Abstract: A garment includes a covering fabric; padding to be filled inside the covering fabric; and quilting stitches. The padding is constituted by polyester staple fibers including fibers having a circular outer peripheral cross section and has an open fiber structure. The fibers constituting the padding have an irregular diameter, and a smoothing agent is fixed to surfaces of the fibers. Thus, it is possible to provide a garment free from problems of uneven distribution of padding and having favorable water removability at the time of washing, quick dryability, and a favorable sliding property between fibers. This garment is suitable as a garment for sports to be washed repeatedly. Further, since the garment can be worn in a puffy state even when wet, it dries quickly by the body heat.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a charging roller to charge the photoconductor, a power source to apply a charging bias to the charging roller, a current sensor to generate a feedback signal representing an output current flowing from the charging roller to the photoconductor, a memory, and circuitry. The circuitry calculates film thicknesses of a photoconductor film of the photoconductor at a plurality of points of time based on a voltage of the charging bias and the output current, calculates travel distances of the photoconductor charged at the plurality of points of time, associates the film thicknesses with the travel distances, stores the film thicknesses and the travel distances in the memory, calculates a present estimated film thickness based on the film thicknesses and the travel distances, and calculates an estimated film thickness range corresponding to a present travel distance based on the present estimated film thickness.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a charging roller to charge the photoconductor, a power source to apply a charging bias to the charging roller, a current sensor to generate a feedback signal representing an output current flowing from the charging roller to the photoconductor, a memory, and circuitry. The circuitry calculates film thicknesses of a photoconductor film of the photoconductor at a plurality of points of time based on a voltage of the charging bias and the output current, calculates travel distances of the photoconductor charged at the plurality of points of time, associates the film thicknesses with the travel distances, stores the film thicknesses and the travel distances in the memory, calculates a present estimated film thickness based on the film thicknesses and the travel distances, and calculates an estimated film thickness range corresponding to a present travel distance based on the present estimated film thickness.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes, in order from the object side, a first positive lens unit that remains unmoved for zooming, a second negative lens unit that is moved for zooming, one or two zooming lens units that is moved for zooming, and a positive rear lens unit that remains unmoved for zooming. The intervals between adjacent lens units are changed during zooming. The rear lens unit composed of a front sub lens unit within a range satisfying 0<d4a/d4<0.3, where d4 is the thickness of the rear lens unit, and d4a is the distance from the vertex of a lens closest to the object side in the rear lens unit, and a rear sub lens unit outside the range. The average Abbe numbers of convex and concave lenses in the front sub lens unit and the average partial dispersion ratio of the convex lenses are appropriately set.

Abstract: A garment of the present invention is a garment (1) including: a covering fabric; padding to be filled inside the covering fabric; and quilting stitches (2a, 2b). The padding is a polyester staple fiber cotton including fibers having a circular outer peripheral cross section and has an open fiber structure. The fibers constituting the padding have an irregular diameter, and a smoothing agent is fixed to surfaces of the fibers. Thus, it is possible to provide a garment free from problems of uneven distribution of padding after repeated washing, fatigue, etc., and having favorable water removability at the time of washing, quick dryability, and a favorable sliding property between fibers even though synthetic fiber cotton is used as the padding. This garment is suitable as a garment for sports to be washed repeatedly. Further, since the garment can be worn in a puffy state even when wet with sweat, rain, snow, water, etc., it dries quickly by the body temperature and prevents the coldness of the body.

Abstract: The zoom lens according to the present invention includes in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens unit; a second lens unit; a third lens unit; an aperture stop; and a fourth lens unit; wherein a partial dispersion ratio ?Lm of a material of a positive lens Lm formed of a material having a highest partial dispersion ratio, which is contained in a rear group, a distance d from the aperture stop to an image plane, a distance dLm from the aperture stop to a positive lens Lm, an average value ?Rfp of Abbe constants of materials of positive lenses contained in a front group, an average value ?Rfp of partial dispersion ratios thereof, an average value ?Rfn of Abbe constants of materials of negative lenses contained in the front group, and an average value ?Rfn of partial dispersion ratios thereof are each appropriately set.

