Yamamoto Chemicals, Inc.

Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.

Asahi Chemical Company, Limited

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.

Mita Industrial

Shigeo Fujita

Ryuji Wataki

Yojiro Kumagae

Yuzuru Nanjo

Sayuri Wada

Nobuaki Sasaki

Noritaka Okazaki

Keiki Chichiishi

Michio Uchida

Mansuke Matsumoto

Yasuhisa Iwasaki

Morihiro Kamiyama

Toshihiro Masaoka

Osamu Manabe

Hiroshi Terao

Tsunehito Eda

Shuuichi Hashimoto

Shuichi Hashimoto

Shizuo Iwata

Yukihiro Aikawa

Yuki Ito

Jun-ichi Taniguchi

Toshiyuki Nozawa

Yuki Itoh

Masayuki Utsunomiya

The invention provides novel compounds useful as intermediates for the production of polymethine compounds containing a desired counter ion with high purity and in high yields. Thus provided are polymethine ether compounds of the general formula (I) given below and a method of producing polymethine compounds which comprises bringing those compounds into contact with an acid. In the above formula, R represents an alkyl group, an alkoxyalkyl group or an aryl group which may optionally be substituted, Rand Reach independently represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, nitro group, alkyl group, alkoxyalkyl group, alkoxy group or alkoxyalkoxy group and Rand Rmay be bound to each other to form a ring; Rrepresents an alkyl group, which may optionally be substituted; L is an alkylene group required for the formation of a ring structure; and X represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, alkoxy group, aryloxy group, alkylthio group, arylthio group or substituted amino group.

Polymethine ether compounds

A novel nonsolvate-form crystal of polymethine compound is provided which has good stability in solution, shows a high gram extinction coefficient, is excellent in storage stability, is easy to handle and is highly sensitive to general-purpose semiconductor lasers. Thus is provided a nonsolvate-form crystal of polymethine compound of the formula (I) given below as well as a process for producing the nonsolvate-form crystal of polymethine compound of formula (I) which comprises reacting a polymethine ether compound of the formula (II) given below with hydrochloric acid or hydrobromic acid. (In the above formula, X represents Cl or Br.) (In the above formula, R represents an alkyl group, an alkoxyalkyl group or an optionally substituted aryl group.)

Nonsolvate-form crystal of polymethine compound and process for producing the same

Polymethine ethers

The invention provides near infrared absorbing materials showing high light-to-heat conversion efficiency and high sensitivity to lasers whose emission bands are within the range of 750 nm to 900 nm, original plates for direct printing plate making, and novel compounds which can be applied to such absorbing materials and plates. The compounds are polymethine compounds of the general formula (I) A detailed description of general formula (I) may be found in the specification.wherein Rrepresents an alkoxy group which may be substituted; Rrepresents an alkyl group which may be substituted; Rand Reach represents a lower alkyl group or Rand Rtaken together represent a ring; X represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or a substituted amino group; Y represents an alkoxy group which may be substituted or an alkyl group which may be substituted; Z represents a charge neutralizing ion.

Polymethine compounds, method of producing same, and use thereof

Polymethine compound and near-infrared absorbing material comprising same

Phthalocyanine compounds, process for producing the same, and near infrared absorbent comprising the same

The invention provides near infrared absorbers showing high light-to-heat conversion efficiency and high sensitivity to laser beams whose emission region is within the range of 750 nm to 900 nm, plates for direct printing plate making, and novel compounds which can be used in such absorbers or plates. The compounds are polymethine compounds of the general formula (I) shown below and the near infrared absorbers comprise the polymethine compounds.

The invention relates to novel phthalocyanine compounds, their intermediates and a process for their preparation. The inventive phthalocyanine compound absorbs in the near infrared region of the spectrum with a high absorption coefficient which features high solubility in solvents, good compatibility with resins and high aging resistance, thus finding application as a near infrared ray absorbing material or a light-heat conversion material with great advantage and to a process for producing the phthalocyanine compound. The novel phthalocyanine compound has the following general formula: ##STR1## wherein R represents alkyl or alkoxyalkyl; X represents halogen, alkylthio, phenylthio which may be substituted, or naphthylthio which may be substituted; M represents a couple of hydrogen atoms, a divalent metal, or a trivalent or tetravalent metal derivative. The near infrared ray absorbing and light-heat conversion materials containing the above phthalocyanine compound are also described.

