Abstract: A capsule toner that a blocking resistance is improved without harming a low temperature fixation property, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A capsule toner includes a toner base particle containing a binder resin and a colorant, and a resin coating layer containing a crystalline polyester resin and an amorphous resin, the resin coating layer coating a surface of the toner base particle.

Abstract: An object aims to develop a lactic acid bacterium having an anti-allergic activity, which can be grown by using rice, particularly polished white rice, and can be collected, cooked and ingested together with rice in such a state that the lactic acid bacterium is attached to the surface of the rice. Another object aims to develop a food composition and a pharmaceutical composition, each of which comprises rice containing the lactic acid bacterium as a material. Thus, disclosed are: a lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus paracasei K71 strain which has been internationally deposited in National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, International Patent Organism Depositary under Accession No.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes an inductor, a capacitor, an output voltage detection circuit, and a synchronous rectification circuit including a rectifier-side synchronous rectifier element and a commutator-side synchronous rectifier element. The commutator-side synchronous rectifier element is turned on so as to pass a current through a closed loop composed of the commutator-side synchronous rectifier element, the inductor, and a second secondary battery. The characteristic evaluation of the second secondary battery is performed on the basis of the decrease in a detection voltage Vout of an output voltage Vo. As a result, it is possible to determine the effective capacity or characteristic degradation state of the second secondary battery with a circuit to charge the second secondary battery without using a dedicated circuit.

Abstract: A switching power supply apparatus includes a transformer or an inductor, a switching element connected to the transformer or the inductor and configured to perform switching of an input power supply, and a switching control circuit including a digital control circuit configured to sample voltage values and/or current values and control on and off of the switching element in accordance with the voltage values and/or current values. The number of points of sampling is set to n or more points, where n is an integer greater than 3, in an ON period of the switching element except at around a turn-on point or a turn-off point of the switching element. The presence or absence of magnetic saturation of the transformer or the inductor is detected on the basis of whether or not a slope of change in current value over time is larger than a predetermined value, and circuit operation is protected from the effect of magnetic saturation.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus provided with a rotary stirring section and a powder passage is used to manufacture the resin-layer coated carrier. At a fine resin particle adhering step, a magnetic base particle and a fine resin particle are inputted into the powder passage with the rotary stirring section rotating and the fine resin particle is adhered onto the surface of the magnetic base particle. At a spraying step, at least a liquid that plasticizes the fine resin particles is sprayed with spray gas from a spraying section on the magnetic base particle and the fine resin particle which are in a fluidized state in the powder passage. At a film-forming step, rotation by the rotary stirring section is continued to fluidize the magnetic base particles and the fine resin particles until the fine resin particles adhered to the magnetic base particles are softened to form a film.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes an inductor, a capacitor, an output voltage detection circuit, and a synchronous rectification circuit including a rectifier-side synchronous rectifier element and a commutator-side synchronous rectifier element. The commutator-side synchronous rectifier element is turned on so as to pass a current through a closed loop composed of the commutator-side synchronous rectifier element, the inductor, and a second secondary battery. The characteristic evaluation of the second secondary battery is performed on the basis of the decrease in a detection voltage Vout of an output voltage Vo. As a result, it is possible to determine the effective capacity or characteristic degradation state of the second secondary battery with a circuit to charge the second secondary battery without using a dedicated circuit.

Abstract: There is provided a projector having a projecting unit, a projecting system which projects video onto a projection surface by use of the projecting unit, a projecting direction judgment system which judges a projecting direction of the projecting system, and a menu image generating system which generates a menu image, as video generated in the projector as the video to be projected by the projecting system, so that the menu image suits the projecting direction judged by the projecting direction judgment system.

Abstract: There are provided a toner manufacturing method of manufacturing a toner which has excellent characteristics such as fluidity and preservation stability and in which a resin layer having uniform thickness is formed on a surface of tone core particle, a toner obtained by a method thereof, a one-component developer, a two-component developer, a developing device, and an image forming apparatus. By using a toner manufacturing apparatus, a stirring step S3 is performed, and during rotation of a rotary shaft section, after a completion of inputting the fine resin particles into a powder passage, and within a period satisfying 1.7?(load F?load F0)/(load Fcore?load F0)?5.7, a spraying step S4 is started.

Abstract: A toner manufacturing method, a toner obtained by the method, a one-component developer, a two-component developer, a developing device and an image forming apparatus are provided. By using a toner manufacturing apparatus including a powder passage, a spraying section for spraying a predetermined substance in the powder passage and a rotary stirring section, provided in the powder passage, and stirring particles in the powder passage to apply impact force to the particles so that the particles are fluidized in the powder passage, performed are a stirring step S3 of fluidizing toner core particles with fine inorganic particles adhering to the surfaces thereof and fine resin particles in the powder passage as the powder by the rotary stirring section, and a spraying step S5 of spraying a volatile liquid which softens fine resin particles as a predetermined substance by the spraying section.

Abstract: A processor includes analog signal input ports, an A/D conversion unit, and an ALU in a stage subsequent to the A/D conversion unit, separately from a CPU. The ALU not only stores a comparison result in a RAM independently of the CPU, but also compares an output value of the A/D conversion unit with a reference value set in the RAM, and interrupts the CPU or issues a command to a PWM generator in accordance with a flag based on the comparison result. This realizes high-speed processing in accordance with a change in an analog signal, although the processor has a low cost and a low clock frequency overall.

Abstract: A capsule toner capable of enhancing low temperature fixation property without impairing preservation property under a high temperature environment, a two-component developer, and an image forming apparatus are provided. The capsule toner is constituted of toner particles having toner base particles and a coating layer for coating the surface thereof. The toner base particle includes styrene-acrylic resin or polyester resin as a binder resin, and the coating layer includes styrene-acrylic resin or polyester resin. The capsule toner contains 0.05% by weight or more and 0.70% by weight or less of volatile plasticizer based on a total amount of the capsule toner.

