Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which includes an image bearer, a charger, an irradiator, a developing device to develop an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer with a toner to form a toner image, a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a transfer medium, and a cleaner to remove toner particles remaining on the image bearer without being transferred. The toner includes a mother particle including a binder resin and a colorant and one or more external additives. At least one of the external additives includes primary particles having a number average particle diameter in the range of 0.05 to 0.30 ?m. The cleaner includes an elastic body blade having a contact part with the image bearer. The contact part has a surface elastic modulus in the range of 15 to 25 N/mm2 and a surface friction coefficient in the range of 0.5 to 0.7.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided which includes an image bearer, a charger, an irradiator, a developing device to develop an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer with a toner to form a toner image, a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a transfer medium, and a cleaner to remove toner particles remaining on the image bearer without being transferred. The toner includes a mother particle including a binder resin and a colorant and one or more external additives. At least one of the external additives includes primary particles having a number average particle diameter in the range of 0.05 to 0.30 ?m. The cleaner includes an elastic body blade having a contact part with the image bearer. The contact part has a surface elastic modulus in the range of 15 to 25 N/mm2 and a surface friction coefficient in the range of 0.5 to 0.7.

Abstract: A process unit includes a rotatable image bearer to bear a toner image on a surface thereof; a developer bearer to supply developer to the image bearer and including a first range, a second range different in property from the first range and adjacent to the first range on an outer side in an axial direction via a first boundary, and a second boundary on an outer side of the first boundary in the axial direction; a cleaning member to remove residual developer from the image bearer; and an abutment part disposed to contact the surface of the image bearer to remove a foreign substance from the image bearer. The abutment part is disposed astride at least one of a first position on the image bearer corresponding to the first boundary, and a second position on the image bearer corresponding to the second boundary.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a nip formation pad disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of an endless belt and a pressing rotary body pressed against the nip formation pad via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressing rotary body, through which a recording medium is conveyed. The pressing rotary body has a diameter increasing from a center to each lateral end in an axial direction thereof. The nip formation pad includes a projection disposed downstream from a rotation axis of the pressing rotary body in a recording medium conveyance direction. The projection projects toward the pressing rotary body in an amount increasing from each lateral end to a center in a longitudinal direction of the nip formation pad parallel to the axial direction of the pressing rotary body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, a transfer device, a first driving device, a voltage application device, and a controller. The first driving device rotatably drives one of the photosensitive member and a combination of the photosensitive member and an intermediate transfer member. The voltage application device supplies a respective predetermined voltage to the charging device, the development device, and the transfer device. The controller controls the first driving device and the voltage application device. When the photosensitive member is stopped, both illumination from the exposure device and the transfer electrical field electrically discharge the surface of the photosensitive member.

Abstract: This method for removing nitrogen oxides brings exhaust gas containing oxygen and at least one nitrogen oxide selected from the group consisting of nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide into contact with ammonia without the presence of a catalyst, for at least 0.5 seconds under a temperature of no less than 900 DEG C., and breaks down the nitrogen oxide. According to this method, it is possible to remove nitrogen oxides in a highly efficient manner and significantly reduce the amount of unreacted ammonia.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a latent image on a surface thereof, a developing device to develop the latent image with toner, an intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer member, a cleaning device, and a main body. The cleaning device cleans the secondary transfer member for a predetermined time period T1 during a startup operation after printing is completed normally before subsequent printing. The main body houses the image bearing member, the developing device, the intermediate transfer member, the secondary transfer member, and the cleaning device. At least one of the image bearing member and the developing device constitutes a process cartridge detachably attachable relative to the main body, and in a case in which the process cartridge is installed in the main body, the cleaning device cleans the secondary transfer member for a time period T2 extended from the predetermined time period T1.

Abstract: A process unit includes a rotatable image bearer to bear a toner image on a surface thereof; a developer bearer to supply developer to the image bearer and including a first range, a second range different in property from the first range and adjacent to the first range on an outer side in an axial direction via a first boundary, and a second boundary on an outer side of the first boundary in the axial direction; a cleaning member to remove residual developer from the image bearer; and an abutment part disposed to contact the surface of the image bearer to remove a foreign substance from the image bearer. The abutment part is disposed astride at least one of a first position on the image bearer corresponding to the first boundary, and a second position on the image bearer corresponding to the second boundary.

Abstract: To promote mixture of fluids on a plurality of stages, flow channels include a plurality of merging portions which penetrate from a top surface to a back surface of a substrate. An end of each of the sub channels is disposed so as to overlap the main channel at each of positions separated along the direction in which the main channel extends, and each of the merging portions communicates the main channels and the ends of the sub channels with each other, thereby changing a flow direction of the second fluid flowing through the sub channels to the thickness direction of the substrate, and merges the second fluid with the first fluid flowing through the main channels.

