Abstract: A toner for a two-component developer comprising the toner and carrier particles, the developer being used for an oilless fixing-type image forming apparatus comprising a developer carrier rotatable at a linear speed of 360-1,680 mm/sec, and a developer adjusting member extending in a lateral direction parallel to the rotational axis of the developer carrier and disposed adjacent to the developer carrier to define a gap therebetween of 0.3-1.0 mm, said image forming apparatus being operated so that the amount of the developer conveyed by the developer carrier and passing through the gap per 1 second is 5.0-25.0 g per 1 cm of the lateral width of the gap, the toner comprising a wax dispersed therein and the toner having a coefficient of dynamic friction in the range of 0.18-0.45.

Abstract: An image forming method, comprising passing a toner image-bearing sheet through a nip defined between two rollers including a heater roller to fix the toner image on the sheet, wherein the toner image is formed from a toner comprising a binder resin, and a colorant, wherein the toner image before the passage through the nip has a toner volume V1 and a toner image area S1, wherein the toner image after the passage through the nip has a toner volume V2 and a toner image area S2, and wherein a volume change Vt and an area change St defined by the formulas shown below are 30% or less and 20% or less, respectively: Vt(%)=(V1?V2)/V1×100 St(%)=(S2?S1)/S1×100. Alternatively, the toner image before the passage through the nip has a surface roughness of 2.5 ?m or less.

Abstract: A flexible tube for an endoscope has an elongated tubular core body, and an outer cover which is provided over the core body. The outer cover is composed of an inner layer, an outer layer and at least one intermediate layer. In this flexible tube, any one of the layers is different from one of the other layers in its property. Further, at least one of the layers has a thickness-varying region where the thickness of the layer varies in its longitudinal direction. In addition, the inner layer of the outer cover has projections which are integrally formed on the inner layer so that the projections project into holes and/or the recesses formed on the core body. This structure makes it possible to produce a flexible tube for an endoscope that has high durability, high flexibility and high chemical resistance as well as excellent operationability.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus configured to electrostatically transfer a toner image formed on an image carrier to a recording medium with image transferring means of the present invention, pressure is applied between the image carrier and the image transferring means. Toner is provided with relatively high hardness in accordance with the pressure beforehand. Image transfer is effected by reducing a potential difference between the image carrier and the recording medium while maintaining an electric field around the toner the same.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a toner image is formed on a photosensitive element and a transfer roller, which carries a transfer medium, is pressed against a photosensitive element at a pressure of from 20.4 N/cm2 to 200 N/cm2.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus capable of reliably forming an image with density gradation, one which does not have a low-quality appearance. The estimated average halftone granularity of the toner image after developing but before electrostatic transfer was set at 0.25 or less. The average halftone granularity was found by measuring the granularity of a toner image at locations of different average brightness by means of newly proposed formula, and averaging the measured values for which the average brightness is 40 to 80. The estimated average halftone granularity was obtained by estimating the average halftone granularity of the toner image on a photoreceptor by means of a newly proposed method.

Abstract: A flexible tube for an endoscope has an elongated tubular core body, and an outer cover which is provided over the core body. The outer cover is composed of an inner layer, an outer layer and at least one intermediate layer. In this flexible tube, any one of the layers is different from one of the other layers in its property. Further, at least one of the layers has a thickness-varying region where the thickness of the layer varies in its longitudinal direction. In addition, the inner layer of the outer cover has projections which are integrally formed on the inner layer so that the projections project into holes and/or the recesses formed on the core body. This structure makes it possible to produce a flexible tube for an endoscope that has high durability, high flexibility and high chemical resistance as well as excellent operationability.

Abstract: In a copier which is an image-forming apparatus comprising a photoconductor 1, a developing apparatus 4, transfer apparatus 5 which transfers a toner image formed on the photoconductor 1 to a transfer material by heat and pressure using a transfer roller 52, and a fixing apparatus which fixes the toner image transferred to the transfer material, on the transfer material, a heater 56, temperature detection apparatus 57 and temperature control apparatus are provided which controls the temperature to within a range of from the glass transition temperature (Tg) to the softening temperature (Tm) of the toner, and lower than the fixing temperature of the fixing apparatus 7.

Abstract: An image forming method, comprising passing a toner image-bearing sheet through a nip defined between two rollers including a heater roller to fix the toner image on the sheet, wherein the toner image is formed from a toner comprising a binder resin, and a colorant, wherein the toner image before the passage through the nip has a toner volume V1 and a toner image area S1, wherein the toner image after the passage through the nip has a toner volume V2 and a toner image area S2, and wherein a volume change Vt and an area change St defined by the formulas shown below are 30% or less and 20% or less, respectively:

Abstract: A flexible tube for an endoscope which has excellent insertion operability is disclosed. The flexible tube includes and an elongated flexible tubular body constructed from a core body having a hollow space and an outer cover which is provided over the outer periphery of the core body and formed into a laminated structure having a plurality of layers. The tubular body is formed with a plurality of easily bendable portions which are provided in a spaced apart manner along the longitudinal direction thereof, each of these easily bendable portion being adapted to bend locally with a smaller curvature radius when the flexible tube is bent in one direction. The average interval between the adjacent easily bendable portions is preferably in the range 50-400 mm. The easily bendable portions is formed by locally changing the flexural rigidity of the outer cover.

