Abstract: An optical component includes a transparent base body, an anti-reflection coating stacked on the transparent base body, and an anti-smudge coating stacked on the anti-reflection coating. The surface roughness Ra of the anti-smudge coating is 3 nm or less.

Abstract: A near-infrared cut filter has the following spectral transmittance characteristics according to an incident angle of light. When the incident angle of light is 0 degree, at least a part of a wavelength range of 450 nm or more to less than 550 nm has a portion in which the difference from a mean transmittance of 450 nm to 700 nm becomes 1.65% or more. When the incident angle of light is 40 degrees, at least a part of the wavelength range of 450 nm or more to less than 550 nm has a portion in which the difference from a mean transmittance of 450 nm to 700 nm becomes 3.5% or more, and in the entire region of the wavelength range of 450 nm or more to less than 550 nm, the difference from the mean transmittance of 450 nm to 700 nm is 7.0% or less.

Abstract: An optical element includes an optical member made of a material that transmits light; a high refractive index layer and a low refractive index layer that are stacked on a front surface of the optical member; and a surface protection layer that is formed on an upper most layer among the high refractive index layer and the low refractive index layer, the surface protection layer being made of a material including one of a mixed oxide of Si and Sn, a mixed oxide of Si and Zr, and a mixed oxide of Si and Al, and the refraction index of the surface protection layer being less than or equal to the refraction index of the high refractive index layer and greater than or equal to the refraction index of the low refractive index layer.

Abstract: An atmospheric pressure plasma treatment apparatus includes a moving unit configured to relatively move an atmospheric pressure plasma treatment head and member to be treated, gas supply units configured to supply a reaction gas and a curtain gas, and a control unit. When the atmospheric pressure plasma treatment head and the member are relatively moved, the control unit performs control to increase a flow rate of the reaction gas and the curtain gas from an opposite direction side of a relative moving direction of the member with respect to the atmospheric pressure plasma treatment head and reduce a flow rate of the reaction gas and the curtain gas in the relative moving direction side of the member compared with the flow rates of the reaction gas and the curtain gas flowing when the atmospheric pressure plasma treatment head and the member are not relatively moved.

Abstract: In an image-forming method, a ribbon-shaped thermal transfer sheet with a dye layer and a protective material layer arranged side-by-side in the longitudinal direction is moved, and thermal energy is applied from a thermal head while arranging a recording medium to face the dye layer to thermally transfer the dye layer onto the recording medium to form an image. Thermal energy is applied while arranging the image to face the protective material layer to thereby form a protective layer on the image by thermal transfer. A ribbon-shaped surface-property-modifying sheet including a surface-property-modifying region for modifying the surface of the protective layer is moved, and the protective layer is aligned with the surface-property-modifying region of the surface-property-modifying sheet. Heat and pressure are applied from the thermal head and the surface-property-modifying sheet is detached after cooling to modify the surface condition of the protective layer.

Abstract: A plasma generating apparatus irradiates plasma on a treatment object. The plasma is generated under gas pressure equal to or higher than 100 pascals and equal to or lower than atmospheric pressure in an inter-electrode gap between a first electrode to which a power supply is connected and a second electrode arranged to be opposed to the first electrode and grounded. The first electrode has a structure in which the first electrode is retained on a grounded conductive retaining member via a solid dielectric provided on a surface not opposed to the second electrode, and a conductive film is continuously provided on a surface in a predetermined range in contact with the conductive retaining member and a surface in a predetermined range not in contact with the conductive retaining member on a surface of the solid dielectric.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeding device feeding a recording medium to be recorded, a thermal transfer sheet having an ink layer to form an image and a protective material layer to form a protective layer protecting the image, a thermal transfer sheet transporting device, a surface property reforming sheet having an image printing opening disposed in such a way that the thermal transfer sheet comes into direct contact with a surface of the recording medium to be recorded and a surface property reforming portion to reform the surface state of the protective layer protecting the image, a reforming sheet moving device, and a thermal head to thermally transfer the ink layer or the protective material layer, wherein a non-adhesion treatment layer is formed on at least a surface of the surface property reforming sheet on the side to come into contact with the thermal transfer sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveying unit that conveys a recording medium in a predetermined direction, a thermal transfer sheet traveling unit that causes a thermal transfer sheet to travel in a predetermined direction, a modification sheet moving unit that moves a surface modification sheet, a thermal head that applies thermal energy and thermally transfers sequentially a dye layer and a protective layer of the thermal transfer sheet onto the recording medium while the dye layer or the protective layer opposes the surface of the recording medium, and a modification sheet protecting unit disposed in a movement path of the surface modification sheet, and configured to prevent adhesion of dust to the surface modification sheet or to eliminate the adhesion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a welding torch which can surely fix an electric power supply point for supplying electric power to a welding wire in a wire fed-through hole, and can prevent the accumulation of dusts such as grinding dusts or the like in the wire fed-through hole thus ensuring a stable welding operation.

Abstract: A thermal head is disclosed. The thermal head includes a heat generating element row in which plural heat generating elements are arrayed in a main scanning direction and a glaze that stores heat generated from the respective heat generating elements. The thermal head records an image on a recording medium by causing the respective heat generating elements to generate heat while conveying the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction. A plurality of the heat generating element rows are arrayed in the sub-scanning direction. The glaze includes plural convex portions arranged in the sub-scanning direction in association with the number of arrays of the heat generating element rows. The heat generating elements are arranged on upper sides of the convex portions, respectively.

