Abstract: A needle puncher includes a needle and a grip member. The needle has a tip and a head spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the needle. The needle also has a held portion disposed between the tip and the head The grip member is configured to hold the needle in a manner such that the tip of the needle is exposed from the grip member. The grip member includes a holding portion and a grip portion. The holding portion holds the held portion of the needle, and the grip portion is gripped by a user of the needle puncher. The holding portion and the grip portion include front ends, respectively. The front end of the holding portion is closer to the head of the needle than the front end of the grip portion is.

Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] To provide a high-refractivity low-dispersion optical glass that enables the stable production of high-quality optical elements. [Means to Solve the Problems] An optical glass comprising, as essential components, 20 to 50% of B3+, 5 to 35% of La3+, 1 to 30% of Nb5+, 0.5 to 15% of Ta5+, and 11 to 40% of Zn2+, the total content of B3+ and Si4+ being 20 to 50%, the total content of La3+, Gd3+ and Y3+ being 5 to 35%, the cationic ratio of ((B3++Si4+)/(La3++Gd3++Y3+)) being from 1 to 5, the total content of Ti4+, Nb5+, Ta5+ and W6+ being 10 to 35%, the cationic ratio of ((Nb5++Ta5+)/(Ti4++Nb5++Ta5++W6+)) being from 0.7 to 1, the cationic ratio of ((B3++Si4+)/(Ti4++Nb5++Ta5++W6+)) being from 0.5 to 4, the cationic ratio of ((La3++Gd3++Y3+)/(Ti4++Nb5++Ta5++W6+)) being from 0.2 to 3, the cationic ratio of Zn2+/Zn2++Mg2++Ca2++Sr2++Ba2+) being from 0.8 to 1, the optical glass having a refractive index nd of 1.89 or more and an Abbe's number ?d of 27 to 37.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical glass with a high refractive index and good precision press moldability, and a preform for precision press molding and an optical element that are comprised of the optical glass. The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing an optical element, a lens unit being equipped with an optical element and an image pickup device being equipped with a lens unit.

Abstract: A composition for an adhesive hydrogel, comprising at least: a polymeric matrix former; water; and a polyhydric alcohol; the polymeric matrix former comprising at least: (a) (meth)acrylic acid, a (meth)acrylic acid derivative or a vinyl derivative having 2 carboxyl groups and 4 or 5 carbon atoms; (b) (meth)acrylamide or a (meth)acrylamide derivative; (c) N-vinyl-2-caprolactam and/or N-vinyl-2-valerolactam; and (d) a cross-linkable monomer, wherein the content percentage of the (b) in the composition for an adhesive hydrogel is 2 to 20% by weight.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member, a charger, a latent image forming device, a developing device, and a transfer device is provided. The transfer device is adapted to transfer a toner image formed on the latent image bearing member onto an intermediate transfer member or a recording medium by action of a transfer elected field in a transfer position where the latent image bearing member faces the transfer device. When a non-charged portion of the latent image bearing member that has not been charged to a predetermined potential by the charger passes through the transfer position, a strength of the transfer electric field is lowered than that in transferring the toner image.

Abstract: A development device to develop a latent image using developer having a degree of agglomeration of 54% or greater includes a developer bearer to carry developer thereon, and a developer supply member to contact the developer bearer to supply developer to a surface of the developer bearer. The developer supply member is disposed to satisfy at least one of two conditions: a biting amount of the developer supply member relative to the developer bearer is 0.7 mm or greater; and a contact pressure of the developer supply member against the developer bearer is 30 N/m or greater.

Abstract: A device with a stepped automatic transmission to transfer power from a power source to an axle using changeable shift speeds includes an input-side fluid transmission element connected to the power source, an output-side fluid transmission element connected to the transmission input shaft, a lock-up clutch engaging and disengaging the input-side and the output-side fluid transmission elements; a unit adjusting the lock-up clutch; a unit setting, when a downshift is to be performed in response to a predetermined request for a large drive force, a predetermined target slip speed value larger than a non-shifting-time value before a rotational speed of the power source exceeds a input shaft rotational speed after the downshift, and setting the target slip speed to decrease toward the non-shifting-time value along with lapse of time after the power source rotational speed source exceeds the post-shifting input shaft speed; and a unit controlling the engagement force so the slip speed becomes the set target slip s

Abstract: Provided is a color image forming apparatus that includes: image carriers that form toner image of black and other colors; an intermediate transfer body that makes contact with the image carriers; and transfer units that transfer the toner images on the image carriers to the intermediate transfer body. A line velocity difference is set between the image carriers and the intermediate transfer body. An accelerated cohesion degree of toner is equal to or larger than 54%. A linear velocity difference X1 between the image carrier for black and the intermediate transfer body satisfies a relation of 0<X1?1.2 mm/sec. A linear velocity difference X2 between the image carriers for the colors and the intermediate transfer body satisfies a relation of 2.1?X2?4.0 mm/sec.

Abstract: An image developing device includes a developer supporting body; a first conveyance path in which a first conveyance member is arranged; a second conveyance path in which a second conveyance member is arranged; and a partition member that partitions the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path and that has a first communication port and a second communication port. The first communication path and the second communication path communicates with each other through the first communication port and the second communication port. The image developing device includes a developer amount detection unit that includes an optical detection unit arranged in the second conveyance path and that optically detects an amount of the developer in the image forming device. The developer is caused to accumulate in the vicinity of the developer amount detection unit.

