Abstract: A seat includes a seat body and a sensor configured to acquired information on an occupant seated on the seat body. The seat includes a coating as a location marker that marks a location of the sensor to render the location visually recognizable from outside the seat body.

Abstract: Disclosed is a seat including: sensors which includes a first cushion sensor provided at a seat cushion in a position corresponding to buttocks of an occupant, a second cushion sensor provided at the seat cushion and located farther frontward than the first cushion sensor, a first back sensor provided at a seat back and located in a lower position thereof, and a second back sensor provided at the seat back and located above the first back sensor; and a controller connected to the sensors and thereby allowed to acquire pressure values from the respective sensors. The controller is configured to identify the motion of the occupant based on outputs of at least two sensors of the first cushion sensor, the second cushion sensor, the first back sensor, and the second back sensor.

Abstract: An emotion estimating device, an emotion estimating system, and an emotion estimating method capable of estimating an emotion of a subject based on information obtained from daily activities can be provided. An emotion estimating device includes an interface that receives input of walking data of a subject measured by a measurement device and emotion data obtained by quantifying the emotion of the subject, a storage that stores the walking data and the emotion data, and an computer that obtains corresponding data in which a plurality of walking parameters included in the walking data stored in the storage are associated with the emotion data. When the interface newly receives the input of the walking data, the computer estimates the emotion of the subject from the plurality of walking parameters included in the newly received walking data, and outputs information indicating the estimated emotion of the subject.

Abstract: Provided are urethane foam: which heightens toner charge amount (Q/M); by which toner is sufficiently absorbed in the surface layer of a toner-conveying roller to give a sufficient toner conveying ability; and by which a good image can be obtained with a low cost, and a toner-conveying roller using the same. Also provided are urethane foam in which substrate urethane foam is impregnated with one or more powders selected from the group consisting of silicone powder and silica powder, and a toner-conveying roller using the same. Preferred are urethane foam wherein said powder is bound with said substrate urethane foam via a binder, and a toner-conveying roller using the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toner transfer roller which exhibits decreased toner charge (Q/M) and an enhanced toner transfer rate (M/A). Specifically, the present invention provides: a toner transfer roller for a negatively chargeable toner, comprising a rotating shaft and a polyurethane foam body layer provided to surround the rotating shaft, wherein the polyurethane foam body layer contains a charge control agent which is negatively chargeable with respect to polyurethane in triboelectric series; and a toner transfer roller for a positively chargeable toner, comprising said rotating shaft and said polyurethane foam body layer, wherein said polyurethane foam body layer contains a charge control agent which is positively chargeable with respect to polyurethane in triboelectric series.

Abstract: Provided are charge-controlled polyurethane foam by which the influence of electrification by friction between toner on the surface layer of a toner-conveying roller and a developing roller can be sufficiently prevented and by which a good image can be stably obtained with a low cost, and a toner-conveying roller using the same. The charge-controlled polyurethane foam is the one wherein the surface layer of the polyurethane foam is impregnated with a charge control agent which is on the negative side or on the positive side in the triboelectric series with respect to substrate polyurethane foam. The toner-conveying roller is the one which supports the charge-controlled polyurethane foam on the periphery of the axis of the roller.

Abstract: The invention provides a toner supply and cleaning roller that secures sufficient density especially at an initial stage of printing, and an image forming apparatus using the same. The toner supply and cleaning roller has a shaft (1) and an electroconductive elastic layer (3) made of a urethane foam and supported on the circumference of the shaft (1) by means of an adhesive layer (2) in between. The resistance of the roller at an applied voltage of 100 V is 105? or lower, preferably 104.5? or lower, and the resistance of the roller at an applied voltage of 5 V is 106 to 108?. The adhesive layer (2) contains a hot-melting polymeric adhesive and is formed preferably at a temperature not exceeding the melting point of the hot-melting polymeric adhesive.

Abstract: Provided are urethane foam: which heightens toner charge amount (Q/M); by which toner is sufficiently absorbed in the surface layer of a toner-conveying roller to give a sufficient toner conveying ability; and by which a good image can be obtained with a low cost, and a toner-conveying roller using the same. Also provided are urethane foam in which substrate urethane foam is impregnated with one or more powders selected from the group consisting of silicone powder and silica powder, and a toner-conveying roller using the same. Preferred are urethane foam wherein said powder is bound with said substrate urethane foam via a binder, and a toner-conveying roller using the same.

Abstract: Provided are charge-controlled polyurethane foam by which the influence of electrification by friction between toner on the surface layer of a toner-conveying roller and a developing roller can be sufficiently prevented and by which a good image can be stably obtained with a low cost, and a toner-conveying roller using the same. The charge-controlled polyurethane foam is the one wherein the surface layer of the polyurethane foam is impregnated with a charge control agent which is on the negative side or on the positive side in the triboelectric series with respect to substrate polyurethane foam. The toner-conveying roller is the one which supports the charge-controlled polyurethane foam on the periphery of the axis of the roller.

Abstract: The invention provides a toner transfer roller that secures sufficient density especially at an initial stage of printing, and an image forming apparatus using the same. The toner transfer roller has a shaft (1) and an electroconductive elastic layer (3) made of a urethane foam and supported on the circumference of the shaft (1) by means of an adhesive layer (2) in between. The resistance of the roller at an applied voltage of 100 V is 105? or lower, preferably 104.5? or lower, and the resistance of the roller at an applied voltage of 5 V is 106 to 108?. The adhesive layer (2) contains a hot-melting polymeric adhesive and is formed preferably at a temperature not exceeding the melting point of the hot-melting polymeric adhesive.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toner transfer roller which exhibits decreased toner charge (Q/M) and an enhanced toner transfer rate (M/A). Specifically, the present invention provides: a toner transfer roller for a negatively chargeable toner, comprising a rotating shaft and a polyurethane foam body layer provided to surround the rotating shaft, wherein the polyurethane foam body layer contains a charge control agent which is negatively chargeable with respect to polyurethane in triboelectric series; and a toner transfer roller for a positively chargeable toner, comprising said rotating shaft and said polyurethane foam body layer, wherein said polyurethane foam body layer contains a charge control agent which is positively chargeable with respect to polyurethane in triboelectric series.