Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Kanto Denka Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Nobuyuki Yoshioka

Tadashi Iwamatsu

Takanori Kamoto

Osamu Wada

Hiroyuki Hirakawa

Takashi Hara

Koichi Sugiyama

Yoshinori Mutoh

Takayuki Yamanaka

Ayae Nagaoka

Masatomo Hayashi

Hirofumi Kanda

Yoshio Ichii

Natsuki Matsuura

Nobuhiro Seki

Provided is an optical sensing member, comprising a light guide platewhich propagates light from a light source unit, detecting unitswhich detect scattered light from the light guide platebeing touched, an optical member which guides the scattered light to the detecting units, and a primary control unitwhich computes the touch location upon the light guide plateon the basis of information relating to the detected light. The optical member has arc-shaped curved surfaces formed on the end parts which face each of the detecting units. Each of the detecting units outputs, as the information relating to the light which is detected by the detecting units, location information corresponding to the angle of entry to the detecting units of the light which is radiated from the facing arc-shaped curved surfaces. It is thus possible to clarify contours of the light which is detected by the detecting units, and to improve the precision of the detection of the touch location.

Optical sensing unit and touch panel device including the same

An FTIR touch panel () includes a light guide plate () and a prism () joined to the light guide plate (). The prism () includes a side surface (), which is a joining portion that is joined to the light guide plate (), and a groove () in which a light source () is inserted. Light emitted from the light source () is incident on the prism () through a wall surface of the groove (), and travels from the prism () to the light guide plate () through the side surface (). Plating () is formed on a surface of the prism () over a region excluding the side surface () and the wall surface of the groove (). Accordingly, a touch panel having a high position detection accuracy can be provided.

Position input device and touch panel

A two-component developer is provided. The two-component developer includes a toner containing a binder resin, a colorant and a release agent, and a resin-coated carrier composed of a carrier core material and a resin coating layer formed on a surface of the carrier core material. The toner has an exposure rate of the release agent on the toner surface of 1.00% or above and 3.07% or below. The carrier core material has an apparent density of 1.86 g/cmor more and 2.45 g/cmor less. The exposure rate of the release agent of the toner and the apparent density of the carrier core material satisfy the following formula (1):&#x2266;&#x2212;1.54+5.93&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)wherein y represents the exposure rate of the release agent of the toner, and x represents the apparent density of the carrier core material.

Two-component developer, developing device, image forming apparatus, and image forming method

The resin coated carrier is used with a toner in which an external additive having an average primary particle size of 50 nm or more is added to a toner particle, and has a carrier core and a resin coating layer on the surface of the carrier core. In the resin coated carrier, the following expression (1) is satisfied:0.5&#x2266;&#x2212;log {()/()}&#x2266;2.5&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)wherein A represents a volume resistance value (&#x3a9;/cm) of the resin coated carrier in an electric field of 1000 V/cm that is obtained by conducting a stirring test, B represents a volume resistance value (&#x3a9;/cm) of the resin coated carrier in an electric field of 1000 V/cm before the stirring test, and C represents a volume resistance value (&#x3a9;/cm) of the carrier core in an electric field of 1000 V/cm.

Resin coated carrier, two-component developer, developing device and image forming apparatus

A method for producing a low density resin-coated carrier having a small resin amount to a carrier core material and having a uniform resin coating layer formed on the carrier core material is provided. A resin-coated carrier has a carrier core material and a resin coating layer formed on the surface of the carrier core material. The carrier core material has pores and an apparent density of 1.6 g/cmto 2.0 g/cmand a remanent magnetization of 10 emu/g of less. The resin coating layer is formed by a dry process of adhering resin particles to a surface of the carrier core material and applying heat and impact force to the resin particles. A volume average particle size of the resin particles is less than 1 &#x3bc;m. A two-component developer containing the resin-coated carrier is charged in a developing device in an image forming apparatus, and an image is formed.

Method for producing resin-coated carrier, resin-coated carrier, two-component developer, developing device, image forming apparatus and image forming method

A resin coated carrier is provided that can stably charge a toner having added thereto an external additive having a large particle size over a long period of time and can prevent blocking of a developer. The resin coated carrier satisfies the following formula (1):log()&#x3e;2&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)in which Ma is a weight average molecular weight of a silicone resin having the minimum weight average molecular weight, contained in a resin coating layer, and Mb is a weight average molecular weight of a silicone resin having the maximum weight average molecular weight, and

A resin-coated carrier is provided. A resin-coated carrier includes a carrier core and a resin coating layer formed on a surface of the carrier core. The carrier core is composed of a porous material having surface fine pores formed on a surface thereof, and has an apparent density of 1.6 to 2.0 g/cm. The resin coating layer contains cross-linked fine resin particles. Additionally, the resin-coated carrier is configured such that a volume average particle size of the cross-linked fine resin particles contained in the resin coating layer and an area average diameter of the surface fine pores satisfy a predetermined relational expression.

Resin-coated carrier method of manufacturing the same, two-component developer including resin-coated carrier, developing device and image forming apparatus

A carrier of the present invention is used in a developer including a toner which includes at least a binder resin and an organic colorant, and the carrier has a core and a coating formed on the surface of the core, the coating including (i) a charge control agent for controlling a charge whose polarity is the same as a polarity of a charge controlled by a charge control agent included in the toner, and (ii) a conductive particles. The use of the carrier of the present invention enables: prevention of decrease in the charging amount of the toner which includes at least a binder resin and an organic colorant; and formation of a stable, high-resolution, high-quality image which has very few image defects such as a photographic fog.

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Osaka, Japan

Nobuyuki Yoshioka