Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt being endless and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation. The fixing belt includes an inner circumferential face applied with a fluorine compound. A nip formation pad is not rotatable. The inner circumferential face of the fixing belt slides over the nip formation pad. A pressure rotator presses against the nip formation pad via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator. At least one heater heats the fixing belt. The heater includes a glass tube filled with an inert gas containing, as a main ingredient, a substance having a first molecular weight greater than a second molecular weight of argon.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an apparatus body having an image forming portion capable of forming an image based on an image information, an operation unit disposed as a separate body from the apparatus body and operating the apparatus body, and a cable connecting the apparatus body and the operation unit and capable of conducting power. The cable has a length set so that the operation unit does not contact an installation surface on which the apparatus body is supported, according to which a freedom of placement of the operation unit is improved compared to a case where the operation unit is connected via an arm.

Abstract: A rotary electrical machine structure support that can have strength high enough to endure vibration and strain while suffering less defects, deformation, peeling, and breakage is manufactured. A method of manufacturing a rotary electrical machine structure support includes: an arranging step of arranging a first joining object member and a second joining object member composed of stacked and integrated plate materials and thicker than the first joining object member, with their end parts in contact with each other; and a joining step of making a rotary driven tool penetrate into a boundary part between the first and second joining object members whose end parts are in contact with each other, from a first outer surface side of the boundary part, and sliding the tool along an interface of the boundary part, whereby a rotary electrical machine structure support composed of the joined first and second joining object members is obtained.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus has a first pair of conveying rollers which nip and convey a sheet, a reference surface provided along the sheet conveying direction, a second and third pair of rotary members, which, obliquely with respect to the sheet conveying direction, conveys the sheet so as to contact the side edge of the sheet to the reference surface, a switching unit which switches the first pair of rotary members between a state of nipping the sheet and a state of nip releasing the sheet, a controller which, after controlling the second pair of rotary member and the third pair of rotary members to nip the sheet nipped by the first pair of rotary members, controls the switching unit to release nip of the sheet by the first pair of rotary members. There is no pair of rotary members that conveys the sheet in the sheet conveying direction between the second pair of rotary members and the third pair of rotary members in the sheet conveying direction.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to find a carotenoid compound that is excellent in water solubility. A carotenoid derivative having a formula (I): wherein X represents a carbonyl group or a methylene group, one of R1 and R2 represents (a) or (b) and the other represents (a), (b), (c) or a hydrogen atom: (a): —CO-A-B-D wherein A represents an alkylene group an alkenylene group, etc., B represents a formula of —S(O)n— or a formula of —NR4CONR5— and D represents a hydrogen atom, a carboxy group, etc., (b): —CO-E-F wherein E represents an alkylene group or a formula of —NR3— wherein R3 represents (a1) a hydrogen atom, (b1) an alkyl group etc., and F represents a sulfo group and (c): —CO-G wherein G represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, etc., a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester or amide thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus extracts feature information from an object of image data. The apparatus registers the extracted feature information in a dictionary. The apparatus refers to the dictionary and determines a similarity between feature information registered in the dictionary and the extracted feature information. The apparatus does not use, of feature information to be registered in the dictionary, feature information not satisfying a predetermined evaluation criterion in similarity determination.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an apparatus body having an image forming portion capable of forming an image based on an image information, an operation unit disposed as a separate body from the apparatus body and operating the apparatus body, and a cable connecting the apparatus body and the operation unit and capable of conducting power. The cable has a length set so that the operation unit does not contact an installation surface on which the apparatus body is supported, according to which a freedom of placement of the operation unit is improved compared to a case where the operation unit is connected via an arm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of suppressing mast cell differentiation and/or itch in the skin of a subject, comprising topically administering to the skin in need thereof an effective amount of fucoxanthin or a derivative thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus extracts feature information from an object of image data. The apparatus registers the extracted feature information in a dictionary. The apparatus refers to the dictionary and determines a similarity between feature information registered in the dictionary and the extracted feature information. The apparatus does not use, of feature information to be registered in the dictionary, feature information not satisfying a predetermined evaluation criterion in similarity determination.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention includes: a pair of conveying rollers 13 which nips and conveys a sheet; a reference member 31 which determines the position of a side edge of the sheet along the sheet conveyance direction; a plurality of pairs of skew feeding correcting rollers 32 which nip and convey the sheet conveyed by the pair of conveying rollers 13 and draw the side edge of the sheet to the reference member 31; and a switching unit which switches the pair of conveying rollers 13 and the pairs of skew feeding correcting rollers 32 between a state of nipping the sheet and a state of nip releasing the sheet, the switching unit releasing the nip of the sheet by the pair of conveying rollers 13 after the conveyed sheet is nipped by at least two of the pairs of skew feeding correcting rollers 32.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an over-voltage prevention device includes a first short-circuit device provided between a secondary side of a wound-rotor induction machine and a frequency converter configured to excite the secondary side by a three-phase AC current and having a function of short-circuiting between phases of the three-phase AC current, resistors each connected between the first short-circuit device and the frequency converter for each phase, and second short-circuit devices connected respectively to the resistors in parallel and having a function of short-circuiting between the frequency converter and the secondary side of the wound-rotor induction machine.

