Abstract: This invention provides a charging member exhibiting high electrical charge injection efficiency. The charging member has an electro conductive base and an electro conductive fiber, one end of which is connected to the base, in which the fiber contains a plurality of carbon nanotubes which are entangled, and the carbon nanotubes are exposed at the tip portion of the fiber.

Abstract: A polyester molded body includes a core containing a polyester and a surface layer portion covering the core, wherein the surface layer portion contains carbon nanotubes and an ionic liquid, the carbon nanotubes being three-dimensionally entangled in the polyester. A polyester molded body includes a core containing a polyester, an intermediate layer covering the core, and a surface layer portion covering the intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer contains carbon nanotubes and an ionic liquid, the carbon nanotubes being three-dimensionally entangled in the polyester, and the surface layer portion contains three-dimensionally entangled carbon nanotubes.

Abstract: There is provided a dendritic catalyst layer for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell including: a solid polymer electrolyte membrane; electrodes; and catalyst layers each provided between the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and the respective electrode, the catalyst layer for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes a catalyst with a dendritic structure. The catalyst with a dendritic structure is formed through vacuum evaporation such as reactive sputtering, reactive electron beam evaporation, or ion plating. The catalyst layer for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell can improve catalytic activity, catalyst utilization, and substance transport performance in the catalyst layer.

Abstract: A sheet feeder has a feed passage and includes feed roller pairs, sensors, and a controller. The feed roller pairs are arranged along the feed passage and feed sheets of paper in a feed direction along the passage by nipping the sheets. Each of the sensors is fitted at or near one of the feed roller pairs and senses a specified point on each of the sheets when the sheet is nipped by at least the associated roller pair. The controller includes a memory for storing reference feed timings as proper feed timings at each of which the specified points on the sheets should pass one of the sensors. The controller finds the real feed timing when each of the sensors senses the specified point on the sheet nipped by at least the associated roller pair.

Abstract: An electrode catalyst layer, capable of having high catalytic activity in a small thickness, for use in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having an entangled (cobweb-like) structure. The electrode catalyst layer is produced through a process including a step of forming a thin film with a film-forming material containing a combination of platinum, oxygen, and nitrogen, a combination of platinum, oxygen, and boron, or a combination of platinum, oxygen, nitrogen, and boron, and a step of forming a catalyst material, which has the entangled structure and principally contains platinum as a main component by reducing the film-forming material.

Abstract: A nonaqueous secondary battery 10 of the invention has an active material compound layer 14 deposed over at least one face of a collector 12 made of metal foil and is equipped with a positive electrode 11 having a portion 13 in a part of which metal is exposed. The positive electrode 11 together with the exposed-metal portion 13 faces a negative electrode 17 through an interposed separator 23, and on that part of the exposed-metal portion 13 that faces the negative electrode 17 through the interposed separator 23 there is formed a protective layer 16 made of a material whose electronic conductivity is lower than that of the metal and which moreover is non-insulative. With such nonaqueous secondary battery 10, should part of an electrode pierce the separator and contact with the other electrode, the battery will be gently discharged, thereby averting abnormal heat generation by the battery and additionally enabling the battery's abnormality to be sensed by the equipment via the fall in battery voltage.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the present invention, a pressure application mechanism portion is provided with a pressure-varying link structure arranged so as to be movable in lateral directions along an upper end portion of a device frame, a drive shaft having an eccentric cam for moving the pressure-varying link structure in the lateral directions, a shaft holding structure arranged so as to be rotatable coupled to the pressure-varying link structure, and a coil spring for applying a biasing force to the shaft holding structure in one direction along the upper end portion of the device frame, and a rotational movement is carried out to make a pressure roller approach and move away from a heat roller so as to achieve a relatively low pressure during a color processing mode and a relatively high pressure during a monochrome processing mode.

Abstract: A water repellent catalyst layer for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, including a water repellent coating film provided on catalyst particles, which are coated with a proton-conductive electrolyte, and a manufacturing method for a water repellent catalyst layer for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell including the steps of: coating catalyst particles with a proton-conductive electrolyte; providing a fluorine-based compound having at least one polar group and having a molecular weight of 10,000 or less on the catalyst particles to form a fluorine compound coating film; and imparting hydrophobic property by stabilizing the fluorine compound coating film. The hydrophobic property is imparted even to the inside of fine pores of the catalyst layer to improve water evacuation performance, so that an effective surface area and a catalyst utilization ratio can be increased.

Abstract: A catalyst layer of a solid polymer fuel cell includes a catalyst structural body, a membrane present on at least part of a surface of the catalyst structural body and including a first water-repellent material having a functional group, particles having a second water-repellent material, and an electrolyte.

Abstract: Provided is a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell which comprises a polymer electrolyte 13 and a catalyst layer 16, wherein the catalyst layer 16 comprises a wire-shaped catalyst 12. Also provided is a method of producing a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell comprising a polymer electrolyte and a catalyst layer comprising a wire-shaped catalyst, which comprises the step of producing a wire-shaped catalyst by means of vapor phase growth or liquid phase growth. With such a constitution, the gas permeability can be increased and the power generation efficiency can be improved.

Abstract: There are provided a catalyst layer that improves power generation efficiency, a membrane electrode assembly, a fuel cell using the membrane electrode assembly, and a method of producing the membrane electrode assembly. Specifically, there are provided a catalyst layer including at least a first catalyst material and a second catalyst material which is different from the first catalyst material, in which the first catalyst material includes a polyacid having a thiol group, and the first catalyst material and the second catalyst material are bound to each other through a thiol bond; a membrane electrode assembly having the catalyst layer; a fuel cell having the membrane electrode assembly; a method of producing the catalyst layer; and a method of producing the membrane electrode assembly.

