Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable heating member configured to heat an image on a recording medium at a nip, driving means configured to drive the heating member, an endless belt configured to form the nip with the heating member, and a driving roller configured to drive the endless belt. In the image heating apparatus, the following expressions are satisfied: ?2<?1 0.005<?2<0.3 V1<V2 where ?2 is a friction coefficient between the endless belt and the driving roller, ?1 is a friction coefficient between the heating member and the endless belt, V1 is a peripheral speed of the heating member, and V2 is a peripheral speed of the driving roller.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotatable member for heating an image on a recording material in a heating nip; a belt for cooperating with the heating rotatable member to form a heating nip; a pad for urging the belt toward the heating rotatable member at the heating nip; and a sheet covering a surface of the pad opposed to the heating rotatable member, the sheet being slidable on the belt, wherein includes a surface layer having a low friction property and a base layer having a tensile strength of 300-600 MPa.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a printing medium provided on a base material with a porous ink-receiving layer which comprises, as principal components, an alumina hydrate having a boehmite structure and a binder, wherein when measuring with an ink containing 0.1% by weight of a surfactant, the time required to absorb 30 ng of an ink is 400 milliseconds or shorter, the dye-adsorbing capacity falls within a range of from 900 to 2,000 mg/m2, and the index of dye-adsorbing rate falls within a range of from 0.0 to 5.0.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an image, a recording material bearing member for bearing and feeding a recording material, and a transfer member for electrostatically transferring the image on the image bearing member to the recording material borne on the recording material bearing member while being brought into contact with the back surface of the recording material bearing member, in which voltage applied to the transfer member is larger than voltage applied to the recording material bearing member when a predetermined electric current is supplied to the transfer member while the recording material bearing member is being moved, such that the following relationship holds: 900≦V·(S·L)/I≦4500 (kV·mm2/&mgr;C) where I (&mgr;C/sec.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier which carries an electrostatic image, a developing device for developing the electrostatic image using toner, a rotating transfer member which transfers a toner image on the image bearer, a charging device for charging an image bearer on which residual toner is deposited due to transfer by the rotating transfer member, the charging device allowing residual toner on the image bearer to be collected, and a returning device for returning toner in the charging device to the image bearer, the rotating transfer member transferring onto the rotating transfer member at least a portion of toner returned to the image bearer by the returning device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming an image on a recording material; a recording material bearing member for bearing and conveying the recording material toward the image forming portion; an attraction charging member that is disposed so as to come into contact with the recording material bearing member and induces charges to electrostatically attract the recording material onto the recording material bearing member; a power supply for supplying an electric current to the attraction charging member; and a control portion for changing a value of the electric current in accordance with the length of the recording material in a direction perpendicular to a recording material conveying direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the type in which it is possible to select an image forming station for image formation from a plurality of image forming stations, includes: a plurality of image forming stations each having an image bearing member for bearing a latent image and a developing device for developing the latent image on the image bearing member by a developer; transfer members adapted to come into contact with a medium member to induce a charge and to electrostatically transfer developed images formed in the plurality of image forming stations to the medium member; and a current control portion for controlling an electric current flowing through the transfer members, wherein the current control portion effects control such that no electric current flows through the transfer member corresponding to an image forming station not being used for image formation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which voltage is applied to an intermediate transfer body when a toner image is transferred from an image bearing body to the intermediate transfer body, and a controller controls variably a potential of a shadow portion of an electrostatic image so that a potential difference between the potential of the shadow portion and the voltage can be variable on the basis of a detected result of a detecting circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a printing medium provided on a base material with a porous ink-receiving layer which comprises, as principal components, an alumina hydrate having a boehmite structure and a binder, wherein when measuring with an ink containing 0.1% by weight of a surfactant, the time required to absorb 30 ng of an ink is 400 milliseconds or shorter, the dye-adsorbing capacity falls within a range of from 900 to 2,000 mg/m2, and the index of dye-adsorbing rate falls within a range of from 0.0 to 5.0.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming an image on a recording material; a recording material bearing member for bearing and conveying the recording material toward the image forming portion; an attraction charging member that is disposed so as to come into contact with the recording material bearing member and induces charges to electrostatically attract the recording material onto the recording material bearing member; a power supply for supplying an electric current to the attraction charging member; and a control portion for changing a value of the electric current in accordance with the length of the recording material in a direction perpendicular to a recording material conveying direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the type in which it is possible to select an image forming station for image formation from a plurality of image forming stations, includes: a plurality of image forming stations each having an image bearing member for bearing a latent image and a developing device for developing the latent image on the image bearing member by a developer; transfer members adapted to come into contact with a medium member to induce a charge and to electrostatically transfer developed images formed in the plurality of image forming stations to the medium member; and a current control portion for controlling an electric current flowing through the transfer members, wherein the current control portion effects control such that no electric current flows through the transfer member corresponding to an image forming station not being used for image formation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which voltage is applied to an intermediate transfer body when a toner image is transferred from an image bearing body to the intermediate transfer body, and control means controls variably a potential of a shadow portion of an electrostatic image so that a potential difference between the potential of the shadow portion and the voltage can be variable on the basis of a detected result of a detecting means.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier which carries an electrostatic image, a developing device for developing the electrostatic image using toner, a rotating transfer member which transfers a toner image on the image bearer, a charging device for charging an image bearer on which residual toner is deposited due to transfer by the rotating transfer member, the charging device allowing residual toner on the image bearer to be collected, and a returning device for returning toner in the charging device to the image bearer, the rotating transfer member transferring onto the rotating transfer member at least a portion of toner returned to the image bearer by the returning device.

