Abstract: A ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal device having an improved impact resistance and an improved contrast is provided by using a pair of substrates provided with uniaxial alignment axes which are parallel and identical in direction with each other. A ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal is disposed between the pair of substrates so as to assume a higher-temperature alignment state and a lower-temperature alignment state on temperature decrease in its ferroelectric smectic phase placed in a bistable alignment state. The ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal is further placed in the lower-temperature alignment state which is characterized by having an inclination of forming a connected pair of a lightning defect and a hair pin defect coming after the lightning defect.

Abstract: A driving apparatus includes a scanning driver circuit connected to scanning electrodes and a signal driver circuit connected to signal electrodes. The scanning driver circuit includes: (1) a drive signal voltage generating unit which includes a first signal voltage generating unit for generating a scanning selection signal voltage supplied to a first bus, and a second signal voltage generating unit for generating a scanning nonselection signal voltage supplied to a second bus, (2) a switching circuit unit for selectively supplying the scanning selection signal or the scanning nonselection signal to a scanning electrode, and (3) a switching signal generating unit for supplying a switching control signal to the switching circuit unit.

Abstract: An optical modulation device comprises scanning electrodes and signal electrodes disposed intersecting with each other to form a pixel at each intersection of the scanning electrodes and signal electrodes. The contrast of each pixel is discriminated depending on an electric field applied thereto. The optical modulation device is driven by a method comprising providing the scanning electrodes with at least three potential levels of V.sub.1, V.sub.2 and V.sub.3 which satisfy the relation of V.sub.1 >V.sub.2 >V.sub.3 and providing the signal electrodes with at least three levels of V.sub.4, V.sub.5 and V.sub.6 which satisfy the relation of V.sub.4 >V.sub.5 >V.sub.6 ; wherein the potentials V.sub.1, V.sub.3, V.sub.4 and V.sub.6 are set to satisfy the relation of V.sub.1 -V.sub.3 =V.sub.4 -V.sub.6.

Abstract: A liquid crystal cell includes a pair of substrates, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal assuming a first and a second orientation state in response to an electric field applied thereto. The liquid crystal cell is combined with an optical detector including a polarizer and an analyzer to form a liquid crystal device. The absorption (or transmission) axes of the polarizer and the analyzer are disposed to intersect each other and are deviated from the optic axis providing the darkest or brightest state of the liquid crystal device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a light source, a photosensitive member and an array of rows and columns of microshutters thereinbetween for modulating the light source corresponding to information signals applied in parallel to at least one of the rows of microshutters and transferred in parallel to a subsequent row of microshutters.

Abstract: An optical modulation device includes scanning electrodes and signal electrodes disposed opposite to an intersecting with the signal electrodes, and an optical modulation material disposed between the electrodes, a pixel being formed at each intersection of the electrodes and showing a contrast depending on the polarity of a voltage applied thereto. The device is driven by a method including in a writing period for writing in all or prescribed pixels among the pixels on a selected scanning electrode, a first phase for applying a voltage of one polarity having an amplitude exceeding a first threshold voltage of the optical modulation material to the all or prescribed pixels, and a second phase for applying a voltage of the other polarity having an amplitude exceeding a second threshold voltage of the optical modulation material to a selected pixel and applying a voltage not exceeding the threshold voltages of the optical modulation material to the other pixels, respectively among the all or prescribed pixels.

Abstract: A driving apparatus including a scanning driver circuit connected to scanning electrodes and a signal driver circuit connected to signal electrodes. The signal driver circuit includes (1) a drive signal generating unit which includes a first signal generating circuit and a second signal generating circuit for generating a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal, respectively, of mutually different waveforms, (2) a switching circuit unit for selectively supplying the first or second voltage signal to a signal electrode, and (3) a switching signal generating unit for supplying a switching control signal to the switching circuit unit.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a pair of substrates each having a uniaxial orientation as provided by rubbing or oblique vapor deposition, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the substrates. The uniaxial orientation axes respectively provided to the pair of substrates intersect each other at an intersection angle .theta.. The ferroelectric liquid crystal molecules may have such an alignment tendency that their axes are twisted along a normal to the substrates in the absence of an electric field when they are disposed between two substrates having the same direction of uniaxial orientation axes. The liquid crystal device may be subjected to an AC application pretreatment. The uniaxial orientation axes respectively provided to the base plates may have mutually different orientation controlling powers.

Abstract: An improvement in a driving method for an optical modulation device having a plurality of picture elements arranged in N lines, each picture element including a pair of oppositely spaced electrodes, and an optical modulation material disposed therebetween and showing at least two stable states with respect to an electric field. A writing operation is carried out respectively for a plurality of blocks each comprising a plurality (n) of lines, the writing operation including: (a) a first step of applying such a voltage signal to picture elements arranged on the n lines as to provide the picture elements with a display state based on a first stable state of the optical modulation material, and (b) a second step of applying such a voltage signal to selected picture elements on the n lines line-by-line as to provide the selected picture elements with a display state based on a second stable state of the optical modulation material; wherein N and n are integers satisfying the relation of N>n.

Abstract: An optical modulation device is disclosed, which includes: a first substrate having thereon a signal transmission electrode connected to a signal source and a first electrode having a delay function connected to the transmission electrode; a second substrate having thereon a second electrode disposed opposite to said first electrode; and an optical modulation material, particularly a ferroelectric liquid crystal, disposed between the first and second electrodes. An optical modulation system, particularly a gradational display system, utilizing the delay function is also disclosed.