Abstract: A fitting recess portion that connects fitting holes to each other is formed in a peripheral face of a ball screw nut. A circulation member includes a pair of fitted portions that are fitted in the fitting holes, and a connecting portion that provides communication between the fitted portions. A communication groove that has an opening on the fitted end side of the connecting portion and that extends in the axial direction is formed in the connecting portion. When the connecting portion is fitted in the fitting recess portion and the opening of the communication groove formed in the connecting portion is blocked by a bottom portion of the fitting recess portion, a second path that forms a return path together with first paths formed in the fitted portions is formed.

Abstract: A flange member 20, which is formed as a separate body from a motor shaft 6, is screwed to an end 6a of the motor shaft 6. The flange member 20 functions as a flange 19 of the motor shaft 6. A flange 18, which is formed at an end 13a of a ball screw nut 13, is fastened to the flange 19 of the motor shaft 6. This couples the ball screw nut 13 to the motor shaft 6. A coupling member 27 is arranged in the joint portion between the ball screw nut 13 and the motor shaft 6. The coupling member 27 is formed by a tubular portion 28 and a plate flange 29, which extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of an end of the tubular portion 28. The tubular portion 28 of the coupling member 27 is fixed to the motor shaft 6, and the plate flange 29 is fixed to the flange member 20.

Abstract: A switching power supply apparatus includes a transformer or an inductor, a switching element connected to the transformer or the inductor and configured to perform switching of an input power supply, and a switching control circuit including a digital control circuit configured to sample voltage values and/or current values and control on and off of the switching element in accordance with the voltage values and/or current values. The number of points of sampling is set to n or more points, where n is an integer greater than 3, in an ON period of the switching element except at around a turn-on point or a turn-off point of the switching element. The presence or absence of magnetic saturation of the transformer or the inductor is detected on the basis of whether or not a slope of change in current value over time is larger than a predetermined value, and circuit operation is protected from the effect of magnetic saturation.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a toner includes a pre-mixing step and a coating step. In the pre-mixing step, a secondary aggregate of the fine resin particles is disaggregated, while toner base particles and fine resin particles are mixed and stirred using a rotary stirring apparatus. Thus obtained disaggregated fine resin particles are fixed to the surface of the toner base particle. Thus, a fine resin particle-fixed toner is obtained. The rotary stirring apparatus includes a rotary stirring section, a temperature regulation section, a circulating section, and a spraying section. In the coating step, a liquid is sprayed to the fine resin particle-fixed toner with the spraying section using the rotary stirring apparatus. Thus, a film of the fine resin particles is formed. In the pre-mixing step and the coating step, temperature regulation is conducted in the temperature regulation section.

Abstract: A developer of the present invention includes a toner and a carrier. The toner contains a charge control agent, and the carrier has on its surface a coating layer to which a charge control agent and electrically conductive particles are added. All of constituent elements of one of the charge control agent of the toner and the charge control agent of the carrier are contained in constituent elements of the other one of the charge control agents. With the configuration, the developer of the present invention is capable of stably maintaining a toner charge amount and outputting high-quality images for long periods.

Abstract: Regarding a magnetic carrier of the present invention, a surface of a magnetic core material is coated with a coating layer containing electrically conductive particles and a charge control agent composed of same components as components of a charge control agent contained in a electrophotographic toner. Further, the magnetic carrier exhibits an electric resistance value of 8.22×107 ?cm to 1.12×1010 ?cm in an electric field of 4×103 V/cm. This allows the magnetic carrier to stay capable of charging the electrophotographic toner even over a long period of time.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a resin-layer coated toner is provided. The method for manufacturing the resin-layer coated toner uses a rotary stirring apparatus including a circulating section, a temperature regulation section, a spraying section and an exhausting section, sprays a liquid substance to particles of toner materials and particles of coating materials in a fluidized state to plasticize such particles from a spraying section by carrier gas and gasifies the liquid, circulates the carrier gas in the powder passage and continuously exhausts the carrier gas including the gasified substance through the exhausting section to the outside of the powder passage, and pressure P1 in the powder passage and pressure P0 outside the powder passage satisfy the following formula (1): 0 atm<(Pressure P1 in the powder passage?Pressure P0 outside the powder passage)?0.3 atm??(1).

Abstract: Disclosed is an aqueous solution of a chromium salt, in which the oxalic acid content is 8% by weight or less relative to chromium. In the aqueous solution of the chromium salt, the total organic carbon content is 4% by weight or less relative to chromium. The chromium salt is preferably a chromium chloride, a chromium phosphate, or a chromium nitrate. The chromium chloride preferably contains a basic chromium chloride represented by the composition formula Cr(OH)xCly (wherein 0<x?2, 1?y<3, and x+y=3). The chromium phosphate is preferably one represented by the composition formula Cr(H3-3/nPO4)n (wherein n is a number satisfying 2?n?3). The chromium nitrate is preferably a basic chromium nitrate represented by the composition formula Cr(OH)x(NO3)y (wherein 0<x?2, 1?y<3, and x+y=3).

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a toner is provided. In a fine resin particle adhering step S1b, fine resin particles adhere to toner base particle surfaces in a powder passage. In a spraying step S3c, flowing toner base particles and fine resin particles are sprayed with a substance in liquid form for plasticizing those particles. In a film-forming step S3d, toner base particles and fine resin particles are circulated repeatedly in the powder passage until fine resin particles adherent to toner base particles are shaped into a film. In the spraying step S3c, the substance in liquid form is sprayed in such a manner that the LEL concentration coefficient within the powder passage falls in a range of from 0.07 to 8.12.