Abstract: An optical modulation device includes scanning electrodes and signal electrodes disposed opposite to an intersecting with the signal electrodes, and an optical modulation material disposed between the electrodes, a pixel being formed at each intersection of the electrodes and showing a contrast depending on the polarity of a voltage applied thereto. The device is driven by a method including in a writing period for writing in all or prescribed pixels among the pixels on a selected scanning electrode, a first phase for applying a voltage of one polarity having an amplitude exceeding a first threshold voltage of the optical modulation material to the all or prescribed pixels, and a second phase for applying a voltage of the other polarity having an amplitude exceeding a second threshold voltage of the optical modulation material to a selected pixel and applying a voltage not exceeding the threshold voltages of the optical modulation material to the other pixels, respectively among the all or prescribed pixels.

Abstract: A driving system is disclosed, wherein a potential gradient is formed in a pixel and is utilized for driving. Particularly, there is disclosed an optical modulation apparatus, comprising: a first substrate having thereon a conductor film, and a plurality of transmission lines disposed electrically connected to the conductor film; a second substrate; an optical modulation material disposed between the first and second substrate; and means for supplying a pair of electric signals in mutually opposite transmission directions to neighboring transmission lines among the plurality of transmission lines.

Abstract: An optical modulation device comprises a first substrate having thereon a first conductor film, a second substrate having thereon a second conductor film disposed opposite to the first conductor film, and an optical modulation material disposed between the first and second substrates. The optical modulation device is driven by forming a potential gradient along the extension of the first conductor film or both the first and second conductor films, and applying an information signal to the first or second conductor film.

Abstract: An optical modulation device comprises a first substrate having thereon a high-resistivity transparent conductor film and a plurality of low-resistivity conductor films disposed on the transparent conductor film and dividing the transparent conductor film into plural stripes; a second substrate having thereon a plurality of transparent conductor film stripes; and an optical modulation material, such as a ferroelectric liquid crystal, interposed between the first and second substrates. The optical modulation device further includes a plurality of connecting conductors for connecting with an external driver. The connecting conductors are disposed in a region free of the high-resistivity transparent conductor film of the first substrate and each connected to one of the low-resistivity conductor films.

Abstract: In a semi-solid ink to be used in the heat transfer recording method in which a semi-solid ink is heated to melt to flow out through passage holes and said semi-solid ink flowed out is transferred onto a recording medium, it has a viscosity of 100 to 10000 cps as measured by means of a cone disc rotatory viscometer under the conditions of a temperature of 25.degree. C. and a shear rate of 2000 S.sup.-1.

Abstract: An optical modulation device comprises a pair of substrates respectively having electrodes thereon arranged so as to form a pixel at an intersection thereof, and an optical modulation material disposed at the pixel. The pixel has regions of the optical modulation material having mutually different threshold characteristics.

Abstract: An image recording and/or reproducing apparatus including a recording unit having a recording driving mechanism for recording a plurality of images in the form of electrostatic pattern on different regions of a photosensitive member, a reading unit having a beam source and capable of scanning the photosensitive member by an electron beam so as to convert the recorded pattern into electric signals, and a connecting member for connecting the recording unit and the reading unit without causing any change in the states of these units. This apparatus makes it possible to record and/or to reproduce images with a high image quality. The connecting member includes a container accommodating the recording unit and the reading unit. Alternatively, the connecting member is adapted to keep a portion of the recoding unit and a portion of the reading unit in close contact with each other.

Abstract: Image recording is achieved with the use of a cylindrical recording head in which ink is contained, a plurality of ink passage holes being formed on a circumferential surface thereof. The recording head includes a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of signal electrodes to which an image signal is transmitted. A heating material is disposed around each of the ink passage holes in the area surrounded by the electrodes. In response to the image signal, a certain number of ink passage holes are heated by means of the selected heating materials to which electric current is supplied via the electrodes whereby ink of which viscosity is reduced under the effect of thus generated heat flows to the outside through the ink passage holes until it is transferred onto a recording medium.

Abstract: A recording head comprises a housing for storing ink therein and a plurality of ink passage portions for allowing ink to pass from the housing to the exterior thereof. A plurality of heating elements are selectively heated so as to allow for the selective passage of ink through the plurality of ink passage portions. A spacer spaces apart the ink passage portions and a recording medium and also defines a temporary ink storing portion. In a recording method employing the recording head, the ink is heated by virtue of the heat of the heating elements, the ink having thus-reduced viscosity passing through the ink passage portions and transferred onto the recording medium, thereby obtaining a clearly recorded image.

Abstract: A recording method utilizing a thin blended layer of two or more polymers which assumes a mutually dissolved transparent state below a predetermined temperature but a phase-separated opaque state above this temperature, in which a halftone reproduction is achieved through control of temperature applied to the thin layer.

