Abstract: The present invention provides a display element, which is driven at a low voltage, displays a high-contrast image with few density irregularities, and has improved image holding property. In a display element, which displays an image by moving, between a first and second substrate, particles having different colors and charge polarities by an electric field applied between the first and second substrates, the surface roughness of at least one of the substrates is 1 nm to 1 &mgr;m, the coefficient of shape is 100 to 140, the width and depth of the recessed part are not identical to the diameter of the particles and the contacting parts of the recessed part and the particles do not form a surface.

Abstract: The present invention is for providing an image display device capable of preventing deterioration of display sharpness and contrast, and capable of improving display quality. An image display medium has a display substrate, having a first electrode, disposed on an image display surface side, a rear substrate having a plurality of second electrodes facing the display substrate, and two kinds of particle groups having different colors and charge characteristics sealed between the display substrate and the rear substrate movably between the first electrode and the second electrodes by an electric field. Before application of a display drive voltage for executing the image display, a voltage is applied to the image display medium by a voltage applying component so as to generate an electric field for moving the particle groups between the second electrodes to adjacent the second electrodes.

Abstract: The image display device has an image display medium comprising a display substrate and a rear substrate having intersecting linear electrodes formed thereon, and containing black and white particles between the display substrate and the rear substrate. An image is displayed at high resolution by controlling a voltage applied to the electrodes.

Abstract: An image display device is structured with an image display medium, a voltage applying unit and a control unit. The image display medium has black particles and white particles enclosed in a space between a transparent front substrate and a rear substrate. The front substrate is structured with a lamination having a substrate, an electrode and a surface coat layer. The rear substrate is structured with a lamination having a substrate, an electrode and a surface coat layer. The electrode on the front substrate is connected to the voltage applying unit while the voltage applying unit is connected to the control unit. The control unit controls the voltage applying unit to apply to the electrodes of the substrates an alternating voltage at a frequency of from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an image display medium for encapsulating powdered display elements uniformly between opposed substrates, and an image display medium. Spacer particles are formed in a grid pattern on a first flat substrate pulled out from a first film roll by a first electrostatic application apparatus, and spacers are formed on the first flat substrate by fixing by a first fixer. Then, black particles are applied on the entire surface by a second electrostatic application apparatus, and then white particles are applied on the entire surface by a third electrostatic application apparatus. Subsequently, black particles and white particles are removed from each upper surface of the spacers by a blade, and a second flat substrate pulled out from a second film roll is superimposed thereon, and each upper surface of the spacers is fixed to the second flat substrate by a second fixer.

Abstract: Provided are an image display medium which satisfies a safety and a high-speed response and which is capable of repetitive rewriting, an image-forming method in which an image can be formed on the image display medium, an image-forming apparatus, and an initializer. In the image display medium, conductive particles and insulating particles are interposed between a display substrate and a non-display substrate having a positive charge-transporting property. An electrostatic latent image adapted to the image is formed on an electrostatic latent image carrier. A bias voltage is applied to a counter electrode. Positive charges (non-image portion) on the electrostatic latent image carrier are transferred to the display substrate to charge the conductive particles. The charged conductive particles are moved toward the non-display substrate.

Abstract: Provided are an image display medium which satisfies, a safety and a high-speed response and which is capable of repetitive rewriting, an image-forming method in which an image can be formed on the image display medium, and an image-forming apparatus. An image display medium is formed by interposing black particles and white particles between a display substrate and a non-display substrate made of a dielectric. A printing electrode first applies an AC voltage to frictionally charge the black and white particles, and then applies a DC voltage adapted to an image between the substrates. The black particles adhered to a portion (non-image portion) to which the voltage of the display substrate is applied are moved to the non-display substrate.

Abstract: An image display medium that can maintain stable display characteristics without dew condensing on a display substrate surface or on particles in almost all environments in which the image display medium is presumed to be used, even if there are changes in the environment external to the image display medium. In a closed gap formed between a display substrate having an electrode and a back substrate disposed opposite to the display substrate and having an electrode, plural kinds of particle groups differing in color and charge characteristics and movable between the substrates by an electric field are sealed. The gap is given a proper amount of water vapor so that dew does not condense within a predetermined temperature range. Thus, favorable and stable display characteristics can be obtained.

Abstract: An image display medium (10) comprises a display member (202), a back substrate (203), spacers having a cell structure held between the substrates, and first particles (18) and second particles (20), whose colors and charging polarities are different from one another, enclosed between the display member (202) and back substrate (203). The display member (202) includes a transparent support base, a transparent electrode (205a) formed thereon, a transparent dielectric layer formed on the transparent electrode (205a), filters (1) formed on the opposite side from the transparent electrodes (205a) side of the support base, and a protective layer formed thereon.

Abstract: An image display medium is provided that does not easily cause image unevenness and maintains high contrast even after repeated use for a long period of time. The image display medium contains a first substrate transmitting light, a second substrate provided to face the first substrate, first and second particles having different colors filled between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first and second particles each contain mother particles and fine particles attached on a surface of the mother particles, the first particles are charged positively, and the second particles are charged negatively.

