Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image carrier on which a latent image is formed; a charging unit that charges the latent image carrier; an exposing unit that exposes the latent image carrier charged by the charging unit and forms the latent image; a developing unit including a developer carrier that carries liquid developer including toner and carrier liquid, a developer feeding member that feeds the liquid developer to the developer carrier, a bias applying member that applies a bias to the liquid developer on the developer carrier, a developer carrier cleaning member that collects the liquid developer on the developer carrier, a collected developer storing portion that stores the liquid developer collected by the developer carrier cleaning member, a feeding unit that feeds the liquid developer to the collected developer storing portion and the developer feeding member, a conveying member that stirs the liquid developer collected by the collected developer storing portion, and a stirring amount

Abstract: An automatic player musical instrument is a combination of an acoustic piano and an electric system, which serves as an automatic playing system and an electronic proof system, and a controller of the electric system has an information processing capability; when a user instructs the electric system to check performance on the keyboard, a subroutine program for electronic proof starts to run; while the user is fingering a music tune, the controller monitors the keys with key sensors to see whether or not the user correctly plays the music tune; when the user mistakenly depresses a key instead of another key, the controller gives rise to vibrations of the mistakenly de-pressed key so as to give a notice of incorrect fingering to the user.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a patterned film by which an accurately patterned film is formed when film formation is performed by using the AD method. The method includes the steps of: (a) disposing a multilayered mask containing at least one soft mask layer formed of a soft material and at least one hard mask layer formed of a hard material on a substrate or an electrode formed on the substrate; (b) spraying powder formed of a brittle material toward the substrate, on which the multilayered mask has been disposed, and allowing the powder to collide with an under layer to deposit the powder thereon, thereby forming a brittle material layer; and (c) removing the multilayered mask after step (b).

Abstract: A signal reproducing device of the present invention includes a signal storing device, a buffer memory, and a signal processing circuit. The buffer memory is concurrently provided with a first storing area for storing a head portion of a plurality of sequential signals and a second storing area for storing a remaining portion other than the head portion of one sequential signal. The signal processing circuit starts an operation, when a signal selecting manipulation is made, of reading out and reproducing a head portion of a selected sequential signal from the first storing area, during the operation, reads out a remaining portion of the selected sequential signal from the signal storing device for storage in the second storing area, and, after completion of reproduction of the head portion of the selected sequential signal, reads out and reproduces the remaining portion of the sequential signal from the second storing area.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus prevents the problem of reduced utilization efficiency of a waste fluid tank caused by the storage of waste fluids with high and low viscosities in the same open-type waste fluid tank. The image forming apparatus includes a first waste fluid tank for storing waste ink fluid ejected from a recording head, and a second waste fluid tank for storing waste ink fluid ejected into a cap of the recording head. The waste ink fluid ejected into the cap is guided to the second waste fluid tank via a tube. The second waste fluid tank is an airtight structure having an inlet at one end to which the tube is detachably connected via a needle or a valve. At the other end of the second waste fluid tank, there is disposed an opening communicating the inside and the outside of the tank.

Abstract: A lead-free solder alloy exhibiting good performance in impact resistance and vibration resistance. Also provided are a solder ball using such a lead-free solder alloy, and an electronic member having a solder bump using such a lead-free alloy. Specifically, the lead-free solder alloy consists of 1.0 to 2.0% by mass of Ag, 0.3 to 1.0% by mass of Cu, 0.005 to 0.1% by mass of Ni and the balance including Sn and unavoidable impurities. In an Sn—Ag—Cu based solder joint portion on a Cu electrode, a Cu3Sn intermetallic compound layer is formed directly on the Cu electrode, and then a Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound layer is formed thereon. A Cu atomic site in the Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound layer is replaced by Ni having a smaller atomic radius than Cu to thereby reduce strain in the Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound layer, thus enabling impact resistance and vibration resistance to be improved therein.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a process for preparing corosolic acid comprising the steps of (1) dissolving crude extract of Japanese loquat leaves in alkali and aqueous alcohol and (2) applying the solution to a nonpolar adsorption resin to obtain corosolic acid.

