Abstract: A pressurizing member includes an elastic member having a uniform elastic modulus of K=EA/t, where E is a Young's modulus, A is an area of the nip portion, and t is a thickness of the elastic member in the direction of application of load. A supporting member that supports the pressurizing member has an entering portion, an exit portion, and a center portion between the entering portion and the exit portion. The thickness of the center portion in a direction of application of load is larger than thicknesses of the entering portion and the exit portion in the direction of application of load so that the supporting unit has a convex portion.

Abstract: A pressurizing unit includes a contact-pressure member for pressurizing an endless belt, a holding member that holds the contact-pressure member, and a biasing member that presses both ends of the holding member. The biasing member presses the holding member, so that a direction in which the biasing member presses the holding member is substantially the same as a direction in which the holding member presses the pressure-contact member.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus, an internal temperature detection device is arranged within a heat generation region and detects temperature of a fixing device. An external temperature detection device is arranged at the outside of the heat generation region and detects temperature of the fixing device. Heat generation in the heat generating device is stopped when temperature reaches a prescribed first high temperature detection limit and a temperature rising amount in a prescribed time period after the first high temperature detection limit is reached exceeds a prescribed threshold.

Abstract: A temperature control method for use in a fixing device that fixes a toner image on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip defined between a fixing member and a pressure member includes temperature detection, heater control, and duty control execution. The temperature detection detects a temperature of the fixing member with a temperature detector. The heater control controls operation of a heater of the fixing device by changing a duty thereof according to the detected temperature. The duty control execution executes a heater duty control to change a heater duty for a current control cycle discontinuously from that for a previous control cycle when the current control cycle precedes entry of the recording sheet into the fixing nip by a given period of time.

Abstract: The reversible thermosensitive recording medium according to the present invention comprises a support, a thermosensitive layer and a protective layer in order, the thermosensitive layer comprises an electron-donating coloring compound and an electron-accepting compound and reversibly changes the color depending on temperatures, and the protective layer comprises a reactive heterocyclic compound, and inorganic fine particles of which surface is at least partially treated into hydrophobic, alternatively the protective layer comprises inorganic fine particles of which number-average particle size is 100 nm or less and of which surface is at least partially coated with organic silane compounds.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, such as a printer, includes an image forming unit forming a toner image on an image carrier, a transfer unit for transferring the toner image onto a recording medium, a pair of a fusing rotating body and a pressure rotating body, a fusing unit for fusing the toner image on the recording medium, a temperature detecting unit for detecting the temperature on the surface of the fusing rotating body, and a control unit. An amount of decrease in the temperature of the fusing rotating body surface is measured at a predetermined time, and the time between an image formation request and the arrival of the recording medium, with the toner image formed thereon, at a fusing/nipping portion formed between the fusing rotating body and the pressure rotating body is extended when the temperature decrease amount is greater than a threshold value.

Abstract: To improve defective coloring at the time of forming an image as well as defective color erasing at the time of erasing an image, reducing damages of an information processing unit, the present invention provides a reversible thermosensitive recording medium which includes a support having flexibility, a reversible thermosensitive recording layer, an information processing unit having an information recording element, and a buffer layer, in which the information processing unit and the buffer layer are disposed on the opposite surface of the support on which the reversible thermosensitive recording layer is disposed.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer unit can be detached from a device main body through an opening that is covered by an openable and closable front cover. A sheet path is provided between the intermediate transfer unit and the front cover. A portion of a convey-guiding unit of the sheet path falls in the way when detaching the detachable intermediate transfer unit. The portion of the convey-guiding unit, which falls in the way when detaching the detachable intermediate transfer unit, is formed as a detachable convey-guiding member that is detachably attached to the device main body.

Abstract: A pressurizing unit includes a contact-pressure member for pressurizing an endless belt, a holding member that holds the contact-pressure member, and a biasing member that presses both ends of the holding member. The biasing member presses the holding member, so that a direction in which the biasing member presses the holding member is substantially the same as a direction in which the holding member presses the pressure-contact member.

Abstract: A pressurizing member includes an elastic member having a uniform elastic modulus of K=EA/t, where E is a Young's modulus, A is an area of the nip portion, and t is a thickness of the elastic member in the direction of application of load. A supporting member that supports the pressurizing member has an entering portion, an exit portion, and a center portion between the entering portion and the exit portion. The thickness of the center portion in a direction of application of load is larger than thicknesses of the entering portion and the exit portion in the direction of application of load so that the supporting unit has a convex portion.

Abstract: The reversible thermosensitive recording medium according to the present invention comprises a support, a thermosensitive layer and a protective layer in order, the thermosensitive layer comprises an electron-donating coloring compound and an electron-accepting compound and reversibly changes the color depending on temperatures, and the protective layer comprises a reactive heterocyclic compound, and inorganic fine particles of which surface is at least partially treated into hydrophobic, alternatively the protective layer comprises inorganic fine particles of which number-average particle size is 100 nm or less and of which surface is at least partially coated with organic silane compounds.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which uses toner to form an image on a sheet may cause the sheet to experience curl after passing through a fixing device which uses heat and pressure to fix the toner image on the sheet. A pair of discharge rollers and/or a sheet separating board may be utilized to correct the curl on the sheet, for both thin and heavy paper weights. The angle of the sheet separating board relative to a line which is perpendicular to a sheet discharging direction is preferably set from 75° to 95°, and a nip depth of a pair of sheet discharging rollers is preferably set from 0 mm to 3 mm.

