Abstract: In order to measure a thickness of a surface to be polished of a material to be polished for a short time, two-dimensional images are obtained from a light reflected from the surface to be polished of the material to be polished, a location at which a thickness is to be observed is specified by the obtained two-dimensional images, and thickness measurement is carried out.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the thickness of a film layer provided on a predetermined surface includes a step and device for detecting light reception signals of interference light of different wavelengths generated when light illuminates the film layer on the predetermined surface, a step or device for performing a first process for obtaining an approximate value for the film thickness by selecting a combination of solutions with the closest values from among solutions for the film thickness obtainable from at least three of the light reception signals corresponding to the respective wavelengths, and a step or device for performing a second process for obtaining an exact value for the film thickness by selecting a combination of solutions with the closest values from among solutions for the film thickness obtainable from all the light reception signals corresponding to the respective wavelengths.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a toner image; an image forming unit for forming a toner test image on the image bearing member; a transfer material carrying member, for carrying a transfer material, wherein the test toner image is transferred onto a transfer material carried on the transfer material carrying member or onto the transfer material carrying member; and a density detecting unit for detecting a density of the toner test image transferred to the transfer material carrying member. A transfer intensity is smaller when the toner test image for density detection is transferred onto the transfer material carrying member than when the toner test image is transferred onto the transfer material tarried an the transfer material carrying member. The transfer intensity also changes depending on whether the transferred toner test image is the first color toner test image or the second toner test image, and depending on an ambient condition sensor.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus a length of a transfer material in a conveying direction thereof is L.sub.p, a length of a toner image transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt in a shifting direction is L.sub.p ', a distance between a first transfer portion t.sub.1 and a second transfer portion t.sub.2 along the shifting direction of the intermediate transfer belt is L.sub.t1-t2 and a distance between the second transfer portion t.sub.2 and a fixing portion fix along the shifting direction of the transfer material is L.sub.t2-fix, so that the following relation is established:L.sub.t1-t2 >L.sub.p ' and L.sub.p >L.sub.t2-fix.After a first transfer is complete and before initiation of a second transfer, the speed of the intermediate transfer belt is decreased, so that, following to the second transfer process at a low speed, the toner image can be fixed onto the transfer material at a low speed. With this arrangement, the distance L.sub.

Abstract: There are disclosed a composition containing 9-cis .beta.-carotene in high-purity and an industrially applicable method of obtaining the same from an alga. The composition can be obtained through steps of washing with ethanol dry powder of the alga belonging to Dunaliella, adding hexane to the washed algal powder, stirring the same, subjecting the same to filtration to obtain a filtrate, concentrating the filtrate to obtain a semi-solidic concentrate, adding hexane to the semi-solidic concentrate in an amount of 10-18 ml of hexane to 1 g of the semi-solidic concentrate, stirring the same, subjecting the same to filtration to obtain a filtrate, concentrating the filtrate to obtain an oily concentrate, adding hexane to the oily concentrate in an amount of 2-4.5 ml of hexane to 1 g of the oily concentrate to dissolve the same, and leaving the solution, as it is, under lower temperature condition to cause a separation of the composition. The composition is a rubiginous powder or crystals and contains 9-cis .beta.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for electrostatically bearing a toner image; a dielectric member movable along an endless path through a transfer position of the image bearing member; an electroconductive member in contact with the dielectric member at a side remote from the image bearing member, wherein the electroconductive member is supplied with a voltage having a polarity opposite from that of a charge polarity of the toner image to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member onto the dielectric member at the transfer position; wherein the electroconductive member is electrically grounded to generate an electric field for transferring the toner from the dielectric member to the image bearing member at the transfer position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a control method for controlling of output of a constant voltage power source so that a current value detected by a current detect means becomes to a predetermined current value, by applying voltage from the constant voltage power source to a voltage applied member and by detecting current flowing the voltage applied member by the current detect means and by changing the voltage applied to the voltage applied member every certain voltage width, wherein the voltage width can be varied with a difference between the predetermined current value and the current value detected by the current detect means.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus in which, after secondary transferring, secondary transferring residual toner remaining on an intermediate transfer member can be cleaned effectively. A cleaning roller 5g is contacted with an intermediate transfer belt 5a and bias is applied from a power source 5h to the cleaning roller 5g, thereby charging secondary transferring residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 5a with polarity opposite to normal polarity of toner in a developing means 4. In this case, a rectangular wave of alternate voltage having a duty ratio of 50% or more is used as the bias. Whereby, the secondary transferring residual toner can be charged uniformly, the cleaning ability for the secondary transferring residual toner can be improved.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member, a transfer material bearing member for bearing a transfer material onto which an image can be transferred from the image bearing member, an attract member for electrostatically attracting the transfer material to the transfer material bearing member, and a constant voltage control for effecting constant voltage control of the attract member with predetermined voltage. The total impedance of an attract circuit including the attract member and the constant voltage control means is 10.sup.6 .OMEGA. to 10.sup.10 .OMEGA..

