Abstract: A polymer composite piezoelectric material is formed, which includes a matrix of an organic polymer resin, and a piezoelectric material included in the matrix. The piezoelectric material contains a perovskite oxide having a composition represented by general formula (PX) below: (Bix,A1-x)(By,C1-y)O3??(PX), wherein A represents an A-site element with an average ionic valence of two other than Pb, B represents a B-site element with an average ionic valence of three, C represents a B-site element with an average ionic valence greater than three, each of A, B and C is one or two or more metal elements, O is oxygen, B and C have different compositions from each other, 0.6?x?1.0, and x?0.2?y?x.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer carrier 20Y that carries liquid developer containing toner liquid and carrier liquid, a developer supply member 32Y that supplies liquid developer to the developer carrier 20Y, a developer carrier cleaning member 21Y that collects liquid developer from the developer carrier 20Y, a collection reservoir 31bY that stores the liquid developer collected by the developer carrier cleaning member 21Y, a supply section 31aY that makes liquid developer flow to the collection reservoir 31bY, a conveyance member 34Y that conveys the liquid developer collected in the collection reservoir 31bY in a first direction X and a conveyance capacity regulation section 100 that regulates the conveyance capacity of the conveyance member 34Y.

Abstract: A perovskite-oxide lamination constituted by a substrate and one or tore first films of a first oxide of a perovskite type and one or more second films of a second oxide which are alternately formed over the substrate. The first oxide has a composition expressed as ABO3, the second oxide has a composition expressed as CDO3, each of A and C represents one or more A-site elements which are one or more metal elements, each of B and D represents one or more B-site elements which are one or more metal elements, O represents oxygen, and the second oxide is unable to be formed to have a perovskite crystal structure at normal pressure without a thickness limitation. The one or more first films and the one or more second films may contain inevitable impurities.

Abstract: A perovskite oxide represented by a general expression, (Aa, Bb)(Cc, Dd, Xx)O3. (where, A: an A-site element, A=Bi, 0<a, B: one or more types of A-site elements, 0?b<1.0, C: an B-site element, C?Fe, 0<c<1.0, D: one or more types of B-site elements, 0?d<1.0, 0<b+d, X: one or more types of B-site elements, the average valence of which is greater than the average valence of C and D in chemical formula, 0<x<1.0, (average valence of A-site in chemical formula)+(average valence of B-site in chemical formula)>6.0, 0: oxygen, and standard molar ratio among A-site elements, B-site elements, and oxygen is 1:1:3, but it may deviate from the standard within a range in which a perovskite structure is possible.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developer carrying body that carries liquid developer containing toner and carrier liquid; a developer supplying member adapted to rotate in a first sense of rotation to supply liquid developer to the developer carrying body; a contact member arranged at a first side relative to a virtual perpendicular plane passing through the axis of the developer supplying member so as to contact the developer supplying member; a supply section that stores liquid developer to be supplied by the developer supplying member to the developer carrying body; and an agitating member adapted to rotate in a second sense of rotation different from the first sense of rotation and arranged at a second side relative to the virtual perpendicular plane passing through the axis of the developer supplying member.

Abstract: An automatic player piano is equipped with an electronic supporting system, which makes a player learn an optimum pedal stroke to a half pedal region; while the player is practicing a music tune on the piano, the electronic supporting system monitors the damper pedal; when the player starts to depress the damper pedal, the electronic supporting system exerts an assisting force on the damper pedal so as to make the player feel the damper pedal light; when the damper pedal reaches an entrance of the half pedal region, the electronic supporting system removes the assisting force from the damper pedal so that the player feels the damper pedal heavy, whereby the player learns the pedal stroke to the half pedal region through the change of load borne by the player.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer container reserving a liquid developer containing toner particles and a carrier liquid. A developer supply member supplies a developer supporting member with liquid developer. An agitating member is disposed in the developer container and supplies the developer supply member with the liquid developer. A developer supporting member cleaning member removes liquid developer on the developer supporting member.

Abstract: The apparatus has an evaluated value calculating means 102 for calculating the complexity of the object shape and the complexity of the modeling structure of the object CAD data input by the CAD data inputting means 101; a searching means 104 for searching the reference CAD data in the reference CAD data base 103 in accordance with the condition of said complexity; an evaluated value calculating means 106 for calculating the complexity of the object shape and the complexity of the modeling structure based on the searched reference CAD data; and a displaying means 105 for evaluated values obtained by the means 102 and the means 106 on the graphic representation defining its horizontal axis for the complexity of the object shape and its vertical axis for the complexity of the modeling structure. It will be appreciated that the man-hour for evaluating large amount of various models can be reduced by means of not using a CAD system.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a droplet ejection head, a head tank, a tube, an ink cartridge, and a liquid-feed pump. The droplet ejection head has a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink. The head tank is mounted on the droplet ejection head, temporarily stores a certain amount of ink, and creates negative pressure in the droplet ejection head. The tube is connected to the head tank. The ink cartridge is connected via the tube to the head tank, the ink cartridge storing ink. The liquid-feed pump is disposed at the tube between the ink cartridge and the head tank to feed ink from the ink cartridge to the head tank through the tube. The liquid-feed pump is operable in reverse to feed ink from the head tank through the tube to the ink cartridge and create negative pressure in the head tank.

