Abstract: A highly reliable rechargeable battery comprising an anode, a separator, a cathode, an electrolyte or an electrolyte solution, and a housing, characterized in that said anode is structured to have a size which is greater than that of said cathode. The rechargeable battery provides an increased energy density and has a prolonged charging and discharging cycle life, in which a dendrite causing a reduction in the battery performance, which is generated upon operating charging in the conventional rechargeable battery, is effectively prevented from generating or from growing in the case where it should be generated.

Abstract: An ink contains a coloring material and an aqueous medium. The coloring material is composed of a self-dispersion-type carbon black. At least one hydrophilic group is bonded to the surface of the carbon black directly or through another atomic group. A Ka value of the ink determined by a Bristow's test method is less than 1.5, and the total amount of monovalent cations in the ink is in a range of 0.05 to 1 mole/liter. This ink exhibits superior ink-jet recording characteristics.

Abstract: An ink comprises a coloring material and an aqueous medium wherein the coloring material contains a self-dispersing type carbon black, in which self-dispersing carbon black a hydrophilic group combines with the surface of a carbon black directly or through another atomic group, and which ink contains potassium ion in an amount of 0.6% or more of the weight of the carbon black.

Abstract: Ink tank which enables accurate detection of existence/absence of liquid even if a storage containing liquid such as ink is stored under a severe environment, and a cartridge including the ink tank, as well as a printing apparatus utilizing the cartridge. A low surface energy processing agent including alkyl polysiloxane and alcohol is coated on prism 180 provided on the bottom portion of ink tank 7, thereby performing low surface energy processing on the prism 180.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pigment ink having carbon black having a dispersant and an ink which can provide high-grade images having a superior rub resistance without the loss of the inherent advantages of the pigment ink and can keep bleeding from occurring when color images are formed. The ink is an ink comprising at least one salt selected from (M1)2SO4, CH3COO(M1), Ph—COO(M1), (M1)NO3, (M1)Cl, (M1)Br, (M1)I, (M1)2SO3 and (M1)2CO3 wherein M1 represents an alkali metal, ammonium or an organic ammonium, and Ph represents a phenyl group, and a carbon black having a dispersant.

Abstract: An ink is provided which suppresses the influence of the kinds of recording media on the image quality, is excellent in image quality, effectively inhibits the occurrence of bleed upon the formation of color images, is excellent in long-term shelf stability and stably forms high quality images. The ink contains at least one salt selected from the group consisting of (M1)2SO4, CH3COO(M1), Ph-COO(M1), (M1)NO3, (M1)Cl, (M1)Br, (M1)I, (M1)2SO3 and (M1)2CO3, wherein M1 represents an alkali metal, ammonium or organic ammonium, and Ph represents a phenyl group, and a self-dispersing anionic carbon black having a functional-group density of at least 1.8 (&mgr;mol/m2) on its surface.

Abstract: An ink is provided which is capable of giving higher density of the printed image and has improved color developability with the light fastness and image stability maintained, and suppressing occurrence of bleeding in color image formation. The ink contains a capsuled coloring material constituted of a water-insoluble coloring material and an organic polymer covering the coloring material, the capsuled coloring material containing the organic polymer at a content ranging from 1% by weight to 20% by weight.

Abstract: An ink set capable of reducing the influence of recording media on image quality and stably forming high-quality images is provided. The ink set includes a liquid composition containing at least one salt selected from the group consisting of (M1)2SO4, CH3COO(M1), Ph—COO(M1), (M1)NO3, (M1)Cl, (M1)Br, (M1)I, (M1)2SO3 and (M1)2CO3, wherein M1 denotes an alkali metal, ammonium or organic ammonium, and Ph denotes a phenyl group, and at least one ink selected from the group consisting of yellow, magenta, cyan, black, red, blue and green inks.

Abstract: In Lithium secondary cells, alkali secondary cells and bromine-zinc secondary batteries capable of retarding the growth of a dendrite, which would occur at the time of charging thereof and result in performance degradation, and having high energy densities and long cycle lives, a method for forming a material of a negative electrode of such a secondary cell or battery and a method for handling the material of the negative electrode are provided. The secondary cell or battery is provided with positive and negative electrodes separated from each other by a separator in an electrolyte contained in a case. The negative electrode is made of metallic powder alloyed with at least an amphoteric metal which reacts with both of an acid and an alkali.

Abstract: An ink comprise a dye, a silicon-containing surfactant, an ethylene oxide adduct of acetylene glycol and a liquid medium, wherein a weight ratio of the silicon-containing surfactant to the ethylene oxide adduct of acetylene glycol is not lower than {fraction (1/5000)}, but lower than {fraction (1/20)}. An ink-jet recording process include the step of ejecting the ink by an ink-jet system. An ink set include in combination a first dye having a certain color tone, and a second dye ink having a color tone different from that of the first dye ink, wherein at least one of the first and second dye inks is the above ink. An ink set include dye inks of yellow, magenta and cyan, wherein the dye inks include an ethylene oxide adduct of acetylene glycol respectively, and the dye inks of magenta and cyan further have a silicon-containing surfactant.

