Abstract: In a work vehicle, a through-hole in a stay includes first and second regions. When a grip is pulled in an unlocked state in which a collar is located inside the first region and a grip assembly is not locked inside the through-hole, a state is transitioned into a locked state in which a compression spring is compressed by a pin and a plain washer, a brake lever rotates, a claw moves toward a notch, and a rod is located inside the second region and the grip assembly is locked inside the through-hole. When a brake pedal is stepped on in this locked state, the claw and the notch engage with each other, and the brake pedal is locked.

Abstract: A vehicle pedal structure includes an accelerator pedal swingable about a swing shaft inclined with respect to a width direction in a top view of a traveling vehicle, and a mechanical link to convert swinging of the accelerator pedal into sliding in a front-rear direction. The link includes a first link structure and a second link structure that include first and second swings and first and second rods. Each of a first end and a second end of the second rod is restricted from sliding along an entering-exiting direction. In the link structures, in the top view, a second angle of a second swing shaft with respect to the width direction is smaller than a first angle of a first swing shaft with respect to the width direction.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing belt, a heating roller, a nip portion forming member, a pressing rotary member, a suspending roller, and an urging unit. The heating roller is in contact with an inner surface of the fixing belt and heats the fixing belt. The suspending roller has a center and both ends in an area where the fixing belt and the suspending roller are in contact with each other in a width direction of the suspending roller. Outside diameters at both ends are greater than an outside diameter at the suspending roller center by a value between 50 micrometer and 300 micrometer, inclusive. The urging unit urges the suspending roller from the inner surface of the fixing belt toward an outer circumference surface of the fixing belt. A force that the urging unit applies to the suspending roller ranges between 50 newtons and 100 newtons, inclusive.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable endless belt, a pressing roller and a fixing pad. The pressing roller contacts an outer peripheral surface of the belt and forms a nip portion in cooperation with the belt. A toner image is formed in the nip portion and fixed onto the recording material by application of heat and pressure. The fixing pad contacts an inner peripheral surface of the belt. The fixing pad includes a contact area in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The contact area includes a downstream end portion with respect to a conveyance direction of the recording material. The downstream end portion includes a central portion and both end portions with respect to a widthwise direction of the belt. The central portion locates downstream of the both end portions with respect to the conveyance direction.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless and rotatable belt of which an inner peripheral surface is applied with lubricant, a heater, a rotatable member to rotatably contact the belt and a nip forming member in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The nip forming member includes a holding portion, an upstream sliding portion and a downstream sliding portion. The downstream and upstream sliding portions have first and second sliding surfaces sliding with the inner peripheral surface of the belt, respectively. The second sliding surface has a curved shape, and when a force applied to the belt with respect to a length of the second sliding surface is defined as w (N/mm) and a curvature radius of the second sliding surface is defined as R (mm), R/w of the second sliding surface is equal to 5 (mm2/N) or larger and equal to 80 (mm2/N) or less.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to determine an appropriate renewal time for a pipeline while considering a predetermined renewal time and cost. A pipeline renewal support device includes a calculation device configured to execute a renewal plan calculation process of calculating a time for renewal of a pipeline with a predetermined attribute to be performed at a predetermined reference time in the future or at a time before and after the reference time under a predetermined constraint condition on a renewal cost of the pipeline.

Abstract: A fixing device including an endless belt, a heat source, a rotatable member forming a nip together with a belt, a nip forming member, a contact member contacting an inner peripheral surface of the belt, a reflecting portion reflecting radiation heat from the heat source toward the nip forming member, a heat conducting portion, and a heat insulating member. The nip forming member includes a first member having a U-shape made of metal and open on a side opposite from the rotatable member and a second member provided inside the first member. The heat conducting portion conducts heat of the reflecting portion to the contact member. The heat insulating member is provided between the first member and the second member. A thickness t (?m) and thermal conductivity ? (W/m·K) of the heat insulating member satisfy: t?100 (?m) 0.02 (W/m·K)???0.05 (W/m·K).

Abstract: An endless belt, a heat source, a rotatable member forming a nip together with a belt, a nip forming member which includes a first member having a U-shape made of metal and open on a side opposite from the rotatable member and which includes a second member provided inside the first member, a contact member contacting an inner peripheral surface of the belt, a reflecting portion for reflecting, toward the inner peripheral surface of the belt, radiation heat from the heat source toward the nip forming member, and a heat conducting portion, contacting the contact member, for conducting heat of the reflecting portion to the contact member, and a heat insulating member provided between the first member and the second member are provided, and a thickness t (?m) and thermal conductivity ? (W/m·K) satisfy: t?100 (?m) 0.02 (W/m·K)???0.05 (W/m·K).

