Abstract: A fixing device has a presser member, a slide member and a pressure belt. Both ends of the presser member are positioned outside both ends of the slide member. Both ends of the slide member are positioned outside both ends of the pressure belt. Thereby, the slide member and the pressure belt are improved in service life, so that the fixing device as a whole is improved in service life.

Abstract: A method for producing an aluminum nitride sintered product according to the present invention includes the steps of (a) preparing a powder mixture that contains AlN, 2 to 10 parts by weight of Eu2O3 with respect to 100 parts by weight of AlN, Al2O3 such that a molar ratio of Al2O3 to Eu2O3 is 2 to 10, and TiO2 such that a molar ratio of TiO2 to Al2O3 is 0.05 to 1.2, but not Sm; (b) producing a compact from the powder mixture; and (c) firing the compact by subjecting the compact to hot-press firing in a vacuum or in an inert atmosphere.

Abstract: An absorbent article 1 includes an absorbent body 3 and an outer cover 2. The outer cover 2 has a front section A, crotch section C, and a rear section B and includes an outer sheet 21, an inner sheet 22, and elastic members 23. The outer cover 2 has a below-waist gather formed of a composite stretch panel in its below-waist portion D. The composite stretch panel has the outer and inner sheets 21, 22 bonded at bonds discretely arranged in the stretch direction thereof and the direction perpendicular thereto. The elastic members 23 extend not to pass the bonds without being fixed to the outer and inner sheets 21, 22 at other than their both ends. The outer and inner sheets 21, 22 form folds continuously extending over a plurality of the elastic members 23. The waist portion F of the outer cover 2 has a lower extension percentage in its laterally middle part than in the other parts on both sides of the middle part.

Abstract: The present invention provides a developing device which is capable of suppressing the generation of a fogging phenomenon and deposition of carrier particles to an electrostatic latent image carrier and developing the electrostatic latent image efficiently, the device comprising a development sleeve and a magnet body onto which the sleeve is fitted, and using a two-component developer. An angular position which indicates the peak value of the magnetic flux density in the normal direction produced by a development pole of the magnet body is shifted downstream from the center position of the development pole in the direction of movement of the surface of a photosensitive member in a development region. The present invention also provides an image forming apparatus which can form high-quality images with reduced noise such as fogging by mounting the developing device.

Abstract: Developing bias is set as follows. An electric field intensity between a developing roller and a photoconductor is set to cause normally-charged toner to fly in an image area and not to cause the toner to fly in a background area. Thus, the normally-charged toner does not fly in the background area. The normally-charged toner caused to fly is therefore unlikely to flick low-charged toner and oppositely-charged toner. The low-charged toner and the oppositely-charged toner will not adhere to the background area and cause image fogging. Accordingly, an image forming apparatus can be provided to prevent the low-charged toner and the oppositely-charged toner from adhering to the background area of an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor and to avoid the occurrence of image fogging in the background area on a printed material.

Abstract: A ceramic member is provided, including a ceramic sintered body and a metallic member, which includes a metal element, formed to be in contact with the ceramic sintered body. An affected layer around the metallic member of the ceramic sintered body has a thickness of 300 ?m or less.

Abstract: An aluminum nitride ceramic including aluminum nitride grains and grain boundary phases comprises a grain boundary phase-rich layer including more amount of the grain boundary phases in a surface layer of the aluminum nitride ceramic than in an inside of the aluminum nitride ceramic. The grain boundary phases in the grain boundary phase-rich layer include at least one of rare earth element and alkali earth element.

Abstract: To prevent image defects such as fog and irregularities caused by the accumulation of the oppositely charged toner by flying the toner toward a photoreceptor to compulsorily consume the toner even though the toner is oppositely charged toner having a small charged amount. A potential difference between the photoreceptor and the development roller is set at a value at which the normally charged toner on the development roller can be flown toward the photoreceptor in the development phase at the time of compulsorily consuming the toner, and this potential difference is set at a value at which the flown normally charged toner can be returned to the development roller in the recovery phase.

Abstract: The development apparatus that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier comprises: a developer roller operable to carry toner on a circumferential surface thereof and develop the electrostatic latent image using the toner; a supply roller operable to perform toner supply to the developer roller; a voltage applier operable to apply a bias voltage V1 to the developer roller and apply a bias voltage V2 to the supply roller; and a controller operable to control the voltage applier in a toner compulsive consumption mode so that a value obtained by subtracting an average S2 of the bias voltage V2 per unit time from an average S1 of the bias voltage V1 per unit time indicates the same polarity as a normal charging polarity of the toner. Here, the toner compulsive consumption mode performs development to compulsively consume the toner carried on the circumferential surface of the developer roller.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an aluminum nitride single crystal is provided, including the steps of preparing a raw material composition containing aluminum oxide and/or an aluminum oxide precursor which is converted into aluminum oxide by heating, and aluminum nitride and/or an aluminum nitride precursor which is converted into aluminum nitride by heating, heating the raw material composition at 1600 to 2400° C. to synthesize aluminum nitride, and causing crystal growth of the aluminum nitride to obtain an aluminum nitride single crystal.