Abstract: The reversible thermosensitive recording medium according to the present invention comprises a support, a thermosensitive layer and a protective layer in order, the thermosensitive layer comprises an electron-donating coloring compound and an electron-accepting compound and reversibly changes the color depending on temperatures, and the protective layer comprises a reactive heterocyclic compound, and inorganic fine particles of which surface is at least partially treated into hydrophobic, alternatively the protective layer comprises inorganic fine particles of which number-average particle size is 100 nm or less and of which surface is at least partially coated with organic silane compounds.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing apparatus which effectively prevents a recording medium from coiling around the surface of a fixing member and also prevents damage to the surface of the fixing member, and an image forming apparatus comprising this fixing apparatus. A gap between the tip end of separating means and the fixing member can be managed appropriately, and as a result, the recording medium can be prevented from coiling around the surface of the fixing member. A spacer is mounted near the tip end of a separating claw, and the spacer contacts a protruding portion of a core metal of a fixing roller. Thus, a gap having a predetermined magnitude is formed between the tip end of the separating claw and the peripheral surface of the fixing roller. The gap is maintained by the spacer, and therefore the gap between the fixing roller and the separating claw can be managed appropriately over the long term.

Abstract: To improve defective coloring at the time of forming an image as well as defective color erasing at the time of erasing an image, reducing damages of an information processing unit, the present invention provides a reversible thermosensitive recording medium which includes a support having flexibility, a reversible thermosensitive recording layer, an information processing unit having an information recording element, and a buffer layer, in which the information processing unit and the buffer layer are disposed on the opposite surface of the support on which the reversible thermosensitive recording layer is disposed.

Abstract: The reversible thermosensitive recording medium according to the present invention comprises a support, a thermosensitive layer and a protective layer in order, the thermosensitive layer comprises an electron-donating coloring compound and an electron-accepting compound and reversibly changes the color depending on temperatures, and the protective layer comprises a reactive heterocyclic compound, and inorganic fine particles of which surface is at least partially treated into hydrophobic, alternatively the protective layer comprises inorganic fine particles of which number-average particle size is 100 nm or less and of which surface is at least partially coated with organic silane compounds.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording medium comprising an concealing layer provided between a reversible thermosensitive recording layer which is reversibly changed in its color by heat and a photo-thermal conversion layer which absorbs light with generating heat, wherein the concealing layer has an optical characteristic that the ratio of a light absorptivity of light having 555 nm wavelength, in comparison with a light absorptivity of laser light wavelength, is 80% or less. This reversible thermosensitive recording medium has a concealing layer to conceal the color of the photo-thermal conversion layer, thereby the visibility and the contrast of the obtained images are significantly improved, further more, durability in repeated used is also significantly improved.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording medium comprising an concealing layer provided between a reversible thermosensitive recording layer which is reversibly changed in its color by heat and a photo-thermal conversion layer which absorbs light with generating heat, wherein the concealing layer has an optical characteristic that the ratio of a light absorptivity of light having 555 nm wavelength, in comparison with a light absorptivity of laser light wavelength, is 80% or less. This reversible thermosensitive recording medium has a concealing layer to conceal the color of the photo-thermal conversion layer, thereby the visibility and the contrast of the obtained images are significantly improved, further more, durability in repeated used is also significantly improved.

Abstract: An image processing device compensates an original image for helping deteriorated human vision characteristics and displays the compensated image. Declines in a spectral sensitivity characteristic is compensated for by multiplying a brightness value of the original image by an inverse characteristic 1/A of a relative spectral sensitivity characteristic A in reference to a predetermined spectral sensitivity characteristic of a standard person. The first compensated image q(x,y) for defocus, or declines in accommodation characteristic, is obtained by a convolution integral of an original input image f(x,y) and a function j(x,y). The second compensated image m(x,y) for declines in sensitivity to cut-off frequency is obtained by a convolution integral of an original input image q(x,y) and the function p(x,y). The j and the p vary utilizing a radius of a blurred image and the cut-off frequency as a parameter, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the technology for inhibiting the cancer metastasis, and is aimed at the provision of a pharmaceutical composition for effectively inhibiting the metastasis of the cancer. A cancer metastasis inhibitor according to the present invention is characterized by containing a sugar chain separated from a surface of a Streptococcus agalactiae Ia type or Ib type as a main ingredient. Since the surface sugar chains of the Streptococcus agalactiae Ia type or Ib type have structures similar to surface sugar chains of the cancer cells, the former surface sugar chains adhere to E-selectin appearing in an intravascular endothelial cell, competitively inhibit the adhesion between intravascular endothelial cells and the cancer cells, and effectively prevent of the metastasis of the cancer, when the sugar chains exist in blood of a patient.