Abstract: A development unit includes a toner carrying device, a regulating member, and a toner leak protection member. The toner carrying device having a first electrode and a second electrode arrayed with an interval. The first and second electrodes are supplied with a given voltage to set an electric field, changing in a time cycle, between the first and second electrodes. The electric field is used to hop toner over the toner carrying device to form a toner cloud for developing a latent image. The regulating member regulates an amount of toner on the toner carrying device. The toner leak protection member, made from a conductive material, prevents leakage of toner, and is supplied with a bias voltage.

Abstract: A developing device comprises a latent image carrier that carries a latent image, a toner carrier opposing the latent image carrier while carrying toner to develop the latent image, and plural electrodes arranged in a prescribed direction insulated from each other on the surface of the toner carrier to create an electric field therebetween. An alternating voltage supplying device is provided to supply n number of phases (n?2) of an alternating voltage to the plural electrodes, respectively. The alternating voltage changes the electric field to cause the toner to hop and form toner cloud on the surface of the toner carrier. The toner hopping is halted at a prescribed time period during the toner cloud formation.

Abstract: A liquid applying apparatus can prevent an applying roller from being degraded while contacting with an application liquid for a long time. Specifically, once an applying operation has been completely executed on an applying medium, the apparatus stands by for 60 seconds while holding the application liquid in a liquid holding member. When an applying instruction is not given during this period, the apparatus performs an application liquid collecting operation of discharging the application liquid from the liquid holding member. Thus, upon determining that no applying operation has been performed for a certain period after one applying operation has finished, the apparatus collects the application liquid from the liquid holding member. This avoids immersing the applying roller in the application liquid for a long time. Therefore, the applying roller is prevented from being degraded by the application liquid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid applying apparatus that prevents an applying roller from being degraded while contacting with an application liquid for a long time. Specifically, once an applying operation has been completely executed on an applying medium, the apparatus stands by for 60 seconds while holding the application liquid in a liquid holding member. When an applying instruction is not given during this period, the apparatus performs an application liquid collecting operation of discharging the application liquid from the liquid holding member. Thus, upon determining that no applying operation has been performed for a certain period after one applying operation has been finished, the apparatus collects the application liquid from the liquid holding member. This avoids immersing the applying roller in the application liquid for a long time. Therefore, the applying roller is prevented from being degraded by the application liquid.

Abstract: A time point at which a predetermined period elapses since the start of use of a copying machine as a detection subject after factory shipment or repair is obtained. Pieces of set information, which are combinations of various types of information until the time point is reached are sequentially stored to construct a normal set information group. After the time point is reached, presence of abnormality in the copying machine is determined based on the normal set information group and the various types of information obtained.

Abstract: The development device includes a toner carrier, a toner supplier, and a surface electrical potential controller. When the toner supplier supplies toner particles to the toner carrier, the toner carrier carries toner particles to adhere to a latent image formed on the latent image carrier and has a time constant ?1 of a surface electrical potential change of the toner carrier. The surface electrical potential controller has a time constant ?2 of a surface electrical potential change of the toner carrier smaller than the time constant ?1. The toner carrier includes a plurality of electrodes aligned in parallel and electrically insulated from each other on the surface thereof, and a voltage supplier for supplying each of the plurality of electrodes with a voltage to periodically switch electrical fields therebetween, so that the toner particles form a cloud on the surface of the toner carrier while hopping.

Abstract: For a liquid applying mechanism of an ink jet printing apparatus, a liquid to be used for applying it to a medium is prevented from evaporating and leaking from a liquid holding member. An applying roller and the liquid holding member contact with each other to hold the liquid and apply the held liquid to a printing medium by means of the applying roller. In this configuration, the surface of the applying roller has no irregularities. Thereby, the applying roller can contact with the liquid holding member to form an adequate liquid-tight seal therebetween.

Abstract: For a serial color ink jet printing apparatus that forms an image using a symmetric printing head that ejects large dots and small dots, the configuration of a printing head is provided for suppressing, to the extent possible, a cyclic fluctuation in the main scanning direction. According to the present invention, individual nozzle arrays are arranged so that two nozzle arrays, i.e., a cyan nozzle array c1 and a magenta nozzle array m1, that are located nearer each other, form dots on adjacent scan lines. With this arrangement, a high quality image, having neither an uneven density nor an uneven color, can be formed when a printing head is inclined, or when a cyclic shift in printing positions occurs, depending on the position of the main scanning direction.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid applying apparatus which can prevent an applying liquid from evaporating while an applying operation is at a stop and which can reliably prevent the liquid from leaking even when for example, the posture of the apparatus is tilted. Thus, according to the present invention, an abutting member of a holding member is abutted, under an urging force of a spring, against an applying surface of an applying roller. Thus, a liquid holding space is formed between the applying roller and a holding member to hold the applying liquid. The abutting member is annularly formed of a single member. The applying roller rotates to cause the applying liquid held in the holding space to adhere to an outer peripheral surface of the applying roller. The applying liquid is then applied to the applying medium.

Abstract: In a cogeneration system having a first power plant connected to an AC power feed line between a power network and an electrical load and a first internal combustion engine for driving the first power plant such that exhaust heat of the first engine is supplied to a thermal load, power supply from the first power plant to the power network is interrupted by turning off a switch installed in the feed line, when outage of the power network is detected and a second power plant is operated, such that outputs of the first and second power plants are supplied to the electrical load. With this, it becomes possible to respond to a commercial power network outage for preventing reverse flow of the power output by the cogeneration system into the power network and supplying as much electric power as possible to the electrical load.