Abstract: There are described novel glycosides of catechol estrogen, a method of preparing the same, and a medicament comprising one of the glycosides as an active ingredient. The glycosides are shown by the formula of ##STR1## wherein X is carbonyl group or ##STR2## R.sub.10 is hydroxyl group or glycosyloxy group, and R.sub.2 is a hydrogen atom or ethynyl group; R.sub.11 is a hydrogen atom, hydroxyl group, or glycosyloxy group; R.sub.12 is hydroxyl group or glycosyloxy group; and R.sub.13 is hydroxyl group or glycosyloxy group, in which glycosyloxy group is selected from the group consisting of glycosyloxy, galactosyloxy, mannosyloxy, arabinosyloxy, ribosyloxy, xylosyloxy, fructosyloxy, rhamnosyloxy, fucosyloxy, maltosyloxy, cellobiosyloxy, lactosyloxy, sucrosyloxy, maltotriosyloxy, maltotetraosyloxy, maltopentaosyloxy, maltohexaosyloxy, maltoheptaosyloxy, and sialosyloxy, and in this case, at least one of R.sub.10, R.sub.11, R.sub.12, and R.sub.13 is glycosyloxy group as defined above.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a recording medium bearing member bearing a recording medium thereon and rotatable, the recording medium bearing member having in the surface thereof a recess extending in the direction of the rotary shaft thereof, image formation being effected on the recording medium born on the recording medium bearing member, and a rotatable member abutted against the recording medium bearing member, the rotatable member being provided with a abutting portion abutted against the recording medium bearing member, and a regulating portion adapted to abut against the recording medium bearing member when the recess and the rotatable member become opposed to each other. Thus, the distance between the recess and the bearing portion, is regulated the rotatable member being movable between a first position in which the abutting portion abuts against the recording medium bearing member and a second position in which the regulating portion abuts against the recording medium bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an image forming means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member, a rotary member contacted with a surface of the image bearing member, a transfer member for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member to the rotary member, and a cleaning member for removing residual toner from the image bearing member. Wherein a longitudinal width of a contact area between the image bearing member and the rotary member is smaller than the length of the cleaning member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a charger for charging the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member; an exposure device for exposing the photosensitive member to image light; a developing device for developing the latent image with toner; a transfer member contactable to the photosensitive member at a transfer position, the transfer member comprising an electrically conductive base, a high resistance surface layer, and a low resistance or intermediate resistance conductive layer between the conductive base and the surface layer; and transfer voltage applying device for applying a transfer voltage to the transfer member; wherein Ws>Wt>Wp>W1 is satisfied, where Ws is a width of a photosensitive layer measured in a direction perpendicular to a movement direction of the photosensitive member, W1 is an image exposure width of the exposure device, Wp is a width of a transfer material usable with the image form