Abstract: An optical-writing-head positioner includes a spacer disposed between a latent image bearer to bear a latent image and an optical writing head to expose the latent image bearer to light to form a latent image on a surface of the latent image bearer. The spacer positions the optical writing head with respect to the latent image bearer. The spacer includes plural contact faces with the latent image bearer in an axial direction of the latent image bearer. The plural contact faces include a contact face having an arc with a radius of curvature equal to or less than a radius of the latent image bearer and one of the a contact face having an arc with a radius of curvature greater than the radius of the latent image bearer and a flat contact face to contact the surface of the latent image bearer.

Abstract: A zoom lens including, in order from an object side, positive, negative, positive, positive, and positive lens units, or positive, negative, positive, positive, positive, and positive lens units. 1.5<L2fm/L2W<500; ?30<f3/f2<?3; and ?15<f1/f23W<?8 are satisfied, where fm=fw×(Z)1/2, fw represents a focal length of the entire system at a wide angle end, Z represents a zoom ratio, L2W represents an interval between a second and third lens units at the wide angle end, L2fm represents an interval between the second and third lens units at a zoom position at which an offaxial principal ray having a largest image height is highest farthest from an optical axis on a lens surface disposed on the most object side in the first lens unit in a zoom range from the wide angle end to the focal length fm, f1, f2 and f3 respectively represent focal lengths of the first, second, and third lens units, and f23W represents a combined focal length of the second and third lens unit at the wide angle end.

Abstract: The zoom lens according to the present invention includes in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens unit; a second lens unit; a third lens unit; an aperture stop; and a fourth lens unit; wherein a partial dispersion ratio ?Lm of a material of a positive lens Lm formed of a material having a highest partial dispersion ratio, which is contained in a rear group, a distance d from the aperture stop to an image plane, a distance dLm from the aperture stop to a positive lens Lm, an average value ?Rfp of Abbe constants of materials of positive lenses contained in a front group, an average value ?Rfp of partial dispersion ratios thereof, an average value ?Rfn of Abbe constants of materials of negative lenses contained in the front group, and an average value ?Rfn of partial dispersion ratios thereof are each appropriately set.

Abstract: An optical writing head positioning mechanism includes spacers provided between a latent image carrier for carrying an electrostatic latent image and an optical writing head for exposing the latent image carrier. The spacers each include at least one carrier contact surface that contacts the latent image carrier and at least one head contact surface that contacts the optical writing head to determine an interval between the latent image carrier and the optical writing head. The latent image carrier is in contact with a cleaning member that cleans a cleaning area on a surface of the latent image carrier. In at least one of the spacers, the at least one carrier contact surface includes plural carrier contact surfaces not disposed on edges of the cleaning area, and one of the edges of the cleaning area is located between two adjacent ones of the plural carrier contact surfaces.

Abstract: An optical writing head positioning mechanism includes spacers provided between a latent image carrier for carrying an electrostatic latent image and an optical writing head for exposing the latent image carrier. The spacers each include at least one carrier contact surface that contacts the latent image carrier and at least one head contact surface that contacts the optical writing head to determine an interval between the latent image carrier and the optical writing head. The latent image carrier is in contact with a cleaning member that cleans a cleaning area on a surface of the latent image carrier. In at least one of the spacers, the at least one carrier contact surface includes plural carrier contact surfaces not disposed on edges of the cleaning area, and one of the edges of the cleaning area is located between two adjacent ones of the plural carrier contact surfaces.

Abstract: A zoom lens including, in order from an object side, positive, negative, positive, positive, and positive lens units, or positive, negative, positive, positive, positive, and positive lens units. 1.5<L2fm/L2W<500; ?30<f3/f2<?3; and ?15<f1/f23W<?8 are satisfied, where fm=fw×(Z)1/2, fw represents a local length of the entire system at a wide angle end, Z represents a zoom ratio, L2W represents an interval between a second and third lens units at the wide angle end, L2fm represents an interval between the second and third lens units at a zoom position at which an offaxial principal ray having a largest enrage height is highest in a zoom range from the wide angle end to the focal length fm, f1, f2 and f3 respectively represent focal lengths of the first, second, and third lens units, and f23W represents a combined focal length of the second and third lens wait at the wide angle end.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens unit with positive refraction that is stationary for zooming, a second unit with negative refraction that moves during zooming, a third unit that moves on the optical axis along with movement of the second unit, and a fourth unit with positive refraction that is stationary during zooming, arranged in order from the object to image planes. The first unit includes a negative meniscus element G1 convex towards the object plane, a positive element G2, a positive element G3, and a positive meniscus element G5 convex towards the object plane, arranged in order from the object to image planes. The respective curvature radii G1R1, G1R2, G5R1, and G5R2 of surfaces of the elements G1 and G5 and the respective focal lengths fG1, fG2, and f1 of the elements G1 and G5 and the first unit are set appropriately.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens unit with positive refraction that is stationary for zooming, a second unit with negative refraction that moves during zooming, a third unit that moves on the optical axis along with movement of the second unit, and a fourth unit with positive refraction that is stationary during zooming, arranged in order from the object to image planes. The first unit includes a negative meniscus element G1 convex towards the object plane, a positive element G2, a positive element G3, and a positive meniscus element G5 convex towards the object plane, arranged in order from the object to image planes. The respective curvature radii G1R1, G1R2, G5R1, and G5R2 of surfaces of the elements G1 and G5 and the respective focal lengths fG1, fG2, and f1 of the elements G1 and G5 and the first unit are set appropriately.

