Abstract: A toner container that is detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus such that a longitudinal direction of the toner container is parallel to a horizontal direction includes: a cylindrical container body that has an opening on one end thereof in the longitudinal direction, and is configured to convey toner contained therein toward the opening; a cap portion into which the opening of the container body is inserted, and which includes a toner outlet at a bottom portion thereof for discharging toner discharged from the opening of the container body to the outside of the toner container in a vertically downward direction; and a shutter member that is held on the bottom portion of the cap portion, and moves along an outer periphery of the cap portion to thereby open and close the toner outlet, wherein the cap portion is formed by integral molding.

Abstract: A solar control double glass which is capable of preventing occurrence of dew condensation is provided. The solar control double glass comprises two glass plates (A), (B) superposed through a spacer 24 therebetween, a gap between the two glass plates forming a hollow layer 20, wherein an adhesive resin layer 18 and a heat-ray absorption layer 14 comprising a tungsten compound are provided on a surface on the hollow layer 20 side of the glass plate (A) 11 in this order, and a heat-ray reflection layer 16 is provided on a surface on the hollow layer 20 side of the glass plate (B) 12.

Abstract: A developing unit includable in a process cartridge and in an image forming apparatus includes a developer bearing member including a magnetic field generator and a nonmagnetic hollow member, a developer container, an agitation/conveyance member, and a developer regulating member. The magnetic field generator has first and second magnetic poles to generate respective magnetic forces for removing the developer from the developer bearing member after the developer passes the development region. A developer-releasing region releases the developer from the developer bearing member using a release force. The developer is disposed higher than a surface of the developer in the developer storing chamber. A component of a magnetic flux density of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator in a direction normal to the developer-releasing region is directed to a same direction as the first and second magnetic poles across the developer-releasing region without forming a local maximum point.

Abstract: Providing 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.

Abstract: A fuel pump unit is mounted on a predetermined position in a fuel tank. There are a supporting mechanism to support the fuel pump unit at the mounting position and a holding mechanism to fixing and holding the fuel pump unit supported at the mounting position, and an opening portion through which the fuel pump unit is inserted into the fuel tank is closed by a cover member being a separate body from the supporting mechanism and the holding mechanism.

Abstract: In an acceleration sensor, a sensor unit includes a weight portion having a recess section with one open surface and a solid section one-piece formed with the recess section, beam portions for rotatably supporting the weight portion such that the recess section and the solid section are arranged along a rotation direction, a movable electrode, fixed electrodes, detection electrodes electrically connected to the fixed electrodes to detect a capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrodes. A fixed plate is arranged in a spaced-apart relationship with a surface of the weight portion on which the movable electrode is provided, and embedment electrodes are embedded in the fixed plate to extend along a thickness direction of the fixed plate, the embedment electrodes having one end portions facing the movable electrode to serve as the fixed electrodes and the other end portions configured to serve as the detection electrodes.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has multiple laminated fins 30. Each fin 30 has multiple tops 34 and multiple bottoms 36 arranged to have a preset acute angle ? (for example, 30 degrees) to an air flow line at an air inlet and to make an air flow in a cavity region behind each of multiple heat transfer tubes 22a to 22c in an air flow direction at an air outlet. This design of the fins 30 produces effective secondary flows of the air to improve the heat transfer efficiency and makes an additional contribution to heat exchange, due to the air flow in the cavity region behind each of the heat transfer tubes 22a to 22c in the air flow direction. This arrangement effectively prevents separation of the air flow and a local speed increase of the air flow, while improving the overall heat exchange efficiency by production of the effective secondary flows of the air.

Abstract: A disk drive apparatus includes: a disk table on which a disk recording medium inserted into a disk insertion port for loading is mounted; an eject lever rotatably supported by a chassis, and having a disk holding part that holds the inserted medium; and a support lever rotatably supported by the chassis and having a disk holding part, wherein these levers are rotated between a waiting position at which the disk holding part waits for the inserted medium and a drawing position at which the medium held by the disk holding part is drawn, wherein when the eject lever and the support lever are at the waiting positions, the disk holding parts are each positioned at a position which is located more on the disk insertion port side than a centering projecting part of the disk table and is not overlapped with the insertion direction of the medium.

