Abstract: The present invention provides a stringed instrument capable of corresponding to a preference of a player of the stringed instrument, a purpose of performance, and so on as much as possible. A resonance box portion fabricated by an additive fabrication method and a neck portion protruding from the resonance box portion are included, and material constants at a desired area of the resonance box portion is made different from material constants at an adjacent area adjacent to the desired area step by step or continuously. Vibrational characteristics of the instrument are changed by the partial difference of the material constants, and thereby, the stringed instrument capable of corresponding to the preference of the player, the purpose of the performance, and so on is provided.

Abstract: A piezoelectric acoustic device comprises: at least two piezoelectric actuators; a support body that supports the at least two piezoelectric actuators; and a signal input unit that drives the at least two piezoelectric actuators at respective arbitrary times. At least one pair of piezoelectric actuators among the at least two piezoelectric actuators is arranged in such a manner that their sound radiation surfaces face each other with a predetermined gap.

Abstract: A cellular phone includes upper casing 2 having a front surface with LCD panel 21 disposed thereon, lower casing 3 having a front surface with key pad 22 disposed thereon, and an antenna, upper and lower casings 2, 3 being openably and closably coupled to each other. First control plate 10 for reflecting electromagnetic waves is disposed in upper casing 2, and second control panel 11 for reflecting electromagnetic waves is disposed in lower casing 3. First control plate 10 and second control plate 11 comprise separate members which are independent of each other. When the cellular phone is in an unfolded state in which the angle formed between the front surface of upper casing 2 and the front surface of the lower casing 3 is maximum, first control plate 10 and second control plate 11 have a maximum projected area on the surfaces of upper and lower casings 2, 3.

Abstract: Piezoelectric actuator (51) includes a piezoelectric element (11) that performs expansion/contraction movement in accordance with the state of an electrical field, a base (21) with the piezoelectric element (11) adhered to one surface thereof, and a support member (46) for supporting the piezoelectric element (11) and the base (21), the piezoelectric element (11) and base (21) vibrating up and down in accordance with the expansion/contraction movement of the piezoelectric element (11). The base (21) is connected to the support member (46) by way of a vibration film (31) having less rigidity than the base (21). In addition, the piezoelectric element (11) and support member (46) have different outline shapes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a stringed instrument capable of corresponding to a preference of a player of the stringed instrument, a purpose of performance, and so on as much as possible. A resonance box portion fabricated by an additive fabrication method and a neck portion protruding from the resonance box portion are included, and material constants at a desired area of the resonance box portion is made different from material constants at an adjacent area adjacent to the desired area step by step or continuously. Vibrational characteristics of the instrument are changed by the partial difference of the material constants, and thereby, the stringed instrument capable of corresponding to the preference of the player, the purpose of the performance, and so on is provided.

Abstract: An image-heating device has a detector for detecting the state of a recording medium at a position between a first fixing unit and a second fixing unit along a conveying path of the recording medium and a controller for controlling a fixing condition of the second fixing unit on the basis of the information obtained by the detector.

Abstract: A piezoelectric acoustic device comprises: at least two piezoelectric actuators; a support body that supports the at least two piezoelectric actuators; and a signal input unit that drives the at least two piezoelectric actuators at respective arbitrary times. At least one pair of piezoelectric actuators among the at least two piezoelectric actuators is arranged in such a manner that their sound radiation surfaces face each other with a predetermined gap.

Abstract: Piezoelectric actuator (51) includes a piezoelectric element (11) that performs expansion/contraction movement in accordance with the state of an electrical field, a base (21) with the piezoelectric element (11) adhered to one surface thereof, and a support member (46) for supporting the piezoelectric element (11) and the base (21), the piezoelectric element (11) and base (21) vibrating up and down in accordance with the expansion/contraction movement of the piezoelectric element (11). The base (21) is connected to the support member (46) by way of a vibration film (31) having less rigidity than the base (21). In addition, the piezoelectric element (11) and support member (46) have different outline shapes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image forming device for forming a toner image on a recording material; a plurality of image heating devices for sequentially heating an image on the recording material in one of plural modes; a selecting device for selecting the mode and thus the number of the image heating devices to be used for heating the image; and a manual setting device for manually setting an operating condition of at least one of the image heating devices.