Abstract: A driving method for a liquid crystal device of the type comprising arranged picture elements each comprising oppositely spaced electrodes, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer and a dielectric layer disposed between the electrodes, the ferroelectric liquid crystal layer having a resistance R(.OMEGA.) and a capacitance C.sub.1 (F), the dielectric layer having a capacitance C.sub.2 (F); wherein a driving voltage having a pulse duration .DELTA.T(sec) set to satisfy the following formula (1) is applied to the picture elements: ##EQU1## wherein a is a coefficient satisfying the relationship of a<.vertline.-Va.vertline./.vertline.V.sub.ON .vertline., V.sub.ON is a value of voltage (volt) applied to a picture element at the time of writing, -Va is a value of voltage (volt) of a reverse polarity applied to the picture element after the application of the writing voltage V.sub.ON, b is a coefficient defined by the equation of b=.vertline.V.sub.1 .vertline./.vertline.V.sub.ON .vertline., and V.sub.

Abstract: A driving method for a liquid crystal device of the type comprising a picture element formed by a first electrode, a second electrode oppositely spaced from the first electrode, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed at the opposite portion between the first and second electrodes and having a varying layer thickness. The driving method comprises: a first step of applying a voltage signal between the first and second electrodes for orienting a region extending over the whole area of the picture element to either one of a first and a second state, and a second step of applying a pulse with a waveform corresponding to gradation information between the first and second electrodes to switch the state of a region defining a prescribed area of the picture element from one state resultant in the first step to the other state.

Abstract: An electrostatic recording apparatus includes a recording member having a surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a recording head, to effect discharging to produce the ions; first bias voltage source for applying a bias voltage to the second electrode; second bias voltage source for applying to the third electrode a bias voltage having the same polarity as that of the bias voltage applied to the second electrodes and having an absolute voltage which is smaller than that of the bias voltage applied to the second electrode. The parameters of the means for so determined that the ions produced by the recording head and moved to the recording surface are controlled so as to provide a high resolution image.

Abstract: An ion generating device includes a plurality of first electrodes extending in a first direction; a plurality of second electrodes extending in the second direction which is different from the first direction, to constitute a matrix; a third electrode so disposed that the second electrodes lie between the first electrodes and the third electrode, the third electrode having apertures corresponding to the matrix; a first dielectric member disposed between the first electrodes and the second electrodes; a second dielectric member disposed between the second electrodes and third electrode, the second dielectric member having a plurality of apertures corresponding to the matrix, which apertures each have a cross-sectional area generally increasing toward the third electrode.

Abstract: Ion generating device includes plural first electrodes extending in a first direction; plural second electrodes extending in the second direction to constitute a matrix; a third electrode so disposed that the second electrodes lie between the first electrodes and the third electrode, the third electrode having apertures corresponding to the matrix; a first dielectric member disposed between the first electrodes and the second electrodes; a second dielectric member disposed between the second electrodes and third electrode and having plural apertures corresponding to the matrix, which apertures each have a cross-sectional area generally decreasing toward the third electrode.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image is formed on a rotatable latent image bearing member and is developed with a developer into a visualized image on the latent image bearing member. The visualized image is transferred by pressure to a rotatable visualized image bearing member. Those steps are repeated with different color developers to form on the same visualized image bearing member a multi-color image which corresponds to one final image to be recorded. The latent image bearing member and the visualized image bearing member are cooperative to form a nip therebetween, through which a recording material is passed so that the multi-color image is transferred all at once to a recording material. The multi-color image may be a full-color or pictorial image or a combination of monochromatic images of different colors.

Abstract: The specification and the drawings discloses, in a ferroelectric liquid crystal device used for a liquid crystal display device, a liquid crystal-optical shutter, etc., a technique for stably retaining a desired alignment state for a long period of time to improve display and driving characteristics by providing protection means for protecting the liquid crystal cell from a phenomenon of generating a sanded texture caused by an external force such as an impact applied to the cell.

Abstract: A support device for medical instruments such as spatulas comprises a pair of semicircular support track frames to form a circular frame on which are mounted movable bases for spatulas slidable along tracks of the semicircular support track frames, a pair of support arms each having a holder for supporting the track frames slidably thereon, detachably therefrom and clamping the track frames thereto, and support legs for supporting the support arms such that the support arms are movable upwardly and downwardly and pivotally movable relative to the support legs and rotatable about the support legs.The support device according to the invention is capable of extending various instruments such as spatulas from a circumference toward the areas to be operated at all angles and fixing them with high accuracy and is able to change positions of the instruments with high freedom and to meet the requirements of the fine adjustment of the instruments with high accuracy.

Abstract: A silicon double body cavity drain tube having a double tubular structure at one end. A silicon rubber outer tube having one end sealed and the other end open is providedaround a silicon rubber inner tube that is shorter than the outer tube. One end of the inner tube is fixed to the inner wall of the sealed end of the outer tube and the other end of the inner tube is open and may or may not be fixed to the inner wall of the outer tube. Also, the outer tube and the inner tube, respectively, have a plurality of holes passing through their respective sidewalls, the holes through the outer tube sidewall being positioned in such a manner so that they do not align with the holes in the sidewall of the inner tube.

Abstract: At least one thermoplastic sheet is interposed between a pair of transparent thermoplastic cover sheets with a photograph interposed between the cover sheet and the thermoplastic sheet. The sheet assembly together with the photograph is pressed between a pair of flat electrodes of a high-frequency dielectric heating device. Then, the assembly is subjected to high-frequency dielectric heating.