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 31aY that stores the liquid developer collected by the developer carrier cleaning member 21Y, a supply section 31bY that makes liquid developer flow to the collection reservoir 31aY, a conveyance member 34Y that conveys the liquid developer collected in the collection reservoir 31aY in a first direction X and a conveyance capacity regulation section 39bY that regulates the conveyance capacity of the conveyance member 34Y.

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: To provide a solder alloy, a solder ball and an electronic member having a solder bump, used for connection with a mother board or the like, having a melting temperature of less than 250° C. for the solder alloy, achieving high drop impact resistance required in mobile devices or the like. A solder alloy is used which consists of not less than 0.1 mass ppm of boron and not greater than 200 mass ppm of boron and a remainder comprising substantially not less than 40% by mass of Sn, in which its melting temperature is less than 250° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a soy sauce koji having a reduced Busho-shu which is one of the unpleasant smells of soy sauce, and a soy sauce koji having a reduced Busho-shu obtained by this production process. Specifically, the process for producing a soy sauce koji is characterized by using a combination of a koji mold having a high isobutyric acid productivity and another koji mold having a low isobutyric acid productivity. The present invention also relates to a process for producing a soy sauce having a reduced Busho-shu and a soy sauce obtained by this production process.

Abstract: A liquid developer transport device includes: a channel switching part that dispenses a liquid developer; a first channel for flowing the liquid developer dispensed by the channel switching part; a filtering part provided in the first channel for filtering the liquid developer flowing in the first channel; a first storage part connected to the first channel for storing the liquid developer filtered by the filtering part; a second channel for flowing the liquid developer dispensed by the channel switching part; and a second storage part connected to the second channel for storing the liquid developer flowing in the second channel.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming device is provided which includes an image holder on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. A magnetic roller has a magnetic brush including nonmagnetic toner and a magnetic carrier using a magnetic force. Donor rollers are provided which have toner layers that are received from the magnetic roller on an outer circumference of each of the donor rollers. The donor rollers are located opposite to the image holder to develop the toner onto the electrostatic latent image.

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 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: A method of measuring density includes detecting movement of a moving member in a light path of light emitted from a light emitting member, measuring an output of a light receiving member for a case where the moving member is moved in the light path, as a first output, detecting that the moving member is not in the light path, measuring an output of the light receiving member for a case where the moving member is not in the light path, as a second output, and calculating density based on the first output and the second output.

Abstract: A density measuring device includes a moving member that can be moved in a liquid, a light emitting member and a light receiving member that receives light emitted by the light emitting member. A gap part in which the moving member is disposed in a path of light emitted from the light emitting member can be moved. A density measuring unit measures the density of the liquid based on the result of output of the light receiving member for a case where the moving member is located in the path of light emitted from the light emitting member and a case where the moving member is not located in the path of light emitted from the light emitting member.

Abstract: A hybrid type developing apparatus and method forms a magnetic brush of non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier on a circumference of a magnetic roller forms a uniform toner layer on the circumference of a donor roller using only toner from the magnetic roller, and develops an electrostatic latent image on an image receptor. The hybrid type developing apparatus includes: a plurality of electrodes on the circumference of the donor roller; first and second brush electrodes in an upstream area and a downstream area, respectively, of the donor roller facing the magnetic roller with respect to a direction of rotation; and a bias applying device for applying a recovery bias to the first brush electrode to remove toner from the donor roller and a supply bias to the second brush electrode to supply toner from the magnetic roller to the donor roller.

Abstract: While a player is fingering a music tune on a piano, an electronic assistant system monitors the keys to see whether or not the player starts to produce tones through a particular playing technique such as repetition; when the electronic assistant system finds particular key movements unique to the particular playing technique in an early stage, the electronic assistant system decides that the player intends to produce the tone through the particular playing technique, and forces the key to travel on a reference key trajectory in the later stage, whereby the player learns the particular playing technique.

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.