Abstract: In a cogeneration system having a power plant comprising a generator connected to an AC power feed line between a power network and an electrical load and an internal combustion engine for driving the generator and for supplying its exhaust heat to a thermal load, the power supply from the generator to the power network is interrupted by turning off a switch installed in the feed line when an outage of the power network is detected, and a battery for storing DC power is connected to an inverter circuit to invert the DC power to AC power, such that the inverted AC power of the battery and the output of the generator are supplied to the electrical load, thereby enabling to respond to a power network outage for preventing reverse flow of the power output by the cogeneration system into the power network and supplying as much electric power as possible to the electrical load.

Abstract: In a cogeneration system having a generator that generates DC power, an internal combustion engine for driving the generator, a battery that stores DC power for starting the engine, and an inverter that inverts the DC power generated by the generator to AC power, there are provided a solar unit that generates DC power by converting radiant energy of sunlight into electrical energy and a DC/DC converter that boosts the DC power stored in the battery, such that one of the generator and the solar unit is connected to the inverter through the DC/DC converter, thereby enabling to share the DC/DC converter and thus to make structure simple.

Abstract: According to the nitride semiconductor device with the active layer made of the multiple quantum well structure of the present invention, the performance of the multiple quantum well structure can be brought out to intensify the luminous output thereof thereby contributing an expanded application of the nitride semiconductor device.

Abstract: For a serial color ink jet printing apparatus that forms an image using a symmetric printing head that ejects large dots and small dots, the configuration of a printing head is provided for suppressing, to the extent possible, a cyclic fluctuation in the main scanning direction. According to the present invention, individual nozzle arrays are arranged so that two nozzle arrays, i.e., a cyan nozzle array c1 and a magenta nozzle array m1, that are located nearer each other, form dots on adjacent scan lines. With this arrangement, a high quality image, having neither an uneven density nor an uneven color, can be formed when a printing head is inclined, or when a cyclic shift in printing positions occurs, depending on the position of the main scanning direction.

Abstract: According to the nitride semiconductor device with the active layer made of the multiple quantum well structure of the present invention, the performance of the multiple quantum well structure can be brought out to intensify the luminous output thereof thereby contributing an expanded application of the nitride semiconductor device. In the nitride semiconductor device comprises an n-region having a plurality of nitride semiconductor films, a p-region having a plurality of nitride semiconductor films, and an active layer interposed therebetween, a multi-film layer with two kinds of the nitride semiconductor films is formed in at least one of the n-region or the p-region.

Abstract: In a print head having arrays of large nozzles and small nozzles with different ink ejection volumes that are connected to a common ink chamber, the preliminary ejection operation is performed 29,000 times first on only the large nozzles at an ejection frequency of 10 kHz to discharge viscous or mixed color ink from ink chambers. After the preliminary ejection operation of the large nozzles is finished, only the small nozzles are made to perform the preliminary ejection operation 2,000 times at an ejection frequency of 10 kHz. Reducing the number of preliminary ejections from the small nozzles in this manner can minimize the generation of stray mist. Further, by performing the preliminary ejection operation on the large nozzles first, it is possible to discharge enough viscous ink from the ink chamber.

Abstract: A liquid applying apparatus can prevent an applying liquid from evaporating while an applying operation is stopped and can reliably prevent the liquid from leaking even when, for example, the posture of the apparatus is tilted. An abutting member of a holding member is abutted, under an urging force of a spring, against an applying surface of an applying roller. Thus, a liquid holding space is formed between the applying roller and a holding member to hold the applying liquid. The abutting member is annularly formed of a single member. The applying roller rotates to cause the applying liquid held in the holding space to adhere to an outer peripheral surface of the applying roller. The applying liquid is then applied to the applying medium.

Abstract: A necessary amount of suppression ink is applied to each portion of an ink absorber in a short time and in an efficient manner. For that end, carriage scan is performed while changing an ejection condition of suppression ink so as to change an application amount of suppression ink according to a position of an ink absorber. This makes it possible to appropriately apply suppression ink, which suppresses accumulation of ink, to the entire area of the ink absorber by carriage scan in a short time even if an application amount of accumulation ink differs from part to part of the ink absorber.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid applying apparatus which can inhibit a variation in application amount associated with the individual variability of a component of the apparatus. According to the present invention, a liquid holding space in which a liquid is held is formed between the applying member and the liquid holding member. When the applying member moves, the liquid attached to the applying member is fed out of the liquid holding space together with the applying member. The liquid is applied to a medium. The application amount of liquid applied to the applying medium varies depending on the individual variability of a component such as a liquid applying member. The variation in liquid application amount is adjusted by adjusting section for adjusting, the rotation speed of the liquid holding member or the flow speed of the liquid flowing through the liquid holding space.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus using a hopping method is disclosed. Toner provided on a moving surface of a toner supporting object is conveyed, while the toner is hopping on the surface due to an electric field, to a position that counters a latent image supporting object by movement of the surface, and is adhered to a latent image formed on the latent image supporting object. The image formation apparatus includes a supply member for scooping up the toner in a toner container by plural hollows formed on a surface of the supply member with endless movement of the surface of the supply member, for conveying the toner to a position where the supply member contacts the toner supporting object, and for providing the toner to the surface of the toner supporting object.