Oki Data Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Toshiharu Sato

Akihisa Adachi

Masahiko Hashimoto

Yuji Nakabayashi

Yuji Fujii

Masahiro Kawano

Yasuhiro Umekage

Kenzo Ohji

Fumikazu Shiba

Yukio Nagaoka

Shuji Abe

Osamu Eguchi

Atsushi Ohta

Akihiro Yamamura

Masakazu Tanahashi

Emiko Igaki

Yukiyoshi Oda

Hidetomo Nagahara

Ken Nozawa

Shigeru Iwanaga

Atsushi Watanabe

Shinichiro Ueno

Eiichi Ookawa

Kiyohide Amemiya

Haruo Ohmori

Naoko Azuma

Kazuhide Shioya

A developer supply member according to an embodiment includes: a shaft with conductivity; and a conductive foam layer that is formed on a surface of the shaft. The conductive foam layer contains silicone rubber as a main component and includes a stress decay of 25% or less and a residual strain of 100 &#x3bc;m or less.

Image forming unit and image forming apparatus

A development device includes: a developer carrier configured to develop an electrostatic latent image with a developer while rotating, the electrostatic latent image being carried on a surface of a rotating electrostatic latent image carrier; and first and second developer supply members configured to, while rotating, supply the developer carrier with the developer contained in a developer container. The first developer supply member and the second developer supply member are disposed at positions opposed to the developer carrier, and in contact with the developer carrier. The first developer supply member is disposed downstream of the second developer supply member in a rotational direction of the developer carrier. A first contact amount at which the first developer supply member is in contact with the developer carrier is set smaller than a second contact amount at which the second developer supply member is in contact with the developer carrier.

Development device and image formation apparatus

A development apparatus includes a developer carrier to develop an electrostatic latent image using a developer, a first and second developer supply members each to supply the developer to the developer carrier. Hs1, &#x394;1, t1, Hs2, &#x394;2, and t2 satisfy a following formula below,10&#x2266;1&#xd7;(&#x394;1/1)+2&#xd7;(&#x394;2/2)&#x2266;50 Herein, Hs1 is a hardness of the outer peripheral surface of the first developer supply member, t1 is a layer thickness of an elastic layer of the first developer supply member, &#x394;1 is an NIP amount that is determined when the first developer supply member is in press-contact with the developer carrier, Hs2 is a hardness of the outer peripheral surface of the second developer supply member, t2 is a layer thickness of an elastic layer of the second developer supply member, and &#x394;2 is an NIP amount that is determined when the second developer supply member is in press-contact with the developer carrier.

Development apparatus and image forming apparatus

An ultrasonic diagnostic equipment of the present invention includes: an ultrasonic transducer body transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves; a swing shaft () attached integrally to the ultrasonic transducer body; a swing shaft pulley () provided on the swing shaft; a motor having an output shaft (); an output shaft pulley () provided on the output shaft; a belt () wound around the swing shaft pulley and the output shaft pulley; a plurality of belt fixing screws () fixing the belt to the swing shaft pulley and the output shaft pulley. The belt is divided into two regions at the belt fixing screws so as to allow the regions to have different natural frequencies. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a highly reliable ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic equipment using the ultrasonic probe.

Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic equipment using same

A development device includes a developer container that contains developer; a rotatable electrostatic latent image carrier that forms an electrostatic latent image thereon, being arranged below the developer container; a rotatable developer carrier that provides the developer to the electrostatic latent image carrier so that the electrostatic latent image is developed with the developer to form a developer image; and rotatable first and second developer supply members that supply the developer to the developer carrier. Wherein the first developer supply member and the second developer supply member are arranged next to each other and facing the developer carrier, and an outer diameter (D12) of a central portion of the first developer supply member in a rotation axis direction is smaller than outer diameters (D11, D13) of two end portions of the first developer supply member.

Development device and image forming apparatus

A process unit includes an image carrier having a surface which includes a main surface and a projection portion, and a cleaning member to remove developer on the surface of the image carrier. The projection portion is provided at least at one end portion of the main surface and includes a rising surface rising up from the main surface. The cleaning member is in contact with the main surface, the rising surface, and a border between the main surface and the rising surface.