Diiminoisoindoline compound and the process for producing the compound

A device for cleaning a transfer belt of an image-forming machine in which the transfer belt is wound around a drive roller and a driven roller that are disposed at a predetermined distance, in parallel with each other and is positioned opposite a photosensitive material drum in a transfer zone. A fur brush which has an electrically conducting property is rotated in contact with the surface of the transfer belt. A bias voltage is applied to the fur brush, the bias voltage having a polarity the same as the polarity for electrically charging the toner of a toner image formed on the photosensitive material drum. An opposed electrode is disposed opposite the fur brush and in contact with the back surface of the transfer belt.

Device for cleaning a transfer belt of an image-forming machine

A photothermal conversion material showing high sensitivity to the light of a semiconductor laser having an emission frequency band of 750 nm.about.900 nm with a high photothermal conversion efficiency and a planographic original plate fabricated by using the transducer are provided. This photothermal conversion material comprises a phthalocyanine compound of the following general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 .about.R.sub.8 each represents alkyl or alkoxyalkyl; X.sub.1 .about.X.sub.8 each represents sulfur or NR.sub.9, where R.sub.9 is hydrogen or alkyl.

Photothermal conversion material

The invention relates to a novel phthalocyanine compound absorbing in the near infrared region of the spectrum with a high absorption coefficient which features high solubility in solvents, good compatibility with resins and high aging resistance, thus finding application as a near infrared ray absorbing material or a light-heat conversion material with great advantage and to a process for producing the phthalocyanine compound. The novel phthalocyanine compound has the following general formula: ##STR1## wherein R represents alkyl or alkoxyalkyl; X represents halogen, alkylthio, phenylthio which may be substituted, or naphthylthio which may be substituted; M represents a couple of hydrogen atoms, a divalent metal, or a trivalent or tetravalent metal derivative. The near infrared ray absorbing and light-heat conversion materials containing the above phthalocyanine compound are also described.

Phthalocyanine compound, its intermediate, process for producing the

This invention relates to an image forming apparatus with a transfer unit for transferring toner electrically to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor onto a copy sheet. The image forming apparatus has a transfer electrode charge supply means for supplying electric charges to a transfer electrode provided in the transfer unit to electrically attract the toner onto the copy sheet and control means for controlling the quantity of electric charges to be supplied to the photoreceptor via the transfer electrode from the transfer electrode charge supply means based on a photoreceptor inflow current flowing to the photoreceptor through the charge send/receive means and on a photoreceptor outflow current flowing out from the photoreceptor through a ground wire connecting the photoreceptor and the ground. The charge send/receive means, other than the transfer unit, sends and receives electric charges to and from the photoreceptor. With this arrangement, variation of photoreceptor inflow current due to image density variation of an original document can be controlled to perform a stable image transfer.

Image forming apparatus with transfer current controller and method of

An image-transfer and sheet-separating apparatus transfers an image toner-developed from a positive latent image and retained on a photoconductor drum onto a copy sheet, and subsequently separates the sheet from the photoconductor drum. A bias voltage including a sheet peel-separating AC voltage superimposed on an image-transferring DC bias voltage is applied to a transfer roller which presses on the photoconductor drum. A post image-transfer charge-stripping element removes charge from the copy sheet and is disposed in a portion of the sheet-transport stream forward of a nipping position at which the transfer roller presses against the photoconductor drum. Thus, charge remaining on the copy sheet is discharged, ensuring high efficiency in image transfer and accordingly reducing the incidence of failure in the separation of the copy sheet from the photoconductor drum. The bias voltage is within the range of 500 V and 2000 V and specifically, the AC and DC biases are within the range of 1000 V and 1500 V. In addition, the transfer roller is moved toward or away from the photoconductor depending on the thickness of the copy sheet.

Image-transfer and sheet-separation apparatus

A multi-directional driving mechanism includes a moving plate supported rotatably on a supporting shaft and having an input portion and a plurality of output portions, a solenoid coupled to the input portion of the moving plate for causing the moving plate to pivot through a predetermined angle, and a plurality of coupling members each having one end coupled to the plurality of output portions provided on the moving plate. A transfer device for an image forming machine has contacting/separating mechanisms for moving a transfer belt unit, a moving mechanism for moving a cleaning blade, and the multi-directional driving mechanism, the other end each of the plurality of coupling members of the multi-directional driving mechanism being coupled to the contacting/separating mechanisms or the moving mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Shigeo Fujita