Abstract: A zoom lens comprises, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power. The fourth lens unit includes a forty-first lens unit having a negative refractive power and arranged at the object side with reference to the longest air gap and a forty-second lens unit having a positive refractive power and arranged at the image side with reference to the air gap. The forty-first lens unit includes a negative 411st lens, and the forty-second lens unit includes a positive 421st lens. Abbe numbers and partial dispersion ratios of materials of the 411st lens and the 421st lens ?d411, ?gF411, ?d421 and ?gF421 are appropriately set.

Abstract: A zoom lens comprises, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power. The fourth lens unit includes a forty-first lens unit having a negative refractive power and arranged at the object side with reference to the longest air gap and a forty-second lens unit having a positive refractive power and arranged at the image side with reference to the air gap. The forty-first lens unit includes a negative 411st lens, and the forty-second lens unit includes a positive 421st lens. Abbe numbers and partial dispersion ratios of materials of the 411st lens and the 421st lens ?d411, ?gF411, ?d421 and ?gF421 are appropriately set.

Abstract: An optical transmission device for providing stable communication with a partner device by reducing errors in optical axis misalignment. Such errors are caused by uneven distribution of the light intensity in a received light beam resulting from atmospheric microscopic fluctuations. A cross pattern filter having at least two cross patterns is used at a partner transmission device side with respect to an incident direction detecting means, and arranged so that a cross pattern generated on the position detecting photodetector by the cross pattern filter and parting lines for dividing a position detecting photodetector do not overlap with each other, but intersect with each other.

Abstract: An anamorphic converter, which can be inserted into and removed from a lens group of an image-formation optical system, includes an anamorphic lens that satisfies the following conditions 0.9<(AR1·?x)/(AR2·?y)<1.1 (AR22+1)·?y2/(AR12+1)>1 wherein ?x represents a first focal distance magnification scale at a first cross-section containing an optical axis of the anamorphic lens, ?y represents a second focal distance magnification scale at a second cross-section which is perpendicular to the first cross-section and contains the optical axis, AR1 represents an aspect ratio of an image-taking range in a field of the image-formation optical system, and AR2 represents an aspect ratio at an effective range of an image-taking unit disposed at an object image side of the lens group. As such, there is provided an anamorphic converter which is small and has high optical performance, suitable for digital cinematography.

Abstract: An anamorphic converter, which can be inserted into and removed from a lens group of an image-formation optical system, includes an anamorphic lens that satisfies the following conditions 0.9<(AR1·?x)/(AR2·?y)<1.1 (AR22+1)·?y2/(AR12+1)>1 wherein ?x represents a first focal distance magnification scale at a first cross-section containing an optical axis of the anamorphic lens, ?y represents a second focal distance magnification scale at a second cross-section which is perpendicular to the first cross-section and contains the optical axis, AR1 represents an aspect ratio of an image-taking range in a field of the image-formation optical system, and AR2 represents an aspect ratio at an effective range of an image-taking unit disposed at an object image side of the lens group. As such, there is provided an anamorphic converter which is small and has high optical performance, suitable for digital cinematography.

Abstract: A small-sized and light weight zoom lens achieving high optical performance, a wide angle of view, and a high magnification, is disclosed. The zoom lens comprises, in order form the object side, a first lens unit with positive optical power, a second lens unit with negative optical power having a magnification varying function, and at least one other lens unit. The first lens unit includes, in order from the object side, a first negative lens element the object side surface of which is concave toward the object side, a second negative lens element, and a positive lens element.