Abstract: The image forming apparatus transfers an image onto a surface of a sheet at a transfer position on a conveying path. A pair of conveying rollers convey the sheet to the transfer position. The image sensor reads the sheet upstream of the transfer position. The rotary body is disposed to face the image sensor with the conveying path interposed therebetween. The rotary body includes a background portion configured to face a reading surface of the image sensor when the rotary body is at a first rotational position, and a cleaning portion configured to come into contact with the reading surface of the image sensor when the rotary body is at a second rotational position.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes a nonmagnetic substrate, an underlayer disposed above the nonmagnetic substrate, and a magnetic recording layer disposed above the underlayer. The magnetic recording layer includes a first magnetic layer disposed above the underlayer, and a second magnetic layer disposed above the first magnetic layer. Each of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer has a granular structure including magnetic grains having a L10 structure and a grain boundary portion. The grain boundary portion of the first magnetic layer includes aluminum nitride, and the grain boundary portion of the second magnetic layer includes hexagonal boron nitride. An aluminum nitride content in the first magnetic layer is in a range of 15 vol % to 35 vol %, and a peak in a B1s spectrum of the grain boundary portion of the second magnetic layer observed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is 191.6 eV or less.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an underlayer, a first magnetic layer, and a second magnetic layer in this order. The first magnetic layer includes magnetic grains having a L10 structure, and the second magnetic layer has a granular structure including magnetic grains having a L10 structure, and a grain boundary portion including hexagonal boron nitride. A (111) plane of the magnetic grains included in the first magnetic layer is covered with boron nitride at an interface with the second magnetic layer. The magnetic grains included in the second magnetic layer are epitaxially grown from a (001) plane of the magnetic grains included in the first magnetic layer. The magnetic grains included in the first magnetic layer and the magnetic grains included in the second magnetic layer are columnar crystals penetrating the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, respectively.

Abstract: A wrap replacing apparatus according to the embodiments includes: an insertion port into which a medical device wrapped in a first bag is inserted; a peeler configured to peel off the first bag from the medical device inserted into the insertion port; a wrapper configured to wrap in a second bag the medical device from which the first bag is peeled off; and a take-out port from which the medical device wrapped in the second bag is taken out.

Abstract: A fastener includes a fitted portion having an elastic piece that is disposed on a side of a base portion configured to allow insertion of the fitted portion into a through hole by elastic deformation in a direction of approaching a base portion and to engage the through hole at an insertion point of the insertion by elastic return in an end position of the insertion, and that is configured to, if force in a direction of pulling out the fitted portion from the through hole is applied, cause the elastic deformation in the approaching direction. The base portion includes an abutting portion abutting on the elastic piece if the force in the pulling-out direction is applied, and, if the force in the pulling-out direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined magnitude, the elastic piece bends in a direction toward a central axis of the fitted portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable unit, a support unit, a protruding portion, a guide portion, and a pressing portion. The movable unit includes a fixing member and a pressure member, and swings along a width direction of a sheet. The support unit supports the movable unit. The protruding portion is electrically conductive and is provided to protrude from a first unit of one of the movable unit and the support unit toward a second unit of the other. The guide portion is electrically conductive and is formed in the second unit so that the protruding portion can be inserted therein, and guides the protruding portion along the width direction. The pressing portion presses the movable unit in a pressing direction perpendicular to the width direction and along a horizontal plane.

Abstract: The present invention is a composition for forming a silicon-containing resist underlayer film, containing a condensation reaction-type thermosetting silicon-containing material (Sx), being a polysiloxane resin, where the material has a non-condensation reactive organic group that reacts with a radical chemical species, the resin includes more than 0 and 70 mol % or less of one or more of a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (Sx-4) and a repeating unit represented by the general formula (Sx-5), and the organic group remains unreacted after a heat-curing reaction of the polysiloxane resin. This provides: a composition for forming a resist underlayer film containing a thermosetting silicon-containing material in photolithography using a high-energy beam, the material improving sensitivity, LWR, and resolution of an upper layer resist and further contributing to the prevention of pattern collapse; and a patterning process using the composition for forming a resist underlayer film.

Abstract: The present disclosure is an image forming apparatus including a paper dust cleaning device which removes paper dust adhered onto a surface of a conveying roller. The paper dust cleaning device includes a paper dust removing member which comes into contact with the surface of the conveying roller, a holder which holds the paper dust removing member, and a holder supporting portion which holds the holder at a predetermined attachment position so that the paper dust removing member comes into contact with the surface of the conveying roller, and the holder supporting portion includes a first guide portion which is provided on a side of the attachment position and guides the holder to a separated position at which the holder is set apart from the surface of the conveying roller in accordance with a movement of the holder from the attachment position toward a side of an insertion slot.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a paper dust cleaning device configured to remove paper dust adhered to a surface of a conveying roller that conveys a paper sheet in a predetermined conveying direction. The paper dust cleaning device includes a paper dust removing member configured to extend in an axial direction of the conveying roller and come in contact with a surface of the conveying roller; a holder formed in a long shape in the axial direction and configured to hold the paper dust removing member; and a holder support portion configured to hold the holder so that the paper dust removing member comes in contact with the surface of the conveying roller, and configured to support the holder so as to be movable in the axial direction.

Abstract: A heating unit includes a to-be-engaged portion. A fixing unit includes an engagement portion. The heating unit or the fixing unit includes an engagement guide portion. A movement mechanism retains the heating unit in a tilted attitude when causing the heating unit to move at a position set apart from the fixing unit. The engagement guide portion causes the heating unit to rock from the tilted attitude to a reference attitude while guiding the to-be-engaged portion to the engagement portion. The engagement portion engages with the to-be-engaged portion to restrict a movement of the heating unit in a longitudinal direction. A unit bias portion retains an engagement state between the engagement portion and the to-be-engaged portion.