Abstract: Sustained release multi-core microsphere preparation which shows high incorporation efficiency of medicament and can release the medicament at a specific rate, which comprises two or more biodegradable polymers and a pharmaceutically active ingredient, and has the medicament incorporated into microregions which are produced by one of these polymers (the first polymer), and these microregions are distributed in other biodegradable polymers (the second polymer), or a method for producing the same.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member bearing images thereon and movable, and a transfer medium bearing member provided in pressure contact with the image bearing member and bearing a transfer medium thereon and rotatable. The transfer medium bearing member has a sheet member for bearing the transfer medium thereon, and an elastic layer supporting that area of the sheet member bearing the transfer medium thereon from the inside of the sheet member. A voltage is applied to the transfer medium bearing member to transfer the images on the image bearing member to the transfer medium born on the sheet member. The sheet member has an area not fixed to the elastic layer. The transfer medium bearing member is rotated with a potential difference created between the image bearing member and the sheet member before the operation of transferring the images on the image bearing member to the transfer medium born on the sheet member is started.

Abstract: A method for producing sustained release microsphere preparation for water-soluble medicament, which has high incorporation efficiency of the medicament and low initial burst, which comprises dissolving water-soluble pharmaceutical active ingredient and water-insoluble biodegradable polymer in one or two solvents in which both can dissolve, removing the solvent to give a solid dispersion having the water-soluble pharmaceutical active ingredient dispersed into said biodegradable polymer at molecular level, and further, dissolving said solid dispersion in an organic solvent being water-immiscible and having a boiling point of below 100.degree. C., and adding the resulting oil phase into an aqueous phase containing emulsifying agent to give O/W emulsion, and followed by removing the organic solvent from the oil phase of the resulting emulsion.

Abstract: A fixating device has a first rotatable member in contact with an unfixated image borne on a recording medium, a second rotatable member forming a nip together with the second rotatable member, a first heater for heating the first rotatable member, a second heater for heating the second rotatable member, and power supply controlling means for controlling the supply of electric power to the first heater and the second heater. The power supply controlling means is adapted to control the supply of electric power so that when the electric power supplied to the first heater is Wa and the electric power supplied to the second heater is Wb and the ratio when the recording medium is nipped between and conveyed by the first rotatable member and the second rotatable member is Dp=Wa/Wb and the ratio during standby is Ds=Wa/Wb, there may be established Dp>Ds.

Abstract: A device for detecting the position of a physical defect on a buried pipe includes a leak-of-fluid signal detector, a number of vibration signal detectors, and a device body and can detect the position of a site of a leak, into the ground, of a fluid running through a fluid pipe buried beneath the ground surface. The device body calculates vibration amplitudes and speeds via associated vibration signal detectors with the use of the outputs of the respective vibration signal detectors, calculates cross-correlation functions of the vibration amplitudes and speeds with the use of the vibration amplitudes and speeds and the output of the leak-of-fluid signal detector, calculates the amplitude intensity for each cross-correlation function, and generates resultant vector data representing the position of the leak-of-fluid site with the use of the vibration intensity.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus with an image bearing member for bearing an image, and a transfer material bearing member rotatable for bearing a transfer material. The image on the image bearing member is transferred onto the transfer material born by the transfer material bearing member at a transfer position, and a voltage is applied to the transfer material bearing member during the transferring of the transfer material. When a distance between the transfer position and a separation position where the transfer material is separated from the transfer material bearing member along a peripheral surface of the transfer material bearing member in a rotational direction of the transfer material bearing member is L, a whole circumferential length of the transfer material bearing member is L1 and a maximum length of the transfer material usable in the image forming apparatus in the rotational direction of the transfer material bearing member is Hmax, a relation L.ltoreq.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus with an image bearing member capable of rotating while bearing a toner image thereon, a transfer device for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member to a recording material at a transfer position, recording material bearing member capable of rotating while bearing the recording material thereon and adapted to convey the recording material to the transfer position, a pair of rotary members arranged at an upstream side of the recording material bearing member in a recording material conveying direction and adapted to pinch and convey the recording material, and a separation device for separating the recording material from the recording material bearing member at a separation position.