Abstract: A thermal head has plural heat generating elements arrayed therein in a main scanning direction to form a heat generating element row, causes the respective heat generating elements to generate heat while conveying a recording medium in a sub-scanning direction, and forms plural dot lines in the main scanning direction on the recording medium to record an image. A plurality of the heat generating element rows are arrayed in the sub-scanning direction. Respective nth (n is a natural number) heat generating elements among the heat generating elements in the respective heat generating element rows can sharingly form a dot in the same position in an identical dot line according to independent driving for each of the heat generating element rows.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeding device feeding a recording medium to be recorded, a thermal transfer sheet having an ink layer to form an image and a protective material layer to form a protective layer protecting the image, a thermal transfer sheet transporting device, a surface property reforming sheet having an image printing opening disposed in such a way that the thermal transfer sheet comes into direct contact with a surface of the recording medium to be recorded and a surface property reforming portion to reform the surface state of the protective layer protecting the image, a reforming sheet moving device, and a thermal head to thermally transfer the ink layer or the protective material layer, wherein a non-adhesion treatment layer is formed on at least a surface of the surface property reforming sheet on the side to come into contact with the thermal transfer sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveying unit that conveys a recording medium in a predetermined direction, a thermal transfer sheet traveling unit that causes a thermal transfer sheet to travel in a predetermined direction, a modification sheet moving unit that moves a surface modification sheet, a thermal head that applies thermal energy and thermally transfers sequentially a dye layer and a protective layer of the thermal transfer sheet onto the recording medium while the dye layer or the protective layer opposes the surface of the recording medium, and a modification sheet protecting unit disposed in a movement path of the surface modification sheet, and configured to prevent adhesion of dust to the surface modification sheet or to eliminate the adhesion.

Abstract: A head module includes lines of head chips, each head chip having energy-generating elements for discharging liquid and electrodes for electrically connecting the energy-generating elements to a control substrate, and a wiring board having wires for electrically connecting the electrodes to the control substrate. The head module drives the energy-generating elements through the wiring board to discharge liquid. The wiring board includes connecting sections connecting the wires to the respective electrodes, common wire sections joining some of the wires that are common to the head chips, and a terminal section connecting the wires to the control substrate at one side of the wiring board. The wires in the connecting and terminal sections are arranged in a single-layer structure along a horizontal direction. The wires in the common wire sections are arranged in a multi-layer structure in which portions of the wires are stacked in the vertical direction.

Abstract: In an image-forming method, a ribbon-shaped thermal transfer sheet with a dye layer and a protective material layer arranged side-by-side in the longitudinal direction is moved, and thermal energy is applied from a thermal head while arranging a recording medium to face the dye layer to thermally transfer the dye layer onto the recording medium to form an image. Thermal energy is applied while arranging the image to face the protective material layer to thereby form a protective layer on the image by thermal transfer. A ribbon-shaped surface-property-modifying sheet including a surface-property-modifying region for modifying the surface of the protective layer is moved, and the protective layer is aligned with the surface-property-modifying region of the surface-property-modifying sheet. Heat and pressure are applied from the thermal head and the surface-property-modifying sheet is detached after cooling to modify the surface condition of the protective layer.

Abstract: The present invention fixes a nozzle sheet on a substrate with a predetermined material (5,6), which has an excellent chemical resistance and sufficient adhesiveness, or more specifically, fixes the nozzle sheet on the substrate with cyclized rubber or with patternable, adhesive elastic material. Moreover, the present invention forms walls for liquid chambers and liquid channels with polyimide.

Abstract: A head module includes lines of head chips, each head chip having energy-generating elements for discharging liquid and electrodes for electrically connecting the energy-generating elements to a control substrate, and a wiring board having wires for electrically connecting the electrodes to the control substrate. The head module drives the energy-generating elements through the wiring board to discharge liquid. The wiring board includes connecting sections connecting the wires to the respective electrodes, common wire sections joining some of the wires that are common to the head chips, and a terminal section connecting the wires to the control substrate at one side of the wiring board. The wires in the connecting and terminal sections are arranged in a single-layer structure along a horizontal direction. The wires in the common wire sections are arranged in a multi-layer structure in which portions of the wires are stacked in the vertical direction.

Abstract: A thermal head has plural heat generating elements arrayed therein in a main scanning direction to form a heat generating element row, causes the respective heat generating elements to generate heat while conveying a recording medium in a sub-scanning direction, and forms plural dot lines in the main scanning direction on the recording medium to record an image. A plurality of the heat generating element rows are arrayed in the sub-scanning direction. Respective nth (n is a natural number) heat generating elements among the heat generating elements in the respective heat generating element rows can sharingly form a dot in the same position in an identical dot line according to independent driving for each of the heat generating element rows.

Abstract: A thermal head is disclosed. The thermal head includes a heat generating element row in which plural heat generating elements are arrayed in a main scanning direction and a glaze that stores heat generated from the respective heat generating elements. The thermal head records an image on a recording medium by causing the respective heat generating elements to generate heat while conveying the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction. A plurality of the heat generating element rows are arrayed in the sub-scanning direction. The glaze includes plural convex portions arranged in the sub-scanning direction in association with the number of arrays of the heat generating element rows. The heat generating elements are arranged on upper sides of the convex portions, respectively.

Abstract: A head module includes a head chip provided with an array of heat generating elements, a nozzle sheet provided with nozzles, a barrier layer for forming ink liquid chambers, a module frame adhered to the nozzle sheet to thereby support the nozzle sheet and provided with a head chip arranging hole for arranging the head chip therein, and a buffer tank which is so disposed as to cover the head chip arranging hole from a surface, on the opposite side of the surface of adhesion to the nozzle sheet, of the module frame and which is for forming a common liquid conduit communicated with all the ink chambers of the head chip.