Abstract: A fixing unit includes a plurality of first engagement portions which respectively engage with a plurality of first to-be-engaged portions to restrict a movement of a heating unit in a third direction intersecting with a first direction and a second direction. A fixed unit includes a second engagement portion which engages with a second to-be-engaged portion to restrict a movement of the heating unit in the first direction. The fixing unit includes a movable unit, a supporting member, and a reciprocating mechanism. The supporting member supports the movable unit such that the movable unit is movable along the first direction. The reciprocating mechanism causes the movable unit to reciprocate. The reciprocating mechanism causes the movable unit to reciprocate once every time a plurality of sheets pass between a first rotation member and a second rotation member in the fixing unit.

Abstract: Provided is a sputtering device for a multilayer optical recording medium capable of suppressing the occurrence of defects in a recording region. A sputtering device for a multilayer optical recording medium includes an outer mask, wherein the outer mask is configured to be capable of covering an outer periphery of a film-forming surface of an intermediate layer without coming into contact with the film-forming surface.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus transfers an image onto a surface of a sheet at a transfer position on a conveying path. A pair of conveying rollers convey the sheet to the transfer position. The image sensor reads the sheet upstream of the transfer position. The rotary body is disposed to face the image sensor with the conveying path interposed therebetween. The rotary body includes a background portion configured to face a reading surface of the image sensor when the rotary body is at a first rotational position, and a cleaning portion configured to come into contact with the reading surface of the image sensor when the rotary body is at a second rotational position.

Abstract: A vehicle-light marking tool includes: an attachment part that is attached to a vehicle-constituting member; a first marking unit provided on a side of the attachment part opposite from an attachment side, the first marking unit containing a reflective material; and a second marking unit provided adjacent to the first marking unit and containing a light-emitting material.

Abstract: A heating unit urging member urges a first support body of a heating unit toward a second support body of a fixing unit with elastic force. The heating unit urging member brings the first support body into contact with the second support body and brings the second support body into contact with two struts. An interlocking mechanism moves the heating unit along a direction in which the heating unit and the fixing unit are arranged, in conjunction with movement of an operation portion. When the operation portion moves from a first position to a second position, the interlocking mechanism moves the first support body from a reference position where the first support body is in contact with the second support body to a retracted position where the first support body is separated from the second support body.

Abstract: In an image formation device, a driven gear is coupled to a far end portion in a unit inserting and withdrawing direction of a rotary fixing member or a rotary pressure member of a fixing unit. A driving gear is provided in a far end portion of a fixing unit housing part and engages with the driven gear when the fixing unit is housed in the fixing unit housing part. The driving gear and the driven gear are formed so that a transmission force transmitted from the driving gear to the driven gear in a mutual engagement position has a component so directed as to horizontally press the fixing unit against columns making a pair. The fixing unit as housed in the fixing unit housing part is pressed by the transmission force against the columns and positioned in a direction orthogonal to the unit inserting and withdrawing direction.

Abstract: A heating unit includes a to-be-engaged portion. A fixing unit includes an engagement portion. The heating unit or the fixing unit includes an engagement guide portion. A movement mechanism retains the heating unit in a tilted attitude when causing the heating unit to move at a position set apart from the fixing unit. The engagement guide portion causes the heating unit to rock from the tilted attitude to a reference attitude while guiding the to-be-engaged portion to the engagement portion. The engagement portion engages with the to-be-engaged portion to restrict a movement of the heating unit in a longitudinal direction. A unit bias portion retains an engagement state between the engagement portion and the to-be-engaged portion.

Abstract: A fixing unit includes a plurality of first engagement portions which respectively engage with a plurality of first to-be-engaged portions to restrict a movement of a heating unit in a third direction intersecting with a first direction and a second direction. A fixed unit includes a second engagement portion which engages with a second to-be-engaged portion to restrict a movement of the heating unit in the first direction. The fixing unit includes a movable unit, a supporting member, and a reciprocating mechanism. The supporting member supports the movable unit such that the movable unit is movable along the first direction. The reciprocating mechanism causes the movable unit to reciprocate. The reciprocating mechanism causes the movable unit to reciprocate once every time a plurality of sheets pass between a first rotation member and a second rotation member in the fixing unit.

Abstract: In an image formation device, a driven gear is coupled to a far end portion in a unit inserting and withdrawing direction of a rotary fixing member or a rotary pressure member of a fixing unit. A driving gear is provided in a far end portion of a fixing unit housing part and engages with the driven gear when the fixing unit is housed in the fixing unit housing part. The driving gear and the driven gear are formed so that a transmission force transmitted from the driving gear to the driven gear in a mutual engagement position has a component so directed as to horizontally press the fixing unit against columns making a pair. The fixing unit as housed in the fixing unit housing part is pressed by the transmission force against the columns and positioned in a direction orthogonal to the unit inserting and withdrawing direction.

Abstract: A heating unit urging member urges a first support body of a heating unit toward a second support body of a fixing unit with elastic force. The heating unit urging member brings the first support body into contact with the second support body and brings the second support body into contact with two struts. An interlocking mechanism moves the heating unit along a direction in which the heating unit and the fixing unit are arranged, in conjunction with movement of an operation portion. When the operation portion moves from a first position to a second position, the interlocking mechanism moves the first support body from a reference position where the first support body is in contact with the second support body to a retracted position where the first support body is separated from the second support body.