Process unit and image formation apparatus having a cleaning member in contact with a projection portion

A developing device includes a static latent image supporting member having a photosensitive layer and being arranged to be rotatable; a developer supporting member arranged to be rotatable for developing a static latent image formed on the static latent image supporting member using developer to form an image; a developer supplying member arranged to contact with the developer supporting member and be rotatable for supplying developer; and a drive transmission unit disposed on a side of same end portions of the developer supporting member and the developer supplying member for rotating the developer supporting member and the developer supplying member in a same rotational direction. The developer supplying member is formed so that an outer diameter thereof on a side of the drive transmission unit becomes smaller than an outer diameter thereof on an opposite side.

Developing device and image forming apparatus

A developing device that is provided in an image forming device that forms an image includes an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developer carrier that is configured to form a developer image on a surface of the image carrier by attaching developer on the electrostatic latent image; and a contact member that is configured to contact the developer carrier. The contact member contacts the developer carrier and exerts a contact pressure per unit area thereon, the contact pressure per unit area being based on charging characteristics of the developer being used.

Image forming device and developing device

A neutralization device includes a light emitter, an optical conductor and multiple diffusion portions. The light emitter emits light for neutralizing an object. The optical conductor, which is opposed to the object and extends in a longitudinal direction, directs and applies the light to the object. The diffusion portions are arranged on the optical conductor in a zig-zag manner from one end of the optical conductor to the other and diffuse the light.

Neutralization device, developing device and image forming apparatus

A developing device that is provided in an image forming device that forms an image includes an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developer carrier that forms a developer image on a surface of the image carrier by attaching a developer on the electrostatic latent image; a supplying member that supplies the developer to the developer carrier by contacting the developer carrier, and that scrapes the developer remaining on the surface of the developer carrier from the developer carrier, and a deformation amount between the developer carrier and the supplying member is individually configured corresponding to a location where the developing device is provided in the image forming device.

An image forming unit has a rotatable electrostatic latent image carrier, a charge member positioned to contact the electrostatic latent image carrier and charge a surface of the electrostatic latent image carrier, and a developing part, which supplies a developer to the electrostatic latent image carrier for obtaining a developer image. The charge member includes a conductive elastic layer and a surface layer formed on a circumferential surface of the conductive elastic layer. The surface layer contains particles having an average particle size of 5 &#x3bc;m-20 &#x3bc;m; and a ratio of a surface area per unit area of the surface layer is in a range from 1.5 to 3.0.

Image forming unit and image forming device

A technique that provides: an ultrasonic transducer in which the accurate arrangement of piezoelectric elements and the electric conductive state between electrode layers are reserved; and an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus and an ultrasonic flaw inspection apparatus which use the ultrasonic transducer is provided. According to the technique, a plurality of piezoelectric elements, each being a stacked body in which predetermined numbers of piezoelectric layersand electrode layersare alternately stacked and although this has both sides that are substantially flat along a stacking direction, side electrodesto connect the predetermined electrode layersare placed outside both of the sides, are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the stacking direction, wherein an interval holding memberhaving a predetermined thickness is put between the sides on which the side electrodesof the piezoelectric elementsadjacent to each other are formed.

Ultrasonic transducer, ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus using the same, and ultrasonic flaw inspection apparatus using the same

A charging device includes a charging member and a charging power source portion. The charging member, in a sheet shape, is secured by contacting a region of an electrostatic latent image to be formed on a rotatable image carrier. The charging power source portion applies charging voltage to the charging member. The charging member includes a plurality of holes.

Charging device, development device, and image forming apparatus

A development device includes a developer carrier supplying developer to an electrostatic latent image carrier which is rotatable. The developer carrier includes a conductive metal core and a conductive elastic layer that is disposed outside a circumference of the conductive metal core and includes a surface having a roughness formed thereon. The surface of the conductive elastic layer satisfies a relationship 1.0&#x3c;Rz2/Rz1&#x3c;1.60, where Rz1 and Rz2 are ten-point mean roughenesses in a circumference direction and an axial direction of the developer carrier, respectively, and satisfies a relationship 0.20&#x3c;Sm2/Sm1&#x3c;1.00, where Sm1 and Sm2 are mean widths of profile elements of the surface of the conductive elastic layer in the circumference direction and the axial direction of the developer carrier, respectively.

An image forming apparatus performs prints image data. A dividing section divides the image data of a print job into a plurality of sub data areas m(i) (i=1 to n). A duty computing section computes a print duty for each of the plurality of sub data areas (m(1)-m(n)) based on the number of printed dots in the print job and a total number of printable dots in a printable area. A first power supply applies a first voltage to a developing roller. A second power supply applies a second voltage to the developer supplying roller. The voltage difference between the first and second voltages is determined in accordance with the print duty.

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Tokyo, Japan

Toshiharu Sato