Abstract: Provided is a color image forming apparatus that includes: image carriers that form toner image of black and other colors; an intermediate transfer body that makes contact with the image carriers; and transfer units that transfer the toner images on the image carriers to the intermediate transfer body. A line velocity difference is set between the image carriers and the intermediate transfer body. An accelerated cohesion degree of toner is equal to or larger than 54%. A linear velocity difference X1 between the image carrier for black and the intermediate transfer body satisfies a relation of 0<X1?1.2 mm/sec. A linear velocity difference X2 between the image carriers for the colors and the intermediate transfer body satisfies a relation of 2.1?X2?4.0 mm/sec.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member, a charger, a latent image forming device, a developing device, and a transfer device is provided. The transfer device is adapted to transfer a toner image formed on the latent image bearing member onto an intermediate transfer member or a recording medium by action of a transfer elected field in a transfer position where the latent image bearing member faces the transfer device. When a non-charged portion of the latent image bearing member that has not been charged to a predetermined potential by the charger passes through the transfer position, a strength of the transfer electric field is lowered than that in transferring the toner image.

Abstract: Inorganic phosphor-containing polymer particles that include an inorganic phosphor and a transparent material. The transparent material is preferably a vinyl resin that is a polymer of a vinyl compound. It is preferable that the vinyl compound includes 10% by mass or more of a vinyl compound having a viscosity (at 25° C.) of from 5 mPa·s to 30 mPa·s, or includes at least one of a compound having a structure represented by the following Formula (I-1) or the following Formula (I-2). In Formulae (I-1) and (1-2), each of R1 and R2 independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group. R1 and R2 may be linked to each other to form a ring. The inorganic phosphor is preferably surface-modified with a surface treatment agent, more preferably surface-modified with a coupling agent, still more preferably surface-modified with a silicone oligomer having a reactive substituent.

Abstract: An overheat protection circuit for protecting a switching element from abnormal overheat is provided, the switching element configured to supply electric power from a power source to a side of a load, including an interruption function part configured to detect a layer short inside the switching element and configured to detect temperature of the switching element. The interruption function part is configured to interrupt the electric power supplied from the power source to the side of the load at an input part of the switching element, when detecting the layer short and detecting that the temperature exceeds a predetermined value, and configured not to interrupt the electric power supplied from the power source to the side of the load at an input part of the switching element, when detecting the layer short and detecting that the temperature does not exceed a predetermined value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, a transfer device, a first driving device, a voltage application device, and a controller. The first driving device rotatably drives one of the photosensitive member and a combination of the photosensitive member and an intermediate transfer member. The voltage application device supplies a respective predetermined voltage to the charging device, the development device, and the transfer device. The controller controls the first driving device and the voltage application device. When the photosensitive member is stopped, both illumination from the exposure device and the transfer electrical field electrically discharge the surface of the photosensitive member.

Abstract: A flow passage structure having a plurality of flow passageways therein includes a first junction portion for joining a first fluid introduced into a first inlet path and a second fluid introduced into a second inlet path, a first joined fluid flow passage through which a fluid made by joining both the fluids flows, a branch portion for dividing the fluid flowing in the first joined fluid flow passage into two fluids, a first branch path through which one of the two divided fluids flows, and a second branch path through which the other flows, wherein a corresponding diameter of the first branch path and a corresponding diameter of the second branch path in each of the passageways are smaller than a corresponding diameter of the first joined fluid flow passage in the passageway.

Abstract: An engaging member for attaching an upholstery material to a cushion member, which has a positioning member at least one lengthwise terminal end. The positioning member places the starting end of loop engaging element portion in precise position in the groove of the cushion member. The engaging member is long and flexible and bends in conformity with the complicated shape of the curved groove. The method of producing an upholstered cushion molding using the engaging member improves the working efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wavelength conversion-type photovoltaic cell sealing material, the sealing material including at least one light emitting layer containing a group of spherical phosphors, the group of spherical phosphors having a ratio of a median value D50 of the group of spherical phosphors to a total thickness t of the light emitting layer of from 0.1 to 1.0, where the median value D50 is a median value of a volume particle size distribution of the group of spherical phosphors, and an integrated value N of a number particle size distribution from D25 to D75 of the group of spherical phosphors being 5% or more, when D25 is a particle size value at 25% of an integrated value of the volume particle size distribution of the group of spherical phosphors and D75 is a particle size value at 75% of the integrated value of the volume particle size distribution of the group of spherical phosphors; and a photovoltaic cell module including the sealing material.

Abstract: A flow channel structure that includes a first inlet path for a first fluid, a second inlet path for a second fluid, a merging portion that merges, in the thickness direction of a substrate, the first fluid and the second fluid, a first merged fluid channel in which both fluids merged in the merging portion flow along a top surface of the substrate, a flow direction altering portion that causes the flow direction of the fluid flowing through the first merged fluid channel to change from the top surface side of the substrate towards the back surface side thereof, and a second merged fluid channel for changing the flow direction of this fluid to flow to the downstream side so that the fluid flowing from the first merged fluid channel through the flow direction altering portion flows along the back surface of the substrate.

Abstract: This method for removing nitrogen oxides brings exhaust gas containing oxygen and at least one nitrogen oxide selected from the group consisting of nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide into contact with ammonia without the presence of a catalyst, for at least 0.5 seconds under a temperature of no less than 900 DEG C., and breaks down the nitrogen oxide. According to this method, it is possible to remove nitrogen oxides in a highly efficient manner and significantly reduce the amount of unreacted ammonia.