Abstract: A developing device includes a toner carrying member and an electric-field forming unit. The electric-field forming unit forms electric fields having different characteristics at a first area of the surface of the toner carrying member located within a developing area and a second area of the surface of the toner carrying member located out of the developing area such that a hopping height of toner at the first area is higher than that at the second area.

Abstract: In a cogeneration system having a power plant that includes a generator and an internal combustion engine for driving the generator such that exhaust heat of the engine is supplied to a thermal load, there are provided a battery, a controller that controls operation of the thermal load, a main switch disposed to be operable by an operator, a microprocessor that controls operation of the power plant when the main switch is turned on by the operator, and an external terminal adapted to transmit an activation signal to the controller upon manipulation by the operator when the main switch is kept off. In the system, the microprocessor is operated by power supplied from the battery in response to the activation signal so as to activate the power plant. With this, even when the operator stays at a place away from the main switch, the power plant can be activated to supply power to electrical loads.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a fixing liquid applicator to apply a fixing liquid to a recording medium, a transfer device to transfer a toner image from a toner image bearing member onto the recording medium to which the fixing liquid is applied while the toner image is in contact with the fixing liquid, and a fixing device to fix the toner image on the recording medium by heating the toner image and the fixing liquid. The fixing liquid comprises a plasticizer having a function to swell and soften a toner.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus using many types of inks to execute bidirectional printing, if ejection opening rows for yellow, magenta, and cyan inks are symmetrically arranged, ejection opening rows for a black ink are arranged adjacent to the most inside ejection opening rows for the yellow ink. Thus, a difference in color between forward scanning and backward scanning is determined by a difference in coloring between the black ink and the yellow ink. In this case, a possible color drift attributed to bidirectional printing can be suppressed by selecting the inks so that the difference in coloring between the black ink and the yellow ink is smaller than that between the black ink and the other color inks.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid application device and an ink jet recording apparatus each capable of reducing deterioration in application quality due to an increase in the number of times of use of a roller, thereby improving durability. The present invention includes an application roller which applies liquid to an application medium, and a liquid retention member which retains the liquid in a liquid retention space formed by making the application roller be in contact with the retention member. With this structure, a pool of the liquid is formed, with rotation of the application roller, in an area upstream of a contact area, in a rotational direction, between the application member and the retention member at a side where a surface of the application member enters the contact area therebetween.

Abstract: A development device includes an open-ended housing, a rotatable roller, an array of multiple primary electrodes, a voltage source, a sealing member, and a secondary electrode. The housing accommodates toner for application to the photoconductive surface through an end opening thereof. The roller has an outer circumferential surface to deliver the toner from within the housing to a development zone. The array of multiple primary electrodes are aligned with each other on the roller surface. The voltage source applies a periodic pulse voltage to at least a subset of the primary electrodes to generate an oscillating primary electric field. The sealing member seals clearance between the roller surface and an edge of the end opening downstream from the development zone. The secondary electrode generates a secondary electric field to force the toner from the sealing member toward the roller surface to prevent premature removal of the toner.

Abstract: A liquid application device capable of applying liquid to different size medium includes a transfer device for transferring the medium, a regulating member for regulating a transferring position of the transferred medium, and a liquid applicator including an application member for applying liquid to the medium transferred by the transfer means and a retention member for retaining the liquid in a liquid retention space which is formed by causing the retention member to abut on the application member. In addition, a storage device stores the liquid, a supply channel supplies the liquid in the storage device to the liquid retention space, a collection channel collects the liquid in the liquid retention space into the storage device, and a supply port is formed in the retention member and is connected to the supply channel. Also, a collection port is formed in the retention member and is connected to the collection channel, and a pump generates a flow of liquid in a liquid channel.

Abstract: A liquid application device includes a rotating unit for rotating an application member to apply liquid to a medium in contact with the application member, a liquid application unit including the application member, and a retention member for retaining liquid in a sealed liquid retention space formed to be in contact with the application member. The liquid application unit applies the liquid retained in the liquid retention space to the medium via the application member by rotating the application member. In addition, a control unit controls the rotating unit, wherein the control unit controls, after receiving information of instruction on applying liquid to the medium, the rotating unit to rotate, before the application member contacts the medium, the application member so that the rotating unit performs a preliminary rotation that forms a pool of the liquid in an area.

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: 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: The invention provides a manufacturing method for a semiconductor photoelectrochemical cell, comprising the steps of burning a base made of titanium or a titanium alloy in an atmosphere of 700° C. to 1000° C. at a rate of temperature increase of no lower than 5° C./second so that a titanium oxide layer is formed on the surface, and thus, mixing titanium metal into said titanium oxide layer.

