Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a developer image; a driving portion for rotationally driving the image bearing member; a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member into the developer image; a cleaning blade, slidably contacting the image bearing member which is rotated, for removing from the image bearing member a developer remaining on the image bearing member after transfer of the developer image; a controller capable of executing a stop operation of the image bearing member in which the image bearing member is, after being temporarily stopped at the time of an end of an image forming operation, rotated in the same direction as that during the image forming operation and then is rotated in a direction opposite to that during the image forming operation; and a predicting portion for predicting a remaining usable lifetime of the image bearing member.

Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. The video game includes a battle against an enemy character. A basic character that becomes a basis for the enemy character is determined when the battle is started. Additional data on items are determined. The items are allowed to set up to the determined basic character. The items include at least one of an equipping ability, an equipped item, and an equipped accessory in addition to a strength level on the battle and a level on the video game. The enemy character is then generated by setting up the determined additional data to the determined basic character. Basic character data in which the basic character to become the basis for the enemy character is associated with the items of the additional data are stored in a basic data memory.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus forming an image on a recording medium, includes: an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photoconductive layer on a rigid base; an exposure device forming a latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member; a developer carrying member that carries a developer to develop the latent image using the developer in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member; and a cleaning blade that cleans the electrophotographic photosensitive member in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the following expression is satisfied: Le?Ldr>Lcl, where Le: a longitudinal length of the photoconductive layer Le, Ldr: a longitudinal length of the developer carrying member to be contacted with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and Lcl: a longitudinal length of the cleaning blade to be contacted with the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Abstract: A charging device for electrically charging an image bearing member, includes a contact charging member contactable to the image bearing member to charge the image bearing member, the contact charging member being supplied only with a DC voltage; and a contact member contacted to the charging member, wherein the image bearing member is adapted to carry a toner image of toner which contains an externally added material comprising silica, wherein work functions of the charging member, the contact member and the silica satisfy, (the work function of the contact member)>(the work function of the silica)>(the work function of the charging member).

Abstract: User data is recorded in succession to the recording of a guard block on a next recording layer when the user data is recorded with a recording position shifted from one recording layer to the next recording layer. If a record start position of the user data is learned beforehand in the next recording layer, the guard block is formed on the next recording layer prior to the recording of the user data. In other words, when recording layer shifting is performed, an area ahead of the recording position of the user data becomes the guard block so that a replay signal for use in a pre-replay process is obtained beforehand in the replaying of the user data.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus forming an image on a recording medium, includes: an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photoconductive layer on a rigid base; an exposure device forming a latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member; a developer carrying member that carries a developer to develop the latent image using the developer in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member; and a cleaning blade that cleans the electrophotographic photosensitive member in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the following expression is satisfied: Le?Ldr>Lcl, where Le: a longitudinal length of the photoconductive layer Le, Ldr: a longitudinal length of the developer carrying member to be contacted with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and Lcl: a longitudinal length of the cleaning blade to be contacted with the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Abstract: A charging device for electrically charging an image bearing member, includes a contact charging member contactable to the image bearing member to charge the image bearing member, the contact charging member being supplied only with a DC voltage; and a contact member contacted to the charging member, wherein the image bearing member is adapted to carry a toner image of toner which contains an externally added material comprising silica, wherein work functions of the charging member, the contact member and the silica satisfy, (the work function of the contact member)>(the work function of the silica)>(the work function of the charging member).

Abstract: A ladder circuit editing system inputs and edits a sequence program for a program controller in the form of a ladder diagram. The ladder circuit editing system has an unavailable area storing at least one inputted circuit pattern and an available area storing a new circuit pattern, and successively inputs circuit patterns from the available area. The ladder circuit editing system includes a circuit pattern extracting means, a display means, and a copying means. The circuit pattern extracting means compares a circuit element from a circuit pattern stored in the available area with a circuit element from a circuit pattern already stored in the unavailable area, and extracts a circuit pattern containing a circuit element that agrees with a stored one. The display means displays the extracted circuit pattern on an input screen. The copying means copies the extracted circuit pattern into the available area according to an operator's entry.

Abstract: A plasma display panel that requires lower consumption power to drive is proved. This plasma display has a good luminance efficacy, is less tending to yellowing of glass and deterioration of phosphors, and is manufactured at a low cost. The dielectric layers and ribs of the PDP are made from a silicone resin containing polysiloxane bond. Preferably, the silicon resin should have siloxane bond joined with methyl group, ethyl group or phenyl group. It is also preferable that a sealing member is made from a silicone resin.

Abstract: User data is recorded in succession to the recording of a guard block on a next recording layer when the user data is recorded with a recording position shifted from one recording layer to the next recording layer. If a record start position of the user data is learned beforehand in the next recording layer, the guard block is formed on the next recording layer prior to the recording of the user data. In other words, when recording layer shifting is performed, an area ahead of the recording position of the user data becomes the guard block so that a replay signal for use in a pre-replay process is obtained beforehand in the replaying of the user data.

