Abstract: On an upper surface of a fixed substrate, a plurality of strap-shaped base electrodes are arranged in parallel to each other. On each of the base electrodes, an electret is formed. The electret has a width wider than the width of each base electrode, and the electret covers an exposed surface of the base electrode. A movable substrate is disposed in parallel to and facing the surface of the fixed substrate where the electrets and others are formed. The movable substrate is movable relatively to the fixed substrate. On a facing surface of the movable substrate, strip-shaped counter electrodes are each formed so as to face each base electrode.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a liquid phenol resin that has excellent characteristics of a phenol resin, such as thermal resistance and hardenability, and can produce a molded product having excellent flexibility, and a method of preparing the resin are provided. The present invention relates to a liquid phenol resin obtained by reacting (A) oils and (B) phenols with (C) a secondary and/or a tertiary alkylamine compound, wherein a nitrogen content based on the whole liquid phenol resin is 3% by weight to 30% by weight, and (A):(B)=10:90 to 90:10.

Abstract: Vacancy information indicating the number of vacancies which is counted in units of using-persons in a facility that is occupied by persons who use an establishment is stored in a vacancy information storage unit. An information processing apparatus acquires the number of using-persons which is specified by a user. The information processing apparatus searches, on the basis of the vacancy information stored in the vacancy information storage unit, for establishments that can be used by persons of which the number is acquired. At this time, the information processing apparatus includes an establishment, in establishments that can be used, where the degree by which the number of using-persons exceeds the number of vacancies indicated by the vacancy information is smaller than or equal to a reference value. The information processing apparatus causes the found establishments to be presented.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a laminar ring, which permits an improvement of efficiency of a nitriding treatment of a plurality of metallic band members which constitute the laminar ring is provided.

Abstract: A toner replenishing device includes a sub hopper (toner container), a toner detection sensor, an agitator, and a paddle. The sub hopper contains toner. The toner detection sensor is located on a wall surface in the sub hopper and detects whether toner remains at a height at which it is located. The agitator rotates in the sub hopper to clean the detection surface of the toner detection sensor. The paddle serves as a toner collecting unit that collects toner to the vicinity of the detection surface of the toner detection sensor in the sub hopper.

Abstract: A toner container and system for mounting and/or securing the toner container includes a toner container having a toner dispensing hole, a shutter, and a protrusion. The shutter is movable relative to the toner dispensing hole, and is to selectively close the toner dispensing hole. The protrusion is connected to the shutter and movement of the protrusion causes the shutter to move relative to the toner dispensing hole to cover the toner dispensing hole. There is a receiver including a movable catch, the movable catch being in a first position when the toner container is initially inserted into the receiver, and the movable catch moving to a second position upon insertion of the toner container into the receiver. The movable catch interacts with the protrusion of the toner container when the toner container is being removed from the receiver.

Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes: a first sheet conveying unit; a second sheet conveying unit that is disposed downstream of the first sheet conveying unit; a folded part forming unit that forms a folded part on a sheet by nipping a turned-back portion formed on a part of the sheet between the first sheet conveying unit and the second sheet conveying unit; a second conveying path that bifurcates from the first conveying path and in which a sheet with the folded part is conveyed; and a pushing member that is movable between a pushing position at which the pushing member pushes the turned-back portion toward the folded part forming unit and a retracted position. The pushing member also serves as a changing unit that changes a direction of a leading end of the sheet that is conveyed in the first conveying path into a direction toward a second conveying path.

Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes: a folded part forming unit that forms a folded part on the sheet by nipping a curved portion formed on a part of the sheet between an upstream first sheet conveying unit and a downstream second sheet conveying unit by holding a part of the sheet by the first sheet conveying unit and applying conveying force to the sheet to reverse the sheet upstream by the second sheet conveying unit; and a sheet leading end detection unit disposed downstream of or at almost same position as the second sheet conveying unit. The sheet is conveyed based on a detection timing of the sheet leading end detection unit such that the leading end of the sheet protrudes by a predetermined protrusion amount from the second sheet conveying unit immediately before applying conveying force to the sheet to reverse the sheet.

Abstract: When printing, an image forming apparatus determines, based on a threshold voltage corresponding to a print speed during printing, whether or not a corona wire of a charger needs to be cleaned. On the basis of whether or not a monitoring voltage corresponding to a current value of a charged bias, which is applied to the corona wire by a charged-bias high-voltage power supply, is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold voltage corresponding to the print speed during printing, the image forming apparatus determines whether or not the corona wire needs to be cleaned.

Abstract: Disclosed is a solid resol-type phenolic resin having: methylol groups and dimethylene ether bonds, as functional groups bound to phenolic nuclei; a content of methylol group, per 1 mol of the phenolic nuclei, of 0.8 mol or more and 1.3 mol or less; a content of dimethylene ether bond, per 1 mol of the phenolic nuclei, of 0.1 mol or less; a weight-average molecular weight of a tetrahydrofuran-soluble fraction, measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), of 800 or larger and 4,000 or smaller; and a content of mononuclear phenolic compound of 10% by weight or less.