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes an endless belt, a rotary member configured to form a nip portion with the endless belt, regulating members for regulating the endless belt from moving in a longitudinal direction by being in contact with longitudinal ends of the endless belt, and a sheet-like heating member. The heating member includes a heat transfer member in contact with the inner surface of the endless belt, and a heating portion located on an opposite side from a side, of the heating member, in contact with the inner surface of the endless belt across the heat transfer member. Both end portions of the heat transfer member are disposed at the same location or outside of both end portions of the heating portion in the longitudinal direction and are disposed inside of both end portions of the rotary member in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes an endless belt, a rotary member configured to form a nip portion with the endless belt, regulating members for regulating the endless belt from moving in a longitudinal direction by being in contact with longitudinal ends of the endless belt, and a sheet-like heating member. The heating member includes a heat transfer member in contact with the inner surface of the endless belt, and a heating portion located on an opposite side from a side, of the heating member, in contact with the inner surface of the endless belt across the heat transfer member. Both end portions of the heat transfer member are disposed at the same location or outside of both end portions of the heating portion in the longitudinal direction and are disposed inside of both end portions of the rotary member in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a fixing member includes: a metal mold capable of holding a base material of the fixing member in an inside thereof; and an injecting member including a group of openings configured to inject a liquid rubber containing a needle-like filler into the metal mold in which the base material is held. The injecting member is configured so that a ratio of a total perimeter of the group of openings to a sum of a perimeter of an inner surface of the metal mold and an outer surface of the base material is 1.3 or more and 3.3 or less.

Abstract: An elastic layer includes a needle-shaped filler and a void and has a porosity of 20 vol % or more and 60 vol % or less. The elastic layer contains a first area and a second area. The first area extends from a surface of the elastic layer opposite to a surface facing the mandrel toward the mandrel and has a thickness of 30% of the thickness of the elastic layer. The second area is a central area in a thickness direction of the elastic layer and has a thickness of 40% of the thickness of the elastic layer. The needle-shaped filler in the second area has an orientation degree of 50% or lower. The needle-shaped filler in the first area has an orientation degree higher than that of the needle-shaped filler in the second area.

Abstract: A fixing member used for fixing a toner image on a recording material includes: a base layer; and a porous elastic layer provided on the base layer and containing a needle-like filler. The elastic layer has a thermal conductivity with respect to a longitudinal direction thereof in a first region where the elastic layer is contactable to the recording material on the fixing member, and the thermal conductivity is 6 times to 900 times a thermal conductivity with respect to a thickness direction in the first region. The elastic layer has a thermal conductivity with respect to the thickness direction thereof in a second region outside the first region with respect to the longitudinal direction, and the thermal conductivity with respect to the thickness direction in the second region is larger than the thermal conductivity with respect to the thickness direction in the first region.

Abstract: A fixing member, includes: a base layer; and a porous elastic layer provided on the base layer and configured to contain a needle-like filler. The elastic layer has a thermal conductivity, with respect to a longitudinal direction thereof, which is 6 times to 900 times a thermal conductivity with respect to a thickness direction thereof. The elastic layer has an open cell rate larger at longitudinal end portions than at a longitudinal central portion.

Abstract: A fixing member, includes: a base layer; and a porous elastic layer provided on the base layer and configured to contain a needle-like filler. The elastic layer has a thermal conductivity, with respect to a longitudinal direction thereof, which is 6 times to 900 times a thermal conductivity with respect to a thickness direction thereof. The elastic layer has an open cell rate larger at longitudinal end portions than at a longitudinal central portion.

Abstract: A fixing member used for fixing a toner image on a recording material includes: a base layer; and a porous elastic layer provided on the base layer and containing a needle-like filler. The elastic layer has a thermal conductivity with respect to a longitudinal direction thereof in a first region where the elastic layer is contactable to the recording material on the fixing member, and the thermal conductivity is 6 times to 900 times a thermal conductivity with respect to a thickness direction in the first region. The elastic layer has a thermal conductivity with respect to the thickness direction thereof in a second region outside the first region with respect to the longitudinal direction, and the thermal conductivity with respect to the thickness direction in the second region is larger than the thermal conductivity with respect to the thickness direction in the first region.

Abstract: An elastic layer includes a needle-shaped filler and a void and has a porosity of 20 vol % or more and 60 vol % or less. The elastic layer contains a first area and a second area. The first area extends from a surface of the elastic layer opposite to a surface facing the mandrel toward the mandrel and has a thickness of 30% of the thickness of the elastic layer. The second area is a central area in a thickness direction of the elastic layer and has a thickness of 40% of the thickness of the elastic layer. The needle-shaped filler in the second area has an orientation degree of 50% or lower. The needle-shaped filler in the first area has an orientation degree higher than that of the needle-shaped filler in the second area.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a fixing member includes: a metal mold capable of holding a base material of the fixing member in an inside thereof; and an injecting member including a group of openings configured to inject a liquid rubber containing a needle-like filler into the metal mold in which the base material is held. The injecting member is configured so that a ratio of a total perimeter of the group of openings to a sum of a perimeter of an inner surface of the metal mold and an outer surface of the base material is 1.3 or more and 3.3 or less.

Abstract: A film deposition method deposits a film on a surface of a substrate in strip form traveling on a peripheral surface of a cylindrical drum in at least one film deposition compartment around the peripheral surface of the drum. The method disposes previously a differential compartment between one film deposition compartment and a compartment including a wrapping space containing at least one of a first position at which the substrate starts to travel on the drum and a second position at which the substrate separates from the drum, the differential compartments communicating with the compartment including the wrapping space and the film deposition compartment, sets a first pressure of the wrapping space lower than a second pressure of the at least one film deposition compartment and performs film deposition in the film deposition compartment with electric power supplied to the drum.

Abstract: A method according to the invention comprises: starting plasma discharge for forming the gas barrier layer in a film deposition chamber; and producing the gas barrier layer by using a plasma after a first predetermined period of time has elapsed from a start of the plasma discharge.