Abstract: A development device provided with a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, which are laminated so as to overlap one another in a normal direction with respect to the surface of the roller part of the toner bearing roller. A plurality of openings are provided in the second electrode layer, over the entire latent image bearable area of a photosensitive body in the orthogonal-to-movement direction. The toner on the surface of the roller part is caused to hop between a plurality of spots directly beneath the openings that respectively exist directly beneath the plurality of openings in the second electrode layer, and a plurality of spots between the openings that respectively exist between the plurality of openings in the second electrode layer, within the entire area of the first electrode layer which is uniformly formed in the roller circumferential direction.

Abstract: A developing device for a toner powder cloud development system, which can achieve high image quality and can be made compact. The developing device has a two-component development unit, a toner carrier, and an alternating current power source. The toner carrier, which is arranged opposing a latent image carrier, has a plurality of electrodes disposed in a line in a prescribed direction on the surface thereof, and mutually insulated. The alternating current power source supplies a voltage such that an electric field across the plurality of electrodes is temporally switched. The inter-electrode electric field causes the toner being carried on the surface of the toner carrier to carry out hopping, thereby forming a toner powder cloud and carrying out development. The movement speed of the latent image carrier and the linear velocity of the toner carrier are set at approximately equivalent speeds.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image formation unit that forms a black toner image, and a detachable second image formation unit that forms a color toner image. A first toner supply unit is provided to supply the black toner to the first image formation unit. A second toner supply unit is provided to supply one of a black and component color toner to the first and second image formation units in accordance with a color mode. A first conveyance path is provided to convey the black toner to the first image formation unit. A second conveyance path is also provided to convey the component color toner stored in the second toner container section to the second image formation unit. The second toner supply unit is selectively connected to one of the first and second conveyance paths in accordance with the color mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a conveyance unit to convey a transfer medium, a first image forming unit to form a monochrome image transferred at a first transfer position onto the transfer medium, and a second image forming unit disposed downstream from the first image forming unit in a direction of conveyance of the transfer medium, including an intermediate transfer body to form a multi-colored toner image on the intermediate transfer body. The multi-colored toner image is transferred onto the transfer medium at a second transfer position. The conveyance unit is separated from the intermediate transfer body at the second transfer position in a monochrome mode to form the monochrome image using only the first image forming unit, and contacts the intermediate transfer body at the second transfer position in a full-color mode to form a full-color image using both the first and second image forming units.

Abstract: An apparatus for developing a latent image on a latent image carrier includes a toner carrier and multiple electrodes arranged at intervals on a surface of the toner carrier. A potential difference is formed between even-numbered electrodes and odd-numbered electrodes of the electrodes by applying a first pulse voltage to the even-numbered electrodes and a second pulse voltage to the odd-numbered electrodes so that toner on the surface of the toner carrier moves back and forth between the electrodes, where the first and second pulse voltages are in different phases, and the toner moving back and forth between the electrodes is conveyed to a position facing the latent image carrier by movement of the surface of the toner carrier and thereby caused to adhere to the latent image on the latent image carrier.

Abstract: An abnormality determining apparatus includes an information storing device that stores information, an information obtaining device that obtains information of a detection subject, a receiving device that receives abnormality presence/absence information indicative of the presence or absence of an abnormality in the detection subject detected by a user, a normal group data set constructing device that constructs a normal group data set that is a collection of normal data indicating that the detection subject is in a normal state based on the abnormality presence/absence information received by the receiving device and based on the information obtained by the information obtaining device during a preset period, and a determining device that determines the presence or absence of an abnormality in the detection subject by performing calculations based on the normal group data set stored in the information storing device and based on the information obtained by the information obtaining device.

Abstract: An applying amount to an applying medium is controlled in a liquid applying apparatus. Specifically, before driving a pump, a circulation speed decision processing (S3) is carried out. According to this decided speed, a speed of the circulation flow generated in a liquid holding space is controlled in a pump operating process (S4). This controls a pressure in the liquid holding space. As a result, a state of flow of the applying liquid at a contact member of a liquid holding member in contact with the applying roller is changed, and an amount of the applying liquid adhering to an applying roller and going out of the contact portion is controlled. This can control the amount of the applying liquid to be applied to the applying medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus that can inexpensively print desired colors without causing ink color mixture. In a print head, a plurality of nozzle rows for respective ink colors are arranged in parallel with one another. Arrangements and driving control are provided so that few mists resulting from an ink ejecting operation move so as not to reach the print head or fall.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid application device, an inkjet recording apparatus and a recording apparatus, which are capable of performing an adequate application initial operation according to the length of waiting time and power-off time, as well as a method of controlling the liquid application device. In the present invention, information on an end time of the previous processing for collecting liquid is read from a nonvolatile memory, current time information indicating the current time is obtained, and information on a lapse of time from the end time of the previous collection to a start time of the current application. Thereafter, the number of preliminary rotations R of an application roller is decided based on the information on the lapse of time with reference to a look-up table. Sequentially, the application roller is rotated by the decided number of preliminary rotations R to perform preprocessing operation.