Abstract: A movable BF guide is provided in a movable-blade receiving area into which a movable blade slides along a fixed blade while being pressed against the fixed blade in a process of cutting recording paper. The movable-blade receiving area is blocked by the BF guide when the cutting process is not performed, thus preventing the entry of the end portion of the downstream connected recording paper into the movable-blade receiving area.

Abstract: A toner container includes a cylindrical container body, a cap having a toner outlet, and a shutter.

Abstract: A movable BF guide is provided in a movable-blade receiving area into which a movable blade slides along a fixed blade while being pressed against the fixed blade in a process of cutting recording paper. The movable-blade receiving area is blocked by the BF guide when the cutting process is not performed, thus preventing the entry of the end portion of the downstream connected recording paper into the movable-blade receiving area.

Abstract: The optical connector in accordance with an embodiment comprises a ferrule for holding a built-in fiber to be coupled to a coated optical fiber of an optical cord, a first housing for containing the ferrule, a second housing arranged behind the first housing, and a sheath pressing member and a securing member which are mounted to the second housing. The sheath pressing member presses a sheath of the optical cord against the second housing. The securing member secures a tension fiber of the optical cord to the second housing so as to contain the sheath pressing member.

Abstract: An image processing unit, includes: an overlap portion detection unit that detects an overlap portion between plural objects from image data configured by objects expressed by geometrical information and color values; a color value calculation unit that for the overlap portion between the plural objects, calculates a color value of the overlap portion from the plural objects according to an overlap processing method of the overlap portion; an object producing unit that produces a new object from the overlap portion between the plural objects detected by the overlap portion detection unit, and the color value calculated by the color value calculation unit; and a control unit that controls the object produced by the object producing unit to be superimposed on the overlap portion between the plural objects with a knock-out method.

Abstract: The invention has as its object to provide an ultra-thin copper foil with a carrier which suppresses occurrence of blistering and is stable in peeling strength, in particular provides an ultra-thin copper foil with a carrier enabling easy peeling of a carrier foil from an ultra-thin copper foil even under a high temperature environment. As means for that, there is provided an ultra-thin copper foil with a carrier comprised of a carrier foil, a release layer, and a copper foil, wherein the release layer is formed by a first release layer disposed on the carrier foil side and a second release layer disposed on the ultra-thin copper foil side, there is a first interface between the carrier foil and the first release layer, a second interface between the ultra-thin copper foil and the second release layer, and a third interface between the first release layer and the second release layer, and the peeling strengths at the interfaces are first interface>third interface, and second interface>third interface.

Abstract: A toner supply assembly includes a toner container mount and a toner container including a container body, a cap having a toner outlet, and a shutter for the toner outlet, to move horizontally. The cap includes a shutter guide rail, a contact portion, and a pressed rail provided on a lateral side. The shutter includes a shutter body to engage the shutter guide rail and a deformable portion deformable vertically and including a stopper to contact the contact portion of the cap for inhibiting the shutter from opening the toner outlet, and a stopper release projection pressed by a bottom projection on a bottom surface of the toner container mount in conjunction with installation of the toner container. A pressing member provided in a side portion of the toner container mount engages the pressed rail of the cap, inhibiting the cap from moving upward.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer bearer to carry the developer to a development range, a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer bearer for generating magnetic force, a developer regulator for adjusting an amount of the developer, a developer supply compartment disposed adjacent to the developer bearer, separated by a side wall from a portion where the developer bearer is provided, a developer agitator provided in the supply compartment, and a blocker disposed above the side wall of the supply compartment across a supply gap through which the developer moves from the supply compartment. The magnetic field generator has an attraction magnetic pole and a regulation magnetic pole. The blocker prevents the developer blocked by the developer regulator from moving along a magnetic force line of the regulation magnetic force toward the circumferential surface of the developer bearer.

Abstract: A toner container includes a cylindrical container body, a cap having a toner outlet, and a shutter. The cap includes a primary positioning hole, formed in an upper front surface perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the toner container, extending in the longitudinal direction, to determine an installation position of the cap relative to the image forming apparatus, a secondary positioning hole, formed in a lower front surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toner container, extending in the longitudinal direction forward the toner outlet, to subsidiary determine the installation position of the cap, and a first restriction member to position the cap in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, projecting vertically upward from an outer circumferential surface of the cap and symmetrical about a virtual perpendicular line passing through a cross-sectional center position of the primary positioning hole perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: Provided is a heat ray-shielding laminate having an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer layer and a fluoro resin layer which can be adjacent to each other which can be stored for a long period of time. A heat ray-shielding laminate 10 including an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer layer 12 containing a silane coupling agent and a fluoro resin layer 14 containing a tungsten oxide and/or composite tungsten oxide, wherein the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer layer 12 and the fluoro resin layer 14 are arranged adjacent to each other, or arranged in the form of outermost layers which face each other, wherein the silane coupling agent is represented by the following formula (I) R2—Si(OR1)3 (I) in which each R1 is an alkyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, and R2 is an ethylenically unsaturated group or a group having an ethylenically unsaturated group, and wherein the silane coupling agent is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 2.5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.