Abstract: A piezoelectric body contains a ferroelectric substance phase having characteristics such that, in cases where an applied electric field is increased from the time free from electric field application, phase transition of the ferroelectric substance phase to a ferroelectric substance phase of a different crystal system occurs at least two times. The piezoelectric body should preferably be actuated under conditions such that a minimum applied electric field Emin and a maximum applied electric field Emax satisfy Formula (1): Emin<E1<Emax??(1) wherein the electric field E1 represents the electric field at which the first phase transition of the ferroelectric substance phase begins.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer supply member that supplies a developer supporting member with liquid developer from a developer container. An agitating member is disposed in the developer container supplies the developer supply member with the liquid developer. The developer container includes a partition member partitioning between and extending above first and second developer holding sections. The partition member is aligned in parallel to an axial direction of rotation of the agitating member and allows liquid developer to move between the first and second developer holding sections.

Abstract: A film formed on a substrate different from the monocrystalline perovskite substrate contains a piezoelectric oxide expressed as A(BxC1-x)O3 other than Bi(FeySc1-y)O3 and Bi(Fe, Co)O3, where 0<x<1.0, 0.5=y=0.9, A, B, and C are metallic elements, A represents one or more A-site elements including Bi as a main component, B represents one or more B-site elements including as a main component an element which can constitute a perovskite structure together with the one or more A-site elements represented by A, and C represents one or more B-site elements which are unable or hard to constitute a perovskite structure together with the one or more A-site elements represented by A.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device constituted by a piezoelectric body and electrodes. The piezoelectric body is a monocrystalline piezoelectric film formed, above a substrate, of an inorganic crystalline compound containing a first ferroelectric crystal when no electric field is applied to the piezoelectric film, and having a characteristic that phase transition of at least a portion of the first ferroelectric crystal to a second ferroelectric crystal occurs when the electric field strength applied to the piezoelectric film is at or above a predetermined level E1, the first and second ferroelectric crystals correspond to different crystal systems, and the piezoelectric device is driven under a condition that the minimum strength Emin, the maximum strength Emax, and the predetermined level E1 of the applied electric field satisfy the inequalities, Emin<E1<Emax.

Abstract: An electronic proof system is provided in association with an automatic player piano; while a human player is practicing a music tune on the acoustic piano, the electronic proof system monitors the pedals of piano to see whether or not the player brings the pedals to target pedal positions; if the current pedal position is spaced from the target pedal position, the electronic proof system gives rise to fine vibrations of the pedal, and makes the player notice the pedal staying at incorrect pedal position through the tactile impression.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a developing method thereof are provided. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an image carrier body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing roller which faces the image carrier body and supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier body, and an anti-toner-dispersion element which faces an outer circumferential surface of the image carrier body between an exposing section where the electrostatic latent image is formed and a developing section where the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing roller. A collection bias is applied to the anti-toner-dispersion element to collect dispersed toner from the developing roller.

Abstract: A conveyance apparatus includes conveyance robots provided for sequential assembly processes. Each of the robots conveys, based on a tact system, work pieces for the respective assembly processes, by simultaneously reciprocating the work pieces with a single mechanism. The work pieces are sequentially assembled on an assembly line after placed at the most upstream side thereof. The apparatus further includes control units respectively provided for the conveyance robots and control time sequences for reciprocating motions of the respective conveyance robots in a linked manner. The control unit for controlling a first conveyance robot receives, from the control unit for controlling a second conveyance robot, position information of the second conveyance robot positioned frontward in a moving direction of the first conveyance robot, thereby detecting presence of a risk of a collision with the second conveyance robot, and causing the first conveyance robot to avoid the collision when the risk exists.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer storage portion that stores a liquid developer including toner and carrier liquid. A first coating member rotates and coats the liquid developer stored in the developer storage portion. A second coating member contacts the first coating member and rotates in a direction opposite to that of the first coating member. A developer supporting body contacts the second coating member and rotates in the same direction as that of the second coating member. A contact member contacts the liquid developer coated on the second coating member by the first coating member.

Abstract: A process for producing a perovskite oxide having a composition expressed by the compositional formulas A(B, C)O3, and determined so as to satisfy the conditions (1), (2), and (3), 0.98<TF(PX)<1.01, (1) TF(ABO3)>1.0, and (2) TF(ACO3)<1.0, (3) where each of A, B, and C represents one or more metal elements, the main component of one or more A-site elements is bismuth, the composition of one or more B-site element represented by B is different from the composition of one or more B-site element represented by C, TF(PX) is the tolerance factor of the oxide expressed by the compositional formula A(B, C)O3, and TF(ABO3) and TF(ACO3) are respectively the tolerance factors of the oxides expressed by the compositional formulas ABO3 and ACO3.

Abstract: A developing device includes: a developer storage portion which stores a liquid developer including toner and carrier liquid; a first coating member which rotates and coats the liquid developer stored in the developer storage portion; a second coating member which comes into contact with the first coating member and rotates in a direction opposite to that of the first coating member and slower than a rotary peripheral velocity of the first coating member; and a developer supporting body which comes into contact with the second coating member and rotates in the same direction as that of the second coating member and faster than a rotary peripheral velocity of the second coating member.

Abstract: A concentration detection apparatus includes: a light-emitting element that emits light; a light-emitting-element holding unit that holds the light-emitting element; a light-receiving element that receives light emitted from the light-emitting element; a light-receiving-element holding unit that holds the light-receiving element and is provided opposite to the light-emitting-element holding unit with a gap therebetween; a moving unit that can move through or at the gap between the light-emitting-element holding unit and the light-receiving-element holding unit; and a gap adjusting unit that adjusts a value of the gap as a distance between the light-emitting-element holding unit and the light-receiving-element holding unit.