Abstract: A method of producing a ring member includes a cutting process in which a rectangular sheet is formed by cutting a strip-shaped material pulled out from a coiled material; a joining process in which opposite edges of the sheet are butted, and a cylindrical member is formed by joining the edges to each other; and a ring formation process in which a ring member is formed by cutting the cylindrical member in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the cylindrical member. In the cutting process, the strip-shaped material is i) cut along one of a first section line parallel to an edge of the strip-shaped material facing a direction in which the strip-shaped material is pulled, or a second section line perpendicular to the edge, and then ii) cut along the other of the first or second section line, that is perpendicular to the line previously cut.

Abstract: A ferrule holder is provided as one capable of improving convenience in a fusion splice between a built-in fiber and an optical fiber. The ferrule holder 1 is provided with a main body 2 and a lid 3. The main body 2 has a mount portion 4 on which a ferrule body is to be mounted, and the mount portion 4 is provided with a first mount surface 8, and a second mount surface 9 provided through a step portion 11 on the rear side of the first mount surface 8. This allows, for example, the ferrule body with a dust cap thereon to be mounted on the first mount surface 8 in the fusion splice in the case of an SC connector; it also allows the ferrule body with a dust cap thereon to be mounted on the second mount surface 9 in the fusion splice in the case of an LC connector. Therefore, there is no need for preparing a plurality of ferrule holders according to types of connectors, which can achieve improvement in convenience in the fusion splice between the built-in fiber and the optical fiber.

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: A weld detecting method that detects a weld on a work includes: obtaining in advance at least one correlation, from among a correlation between a width of the neck and an amount of elongation of the work and a correlation between the width of the neck and an amount of change in at least one of a sheet thickness and a sheet width of the work before and after elongation of the work, and calculating the width of the neck based on the at least one correlation by obtaining at least one of the sheet thickness, the sheet width, or the amount of elongation of the work from the obtained at least one correlation; setting a conveying speed, according to the calculated width of the neck; and detecting the neck by measuring the sheet width of the work at predetermined intervals, while conveying the work the set conveying speed.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a weight portion having a recess section and a solid section, beam portions, a movable electrode provided on the opposite surface of the weight portion from an open surface of the recess section to extend over the recess section and the solid section, a first fixed electrode arranged at the opposite side of the movable electrode from the recess section, and a second fixed electrode arranged at the opposite side of the movable electrode from the solid section. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration using a change in capacitance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrodes caused by rotation of the weight portion. The beam portions are shifted toward the recess section such that an angle between a perpendicular line extending from a gravity center position of the weight portion to the rotation axis and a surface of the movable electrode becomes equal to 45 degrees.

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 system with a container including a protrusion, and a receiver to receive the container. The receiver includes a slide block that is movable relative to a body of the receiver, the slide block including two surfaces, a first surface, initially contacted by the protrusion of the container during insertion of the container into the receiver, having a first slope to resist movement of the container towards the receiver, and a second surface, subsequently contacted by the protrusion of the container during the insertion of the container into the receiver, having a second slope to interact with the protrusion of the container to assist movement of the container towards the receiver. This construction provides the user with a changing insertion force to indicate proper mounting of the container.

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: 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: A toner container which includes a main body for storing toner, an opening for dispensing toner, and a mechanism for sealing the opening. The mechanism for sealing the opening includes a slidable shutter which includes a cover and an extension, connected to the cover part, including a pushing surface and a blocking surface. The mechanism for sealing further includes a restriction which contacts the blocking surface to prevent the slidable shutter from sliding.

Abstract: A heat-ray shielding glass products (e.g., solar control double glass) which have excellent heat-ray shielding property, especially thermal insulation property and enhanced durability under the condition of existence of moisture (under high humidity), and which can be prepared in low cost is provided. The solar control double glass 40 comprises a solar control glass 30 having a glass plate 21 and a heat-ray reflection layer 24 comprising an electrically-conductive polymer provided thereon and another glass plate 37, the solar control glass and the another glass being arranged at an interval such that the heat-ray reflection layer faces the another glass and the interval forming a hollow layer 38, and the heat-ray reflection layer 24 has a surface resistivity of not more than 10,000?/?.

Abstract: A new and distinctive cultivar of Loropetalum named ‘Kurobijin’ that is characterized by its compact plant habit, its flowers that are deep red-purple in color, its late blooming period, its foliage that is dark burgundy in color with the color persisting throughout the summer, and its oval shaped leaves.