Abstract: In a multiple-color image forming apparatus a voltage which is applied to the intermediate transfer member by the voltage applying device is constant-voltage-controlled, wherein there is a period when the image bearing member which is charged by the charger and on which no toner image is formed by the image forming device and the toner image which is transferred onto the intermediate transfer member exist at the transfer position, a detecting device for detecting a current that flows in the intermediate transfer member from the voltage applying device when the voltage is applied to the intermediate transfer member by the voltage applying device during the period, and a controller for controlling at least one of the voltage which is applied to the image bearing member by the charger and a voltage which is applied to the intermediate transfer member by the voltage applying device on the basis of a detection result by the detecting device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for conveying recording material. The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a recording material convey belt for bearing and conveying a recording material, a roller for supporting the recording material convey belt and having an insulation layer, and an electricity removal device for removing electricity from the insulation layer. The toner image on the image bearing member is electrostatically transferred onto the recording material borne by the recording material convey belt, and the roller supports the recording material convey belt at a separation position where the recording material is separated from the recording material convey belt.

Abstract: When degree of a streak of density fluctuation is varied mainly due to variation of a printing medium to be used and/or variation of use environment of an apparatus to be impossible to correct the density fluctuation, a test pattern is first output with maintaining a second image correcting portion for correction inoperative. A correction coefficient of an image signal corresponding to ink ejection openings at end portions is then set depending upon density fluctuation .DELTA.C.sub.SUM on the ink ejection openings at the end portions obtained from the result of reading. By this, in an ink jet printing apparatus, the streak in a printed image can be constantly restricted irrespective of variation of the printing medium to be used and/or use environment of the apparatus.

Abstract: A benzoazine derivative represented by the following formula (1), ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group, alkoxy group, halogen atom, halogenoalkyl group, amino group, hydroxy group, benzyloxy group which may have a substituent, cyano group, carbamoyl group, acyl group, nitro group, carboxy group, or sulfonamide group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may be the same or different and each individually represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, or R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 indicate in combination an alkylene group having 2-7 carbon atoms; R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 may be the same or different and each individually represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; X denotes O, S, or N--R.sup.6 (wherein R.sup.6 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or an aryl group or pyridyl group which may have a substituent); m is an integer from 0 to 4; and n is an integer from 1 to 3, or a salt of the benzoazine derivative.

Abstract: Benzo[5,6]cyclohepta[1,2-b]pyridine derivatives of the following formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a cyano, carbamoyl, alkylsulfoxy, alkylsulfonyl, tetrazolyl or sulfonic acid group, and R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, a cyano, phenyl, aralkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, aminoalkylcarbamoylalkyl or lower alkyl group, or a group ##STR2## or --X--R.sub.4, X being an oxygen or sulfur atom, R.sup.3 standing for a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, phenyl or aralkyl group, and R.sup.4 being a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl, phenyl or aralkyl group or an aminoalkyl group, and salts thereof. Antiallergic and antihistamic agents containing one of the above derivatives or salts as an active ingredient are also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to compounds having aldose reductase-inhibitory activity of the formula: ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each hydrogen, halogen, lower alkoxy or halo(lower)alkyl,R.sup.3 is phenyl(lower)alkyl which may have one or more substituent(s) selected from the group consisting of halogen, lower alkoxy, halo(lower)alkyl and lower alkyl,R.sup.4 is carboxy or protected carboxy,A is sulfur atom,Y is carbonyl, thiocarbonyl or sulfonyl andZ is lower alkylene,and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, useful in treating diabetic complications.

Abstract: The invention relates to compounds of the formula: ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each hydrogen, halogen, lower alkoxy or halo(lower)alkyl,R.sup.3 is dihalophenyl, naphthyl(lower)alkyl, phenyl(lower)alkyl substituted by one or two substituent(s) selected from the group consisting of halogen, lower alkoxy, halo(lower)alkyl and lower alkyl, or thienyl(lower)alkyl,R.sup.4 is carboxy or protected carboxy,Y is carbonyl, thiocarbonyl or sulfonyl andZ is lower alkylene, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, useful in the treatment of diabetic complications.