, an outer cylindrical member having a large number of engagement claws formed on the outer periphery and fitted in with the inner cylindrical member so as to be rotatable with a predetermined frictional resistance against the inner cylindrical member. When the clutch spring is loosened a predetermined amount in the rotative movement in its loosening direction against the braking force of a brake mechanism applied to the tube shaft, the other end of the clutch spring strikes against the stopper.

Abstract: A washing machine including a washing tub and a bowl-shaped agitator which is rotatably disposed in the lower part of the washing tub. The washing tub includes a ring-shaped frame element, which covers the gap between the bowl-shaped agitator and the inner surface of the washing tub, whose internal diameter is the same as that of the bowl-shaped agitator.

Abstract: A balancer for use in a centrifugal rotary machine comprises an annular casing having inside an annular receiving chamber and equipped to the rotary tub coaxially therewith. A low-viscous operating liquid is sealed into the annular receiving chamber so as to be flowable in the circumferential direction of the chamber. The operating liquid flows, as the rotary tub rotates, to the side opposite to that on which the unbalanced load of the rotary tub is located absorb the unbalance of the rotary tub. A plurality of spherical weights are disposed circumferentially and movably in the annular receiving chamber and, as the rotary tub rotates, move to the side opposite to that on which the unbalanced load of the rotary tub is located to absorb the unbalance of the rotary tub.