Abstract: A toner for a two-component developer comprising the toner and carrier particles, the developer being used for an oilless fixing-type image forming apparatus comprising a developer carrier rotatable at a linear speed of 360-1,680 mm/sec, and a developer adjusting member extending in a lateral direction parallel to the rotational axis of the developer carrier and disposed adjacent to the developer carrier to define a gap therebetween of 0.3-1.0 mm, said image forming apparatus being operated so that the amount of the developer conveyed by the developer carrier and passing through the gap per 1 second is 5.0-25.0 g per 1 cm of the lateral width of the gap, the toner comprising a wax dispersed therein and the toner having a coefficient of dynamic friction in the range of 0.18-0.45.

Abstract: A flexible tube for an endoscope is provided with a spirally-wound tube, a braided tube covering the spirally-wound tube, and a sheath provided on the braided tube. The sheath material is fused and coated on the braided tube to form the sheath. When the sheath material is fused and applied on the braided tube, the sheath material passes through interstices of the braided tube, at the positions facing the clearances between windings, to form a plurality of protruded portions which protruded inward with respect to the braided tube.

Abstract: A flexible tube for an endoscope which has excellent insertion operability is disclosed. The flexible tube includes and an elongated flexible tubular body constructed from a core body having a hollow space and an outer cover which is provided over the outer periphery of the core body and formed into a laminated structure having a plurality of layers. The tubular body is formed with a plurality of easily bendable portions which are provided in a spaced apart manner along the longitudinal direction thereof, each of these easily bendable portion being adapted to bend locally with a smaller curvature radius when the flexible tube is bent in one direction. The average interval between the adjacent easily bendable portions is preferably in the range 50-400 mm. The easily bendable portions is formed by locally changing the flexural rigidity of the outer cover.

Abstract: A flexible tube for an endoscope has an elongated tubular core body, and an outer cover which is provided over the core body. The outer cover is composed of an inner layer, an outer layer and at least one intermediate layer. In this flexible tube, any one of the layers is different from one of the other layers in its property. Further, at least one of the layers has a thickness-varying region where the thickness of the layer varies in its longitudinal direction. In addition, the inner layer of the outer cover has projections which are integrally formed on the inner layer so that the projections project into holes and/or the recesses formed on the core body. This structure makes it possible to produce a flexible tube for an endoscope that has high durability, high flexibility and high chemical resistance as well as excellent operationability.

Abstract: A flexible tube for an endoscope includes a spiral coil 11 as the innermost layer and a jacket 13 that is formed by applying a melt of a jacket material 1 and then curing it, in which the jacket material 1 has been allowed to penetrate through the gaps between adjacent turns of the innermost spiral coil 11 to reach the portion of its inner surface.

Abstract: A data transfer system includes a host which provides a timing signal and data at an output, and a peripheral device which receives the timing signal and data from the host output, and produces an internal timing signal based on detection of a change in either the data or the polarity of the timing signal provided by the host.

Abstract: A printer system comprising a host including a page buffer for storing bit map data for one page or more and a printer including a controller, a receiving buffer for temporarily storing the bit map data sent from the page buffer, a band buffer for temporarily storing line unit data for several lines in a main scanning direction, a paper conveyer, an image forming section, and a sensor for detecting the paper passing through a predetermined position which is downstream in a paper conveying direction from the image forming section. Immediately after the one-line printing process is conducted, the line unit data used for the one-line printing process are erased from the band buffer, the bit map data used for the one-line printing process are erased from the receiving buffer, but the bit map data stored in the page buffer continues to be kept.

Abstract: According to a method of adjusting a head gap, a wire dot head is set to a predetermined position of a reference head gap; a printing pattern for detecting printing time is printed by a plurality of pins; reference printing times of respective pins are detected. Next, a test printing is performed with test printing dots previously selected from printing data, and printing time of the test printing is detected. Then, the thickness of the printing media is calculated based on the reference printing time and the printing time of the test printing. At that time, a rule of thumb in which the difference of the printing time corresponds to the difference of the head gap, is used. Then, a shift amount of the wire dot head is calculated for setting the head gap to an optimum value according to the thickness of the printing media, and gap shifting mechanism shifts the wire dot head by the shift amount. This leads to highly accurate detection of the head gap and improves printing quality thereof.

Abstract: The wire motion detecting apparatus according to the present invention comprises a velocity detecting portion for detecting the velocity of a printing wire, a comparator output signal generating portion for generating a first comparator output signal CMP and a second comparator output signal CMPR corresponding to the detected velocity, a first counter 101 for measuring a motion time T.sub.S for the printing wire, a second counter 102 for measuring a print time T.sub.P for the printing wire, and a third counter 103 for measuring a return time T.sub.R for the printing wire. When the signal level of the first comparator output signal CMP is repeatedly changed between a high level and a low level, the first counter 101 stops counting. Even if an armature is rebounded, the first counter 101 does not resume counting.

Abstract: In a dot print head of an impact type moved in a direction of spacing movement relative to a printing medium, and having a plurality of printing elements each having a printing wire arranged substantially in an elongated circle centered at a line parallel with the direction in which the printing elements are driven, and which is provided with a wire guide having guide elements for the respective printing wires for guiding tips of the printing wires to predetermined positions on said printing medium, the guide elements are divided into at least four rows each extending in the direction orthogonal to said direction of the spacing movement and orthogonal to the direction in which the printing wires extend, and distances between said rows are multiples of 1/240 inches.