Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit configured to form a first image to be transferred to a sheet with a non-decolorizable material, and a second image forming unit configured to form a second image to be transferred to the sheet with a decolorizable material. At least a part of the second image transferred to the sheet is formed on the first image transferred to the sheet.

Abstract: A reversibly allochroic toner contains a binder resin and a colorant. The colorant reversibly switches between first and second color states in response to temperature changes. The colorant exhibits a hysteresis in a temperature-color state curve thereof in which the following relationships are satisfied. Tr<TL2<TL1<TH1<TH2<Tg TH2?50° C. 20° C.?Tr?30° C. where, TH1 is a temperature at which the colorant starts to change from the first color state to the second color state, TH2 is a temperature at which the colorant completely changes to the second color state, TL1 is a temperature at which the colorant starts to change from the second color state to the first color state, TL2 is a temperature at which the colorant completely changes to the first color state, and Tg is a glass transition temperature of the binder resin.

Abstract: A magnetic position detection device configured to detect a relative movement position of a magnetic encoder, which includes N-magnetic poles and S-magnetic poles arranged alternately in a moving direction, by a magnetosensitive portion as a change in direction of a magnetic field from the encoder. As the magnetosensitive portion, direction detection type magnetoresistive elements are arranged, which each have a resistance value that changes depending on a direction of an applied magnetic field. The encoder further includes non-magnetized portions arranged at boundaries between the N-magnetic poles and the S-magnetic poles so that changes through the movement of the encoder of a magnetic-field component Bs in the moving direction of the encoder and a magnetic-field component Br in a direction in which the magnetosensitive portion and the encoder are opposed to each other, which are formed at a position of the magnetosensitive portion, are approximately sinusoidal.

Abstract: Provided is a decolorizable toner including a binder resin and colorant particles which contain a color developable compound, a color developing agent, and a decolorizing agent, and have a capsule structure coated with an outer shell, wherein the binder resin is contained in an amount of 60 to 80% by mass with respect to the total amount of the toner components.

Abstract: Rotation of a magnetized rotor is detected in a highly accurate manner without depending on a magnetic pole pitch of N and S poles of the magnetized rotor. To that end, a magnetic detection device includes a magnetoresistive element that is formed of a fixed layer made of a ferromagnetic material whose magnetization direction is fixed and a free layer made of a ferromagnetic material whose magnetization direction can be freely changed, with a non-magnetic middle layer sandwiched between the layers, and arranged therein maintaining a gap between the element and the outer circumferential surface of the magnetized rotor in which the N and S poles are alternately arranged along the outer circumference rotating around a rotation shaft, wherein the magnetoresistive element is arranged in such a way that a plane on which the fixed layer is formed is in a plane including the rotation shaft.

Abstract: Provided is a decolorizable toner including a binder resin and colorant particles which contain a color developable compound, a color developing agent, and a decolorizing agent, and have a capsule structure coated with an outer shell, wherein the binder resin is contained in an amount of 60 to 80% by mass with respect to the total amount of the toner components.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit configured to form a first image to be transferred to a sheet with a non-decolorizable material, and a second image forming unit configured to form a second image to be transferred to the sheet with a decolorizable material. At least a part of the second image transferred to the sheet is formed on the first image transferred to the sheet.

Abstract: A toner set is used in a printing system that is capable of recycling a print medium and includes a first image forming portion which forms a toner image on the medium with a decolorable toner which is decolored by being heated at a temperature Te (° C.) or higher, a second image forming portion which forms a toner image on the medium with a non-decolorable toner and forms an image on the medium with at least one of the toners, and a decoloring apparatus provided with a heating portion which heats the medium on which a toner image is formed by the image forming apparatus at the temperature Te (° C.) or higher. When heated by the decoloring apparatus, the decolorable toner may be decolored without causing hot offset.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a color erasing apparatus comprises a conveyance path, a color erasing section and a control section. The conveyance path conveys a sheet. The color erasing section erases the color of an image formed with color erasable recording agent serving as recording agent containing coloring agent the color of which can be erased by heating. The control section carries out a control, in a case where the image formed on the sheet is not an image formed with the color erasable recording agent, so that the sheet is not subjected to a color erasing processing by the color erasing section.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an image forming apparatus which forms an decolorable image and an non-decolorable image by fixing a toner image including a decolorable toner and a toner image including a non-decolorable toner or a medium. The decolorable toner has a first peak of a loss tangent tan ? at a temperature TE1, and the non-decolorable toner has a first peak of a loss tangent tan ? at a temperature TU1. A difference between the temperature TE1 and the temperature TU1 is within 20° C.

