Abstract: A sensor element (12) has a cross-sectional area that continuously only increases from a positive (+) electrode side toward a negative (?) electrode side, thereby leading a hot spot, which attempts to move to the negative electrode side, to a lower resistance side. A position that is at nearly equal distances from paired electrodes (13 and 15) formed on either end of the sensor element (12) is set as a hot spot generating position, so as to avoid damage to the electrodes due to heat emitted by the hot spot.

Abstract: The present invention relates to carbon nanotubes which are characterized by satisfying the requirements (1) to (3) described below. (1) An aqueous dispersion liquid of the carbon nanotubes has a pH of from 8.0 to 10.0. (2) The BET specific surface area of the carbon nanotubes is from 200 to 800 m2/g. (3) IfY is the average fiber length (nm) of the carbon nanotubes and X is the BET specific surface area (m2/g) of the carbon nanotubes, X and Y satisfy Y = -aX + b (wherein a and b represent constants, while satisfying 2.2?a?3.5 and 2,300?b?5,000).

Abstract: An electric sparking drill and a method for using the same to drill a hole in a workpiece where at least one of a voltage applied to an electrode, the conductivity of a liquid applied between the electrode and the workpiece during drilling, and a gap between the electrode and the workpiece are controlled to create the desired hole in the workpiece. The electric sparking drill and a method for using the same to drill a hole in a workpiece also improve the hole operation and/or the quality of the hole made by operating at the arcing voltage, including a touch stop function, including a sacrificial electrode, and/or including a guide member function.

Abstract: An electric sparking drill and a method for using the same to drill a hole in a workpiece where at least one of a voltage applied to an electrode, the conductivity of a liquid applied between the electrode and the workpiece during drilling, and a gap between the electrode and the workpiece are controlled to create the desired hole in the workpiece. The electric sparking drill and a method for using the same to drill a hole in a workpiece also improve the hole operation and/or the quality of the hole made by operating at the arcing voltage, including a touch stop function, including a sacrificial electrode, and/or including a guide member function.

Abstract: The heat fixing device includes a heating roller and a pressure roller disposed in contact with the heating roller, the heating roller includes a base member and a surface layer, and the surface layer has a surface resistivity of 1×1016 &OHgr; or lower, and a residual elongation percentage of 3% or lower. By this arrangement, charging of the heating roller can be prevented so that the recording medium can be prevented from being curled around the heating roller.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided with first and second fixing members each having an elastic member, a heater for heating at least one of the first and second fixing members and a controller. The first and second fixing members are abutted against each other so that the elastic members contact with each other. A sheet carrying an image of a developer is passed between the first and second fixing members, whereby the developer is fixed onto the sheet. The controller corrects fixing conditions including a fixing speed and a fixing temperature in accordance with an integrated energizing time that is an integrated value of an energizing time of the heater.

Abstract: The heat fixing device includes a heating roller and a pressure roller disposed in contact with the heating roller, the heating roller includes a base member and a surface layer, and the surface layer has a surface resistivity of 1×1016 &OHgr; or lower, and a residual elongation percentage of 3% or lower. By this arrangement, charging of the heating roller can be prevented so that the recording medium can be prevented from being curled around the heating roller.

Abstract: A fixing device for heating and fixing an unfixed image to a record member, including: a heating roller having a core roller and a layer of a resistance heating material formed on an outer or inner peripheral surface of the core roller; a pair of carriers rotatably carrying the heating roller; a pair of ring-shaped current receiver members each located between the carrier and a center of the heating roller, a pair of current supply members being in contact with the current receiver members; and insulating members made of an electrical insulation material, each being in contact with an outer end of the current receiver member and extending toward the carrier, wherein a distance L3 from the inner end of the carrier to the outer end of the current receiver member is 1 mm or more, a sum (L1+L2) of a width L1 of the insulating member and a height L2 of the insulating member from the core roller is 2.5 mm or more, and the distance L3 and the width L1 satisfy a relationship of L3≧L1.

Abstract: A fixing device has first and second rollers respectively formed of a metallic cylindrical body provided with an elastic member. The rollers are abutted against each other so that the elastic members contact each other. The fixing device further has a heater for heating at least one of the rollers and a driver for rotating at least one of the rollers so that a transfer sheet passes through contact portion of the rollers. Roller hardness of the first roller is smaller than that of the second roller, and density of cross-link of the elastic member of the first roller is lower than that of the elastic member of the second roller.

Abstract: A fixing device having a rotatable heating member heated by a heat source, a rotatable pressure member for pressing against the rotatable heating member, a heat-moving member formed of material having excellent thermal conductivity characteristics and constructed so as to freely make contact with at least one rotatable member among the rotatable heating member and the rotatable pressure member, and a drive unit to move the heat-moving member between a contact position and retracted position relative to at least one of the heating member and the rotatable pressure member. The heat-moving member changes either heat capacity or thermal conductivity or both heat capacity and thermal conductivity relative to the axial direction of the rotatable heating member or the rotatable pressure member.