Abstract: An optical modulation device comprises first electrodes and second electrodes disposed opposite to and intersecting with the signal electrodes, and an optical modulation material providing a first and a second orientation state depending on an electric field applied thereto disposed between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, a pixel being formed at each intersection of the first electrodes and the second electrodes so as to form a matrix of pixels as a whole.

Abstract: An optical modulation device comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of lines. Each pixel is electrically connected to an optical modulation material, such as ferroelectric liquid crystal, showing a first and a second orientation state depending on an applied electric field and is composed to be capable of forming a potential gradient. The optical modulation device is driven to provide a gradation display by a method comprising a first step of forming in a line of pixels a written state in a width exceeding a prescribed width, and a second step of erasing an excess width to leave the written state in the prescribed width.

Abstract: An optical modulation device comprises a liquid crystal having bistability between a pair of parallel base plates oppositely spaced from each other. A plurality of structural members having side walls are arranged at a substantially equal interval between the pair of parallel base plates so as to be in contact with at least one of them. Further, side walls of the plurality of structural members are treated for horizontal orientation in parallel with the extending direction of the structural members, and have a wall effect for orienting liquid crystal molecules in the direction of the horizontal orientation treatment.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member having a conductive layer and a surface layer capable of retaining electric charge, driving device for moving the image bearing member, toner supplying device for supplying conductive or semiconductive toner to the surface layer of the image bearing member, a driver for driving the toner supplying device, electric power source for applying a bias voltage between the toner and the conductive layer of the image bearing member, and setting or control device for setting the bias voltage application to provide gradually increasing voltage at the start of the bias voltage application. The surface layer has a surface resistivity of approximately 10.sup.8 -10.sup.13 ohm/.quadrature., preferably 10.sup.9 -10.sup.12 ohm/.quadrature. and has a bulk volume resistivity of approximately 10.sup.10 -10.sup.16 ohm.cm, preferably 10.sup.10 -10.sup.13 ohm.cm.

Abstract: A liquid crystal, particularly a ferroelectric liquid crystal, is interposed between an electroconductive member and an electric charge accepting member to form a liquid crystal device. In the first step of image formation, a uniform polarity of charge is imparted to the entirety or a part of the electric charge accepting member whereby the liquid crystal is uniformly oriented to its first stable state under a uniform electric field thus formed therethrough. In the second step, the reverse polarity of charges are given imagewise to the charge accepting member, whereby the liquid crystal is reoriented imagewise to the second stable state to form an image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the type comprising a liquid crystal panel having a first substrate having first electrodes thereon, a liquid crystal layer, a second substrate having a second electrode, polarizing means and light-scattering reflection means; a light source for emitting light toward the liquid crystal from the side of the first substrate; means for forming an electrostatic light image corresponding to the light rays reflected from the liquid crystal panel; and developing means. Picture elements are arranged in a row or column with a spacing (P) between adjacent picture elements, each picture element being formed at a portion where the first and second electrodes face each other through the liquid crystal layer, the gap (P) being equal to or larger than the distance (D) from the interface between the second electrode and the liquid crystal layer to the scattering reflection surface of the light-scattering reflection means.

Abstract: This specification discloses an image formation method which uses a photosensitive member having a photoconductive layer provided on a transparent conductive layer and in which magnetic conductive particles are held and conveyed by magnetic force producing means and supplied to the photosensitive member and light information such as light signal or light image is applied to the conductive substrate side of the photosensitive member and simultaneously with the supply of the particles, the surface of the photosensitive member is developed by the particles correspondingly to the light signal or the light image, and an apparatus for realizing such method.

Abstract: According to an image forming method wherein information light irradiates a conductive layer of a photosensitive body having the conductive layer and a photoconductive layer, a developing agent is supplied to the photoconductive layer of the photosensitive body while a bias voltage is applied between the conductive layer and the conductive developing agent, and an image corresponding to the information light is formed on the photosensitive body, contamination of the surface of the photosensitive body by the developing agent is prevented by voltage application upon image formation and operation timings of the respective components of an image display apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has both of the function of displaying a toner image recorded on an image bearing member and the function of transferring the recorded toner image to a transfer material and obtaining it as a print. Particularly, the apparatus makes reversal of the direction of movement of the image bearing member possible by developing the photosensitive member simultaneously with the application of light information in a process which does not require a charging step, and forms a toner image in the form of a positive image or a mirror image on the image bearing member. The positive image is used for display, and the mirror image is used for printing.

Abstract: An image formation method and apparatus utilizing the technique of removing a conductive one-component developer which adheres to the non-image bearing portion of an image bearing member such as a photosensitive member and provides the background fog of the image on the image bearing member. More particularly, it discloses an image formation method and apparatus in which one-component developer conductive particles are brought into contact with the developer forming the fog to thereby induce in said particles a charge of the opposite polarity to the polarity of the charge of the developer and the particles and the developer are attracted to each other by the coulomb force thereof, whereafter with the conveyance force of said particles, said developer is removed to thereby form a fogless image.