Abstract: Provided are a power transmission switching mechanism allowing reduction in size and weight in a simple configuration with a minimized piece-part count, and a transmission provided therewith. The power transmission switching mechanism includes a sleeve that moves in an axial direction of a rotation shaft, a hub section provided integrally with a gear for holding a sleeve axially slidably and unrotatably, and a dog spline installed to a pulley piston fixed to the rotation shaft for meshing the sleeve. In a state in which the sleeve is held to the hub section, the rotation shaft is disengaged with the gear and a relative rotation thereof is allowed. Meanwhile, when the sleeve axially moves from the hub section, the rotation shaft engages with the gear and both thereof rotate integrally.

Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic latent image includes: toner base particles containing a hybrid crystalline polyester resin having a crystalline polyester polymerized segment and an amorphous polymerized segment chemically bonded to each other and an amorphous resin; and an external additive including fatty acid metal salt particles, wherein a volume median diameter of the fatty acid metal salt particles is from 3.0 to 5.0 ?m.

Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes toner particles including a particulate toner matrix and an external additive adhering to a surface of the particulate toner matrix. The particulate toner matrix includes a crystalline polyester resin. The external additive includes silica particles. The silica particles are secondary particles including primary particles having a diameter in the range of 30 to 90 nm. The secondary particles have an average circularity in the range of 0.25 to 0.50. The secondary particles have an average aspect ratio of 3.0 or more.

Abstract: The toner of the present invention contains: a toner base particle, and a silica particle and a fatty acid metal salt particle adhering to a surface of the toner base particle. The toner base particle contains a crystalline polyester resin and an amorphous polyester resin. The toner particle has an average circularity of 0.945 to 0.965. The silica particle has a volume average particle size of 70 to 300 nm, and has an average circularity of 0.5 to 0.9. The fatty acid metal salt particle has a median diameter based on a volume of 0.50 to 2.00 ?m.

Abstract: The driving force from a drive source is transmitted from a main input shaft to a continuously variable transmission mechanism through an input switching mechanism and a first input path in which a first speed-reducing gear is disposed, and is further transmitted to a first output path in which a second speed-reducing gear is disposed, thus establishing a LOW mode. And the driving force is transmitted from the main input shaft to the continuously variable transmission mechanism through the input switching mechanism and a second input path in which a speed-increasing gear, and is further transmitted to a second output path in which a third speed-reducing gear, thus establishing a HI mode. The first speed-reducing gear on the input side, the speed-increasing gear on the input side and the second and third speed-reducing gears on the output side are independent from each other.

Abstract: A reactive sputtering apparatus includes a chamber, a substrate holder provided in the chamber, a target holder which is provided in the chamber and configured to hold a target, a deposition shield plate which is provided in the chamber so as to form a sputtering space between the target holder and the substrate holder, and prevents a sputter particle from adhering to an inner wall of the chamber, a reactive gas introduction pipe configured to introduce a reactive gas into the sputtering space, an inert gas introduction port which introduces an inert gas into a space that falls outside the sputtering space and within the chamber, and a shielding member which prevents a sputter particle from the target mounted on the target holder from adhering to an introduction port of the reactive gas introduction pipe upon sputtering.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image developing toner of the present invention includes toner base particles and particles containing a fatty acid metal salt. The toner base particles contain a crystalline resin containing a segment of a first resin and a segment of a second resin chemically bonded to each other and an amorphous resin containing at least the second resin. The crystalline resin is a hybrid crystalline polyester resin. The first resin is a crystalline polyester resin. The second resin is an amorphous resin. The volume-based median diameter (Da) of the toner base particles and the volume-based median diameter (Db) of the particles containing the fatty acid metal salt satisfy the relations represented by Expressions (1) and (2) below: 0.5 ?m?Db?2.0 ?m??Expression (1) 0.1 Db/Da?0.5.

Abstract: In a continuously variable transmission, driving force from a drive source is transmitted via the path: first input switching mechanism?first input path?first countershaft?first pulley?endless belt?second pulley?second countershaft?first output path?second input shaft?first output switching mechanism?output shaft to thus establish a LOW mode. A large torque that is transmitted in the LOW mode passes through the first output switching mechanism, but since the second input shaft is relatively rotatably disposed on the outer periphery of the first input shaft and the first output switching mechanism is disposed on the second input shaft, it is possible to enhance the rigidity of the input shaft due to the double tube structure formed from the first input shaft and the second input shaft and to support the first output switching mechanism with high rigidity without carrying out special reinforcement.

Abstract: Provided is a continuously variable transmission that uses friction clutches as power transmission switching mechanisms but without increasing the number of shafts and the overall length. The power transmission switching mechanisms are configured to switch between establishing and interrupting power transmission in the power transmission paths within the continuously variable transmission. A continuously variable transmission includes an input shaft, a first output shaft, a second output shaft, a continuously variable transmission device, and four friction clutches. The continuously variable transmission device includes, a first pulley, mounted to the first output shaft, a second pulley, mounted to the second output shaft, and an endless belt, looped around the first pulley and the second pulley. A first friction clutch and a second friction clutch are coaxial with the input shaft. A third friction clutch is coaxial with the second output shaft. A fourth friction clutch is coaxial with the first output shaft.

Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic image developing toner including a toner mother particle containing a colorant and a binder resin comprising a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin; and an external additive. The external additive includes an inorganic fine particle having a number average major axis in a range of 50 to 100 nm, an average aspect ratio in a range of 3 to 10, and a volume resistivity in a range of 1×1010 to 1×1012 ?·cm in primary particles.

Abstract: Provided is a carrier for electrostatic charge image development which provides a two-component developer having a high electric charge amount, a suppressed variation in an electric charge amount caused by an environmental change, and excellent durability, even if a low temperature fixable toner is used. A carrier for electrostatic charge image development of the present invention includes: carrier particles in which a core particle surface is coated with a coating material containing a resin, wherein the coating material contains phosphorus element, and the resin contains structural units derived from an alicyclic (meth)acrylic acid ester compound.

Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic latent image includes: toner base particles containing a hybrid crystalline polyester resin having a crystalline polyester polymerized segment and an amorphous polymerized segment chemically bonded to each other and an amorphous resin; and an external additive including fatty acid metal salt particles, wherein a volume median diameter of the fatty acid metal salt particles is from 3.0 to 5.0 ?m.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a carrier for developing an electrostatic latent image, the carrier including carrier particles each including a core particle with a surface coated with a coating material including a resin, and the method including the steps of: a) obtaining first coating resin particles by polymerizing an alicyclic methacrylate monomer using, as a polymerization initiator, an azo compound having a nitrogen atom-containing substituent; b) obtaining second coating resin particles by polymerizing an alicyclic methacrylate monomer using a persulfate as a polymerization initiator; and c) forming carrier particles by coating surfaces of core particles with a coating material obtained by mixing at least the first and second coating resin particles.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a process chamber, a substrate holder arranged in the process chamber, a first shield provided on the peripheral portion of the substrate holder, and a second shield provided inside the process chamber. The internal space of the process chamber is partitioned into an outer space and a process space to process the substrate, by at least the first shield, the second shield, and the substrate holder. The substrate holder can be driven along a driving direction perpendicular to a substrate holding surface. The length, in a direction parallel to the driving direction, of a minimum gap portion having a minimum size in a direction perpendicular to the driving direction between the first and second shields does not change even if the substrate holder is driven in the driving direction.

Abstract: A process of forming an image includes the steps of: developing an electrostatic latent image with a toner, the latent image being formed through charge of the surface of an electrostatic latent image carrier and exposure of the surface to light; and applying a lubricant onto the surface of the electrostatic latent image carrier. The toner includes a toner matrix particle and an external additive nanoparticle. The external additive nanoparticle comprises a silica-polymer composite nanoparticle. A percentage of atomic silicon present on the surface of the silica-polymer composite nanoparticle satisfies Condition A expressed by Expression: 15.0 atm %?percentage of atomic silicon ({Si/(C+O+Si)}×100)?30.0 atm %. The percentage of atomic silicon is determined from total amounts of atomic carbon, oxygen, and silicon present on the topmost surface of the silica-polymer composite nanoparticle and within 3 nm inwards from the topmost surface.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a carrier for developing an electrostatic latent image, the carrier including carrier particles each including a core particle with a surface coated with a coating material including a resin, and the method including the steps of: a) obtaining first coating resin particles by polymerizing an alicyclic methacrylate monomer using, as a polymerization initiator, an azo compound having a nitrogen atom-containing substituent; b) obtaining second coating resin particles by polymerizing an alicyclic methacrylate monomer using a persulfate as a polymerization initiator; and c) forming carrier particles by coating surfaces of core particles with a coating material obtained by mixing at least the first and second coating resin particles.

Abstract: The toner of the present invention contains: a toner base particle, and a silica particle and a fatty acid metal salt particle adhering to a surface of the toner base particle. The toner base particle contains a crystalline polyester resin and an amorphous polyester resin. The toner particle has an average circularity of 0.945 to 0.965. The silica particle has a volume average particle size of 70 to 300 nm, and has an average circularity of 0.5 to 0.9. The fatty acid metal salt particle has a median diameter based on a volume of 0.50 to 2.00 ?m.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image developing toner of the present invention includes toner base particles and particles containing a fatty acid metal salt. The toner base particles contain a crystalline resin containing a segment of a first resin and a segment of a second resin chemically bonded to each other and an amorphous resin containing at least the second resin. The crystalline resin is a hybrid crystalline polyester resin. The first resin is a crystalline polyester resin. The second resin is an amorphous resin. The volume-based median diameter (Da) of the toner base particles and the volume-based median diameter (Db) of the particles containing the fatty acid metal salt satisfy the relations represented by Expressions (1) and (2) below: 0.5 ?m?Db?2.0 ?m??Expression (1) 0.1 Db/Da?0.5.

Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic image developing toner including a toner mother particle containing a colorant and a binder resin comprising a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin; and an external additive. The external additive includes an inorganic fine particle having a number average major axis in a range of 50 to 100 nm, an average aspect ratio in a range of 3 to 10, and a volume resistivity in a range of 1×1010 to 1×1012 ?·cm in primary particles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a two-component developer containing toner particles and carrier particles. The number-average particle diameter of the toner particles MDt ranges from 3.5 to 5.0 ?m. The MDt of the toner particles and the volume-average particle diameter of the carrier particles MDc are at a specific ratio, and spherical fine toner particles in the toner particles and fine carrier particles in the carrier particles exist at specific percentages.