Abstract: An optical glass having a refractive index nd of 1.70 or greater and an Abbé number of 50 or greater. Given as mole percentages, it comprises: B2O3 (20 to 80 percent), SiO2 (0 to 30 percent), Li2O (1 to 25 percent), ZnO (0 to 20 percent), La2O3 (4 to 30 percent), Gd2O3 (1 to 25 percent), Y2O3 (0 to 20 percent), ZrO2 (0 to 5 percent), MgO (0 to 25 percent), CaO (0 to 15 percent), and SrO (0 to 10 percent), with the combined quantity of the above components being 97 percent or greater. The molar ratio of {ZnO/(La2O3+Gd2O3+Y2O3)} is 0.8 or less and the molar ratio of {(CaO+SrO+BaO)/(La2O3+Gd2O3+Y2O3)} is 0.8 or less. Ta2O5 may be incorporated as an optional component, with the molar ratio {(ZrO2+Ta2O5)/(La2O3+Gd2O3+Y2O3)} being 0.4 or less.

Abstract: An optical Glass characterized by comprising, denoted as molar percentages: B2O5—5 to 45 percent; SiO2—0 to 6 percent (excluding 6 percent); Li2O, Na2O, K2O in total—0 to 3 percent; ZnO—10 to 40 percent; La2O3—5 to 30 percent; Gd2O3—1 to 20 percent; and ZrO2, TaO2, TiO2, Nb2O5, WO3, and Bi2O3 in total—2.5 to 20 percent. The cation ratio of the Ti4+ content relative to the total content of Zr4+, Ta5+, Ti4+, Nb5+, W6+, and Bi3+ is 0.30 or lower; in that the temperature Tp at which a viscosity of 107.2 dPa·s is exhibited is 706° C. or lower. The refractive index nd and the Abbé number v(nu)d satisfy all of the following relations (I) to (IV): 34.0?vd<40 (I); nd?1.87 (II); nd?2.245?0.01×vd (III) and nd?2.28?0.01×vd (IV).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical glass with a high refractive index and good precision press moldability, and a preform for precision press molding and an optical element that are comprised of the optical glass. The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing an optical element, a lens unit being equipped with an optical element and an image pickup device being equipped with a lens unit.

Abstract: A pompon making tool includes a first member and a second member to be superposed on each other. The first member includes a pair of arms movable relative to each other, and each arm includes an arcuate portion. Likewise, the second member includes a pair of arms movable relative to each other, and each arm includes an arcuate portion. The arcuate portions of the first and the second member each include a base plate portion, and a pair of thread support portions spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the base plate portion. The thread support portions each include a top portion on the outer side of the base plate portion and extend in the longitudinal direction of the arcuate portion.

Abstract: An optical glass having a refractive index nd of 1.70 or greater and an Abbé number of 50 or greater. Given as mole percentages, it comprises: B2O3 (20 to 80 percent), SiO2 (0 to 30 percent), Li2O (1 to 25 percent), ZnO (0 to 20 percent), La2O3 (4 to 30 percent), Gd2O3 (1 to 25 percent), Y2O3 (0 to 20 percent), ZrO2 (0 to 5 percent), MgO (0 to 25 percent), CaO (0 to 15 percent), and SrO (0 to 10 percent), with the combined quantity of the above components being 97 percent or greater. The molar ratio of {ZnO/(La2O3+Gd2O3+Y2O3)} is 0.8 or less and the molar ratio of {(CaO+SrO+BaO)/(La2O3+Gd2O3+Y2O3)} is 0.8 or less. Ta2O5 may be incorporated as an optional component, with the molar ratio {(ZrO2+Ta2O5)/(La2O3+Gd2O3+Y2O3)} being 0.4 or less.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing glass containing a component(s) from Bi3+, Ti4+, Nb5+, and W6+, permitting stable production of high-quality glass with little coloration. A molten glass is contained in a container and is brought into contact with an electrode, a potential is applied so that the electrode serves as an anode and the container coming into contact with the molten glass serves as a cathode. The electrode has a standard electrode potential greater than that of the container. A voltage is applied between the cathode and the anode, with the value of the potential at which the current flowing between the cathode and anode essentially goes to zero as the upper limit thereof, to inhibit corrosion of the container. Further provided are methods of manufacturing a glass material for press molding and an optical element from the glass prepared by the above method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical glass with a high refractive index and good precision press moldability, and a preform for precision press molding and an optical element that are comprised of the optical glass. The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing an optical element, a lens unit being equipped with an optical element and an image pickup device being equipped with a lens unit.

Abstract: An optical glass in the form of an oxide glass, characterized by comprising, denoted as cation percentages: P5+ 14 to 36%; Bi3+ 12 to 34%; Nb5+ 12 to 34%; Ti4+ 5 to 20%; and W6+ 0 to 22%; wherein the total content of Bi3+, Nb5+, Ti4+, and W6+ is equal to or greater than 50%; and in that the Knoop hardness is equal to or higher than 370, the refractive index nd is equal to or higher than 2.02, and the Abbé number vd is equal to or lower than 19.0. A glass material for press molding and an optical element comprised of this optical glass. A method for manufacturing a glass material for press molding comprising the step of mechanically processing this optical glass.

Abstract: A glass material for mold pressing, comprising a core portion comprised of an optical glass with a degree of abrasion FA of 200 or higher and a covering portion comprised of a second glass covering at least a portion of the surface of said core portion. A method for manufacturing an optical glass element, wherein a glass material that has been preformed to a prescribed shape is heat softened and press molded with a pressing mold and the outer perimeter portion of the molded product obtained is removed by mechanical processing. The above-mentioned glass material for mold pressing is used as the glass material. To provide a means whereby an optical element does not bear scratches on optically functional surfaces through contact during handling after the press molding of press molded glass products despite being comprised of a glass material with a high degree of abrasion, and a means whereby even when scratched, the function of the optical element finally obtained is unaffected.