Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor for emitting ultrasonic waves and for receiving the waves reflected from objects is mounted on a mounting member such as a bumper of an automotive vehicle. A through-hole for inserting a front portion of the ultrasonic sensor is formed in the bumper. The ultrasonic sensor is connected to an inner surface of the bumper using a fixing member so that a vibrating front surface of the ultrasonic sensor is exposed to the front side of the bumper. A front periphery of the through-hole which is rough due to machining burrs or the like is covered with a masking member formed separately from the mounting member. Thus, the ultrasonic sensor is easily mounted on a bumper without damaging its ornamental design.

Abstract: A mesostructured film is provided having a structure in which surfactant molecular assemblies are regularly arranged three-dimensionally. A polymer compound thin film is formed on the substrate surface through spin coating or the like, and a rotating roller wrapped with a cloth is pressed against the polymer film for rubbing in one direction. The polymer material includes polyimide, polyamide, and polystyrene. The substrate includes a silica glass substrate and a silicon substrate. The mesostructured film can be formed by retaining the substrate in an aqueous solution containing a surfactant, silicon alkoxide, and acid. After being retained in the solution, the substrate is heated at about 60 to 120° C. for several hours to several days for reaction. The surfactant includes C18H37 (OCH2CH2)200H and C16H33 (OCH2CH2) 200H. The alkoxide included tetraethoxysilane, tetramethoxysilane, and tetrapropoxysilane. Hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, or sulfuric acid is used as a catalyst.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which air or dust does not enter a recording liquid tube when an ink cartridge is changed is disclosed. An engine unit, in which an image forming section and a sub scanning direction paper carrying section are integrated as one unit, is removably attached to an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus. Further, an ink cartridge storing section, in which an ink cartridge is removably stored, is integrated into the engine unit, and is changed together with the engine unit. In addition, a carriage, the recording liquid tube, and the ink cartridge storing section are removed as one unit from the engine unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a head part with an ejection port configured to eject ink, a discarded-ink tank configured to collect ejected or absorbed ink in order to restore a function of the ejection port, and a sensing device configured to sense the discarded ink collected in the discarded-ink tank, the sensing device including an absorber configured to absorb the ink and an optical sensor configured to sense the light received from the absorber is disclosed, wherein the apparatus uses ink having a characteristic such that the discarded ink is accumulated in a mountain-like shape in the discarded-ink tank, and the absorber is arranged at the location, at which discarded ink can be absorbed when a mountain top of the discarded ink accumulated in a mountain-like shape reaches a predetermined height so that the discarded ink flows along a slope of the discarded ink accumulated in a mountain-like shape to the absorber.

Abstract: The invention provides a structured material characterized in having, on a substrate (11), a layer (12) having tubular (13) pores positioned uniaxially parallel to the interface of the substrate and the layer and supporting a conductive polymer material (14,21) having a function of a surfactant (22) therein. The invention also provides a method for producing the above structure material characterized by the steps of providing a substrate having the anisotropy on a surface, applying a solution containing a surfactant having a functional group for polymerization in the molecular structure, a solvent therefor, and a solute different from the surfactant to the substrate, and a step of standing for a predetermined time for causing the surfactant to assemble in a predetermined direction based on the anisotropy of the substrate.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes an ultrasonic microphone having a circular vibration surface, a substantially cylindrical cushion unit where the ultrasonic microphone is inserted, and a case unit which has a fitting portion provided with a cylindrical engagement hole therein. The cushion unit and the fitting portion are respectively provided with cushion-side guide portions and fitting-side guide portions which are to be engaged with each other, so that the cushion unit is axially guided to be inserted into the fitting portion and restricted from circumferentially rotating. The cushion unit has cushion-side engagement portions, which are engaged with case-side engagement portions of the fitting portion and capable of bending toward a diametrically inner side of the cushion unit in the insertion of the cushion unit into the fitting portion.

Abstract: Engaging portions of an ultrasonic sensor apparatus are engaged with engaging portions of a holding member at a first angular position of the ultrasonic sensor apparatus when the ultrasonic sensor apparatus is axially installed to the holding member, which is in turn installed to a bumper. At the time of uninstalling the sensor apparatus from the holding member, one of the engaging portions is radially outwardly disengaged from a corresponding one of the engaging portions of the holding member, and then the sensor apparatus is rotated to a second angular position to release engagement between the rest of the engaging portions of the sensor apparatus and the rest of the engaging portions of the holding member. Thereafter, the sensor apparatus is axially pulled away from the holding member to uninstall the sensor apparatus from the holding member.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor assembly includes an ultrasonic sensor apparatus, a holding member and a spring arrangement. The spring arrangement includes two spring portions, which are connected together by a connecting portion. The spring portions are partially secured to a housing of the ultrasonic sensor apparatus and are resiliently deformed between the housing and a rear surface of a bumper. The spring portions and a flange portion of the holding member cooperate together to clamp the bumper therebetween.

