Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus is provided, which enables to increase a treatment area and provide good treatment uniformity. This apparatus comprises a pair of electrode plates having a plurality of through holes and an insulating plate having a plurality of through holes. The insulating plate is disposed between the electrode plates such that positions of the through holes of the electrode plates correspond to the positions of the through holes of the insulating plate. A plurality of discharge spaces are formed by the through holes of the electrode plates and the through holes of the insulating plate. By applying a voltage between the electrode plates, while supplying a plasma generation gas into the discharge spaces, plasmas are generated simultaneously in the discharge spaces, and sprayed on an object to efficiently perform a large-area, uniform plasma treatment.

Abstract: A coil spring 60 is provided in an empty room (inside of a fixing roller 50) of a main body 52 of a roller. The coil spring 60 is in contact with an inside wall 52a surrounding the empty room of the roller main body 52 and pushes the inside wall 52a outward. The coil spring 60 and the inside wall face 52a are coated with a black film 66 except the contact portion 62 of the coil spring 60 and the inside wall 52a.

Abstract: A medium-scale IP telecommunications network is configured in a low-cost optical network with good reliability and expandability. A physical configuration example has a center node 2-1 and eight local nodes 2-11 through 2-18 connected in one OADM ring 2-21/2-22. The logical configuration is a star configuration with the central node 2-1 at its origin with all traffic passing through the center node 2-1. The local nodes 2-11 through 2-18 are connected to the central node 2-1 by wavelength-unit optical channels or optical paths ?1 through ?8. Channels are added as required. Initially, for example, the center node 2-1 and the local node 2-5 are connected by ?5, but ?13 can added when the need arises. Since the logical star network is limited to approximately two add/drop optical channels at local nodes, costs are reduced by using inexpensive filters (e.g., dielectric interference film filters or fiber Bragg reflectors) that are capable of extracting only the specific wavelength of the optical channel.

Abstract: A coil spring 60 is provided in an empty room (inside of a fixing roller 50) of a main body 52 of a roller. The coil spring 60 is in contact with an inside wall 52a surrounding the empty room of the roller main body 52 and pushes the inside wall 52a outward. The coil spring 60 and the inside wall face 52a are coated with a black film 66 except the contact portion 62 of the coil spring 60 and the inside wall 52a.

Abstract: An optical transmission apparatus, an optical repeater using the optical transmission apparatus, and an optical cross-connect equipment for controlling switches depending on supervisory information, comprising: a doped fiber for amplifying an optical signal of wavelength ?d; a wavelength multiplexer for outputting a pumping light to the doped fiber; a wavelength multiplexer for multiplexing an amplified optical signal and a supervisory optical signal to as to output it to an optical fiber at downstream side; a pumping and supervisory light source; an optical coupler for distributing the light from the light source at a ratio of N:1 to the wavelength multiplexers; and a driver for controlling the light source by adding the supervisory information and a direct current signal.

Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus is provided, which enables to increase a treatment area and provide good treatment uniformity. This apparatus comprises a pair of electrode plates having a plurality of through holes and an insulating plate having a plurality of through holes. The insulating plate is disposed between the electrode plates such that positions of the through holes of the electrode plates correspond to the positions of the through holes of the insulating plate. A plurality of discharge spaces are formed by the through holes of the electrode plates and the through holes of the insulating plate. By applying a voltage between the electrode plates, while supplying a plasma generation gas into the discharge spaces, plasmas are generated simultaneously in the discharge spaces, and sprayed on an object to efficiently perform a large-area, uniform plasma treatment.

Abstract: A coil spring 60 is provided in an empty room (inside of a fixing roller 50) of a main body 52 of a roller. The coil spring 60 is in contact with an inside wall 52a surrounding the empty room of the roller main body 52 and pushes the inside wall 52a outward. The coil spring 60 and the inside wall face 52a are coated with a black film 66 except the contact portion 62 of the coil spring 60 and the inside wall 52a.

Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus and method are provided, which have the capability of maintaining a stable discharge, achieving a sufficient plasma treatment, and reducing plasma temperature. In this apparatus, electrodes are arranged to define a discharge space therebetween, and a dielectric material is disposed at a discharge-space side of at least one of the electrodes. A voltage is applied between the electrodes, while a plasma generation gas being supplied into the discharge space, to develop the discharge in the discharge space under a pressure substantially equal to atmospheric pressure, and provide the plasma generated by the discharge from the discharge space. A waveform of the voltage applied between the electrodes is an alternating voltage waveform without rest period. At least one of rising and falling times of the alternating voltage waveform is 100 ?sec or less. A repetition frequency is in a range of 0.5 to 1000 kHz. An electric-field intensity applied between the electrodes is in a range of 0.

Abstract: A medium-scale IP telecommunications network is configured in a low-cost optical network with good reliability and expandability. A physical configuration example has a center node 2-1 and eight local nodes 2-11 through 2-18 connected in one OADM ring 2-21/2-22. The logical configuration is a star configuration with the central node 2-1 at its origin with all traffic passing through the center node 2-1. The local nodes 2-11 through 2-18 are connected to the central node 2-1 by wavelength-unit optical channels or optical paths &lgr;1 through &lgr;8. Channels are added as required. Initially, for example, the center node 2-1 and the local node 2-5 are connected by &lgr;5, but &lgr;13 can added when the need arises. Since the logical star network is limited to approximately two add/drop optical channels at local nodes, costs are reduced by using inexpensive filters (e.g.

Abstract: An optical transmission apparatus, an optical repeater using the optical transmission apparatus, and an optical cross-connect equipment for controlling switches depending on supervisory information, comprising: a doped fiber for amplifying an optical signal of wavelength &ogr;d; a wavelength multiplexer for outputting a pumping light to the doped fiber; a wavelength multiplexer for multiplexing an amplified optical signal and a supervisory optical signal to as to output it to an optical fiber at downstream side; a pumping and supervisory light source; an optical coupler for distributing the light from the light source at a ratio of N:1 to the wavelength multiplexers; and a driver for controlling the light source by adding the supervisory information and a direct current signal.

Abstract: An optical transmission apparatus, an optical repeater using the optical transmission apparatus, and an optical cross-connect equipment for controlling switches depending on supervisory information, comprising: a doped fiber for amplifying an optical signal of wavelength Od; a wavelength multiplexer for outputting a pumping light to the doped fiber; a wavelength multiplexer for multiplexing an amplified optical signal and a supervisory optical signal to as to output it to an optical fiber at downstream side; a pumping and supervisory light source; an optical coupler for distributing the light from the light source at a ratio of N:1 to the wavelength multiplexers; and a driver for controlling the light source by adding the supervisory information and a direct current signal.

Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus and a plasma treatment method having the capability of uniformly treating an object with plasma at a high treatment speed. This apparatus includes a tubular vessel having a laterally elongated cross section, a pair of electrodes arranged such that electric flux lines develop substantially in an axial direction of the tubular vessel when one of an AC voltage and a pulse voltage is applied between the electrodes, a gas supply for supplying a streamer generation gas into the tubular vessel, a power source for applying the voltage between the electrodes to generate plural streamers of the gas in the tubular vessel, and a plasma uniformity mechanism for making the plural streamers uniform in a lateral direction of the laterally elongated cross section of the tubular vessel to provide the plasma from one end of the tubular vessel.

Abstract: When a roll paper unit 200 is incorporated into an image formation apparatus, a second outlet guide member 92 is turned around a pivot 92a in the direction of an arrow G, i.e., moved from a position of solid lines to a position of two-dot chain lines, a rear end portion 92b of this second outlet guide member 92 pressing down a front end portion 80c of a guide member 80 to cause the guide member 80 to be turned around a central shaft 80d in the direction of an arrow H, i.e., moved from a position of solid lines to a position of two-dot chain line. Consequently, a path extending in the direction of an arrow C is closed, while a path extending in the direction of an arrow F is opened, the roll paper 72 being transferred in the paper feed direction. When the roll paper unit 200 is drawn out, the second outlet guide member 92 and the guide member 80 are turned in the directions opposite to those mentioned above.

Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus includes two or more pairs of electrodes for plasma generation, a treatment chamber for accommodating the electrodes, gas supply unit for supplying a plasma-generation gas such as rare gas into the chamber, and a power supply. A pulse-like or AC voltage is applied between the electrodes to generate dielectric barrier discharge plasma of the gas in the vicinity of atmospheric pressure, so that an object placed between the electrodes is treated by the plasma. At least one of the electrodes is provided with a tubular electrode substrate and a protection layer formed by heat-fusion coating a glass-based material on at least an outer surface exposed to plasma of the tubular electrode substrate.

Abstract: An optical transmission apparatus, an optical repeater using the optical transmission apparatus, and an optical cross-connect equipment for controlling switches depending on supervisory information, comprising: a doped fiber for amplifying an optical signal of wavelength Od; a wavelength multiplexer for outputting a pumping light to the doped fiber; a wavelength multiplexer for multiplexing an amplified optical signal and a supervisory optical signal to as to output it to an optical fiber at downstream side; a pumping and supervisory light source; an optical coupler for distributing the light from the light source at a ratio of N:1 to the wavelength multiplexers; and a driver for controlling the light source by adding the supervisory information and a direct current signal.

Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus can generate atmospheric pressure plasma with reliability by help of an ignition electrode to facilitate starting the apparatus without using an expensive impedance matching device. The apparatus comprises a plasma-generation chamber having an aperture from which the plasma blows out, a gas supply unit for supplying a gas for plasma generation into the chamber, a pair of electrodes, a power source for applying an AC electric field between the electrodes to maintain the plasma in the chamber, a pulse generator for providing a pulse voltage, and the ignition electrode for applying the pulse voltage to the gas supplied in the chamber to generate the plasma.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing of an article, comprising: a central electrode; a tubular outer electrode which is provided so as to surround the central electrode; a tubular reaction pipe which is disposed between the central electrode and the outer electrode so as to electrically insulate the central electrode and the outer electrode from each other; a gas supply device for supplying a plasma producing gas to a discharge space defined between the central electrode and the outer electrode in the reaction pipe; an AC power source for applying an AC voltage between the central electrode and the outer electrode; wherein not only the plasma producing gas is supplied to the discharge space by the gas supply device but the AC voltage is applied between the central electrode and the outer electrode by the AC power source so as to generate a glow discharge in the discharge space under atmospheric pressure such that a plasma jet is blown to the article from a blow-off outlet of the reac

Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus capable of efficiently performing a plasma treatment to a large area of an object while preventing the occurrence of streamer discharge is provided. The apparatus includes at least one pair of electrodes, gas supply unit for supplying a gas for plasma generation to a discharge space defined between the electrodes, and an electric power supply for applying an AC voltage between the electrodes to generate plasma of the gas for plasma generation in the discharge space. At least one of the pair of electrodes has a dielectric layer at an outer surface thereof. At least one of the pair of electrodes has a curved surface jutting into the discharge space. It is preferred that the electrodes are of a cylindrical structure. In this case, it is particularly preferred that the plasma treatment apparatus further includes a coolant supply unit for supplying a coolant to the interior of the electrodes to reduce an electrode temperature during the plasma treatment.

Abstract: An optical transmission apparatus, an optical repeater using the optical transmission apparatus, and an optical cross-connect equipment for controlling switches depending on supervisory information, comprising: a doped fiber for amplifying an optical signal of wavelength &lgr;d; a wavelength multiplexer for outputting a pumping light to the doped fiber; a wavelength multiplexer for multiplexing an amplified optical signal and a supervisory optical signal to as to output it to an optical fiber at downstream side; a pumping and supervisory light source; an optical coupler for distributing the light from the light source at a ratio of N:1 to the wavelength multiplexers; and a driver for controlling the light source by adding the supervisory information and a direct current signal.

Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus having the capability of uniformly treating an object with plasma at a high treatment speed and a plasma treatment method are provided. This apparatus comprises a tubular vessel having a laterally elongated cross section, a pair of electrodes arranged such that electric flux lines develop substantially in an axial direction of the tubular vessel when one of an AC voltage and a pulse voltage is applied between the electrodes, a gas supply for supplying a streamer generation gas into the tubular vessel, a power source for applying the voltage between the electrodes to generate plural streamers of the gas in the tubular vessel, and a plasma uniform means for making the plural streamers uniform in a lateral direction of the laterally elongated cross section of the tubular vessel to provide the plasma from one end of the tubular vessel.