Abstract: A toner set is used in a printing system that is capable of recycling a print medium and includes a first image forming portion which forms a toner image on the medium with a decolorable toner which is decolored by being heated at a temperature Te (° C.) or higher, a second image forming portion which forms a toner image on the medium with a non-decolorable toner and forms an image on the medium with at least one of the toners, and a decoloring apparatus provided with a heating portion which heats the medium on which a toner image is formed by the image forming apparatus at the temperature Te (° C.) or higher. When heated by the decoloring apparatus, the decolorable toner may be decolored without causing hot offset.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit configured to form a first image to be transferred to a sheet with a non-decolorizable material, and a second image forming unit configured to form a second image to be transferred to the sheet with a decolorizable material. At least a part of the second image transferred to the sheet is formed on the first image transferred to the sheet.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a color erasing apparatus comprises a conveyance path, a color erasing section and a control section. The conveyance path conveys a sheet. The color erasing section erases the color of an image formed with color erasable recording agent serving as recording agent containing coloring agent the color of which can be erased by heating. The control section carries out a control, in a case where the image formed on the sheet is not an image formed with the color erasable recording agent, so that the sheet is not subjected to a color erasing processing by the color erasing section.

Abstract: A toner set is used in a printing system that is capable of recycling a print medium and includes a first image forming portion which forms a toner image on the medium with a decolorable toner which is decolored by being heated at a temperature Te (° C.) or higher, a second image forming portion which forms a toner image on the medium with a non-decolorable toner and forms an image on the medium with at least one of the toners, and a decoloring apparatus provided with a heating portion which heats the medium on which a toner image is formed by the image forming apparatus at the temperature Te (° C.) or higher. When heated by the decoloring apparatus, the decolorable toner may be decolored without causing hot offset.

Abstract: A reversibly allochroic toner contains a binder resin and a colorant. The colorant reversibly switches between first and second color states in response to temperature changes. The colorant exhibits a hysteresis in a temperature-color state curve thereof in which the following relationships are satisfied. Tr<TL2<TL1<TH1<TH2<Tg TH2?50° C. 20° C.?Tr?30° C. where, TH1 is a temperature at which the colorant starts to change from the first color state to the second color state, TH2 is a temperature at which the colorant completely changes to the second color state, TL1 is a temperature at which the colorant starts to change from the second color state to the first color state, TL2 is a temperature at which the colorant completely changes to the first color state, and Tg is a glass transition temperature of the binder resin.

Abstract: A magnetized scale (1a) in which magnetic pole pairs each formed of a first magnetic portion (11a) and a second magnetic portion (12a) having different magnetic properties are arranged with a period of a magnetic pole pair width 2?, and a magnetosensitive device (2) in which n magnetosensitive elements (21a to 21e) are arranged with a magnetosensitive element pitch P so that ?=nP may be established are arranged so as to be opposed to each other with a predetermined air gap therebetween. Output values output from the n magnetosensitive elements (21a to 21e) in parallel are analyzed to calculate a relative position between the magnetosensitive device (2) and the magnetized scale (1a) as a position detection resolution of ?/n.

Abstract: A toner set is used in a printing system that is capable of recycling a print medium and includes a first image forming portion which forms a toner image on the medium with a decolorable toner which is decolored by being heated at a temperature Te (° C.) or higher, a second image forming portion which forms a toner image on the medium with a non-decolorable toner and forms an image on the medium with at least one of the toners, and a decoloring apparatus provided with a heating portion which heats the medium on which a toner image is formed by the image forming apparatus at the temperature Te (° C.) or higher. When heated by the decoloring apparatus, the decolorable toner may be decolored without causing hot offset.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an image forming apparatus which forms an decolorable image and an non-decolorable image by fixing a toner image including a decolorable toner and a toner image including a non-decolorable toner or a medium. The decolorable toner has a first peak of a loss tangent tan ? at a temperature TE1, and the non-decolorable toner has a first peak of a loss tangent tan ? at a temperature TU1. A difference between the temperature TE1 and the temperature TU1 is within 20° C.

Abstract: It is possible to accurately estimate a starting current and calculate a precise starting minimum voltage without being influenced by a change in a storage battery state or a starting state by updating a current/voltage correlation characteristic corresponding to a deterioration state of a storage battery each time a current/voltage data set obtained when a starter is driven is newly stored in association with the deterioration state of the storage battery and by calculating the starting current corresponding to a present voltage immediately before start in accordance with the current/voltage correlation characteristic corresponding to the present deterioration state of the storage battery when determination is made as to whether or not to drive the starter.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing an erasable toner includes washing toner particles including therein a coloring material that is erasable by heating and a binder resin to obtain a toner cake having the amount of water of 20% by weight to 60% by weight, and drying the toner cake at 40° C. or more and at a temperature which is lower than the complete color erasing temperature of the toner particles by 30° C. or more.