Abstract: In an image forming device comprising an image forming part forming an image on a recording sheet, a sheet ejection part provided above the image forming part and stacking the recording sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming part, and an image reading part provided above the sheet ejection part and reading an image of an original document, the sheet ejection part is provided with a cover which is capable of being opened or closed to the sheet ejection part.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus provides an improved printing speed and improved convenience of use. A recording head discharges droplets of a recording liquid onto a paper so as to form an image on the paper. A belt conveyance mechanism has a belt onto which the paper is electrostatically attached. The paper attached onto the belt is conveyed in a direction perpendicular to a carding direction of the paper.

Abstract: A head cleaner is disclosed that includes a blade that has a top face and wipes the nozzle face of a liquid droplet ejecting head that ejects liquid droplets from nozzles, and a cleaning part that cleans the top face of the blade.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit configured to form an image on a recording medium, and a guide device configured to guide the printing unit to be drawn in a direction perpendicular to a recording medium conveying direction in which the recording medium is conveyed. Thus, because the printing unit can be drawn out from the main body of the apparatus, maintenance work to the printing unit can be easily performed in a state that the printing unit has been drawn out from the apparatus.

Abstract: A structural analysis program which enables easy structural analysis in accordance with a finite element method based on data representing a two-dimensional shape. A two-dimensional model of a structure is produced in response to a manipulation input which designates a material arrangement pattern and a thickness of each layer of the structure. A three-dimensional model is produced by adding the designated thickness of each layer to the material arrangement pattern of the layer so as to make the material arrangement pattern three-dimensional and stacking the three-dimensionalized material arrangement pattern of each layer. A finite element model is produced by dividing the three-dimensional model into a plurality of voxels. The computer performs structural analysis based on the produced finite element model. Thereby, an analysis result of a multilayer structure defined by the two-dimensional model is obtained.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor has a sensor body, a diaphragm, and a vibrator for generating ultrasonic and attached to the diaphragm. The diaphragm has a thinnest portion. The thinnest portion has a predetermined thickness by which reverberation of the diaphragm is restrained. The reflected ultrasonic can be detected correctly by this construction of the sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus for dropping paper sheets at a predetermined paper-stack position when the paper sheets are ejected from a facsimile device includes a conveyor belt which carries the paper sheets, a housing, containing the conveyer belt, which is detachably installed on the facsimile device where the paper sheets are ejected from the facsimile device such that the conveyor belt extends from a paper outlet of the facsimile device to the predetermined paper-stack position, and a driving motor, driving the conveyor belt to carry the paper sheets, which starts operating about a time when the facsimile device starts a paper-ejection operation thereof and stops operating about a time when the facsimile device stops the paper-ejection operation thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for dropping paper sheets at a predetermined paper-stack position when the paper sheets are ejected from a facsimile device includes a conveyor belt which carries the paper sheets, a housing, containing the conveyer belt, which is detachably installed on the facsimile device where the paper sheets are ejected from the facsimile device such that the conveyor belt extends from a paper outlet of the facsimile device to the predetermined paper-stack position, and a driving motor, driving the conveyor belt to carry the paper sheets, which starts operating about a time when the facsimile device starts a paper-ejection operation thereof and stops operating about a time when the facsimile device stops the paper-ejection operation thereof.

Abstract: A data transmission and receiving apparatus capable of removing a stack of recording sheets that have been ejected. The apparatus includes an image recording mechanism that records an image on a recording sheet, an ejection mechanism that ejects a recording sheet recorded by the image recording mechanism, a sheet tray that accommodates the recording sheet ejected by the ejection mechanism, and a sheet conveyer that is mounted underneath the ejection mechanism and over the sheet tray. The sheet conveyer includes a pair of frames, a plurality of foot members mounted on the bottom surface of the pair of frames, and a sheet conveying mechanism held for rotation between the pair of frames. The sheet conveying mechanism includes a belt that conveys the recording sheet ejected by the ejection mechanism, a drive roller that drives the belt, and an idle roller.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a separating unit for separating individual sheets of an original document. The separating unit feeds such individual sheets to a reading unit which can read images on a document. To ensure stable operation of both the separating unit and the reading unit, the separating unit is provided with a dedicated separating motor for driving the elements therein, and the reading unit is provided with a dedicated reading motor for driving the elements therein. Moreover, a first transporting roller in the separating unit has a rotating speed which is equal to or greater than a rotating speed of a second transporting roller provided in the reading unit, to thereby ensure stable feeding of the original document sheet from the separating unit to the reading unit. This structure ensures that any fluctuations in the driving elements of the separating unit will not adversely affect any driving elements in the reading unit.

Abstract: A short ring is mounted onto a back part of a housing of an ultrasonic sensor so that the short ring is coaxial with the housing. The width of the short ring along the axial direction of the housing is set such that it shields the back part of the housing including a transformer of a processor. The short ring is made up of an excellent metal conductor and is coaxial with the coils of the transformer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus indicates completion of a scanning operation for both sides of an original document, or completion of a transmitting operation of image information data corresponding to both sides of the original document. The image forming apparatus scans both sides of the original document for obtaining the image information data. A first marker unit provides a first mark when a scanning of a front side of the original document is completed or when a transmission of image information data corresponding to the front side is completed. A second marker unit provides a second mark when a scanning of a reverse side of the original document is completed or when a transmission of image information data corresponding to the reverse side is completed.