Abstract: A robot includes a trunk portion frame (functioning as a “base portion”), a head portion frame (functioning as a “first movable portion”) supported by the trunk portion frame, a flexible outer skin provided in such a way as to come into contact with the head portion frame and cover the trunk portion frame, and a pair of arm portions (functioning as a “second movable portion”), provided in contact with the outer skin, whose relative displacement with respect to the trunk portion frame changes in accompaniment to a displacement of the outer skin that accords with an operation of the head portion frame.

Abstract: Ease of connecting to a robot in a charging station is increased. A charging station includes a base having an upper face up on which a wheel rides, and a power supply terminal to be connected to a charging terminal of a robot. The upper face of the base is such that a target position is set in a far side region, while a reference entrance line that connects an entrance side specific position and the target position is set, and the upper face of the base includes an inverted face of a three-dimensional curved form that provides an entering wheel with a gravitational component that acts toward the reference entrance line side. The power supply terminal is connected to the charging terminal in a state wherein the wheel has arrived at the target position.

Abstract: A robot of one aspect includes a first base configuring a trunk portion, a second base configuring a head region, a connecting mechanism that connects the first base and the second base, and a drive unit that drives the connecting mechanism. The drive unit includes motors disposed on the first base. The connecting mechanism includes linking mechanisms that are disposed in parallel to each other and are driven by the motors respectively. Each linking mechanism includes a drive link fixed to a rotary shaft of the motor and a driven link that is connected to the drive link via a first joint and connected to the second base via a second joint. The first joint is a single axis hinge joint, and the second joint is a universal joint.

Abstract: Ease of connecting to a robot in a charging station is increased. A charging station includes a base having an upper face up on which a wheel rides, and a power supply terminal to be connected to a charging terminal of a robot. The upper face of the base is such that a target position is set in a far side region, while a reference entrance line that connects an entrance side specific position and the target position is set, and the upper face of the base includes an inverted face of a three-dimensional curved form that provides an entering wheel with a gravitational component that acts toward the reference entrance line side. The power supply terminal is connected to the charging terminal in a state wherein the wheel has arrived at the target position.

Abstract: A robot includes a trunk portion frame (functioning as a “base portion”), a head portion frame (functioning as a “first movable portion”) supported by the trunk portion frame, a flexible outer skin provided in such a way as to come into contact with the head portion frame and cover the trunk portion frame, and a pair of arm portions (functioning as a “second movable portion”), provided in contact with the outer skin, whose relative displacement with respect to the trunk portion frame changes in accompaniment to a displacement of the outer skin that accords with an operation of the head portion frame.

Abstract: A robot of one aspect includes a first base configuring a trunk portion, a second base configuring a head region, a connecting mechanism that connects the first base and the second base, and a drive unit that drives the connecting mechanism. The drive unit includes motors disposed on the first base. The connecting mechanism includes linking mechanisms that are disposed in parallel to each other and are driven by the motors respectively. Each linking mechanism includes a drive link fixed to a rotary shaft of the motor and a driven link that is connected to the drive link via a first joint and connected to the second base via a second joint. The first joint is a single axis hinge joint, and the second joint is a universal joint.

Abstract: An electric vehicle includes: an engine which is disposed on a front side in the vehicle, and which is configured to drive rear wheels of the vehicle, the engine which includes a crank shaft that is extended in a front/back direction of the vehicle; and a drive motor which is arranged in line with the engine in a width direction of the vehicle, and which is disposed on an air intake side of the engine, the drive motor which is configured to drive front wheels of the vehicle.

Abstract: An electric vehicle includes: an engine which is disposed on a front side in the vehicle, and which is configured to drive rear wheels of the vehicle, the engine which includes a crank shaft that is extended in a front/back direction of the vehicle; and a drive motor which is arranged in line with the engine in a width direction of the vehicle, and which is disposed on an air intake side of the engine, the drive motor which is configured to drive front wheels of the vehicle.

Abstract: A first computer system designates a search condition, requesting a second computer system to retrieve records that satisfy the search condition from a database. The second computer system retrieves all records that satisfy the search condition from the database, sending the contents thereof to the first computer system. The first computer system executes preset data manipulations on a memory to the database object, which corresponds to contents of the retrieved records, recording the contents of the data manipulations into the memory as a log by a record. The first computer system stores the contents of the database object and the log after the data manipulation into a massage, sending it to the second computer system when all preset data manipulations to the database object are completed. The second computer system accesses the database according to the log in the received massage to reflect the database object to the database.

Abstract: The present invention is characterized in that two magnetic poles of a magnetic member which are positioned to confront a nipping region between a sleeve and a photoreceptor in neighboring relation with each other are of the same polarity. These neighboring poles of the same polarity produce a distribution of magnetic flux density having first and second local maximum points and a local minimum point therebetween. A central angle .theta.1 between a line extending from a center of the magnetic member to the first local maximum point and a line extending the center to the local minimum point is smaller than a central angle .theta.2 between the line extending from the center to the local minimum point and a line extending from the center to the second local maximum point. Further, a developer material retained by the magnetic force of attraction generated by the neighboring magnetic poles of same polarity are kept in contact with the electorostatic latent image bearing member.