Abstract: An ink set comprising a black ink and a color ink, suitable for an ink-jet recording apparatus comprising a common recovery system for a black ink-ejecting orifice and a color ink-ejecting orifice. The black ink comprises particles of self-dispersing carbon black having at least one anionic hydrophilic group at the surface thereof in an aqueous medium, and the pH of the color ink is higher than the pH of the black ink.

Abstract: A highly reliable rechargeable battery comprising an anode, a separator, a cathode, an electrolyte or an electrolyte solution, and a housing, characterized in that said anode is structured to have a size which is greater than that of said cathode. The rechargeable battery provides an increased energy density and has a prolonged charging and discharging cycle life, in which a dendrite causing a reduction in the battery performance, which is generated upon operating charging in the conventional rechargeable battery, is effectively prevented from generating or from growing in the case where it should be generated.

Abstract: A secondary battery exhibiting a long cycle life and comprising a negative pole activating material made of lithium or zinc is provided, the battery at least having a negative pole made of lithium or zinc serving as the negative pole activating material, an electrolyte (electrolytic solution), a separator, a positive pole made of a positive pole activating material, a collecting electrode and a battery case, wherein at least the surface of the negative pole is covered with a film having a structure which allows ions relating to the battery reactions to pass through. Since growth of dendrite of lithium or zinc at the time of the charge can be prevented, short circuit between the negative pole and the positive pole can be prevented. Therefore, the charge/discharge cycle life can significantly be lengthened.

Abstract: A secondary battery exhibiting a long cycle life and comprising a negative pole activating material made of lithium or zinc is provided, the battery at least having a negative pole made of lithium or zinc serving as the negative pole activating material, an electrolyte (electrolytic solution), a separator, a positive pole made of a positive pole activating material, a collecting electrode and a battery case, wherein at least the surface of the negative pole is covered with a film having a structure which allows ions relating to the battery reactions to pass through. Since growth of dendrites of lithium or zinc at the time of charge can be prevented, short circuiting between the negative pole and the positive pole can be prevented. Therefore, the charge/discharge cycle life can significantly be lengthened.

Abstract: An ink jet recording method having steps of giving energy to ink, discharging the ink from a recording head and depositing the ink on a recording medium is provided. The ink contains a coloring material including at least self-dispersing carbon blacks and an aqueous medium and has potassium ions of 0.6% or more in a mass ratio with respect to the carbon blacks. The recording head includes a constitutional unit for discharging liquid droplets having a heating element for generating thermal energy for generating a bubble in liquid; a discharge port for discharging the liquid; a liquid flow path communicating to the discharge port and having a bubble generation area; and a movable member to be displaced following growth of the bubble, and the ink is supplied to the liquid flow path and discharged from the discharge port by thermal energy from the heating element.

Abstract: An ink comprising particles of self-dispersing carbon black having at least one hydrophilic group at the surface thereof, and calcium in an aqueous medium. The ink can form images excellent in fastness properties such as water fastness and light fastness and character quality, and can be stably ejected from a recording head irrespective of printing environment.

Abstract: An ink comprise a dye, a silicon-containing surfactant, an ethylene oxide adduct of acetylene glycol and a liquid medium, wherein a weight ratio of the silicon-containing surfactant to the ethylene oxide adduct of acetylene glycol is not lower than {fraction (1/5000)}, but lower than {fraction (1/20)}.

Abstract: An image-forming device having, in an envelope, an electron-emitting element, an image-forming member for forming an image by irradiation of an electron beam emitted from the electron-emitting element, and an electroconductive supporting member for supporting the envelope. The potential of the supporting member is controlled to not be higher than the maximum potential applied to the electron-emitting element. The electron-emitting element and the image-forming member can be placed in juxtaposition on the same substrate, an electroconductive substrate can be additionally provided in opposition to the face of the substrate, and the supporting member can be connected electrically to one of the electrodes and also to the electroconductive substrate.

Abstract: An ink comprises a coloring material and an aqueous medium wherein the coloring material contains a self-dispersing type carbon black, in which self-dispersing carbon black a hydrophilic group combines with the surface of a carbon black directly or through another atomic group, and which ink contains potassium ion in an amount of 0.6% or more of the weight of the carbon black.

Abstract: An image-forming device having, in an envelope, an electron-emitting element, an image-forming member for forming an image by irradiation of an electron beam emitted from the electron-emitting element, and an electroconductive supporting member for supporting the envelope (internally), comprises a means for controlling the potential of the supporting member to be not higher than the maximum potential applied to the electron-emitting element. The electron-emitting element and the image-forming member can be placed in juxtaposition on the same substrate, an electroconductive substrate can be additionally provided in opposition to the face of the substrate, and the supporting member can be connected electrically to one of said electrodes and also to the electroconductive substrate.