Abstract: A cellular phone includes upper casing 2 having a front surface with LCD panel 21 disposed thereon, lower casing 3 having a front surface with key pad 22 disposed thereon, and an antenna, upper and lower casings 2, 3 being openably and closably coupled to each other. First control plate 10 for reflecting electromagnetic waves is disposed in upper casing 2, and second control panel 11 for reflecting electromagnetic waves is disposed in lower casing 3. First control plate 10 and second control plate 11 comprise separate members which are independent of each other. When the cellular phone is in an unfolded state in which the angle formed between the front surface of upper casing 2 and the front surface of the lower casing 3 is maximum, first control plate 10 and second control plate 11 have a maximum projected area on the surfaces of upper and lower casings 2, 3.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit for controlling a plurality of fixing units independently of one another regardless of a state of an image forming unit, and a receiving unit for receiving image forming requests, and has a control sequence, in which when not all of a recording medium material, a recording medium state, environment, and image data satisfy predetermined conditions, at least one of the plurality of fixing units are caused to operate, and a control sequence, in which when it is detected that an image forming request, for which all of the plurality of fixing units are required, is received by the receiving unit, each currently unused fixing unit is caused to operate. Accordingly, it is possible to realize high productivity even when there exist fixing units not driven due to the recording medium physical properties, recording medium state, environment, image data, or the like.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of obtaining an image of a desired quality by a simple method is provided with an image forming device for forming a toner image on a recording material, a plurality of pairs of fixing rollers provided to fix the toner image, a glossiness detecting sensor for detecting the state of the image on the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed, and a controller for controlling the fixing conditions of the plurality of pairs of fixing rollers, and has a first image check mode for fixing the toner image by one pair of fixing rollers of the plurality of pairs of fixing rollers, and a second image check mode for fixing the toner image by the plurality of pairs of fixing rollers, and the controller selects whether the second image check mode should be executed, on the basis of the result of the glossiness detecting sensor having detected the state of the image on the recording material on which the formed image has been fixed by the first image check mode.

Abstract: An adjustment time reduction mode of reducing adjustment operation time is provided such that a user can set the adjustment time reduction mode in which a user arbitrarily reduces the adjustment operation time, depending on the user's situation. An apparatus performing adjustment operation at a predetermined timing, monitors a timing at which the adjustment operation is to be performed and visually notifies a user of the timing at which the adjustment operation is to be performed before execution of a job requested by the user. When the adjustment time reduction mode is set, the apparatus reduces a time for the adjustment operation during execution of the job requested by the user, and the apparatus is caused to operate in the adjustment time reduction mode until the job is completed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which can facilitate acquisition of an image output bundle that has a uniform and optimal gloss level as a whole. An image forming apparatus 10 fixes a toner image on a plurality of sheets. An image ratio calculation unit 233 calculates a composition ratio of image types in a plurality of pages of image data. A gloss level control unit 250 provides a control for uniformly fixing toner images formed on the plurality of pages to the plurality of sheets based on the calculation result by the image ratio calculation unit 233.

Abstract: An image forming system has an image forming device, a first image heating device for heating a toner image at a first nip to maintain a target temperature, a second image heating device for heating a toner image at a second nip to maintain a target temperature, a selecting device for selecting a first image forming mode in which only the first image heating device is used for a image heating process and a second image forming mode in which the first image heating device and the second image heating device are used for the image heating process, and a delaying device for making timing at which the target temperature of the first image heating device is lowered in a stand by state later than a timing at which the target temperature of the second image heating device is lowered in the stand by state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming means for forming an image on a recording material; a plurality of image heating means for sequentially heating an image on the recording material; and switching means for switching a number of the image heating means to be used for heating the image; setting means for manually setting an operating condition of at least one of the image heating means.

Abstract: An image-heating device has a detector for detecting the state of a recording medium at a position between a first fixing unit and a second fixing unit along a conveying path of the recording medium and a controller for controlling a fixing condition of the second fixing unit on the basis of the information obtained by the detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of obtaining an image of a desired quality by a simple method is provided with an image forming device for forming a toner image on a recording material, a plurality of pairs of fixing rollers provided to fix the toner image, a glossiness detecting sensor for detecting the state of the image on the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed, and a controller for controlling the fixing conditions of the plurality of pairs of fixing rollers, and has a first image check mode for fixing the toner image by one pair of fixing rollers of the plurality of pairs of fixing rollers, and a second image check mode for fixing the toner image by the plurality of pairs of fixing rollers, and the controller selects whether the second image check mode should be executed, on the basis of the result of the glossiness detecting sensor having detected the state of the image on the recording material on which the formed image has been fixed by the first image check mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming means for forming an image on a recording material; a plurality of image heating means for sequentially heating an image on the recording material ; and switching means for switching a number of the image heating means to be used for heating the image; setting means for manually setting an operating condition of at least one of the image heating means.

Abstract: An adjustment time reduction mode of reducing adjustment operation time is provided such that a user can set the adjustment time reduction mode in which a user arbitrarily reduces the adjustment operation time, depending on the user's situation. An apparatus performing adjustment operation at a predetermined timing, monitors a timing at which the adjustment operation is to be performed and visually notifies a user of the timing at which the adjustment operation is to be performed before execution of a job requested by the user. When the adjustment time reduction mode is set, the apparatus reduces a time for the adjustment operation during execution of the job requested by the user, and the apparatus is caused to operate in the adjustment time reduction mode until the job is completed.