Abstract: A sheet feeder has a feed passage and includes feed roller pairs, sensors, and a controller. The feed roller pairs are arranged along the feed passage and feed sheets of paper in a feed direction along the passage by nipping the sheets. Each of the sensors is fitted at or near one of the feed roller pairs and senses a specified point on each of the sheets when the sheet is nipped by at least the associated roller pair. The controller includes a memory for storing reference feed timings as proper feed timings at each of which the specified points on the sheets should pass one of the sensors. The controller finds the real feed timing when each of the sensors senses the specified point on the sheet nipped by at least the associated roller pair.

Abstract: Flanges are pressed into opposite ends of a photoreceptor drum. A noncontact charging roller is arranged so as to face, but have no direct contact with, the photoreceptor drum. On both end portions of the noncontact charging roller, spacers are provided for maintaing a gap between the photoreceptor drum and the noncontact charging roller. The spacers are of tape form and wound around the noncontact charging roller. Winding positions of the spacers are distant by more than an effective projection length of each of the flanges from respective opposite ends of the charging roller.

Abstract: Featured are a system and method for designing a gear driving system. The designing system includes a characteristic setting section, calculating section and comparing section. The calculating section simulates an oscillation that is caused in the final gear of the gear driving system, based on the gear characteristic value(s) set in the characteristic setting section. The comparing section judges whether or not the frequency mid amplitude of the oscillation obtained by the simulation fall within an acceptable range. If the frequency and amplitude do not fall within the acceptable range, the characteristic changing section changes the setting of a gear characteristic value, and the processes of the calculating section and the comparing section, as well as that of the characteristic changing section are repeated until it is judged that one of the frequency or amplitude of the simulated oscillation falls within the acceptable range.

Abstract: There is provided a dendritic catalyst layer for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell including: a solid polymer electrolyte membrane; electrodes; and catalyst layers each provided between the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and the respective electrode, the catalyst layer for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes a catalyst with a dendritic structure. The catalyst with a dendritic structure is formed through vacuum evaporation such as reactive sputtering, reactive electron beam evaporation, or ion plating. The catalyst layer for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell can improve catalytic activity, catalyst utilization, and substance transport performance in the catalyst layer.

Abstract: To provide a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery adapted to prevent an internal short circuit between an positive electrode and a negative electrode caused by the penetration of electrically conductive micro particles through a separator, which occurs when winding up electrodes, and manufacturing methods of an electrode used therein, whereby the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a coiled electrode assembly is formed through the multilayer winding of an positive electrode 90 having a metallic collector 76 coated with an positive electrode mixture 78 composed of an positive electrode active material that occludes and liberates lithium ions, a negative electrode 86 having a metallic collector 82 coated with a negative electrode mixture 84, composed of a negative electrode active material that occludes and liberates lithium ions, and a separator 72 interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the positive electrode 90 has an insulating layer 100 formed by mean

Abstract: An electrode catalyst layer, capable of having high catalytic activity in a small thickness, for use in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell has an entangled structure (cobweb-like structure). The electrode catalyst layer is produced through a process including a step of forming a thin film with a film-forming material containing a combination of platinum, oxygen, and nitrogen, a combination of platinum, oxygen, and boron, or a combination of platinum, oxygen, nitrogen, and boron, and a step of forming a catalyst material which has the entangled structure and principally contains platinum as a main component by reducing the film-forming material.

Abstract: A nonaqueous secondary battery 10 of the invention has an active material compound layer 14 deposed over at least one face of a collector 12 made of metal foil and is equipped with a positive electrode 11 having a portion 13 in a part of which metal is exposed. The positive electrode 11 together with the exposed-metal portion 13 faces a negative electrode 17 through an interposed separator 23, and on that part of the exposed-metal portion 13 that faces the negative electrode 17 through the interposed separator 23 there is formed a protective layer 16 made of a material whose electronic conductivity is lower than that of the metal and which moreover is non-insulative. With such nonaqueous secondary battery 10, should part of an electrode pierce the separator and contact with the other electrode, the battery will be gently discharged, thereby averting abnormal heat generation by the battery and additionally enabling the battery's abnormality to be sensed by the equipment via the fall in battery voltage.

Abstract: An electrode plate for a secondary battery is provided for reducing adverse influences caused by paste of an insulating sheet in an electrode body and a battery specification. Active material layers 22a to 22d and 22a? to 22d? are formed on at least one surface of an electrode sheet 20 over a wider range than a predetermined width of an electrode and over a predetermined length. An insulating sheet 13a is made to adhere to a possible short-circuit portion of the electrode sheet 20 which portion is opposed to another electrode. The electrode sheet 20 and an insulating member are simultaneously cut to form an electrode plate having a predetermined shape, wherein the insulating member has a low-temperature thermoplastic paste material applied on one side thereof, and is made to adhere to the electrode sheet 20 through heat adhesion.

Abstract: Flanges are pressed into opposite ends of a photoreceptor drum. A noncontact charging roller is arranged so as to face, but have no direct contact with, the photoreceptor drum. On both end portions of the noncontact charging roller, spacers are provided for maintaing a gap between the photoreceptor drum and the noncontact charging roller. The spacers are of tape form and wound around the noncontact charging roller. Winding positions of the spacers are distant by more than an effective projection length of each of the flanges from respective opposite ends of the charging roller.