Abstract: A twin magnetic pole type developing apparatus of the present invention includes a rotatable sleeve enclosing a non-rotatable magnetic member therein. The magnetic member has two magnetic poles of the same polarity which are positioned so as to confront a developing region in neighboring relation with each other. Developer material to be used is a two-component type developer material consisting of toner particles and carrier particles. Especially, the carrier particles have an average particle size of 25 .mu.m or more and are capable of being magnetized to an intensity of magnetization of 30 emu/g or more. Further, a packing density in the developing region ranges from 5% to 40%. Consequently, the developer material can contact with an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor to develop it into the image of high density.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with an optical system for forming a first electrostatic latent image and a second electrostatic latent image on a rotatable photosensitive member, a first developing device accommodating a first developer for developing the first electrostatic latent image, and a second developing device accommodating a second developer for developing the second electrostatic latent image. The second developing device is located downstream from the first developing device in a direction of rotation of the photosensitive member and is provided with a developing roller having a magnetic force. The second developer differs in color from the first developer and has a magnetism greater than the first developer. The second developer is transported to the second electrostatic latent image along a periphery of the developing roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image support member; a first electrostatic latent image forming device for forming a first electrostatic latent image on the image support member; a first developing device for developing the first electrostatic latent image with first toner; a second electrostatic latent image forming device for forming a second electrostatic latent image on the image support member; and a second developing device for developing the second electrostatic latent image with second toner; the second toner having a color different from that of the first toner and having charging characteristics relative to carrier, identical with those of the first toner; the second toner having an average particle diameter larger than that of the first toner.

Abstract: A first electrostatic latent image on an image bearer is developed with a first toner in a first developing unit, and a second electrostatic latent image thereon is developed with a second toner in a second developing unit, wherein the first toner is transmittable to the image bearer at a lower bias voltage than the second toner, and wherein the second toner and a foreign first toner mixed in the second developing unit are chargeable to the same polarity by friction with a carrier contained in the second developing unit; the second developing unit is put into operation for a non-image forming portion of the image bearer by applying a voltage thereto wherein the voltage is maintained higher than the surface potential of the non-image forming portion so as to enable the foreign first toner to adhere thereto.

Abstract: A device for replenishing a developing device with a toner is disclosed, which device is for use in electrophotographic image forming equipment such as a copying machine or a printer. The replenishment of the developing device with the toner is executed when the toner concentration in the developer held in the developing device decreases below a prescribed reference concentration. Otherwise, this replenishment is effected supplementarily when the ratio of the dark part to the bright part of the image on a given document to be printed exceeds a prescribed reference value and, at the same time, the equipment is set for a copying mode in which the toner is consumed quickly. This mode consists in causing the copying action to be performed continuously, allowing the copying operation to be performed on copying papers of a size larger than a prescribed reference size, or reproducing an image in a high density.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having plural developing devices, comprising: a photosensitive member arranged rotatably in one direction and holding an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an original image; a developing sleeve rotatably arranged in each developing device at a position confronting said photosensitive member to transport a developer; a device for simultaneously driving for rotation of each of said developing sleeves in said developing devices; and an adjusting mechanism for adjusting operation of said developing devices so that in a region where said developing sleeves confront with said photosensitive member, a developer packaged density (F) in said developing device arranged at an upstream side in a rotational direction of said member is larger than that of said developing device arranged at a downstream side in the rotational direction of said member, which isF=Vd/Ds,where Vd is an amount of the developer passing between said developing sleeve and said photosensitive member per hour, and

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member rotatably supported; an upstream developing device, in a rotary direction of the member, for developing an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a solid image and/or a literal image with an accommodated developer therein; a downstream developing device, in the direction thereof, for developing an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a line image with an accommodated developer in the same color as that in the upstream developing device; a cleaning device for collecting the developer remained on the surface of the member; and a developer transporting device for transporting the developer collected by the cleaning device to the upstream developing device.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a photosensitive drum positioned in confronting relation to a developing sleeve. A toner accommodating tank is provided for supplying toner to the developing sleeve. The toner accommodating tank is divided into a small chamber and a supplementary chamber which are separated from one another by a partition which permits toner to be supplied from the supplementary chamber to the small chamber but which prevents the return of toner from the small chamber to the supplementary. A movable shutter selectively permits and prevents toner from being supplied from the supplementary chamber to the small chamber in accordance with operation of the apparatus.

Abstract: When an image forming process is a prescribed process consuming toner rapidly, the toner is supplied at any time besides the normal toner supply timing. Therefore, the toner is supplied frequently, the period of normal toner supply timing in which a large amount of toner is supplied becomes longer, and the toner is well mixed with the developer. When the image forming process is a prescribed process consuming toner rapidly, the period of determining toner concentration is made shorter. Consequently, the number of toner replenishment is increased, and the fluctuation of the toner concentration in the developer becomes small.

Abstract: A toner supply device including a hopper for containing the toner; a toner supply roller rotatably disposed below the hopper so as to fill an opening formed in a lower section of the hopper; a charging blade which is disposed so as to be in close contact under pressure with the toner supply roller to electrically charge the toner which is transported on the toner supply roller; a toner scraping mechanism having a toner scraping blade arranged at a position located downstream to the charging blade with respect to a rotational direction of the toner supply; a sensor for detecting the toner density; and a control unit for controlling the toner scraping mechanism depending on signals from the sensor so as to make the toner scraping blade move to one of a first position at which it comes in close contact under pressure with the toner supply roller and a second position at which the blade stands apart from the toner supply roller.