Abstract: An aluminum nitride sintered body is provided, including a polycrystalline structure in which grain boundary fracture toughness KICgb is 1.6 MPa·m1/2 or more. The grain boundary fracture toughness KICgb is determined by the equation KICgb=KIC·cos2(?·PIF/200), wherein KIC is fracture toughness (MPa·m1/2), and PIF is a percentage of the intergranular fracture (%).

Abstract: An aluminum nitride ceramic including aluminum nitride grains and grain boundary phases comprises a grain boundary phase-rich layer including more amount of the grain boundary phases in a surface layer of the aluminum nitride ceramic than in an inside of the aluminum nitride ceramic. The grain boundary phases in the grain boundary phase-rich layer include at least one of rare earth element and alkali earth element.

Abstract: An aluminum nitride ceramic including aluminum nitride grains and grain boundary phases comprises a grain boundary phase-rich layer including more amount of the grain boundary phases in a surface layer of the aluminum nitride ceramic than in an inside of the aluminum nitride ceramic. The grain boundary phases in the grain boundary phase-rich layer include at least one of rare earth element and alkali earth element.

Abstract: A novel aluminum nitride material having a low room temperature volume resistivity is provided. The aluminum nitride material has an aluminum nitride main component and includes at least 0.03 mol % of europium oxide. The aluminum nitride material has an aluminum nitride phase and an europium-aluminum composite oxide phase. An aluminum nitride material also provided having an aluminum nitride main component, wherein a total content of europium oxide and samarium oxide is at least 0.09 mol %. The aluminum nitride material has an aluminum nitride phase and a composite oxide phase containing at least europium and aluminum.

Abstract: A ceramic member comprises a ceramic sintered body and a metallic member, which includes a metal element and is formed to be in contact with the ceramic sintered body. An affected layer around the metallic member of the ceramic sintered body has a thickness of 300 ?m or less.

Abstract: An aluminum nitride ceramic including aluminum nitride grains and grain boundary phases comprises a grain boundary phase-rich layer including more amount of the grain boundary phases in a surface layer of the aluminum nitride ceramic than in an inside of the aluminum nitride ceramic. The grain boundary phases in the grain boundary phase-rich layer include at least one of rare earth element and alkali earth element.

Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing an aluminum nitride single crystal, the method including the steps of: preparing a raw material composition containing: aluminum oxide and/or an aluminum oxide precursor which is converted into aluminum oxide by heating, and aluminum nitride and/or an aluminum nitride precursor which is converted into aluminum nitride by heating; heating the raw material composition at 1600 to 2400° C. to synthesize aluminum nitride; and causing crystal growth of the aluminum nitride to obtain an aluminum nitride single crystal. The method is capable of obtaining an aluminum nitride single crystal which is sufficiently large for practical use at low cost in a short time and has high productivity and wide usability.

Abstract: An aluminum nitride sintered body includes a polycrystalline structure in which grain boundary fracture toughness KICgb is 1.6 MPa·m1/2 or more. The grain boundary fracture toughness KICgb can be determined by the following equation: KICgb=KCIC·cos2(?·PIF/200) where KIC is fracture toughness (MPa·m1/2), and PIF is a percentage of the intergranular fracture (%).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel aluminum nitride material of aluminum nitride base and having a low volume resistivity at room temperature. An aluminum nitride material has aluminum nitride as a main component and europium in a content of 0.03 mole percent or more calculated as the oxide, and the material has aluminum nitride and an europium-aluminum composite oxide phases. Alternatively, an aluminum nitride material has aluminum nitride as a main component and europium and samarium in a total content of 0.09 mole percent or more calculated as the oxides, and the material has aluminum nitride phase and a composite oxide phase containing at least europium and aluminum.

Abstract: A shorts-type disposable diaper including a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorber interposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, front and rear waist portions being connected together at opposite sides thereof, respectively, the improvement including a tape fastener adapted to fasten the diaper when the diaper is to be discarded, the tape fastener being disposed at a central outer surface section of the backsheet and extending in a longitudinal direction of the backsheet.