Abstract: A transmission system for vehicle includes a clutch disposed in a power transmission path between an engine and a vehicle wheel, a transmission disposed in the power transmission path, a clutch actuator, a shift actuator, a vehicle wheel speed sensor, a sudden deceleration detecting unit that detects a sudden deceleration of the vehicle wheel based on an output signal of the vehicle wheel speed sensor, and a shift control unit. The shift control unit executes an ordinary shift control to shift to a speed adaptive shift stage associated with the rotational speed and to execute, when the sudden deceleration detecting unit detects the sudden deceleration of the vehicle wheel, a sudden deceleration adaptive shift control to shift to a shift stage lower than an actual shift stage at the point of detection of the sudden deceleration and higher than the speed adaptive shift stage associated with the rotational speed.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a pressure rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A rotation load applicator is coupled to one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator to apply a rotation load to the one of the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The rotation load is in a range of from 0.1 Nm to 0.6 Nm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station for forming an image on the basis of image information; a top plate portion provided in an upper portion and including a stacking surface having a length in a predetermined direction longer than a length of a short side of a maximum size sheet on which the image forming station is capable of forming the image and shorter than a length of a long side of the maximum size sheet; a wall portion projected upwardly at a position of one end portion with respect to the predetermined direction of the top plate portion and provided with a wall surface inclined so as to form an obtuse angle between itself and the stacking surface of the top plate portion; and a connecting portion having a curved surface configured to connect the stacking surface and the wall surface with each other.

Abstract: Provided is a resin film that can be firmly adhered to fabric materials formed of chemical/synthetic fibers and natural fibers such as Japanese paper, nonwoven fabrics, textiles, and tatami-matting, and that has extremely low moisture permeability and oxygen permeability for enabling the fabric material to be suitable as excellent automobile interior materials, railroad vehicle interior materials, members for housings, and household appliance members. More specifically, the present invention is a resin film (10) including: a melt-adhesion filling layer (12) formed of an olefin based resin that contains a modified polyolefin resin and has a melt flow rate (MFR: test condition being 170° C. under a load of 2.16 kg) higher than 0.5 g/10 min but lower than 54.0 g/10 min; and a functional layer (14) formed of a thermoplastic resin and laminated on a surface of the melt-adhesion filling layer (12).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of suppressing mast cell differentiation and/or itch in the skin of a subject, comprising topically administering to the skin in need thereof an effective amount of fucoxanthin or a derivative thereof.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an over-voltage prevention device is provided between a secondary-winding side of a wound-rotor induction machine and a frequency converter configured to excite the secondary-winding side of the wound-rotor induction machine through a three-phase excitation power supply line. The over-voltage prevention device includes a first short-circuit device having a function of short-circuiting between phases of the excitation power supply line, and a second short-circuit device having a function of short-circuiting between phases of the excitation power supply line with a short-circuit impedance greater than a short-circuit impedance of the first short-circuit device.

Abstract: A driver may provide a transition of a switch between an on state and an off state in two stages. In the first stage, the voltage slew rate of the voltage at an output terminal of the switch may be controlled. In the second stage, the current gradient of the switch may be controlled. The transition between the first stage and the second stage may be made based on the value of the voltage at the output terminal of the switch.

Abstract: A rotation angle measurement device includes: relative angle detection means including a reference support whose rotation is regulated in a fixed range in an arbitrary direction of a rotation axis, and a driving rotating body which is coupled to the reference support and is axially supported so as to be all-round rotatable with respect to the reference support, the relative angle detection means which detects a relative rotation angle of the rotating body with respect to the reference support; and non-contact angle detection means which detects a rotation angle of the reference support with reference to a position that does not contact with the rotating body and the reference support. This provides improved accuracy in indexing the rotation angle of a rotating moving shaft and easy installation onto the rotating moving shaft.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, an image forming portion contained within the apparatus body, a control board controlling the image forming portion, an electrical unit, a storage device attachable to /removable out of the electrical unit, and a storage portion. The electrical unit includes the control board disposed along a vertical direction, provided so as to project upward on an upper surface of the apparatus body, and disposed on a back side of the apparatus body on the upper surface of the apparatus body.