Abstract: A drive method for a display medium containing two particle types can drive the display medium with a low voltage and thereby achieve high image resolution, downsize the drive circuit, and lower the cost while improving the durability of the display medium. The display medium has a pair of substrates, at least one of which is transparent, disposed with a gap therebetween, and two types of particles of different color and charge characteristics sealed between the pair of substrates. To change the displayed image, the drive method applies a voltage pulse to at least one of the pair of substrates to pull particles that are to move to the substrate to which the particles that are to move adhere, and then applies a voltage pulse to move the particles that are to move to the substrate opposite the substrate to which the particles that are to move adhere.

Abstract: An image display device and driving method thereof produce a multiple color display without inviting a drop in resolution, or with the drop in resolution suppressed. Between a back substrate and a transparent display substrate forming the image display surface, the image display part has in order a display electrode on which a transparent surface coating is formed, a spacer, and a back electrode on which a surface coating is formed. A voltage control part applies a −350 V dc voltage, for example, to the display electrode to display black by black particles, applies an approximately +350 dc voltage to the display electrode to display white by white particles, and applies, for example, a +/−500 V particle drive voltage pulse repeatedly to the display electrode to make the black and white particles clump together inside the unit cell, thereby making the unit cell transparent to produce a transparent display.

Abstract: Provided is a stable display device. The display device includes a pair of substrates that face each other, a spacer formed on one of the pair of substrates, a resin to fix one end of the spacer adjacent to the other substrate to the other substrate, and first and second particles of different colors and different electric characteristics all sealed in the inner space formed by the pair of substrates and the spacer.

Abstract: An image displaying apparatus, a method for displaying an image and an image displaying medium can provide an image of a large viewing angle and high stability of the particles upon repeated use. On electronic paper containing a display substrate formed of a hole transporting film, a non-display substrate formed of a film having a two-layer structure containing a charge transporting film having formed thereon an electrode layer having a thickness of about 50 &mgr;m, and conductive black particles and insulating white particles contained therebetween, an electric field is generated at a position corresponding to image data by a recording head, so as to move the black particles attached to the entire surface of the display substrate toward the non-display substrate, whereby an image of contrast of black and white is formed on the display substrate.

Abstract: A horizontal conveying apparatus moves a pallet from an entrance port to an exit port, with either a load or an article placed on the pallet. The apparatus has fixed rails laid horizontally between the entrance port and the exit port, rails movable along the fixed rails, a plurality of load-conveying wheels/rollers disposed along the movable rails such that the wheels/rollers are rotatable with the pallet placed thereon, a drive device for reciprocally moving the movable rails, and a plurality of movement stopper pieces provided along the fixed rails, to engage with a bottom surface of the pallet and to hold the pallet as the movable rails move from the exit port back to the entrance port.

Abstract: A horizontal goods transfer apparatus includes a horizontal fixed rail extending in the back-and-forth direction and being capable of mounting thereon a plurality of items in a row in the longitudinal direction. A back-and-forth movement rail is arranged to be substantially parallel to the fixed rail and is placed to be reciprocally movable in the back-and-forth direction. A reciprocating air cylinder moves the back-and-forth movement rail for a predetermined distance. A vertical movement rail is supported by the back-and-forth movement rail to be vertically movable and capable of being located at an upper position higher than the fixed rail and a lower position lower than the fixed rail. A flexible tube is placed on the back-and-forth movement rail and under the vertical movement rail to extend along the vertical movement rail. This flexible tube is inflated/deflated upon supply/discharge of compressed air, thereby vertically moving the vertical movement rail to the upper and lower positions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs a stable developing characteristic for an electrostatic latent image including a halftone image expressed by a binary manner. The apparatus includes a photoreceptor having a surface and an electrostatic image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor, the electrostatic latent image including a digitally-reproduced binary latent image. The apparatus further includes a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image. The developing device includes a two-component developer including magnetic carrier particles and toner particles. The apparatus also includes a bias applying device for applying a bias voltage between the developing device and the photoreceptor for defining a relatively high contrast potential of the digitally-reproduced binary latent image to be developed.

Abstract: A horizontal transfer apparatus for transferring distribution pallets includes two horizontally movable rails extending horizontally in a direction of transfer. The horizontally movable rails are adapted to mount thereon those end portions of each distribution pallet which are located perpendicular to the transfer direction, with friction reducers interposed between the rails and the end portions. A vertically movable brake rail is able to be brought into contact with the bottoms of the distribution pallets, and extending between the horizontally movable rails and parallel thereto such that the distance between the vertically movable brake rail and one of the horizontally movable rails is larger than the distance between the vertically movable brake rail and the other of the horizontally movable rails.

Abstract: An anchor for hooking and cutting a submarine cable comprises an anchor body part, a cable-hooking part and a connecting part, these parts being connected together into a form like a fishing hook. A cable-sensing device is provided on the inner side of the connecting part and spring-biased in the floating-up direction. A cutting device is provided for cutting and holding the submarine cable by being advanced from the anchor body part by hydraulic pressure making use of a force such as sea water pressure or a tugging force for raising the submarine cable externally applied to the anchor body part when the cable-sensing device is caused to sink against the biasing force in the floating-up direction by receiving the tension in the cable hooked on the inner side of the connecting part.