Abstract: A glass substrate containing Na or K and being fabricated by a floating method has a surface coated with a metal oxide layer having a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the glass substrate. Ag electrodes are provided on the metal oxide layer. This provides a plasma display panel with high image quality since the panel is prevented from migration of Ag between electrodes, thus having the glass substrate prevented from being tinted yellow. As a result, the plasma display panel at high quality can be implemented using the glass substrate.

Abstract: The present invention intends to provide a manufacturing method for a plasma display panel, so as to overcome problems associated with a withstanding voltage of a dielectric glass layer. Glass particles have angular shapes after grinding with a grinder, but as the surface of them has been melted, they are converted into spheroids. Those glass particles can get wet evenly, so that a binder evenly adheres to the surface of a glass particle when a glass paste including the glass particles is applied to the surface of a substrate. In this case, there is a scarce possibility for a gas, generated by baking the binder, to remain in the form of bubbles in a formed dielectric glass layer. There are fewer bubbles remaining in a completed dielectric glass layer than in a dielectric glass layer than in a glass layer made from angular glass particles.

Abstract: A slidable shutter, which is supported by a case body containing a recording medium that opens/closes an opening formed in the case body, and includes at least two layers composed of a base layer and at least one covering layer formed to cover the base layer. Within this shutter, there is a hue difference within a range of two or more in the hue cycle of the PCCS (Practical Color Coordinate System) between at least two uppermost layers of the shutter and the underlying layer thereof. Surface markings of the shutter are formed by cutting away regions, corresponding to the markings, from the surface portion of the shutter to a depth extending either to the bottom of the uppermost layer or to part of the underlying layer through the uppermost layer. In this way, the marking formation on the surface portion of this shutter will effectively reduce cost, improve workability, and enhance the visibility of the markings.

Abstract: In a plasma display panel, a partition wall defining a discharge space is formed of a thermal-sprayed film formed by thermal spraying of a partition wall material. A process for forming such a partition wall includes the steps of forming a photosensitive coating layer on a substrate; forming an opening having a prescribed pattern in the photosensitive coating layer; depositing the partition wall material to a prescribed height at least inside the opening by a thermal spraying technique, thereby forming the thermal-sprayed film; removing a portion of the thermal-sprayed film bulging out from a surface of the photosensitive coating layer by polishing; and removing the photosensitive coating layer to obtain the partition wall having a prescribed shape.

Abstract: A plasma display panel that requires lower consumption power to drive is proved. This plasma display has a good luminance efficacy, is less tending to yellowing of glass and deterioration of phosphors, and is manufactured at a low cost. The dielectric layers and ribs of the PDP are made from a silicone resin containing polysiloxane bond. Preferably, the silicon resin should have siloxane bond joined with methyl group, ethyl group or phenyl group. It is also preferable that a sealing member is made from a silicone resin.

Abstract: A glass substrate containing Na or K and being fabricated by a floating method has a surface coated with a metal oxide layer having a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the glass substrate. Ag electrodes are provided on the metal oxide layer. This provides a plasma display panel with high image quality since the panel is prevented from migration of Ag between electrodes, thus having the glass substrate prevented from being tinted yellow. As a result, the plasma display panel at high quality can be implemented using the glass substrate.

Abstract: A recording medium cartridge housing a disc wherein the vibration of the disc can be reduced by printing a vibration isolating ink layer containing acrylic particles and having a projecting and depressing surface on a portion including at least a support area of an upper half of the cartridge housing. The isolating ink layer acts by absorbing the vibration transmitted to the cartridge housing.

Abstract: The present invention intends to provide a manufacturing method for a plasma display panel, so as to overcome problems associated with a withstanding voltage of a dielectric glass layer,

Abstract: A shutter, which is supported by a case body containing a recording medium in such a manner as to be slidable for opening/closing an opening formed in said case body, includes at least two layers composed of a base layer and at least one covering layer formed to cover said base layer. In this shutter, a difference in hue between the uppermost layer of said at least two layers and the underlying layer thereof is in a range of two or more in hue cycle of the PCCS (Practical Color Co-ordinate System); and markings are formed in a surface portion of said shutter by cutting away regions, corresponding to said markings, of the surface portion of said shutter to a depth extending to the bottom of the uppermost layer or to part of the underlying layer through the uppermost layer. The formation of markings in a surface portion of this shutter according to the present invention is effective to reduce the cost and improve the workability, and also to enhance the visibility of the markings.

Abstract: A DC gas discharge type image display device includes a front glass substrate; a rear glass substrate facing the front glass substrate, interposing a discharge gas therebetween; a set of anodes including a plurality of line electrodes formed on the rear glass substrate; a set of cathodes including a plurality of line electrodes placed on the front glass substrate so as to perpendicularly cross the set of anodes; and a plurality of discharge cells, each being provided so as to correspond to each of the cross points of the set of anodes and the set of cathodes. The device is driven in a refresh driving method or a memory driving method. As to the production of this device, the set of cathodes is formed by a spraying method. The cathodes are made from aluminum, nickel, an aluminum alloy or a nickel alloy. The discharge gas is a mixed gas of He and Xe.