Abstract: An induction heating fixing device is disclosed which is provided with a conducting sleeve, a coil for causing the sleeve to generate an induced current, and a high-frequency power source for feeding a high-frequency wave to the coil. This fixing device detects the switching cycle of the high-frequency power source and the electric power injected into the sleeve and, based on the detected switching cycle and the detected electric power, controls the amount of electric current to be fed from the high-frequency power source to the coil.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus having a flexible metal fixing sleeve provided around a holder, which holds a coil inside, and heated by induction current of the coil, and a pressure roller that pinches the fixing sleeve between it and the holder by pressing on the holder, the following relation is satisfied:(F1+F2)/F3.gtoreq.1.7where symbols F1, F2 and F3 represent respectively during recording paper feeding: a drive force transmitted from the pressure roller to the fixing sleeve via recording paper in the region where the recording paper passes through; a drive force transmitted from the pressure roller directly to the fixing sleeve in the region where the recording paper does not pass through; and a friction resistance force generated between the inner surface of the fixing sleeve and the outer surface of the holder.

Abstract: In a fixing device with a fixing roller that fixes the toner held on a sheet, a pressuring roller that contacts with the fixing roller, and a supply roller that applies the oil to the fixing roller, image noises and offset phenomenon are prevented by replenishing the consumed oil immediately to the supply roller only when the fixing roller is rotating, based on the oil replenishing speed determined by the rotational speed of the fixing roller and the oil replenishing amount determined by the total rotation time of the fixing roller.

Abstract: A heating device for use in an induction heating type fixing system is composed of a sleeve 12 made of an electrical conductive material and an electromagnet 13 with a coil 20 and a core 18. It is constructed so as to fulfill the following formulas (1), (2), and (3).S1+S2.gtoreq.0.3.times.S3 (1)0.2.ltoreq.S2/(S1+S2).ltoreq.0.8 (2)1 mm.ltoreq.Dmax.ltoreq.5 mm (3)wherein S1 stands for the cross sectional area of the core 18, S2 for the cross sectional area of the coil 20, S3 for the cross sectional area of the sleeve 12, and Dmax for the maximum distance formed between the outer periphery of the holder 14 and the inner periphery of the sleeve 12.

Abstract: A chip feed apparatus capable of permitting a chip feed casing to be used for storage and transportation of chips in a distribution channel as well and preventing a weight of chips from being applied to a chip storage space of a hopper, resulting in positive separation and feeding of chips by the hopper. The chip feed apparatus includes a chip feed casing formed on a side surface thereof with a chip outlet, a hopper formed on a side surface thereof with a chip inlet and connected to the chip feed casing while enabling vertical movement of the hopper, a chip separating and aligning pipe inserted into a hole communicating with the chip storage space, and a chip feed path of which one end communicates with the chip separating and aligning pipe and the other end is defined at a chip pick-up position. The chip outlet of the chip feed casing is open at a lowermost end of a chip receiving space or below the lowermost end.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a fixing device used therein capable of discriminating transport condition of a sheet in the fixing device without sheet sensors. The fixing device is provided with a fixing roller for heating unfixed toner borne on a sheet and fixing the toner onto the sheet. A temperature sensor is arranged for detecting the temperature of the fixing roller, which temperature sensor communicating with a controller of the image forming apparatus or the fixing device. The controller discriminates the transport condition of the sheet based on the temperature change of the fixing roller detected by the temperature sensor so as to execute varied control.

Abstract: The induction-heating apparatus of this invention contains a conductive member, a power source, and a first and a second induction coil connected to the power source and adapted for causing the conductive member to generate an induced current, the first and the second induction coil being parallelly connected. The induction coil is formed by winding a copper wire round a core in such a manner that the numbers of turns of the copper wire gradually decrease from the lowermost layer approximating most closely to the core to the upper layers. This heating apparatus has the thickness of the induction coil in the range of 0.2-0.8 mm. The gap between the induction coil and the conductive member is in the range of 0.5-4.0 mm. This heating apparatus has the induction coil thrust out of the conductive member. The induction coil is formed of a Litz wire.

Abstract: A fixing device for an image forming apparatus having low heat losses. The fixing device consists of a fixing roller and a compression roller for abutting upon it under pressure. The fixing roller and compression roller have a release layer each formed on the surface of a core metal formed of an aluminum hollow cylinder. The release layer on the surface of the fixing roller is formed of a composite material of metallic powder of good thermal conductive material such as nickel, and fluorine resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyphenylene alkoxyether (PFA), and has spectral emissivity at a wavelength of 5 to 10 .mu.m being within a range of 0.1 to 0.65. The compression roller is provided with a release layer formed of fluorine resin like the conventional one, or the same material as the release layer on the surface of the aforesaid fixing roller, having lower spectral emissivity.

Abstract: A fixing device for heating and fixing an unfixed image to a record member bearing the unfixed image, including a heating roller, a backup member, and a current transmitting units. The heating roller includes a core roller, and a resistance heating member which is formed on the core roller and generates heat when a current is transmitted thereto through the current transmitting units, and is rotatably carried at opposite ends of the core roller by bearing units. The current transmitting units are arranged at positions opposed to the bearing units. The current transmitting unit includes a current receiver member and a current supply member. At mutual contact surfaces of them, the current receiver member has a concave section, and the current supply member has a convex section. The outer periphery circle of at least one side surface of said current receiver member has a radial difference of 6 mm or more with respect to an outer periphery circle of the heating roller at a sheet passing region.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically mounting an electronic device having a plurality of leads on a printed circuit board, by inserting the leads into mount holes of the printed circuit board. A plurality of extension pins are connected straight to the leads to hold the leads of the electronic device. The extension pins are inserted into the mount holes, while the connection between the extension pins and the leads is maintained. The extension pins are then removed from an opposite side of the printed circuit board, thus guiding and inserting the tips of the leads into the mount holes.