Abstract:
A flash water heater using a heat pump includes a heat exchanger in which a refrigerant flow path exchanges heat with a water flow path. Tap water is led directly to the water flow path, and hot water supplied from the water flow path is used. The water heater includes at least one of the following elements: 1) a load setter for setting a heating amount in the heat exchanger, and a heating controller for regulating a heating amount in response to an amount set by the load setter; 2) a heater for heating water flowing through the water flow path in the heat exchanger and water flowing the path before and after the heat exchanger; 3) plural compressors; and 4) plural heat-pump cycles. The water heater is excellent in start-up of hot water temperature when the hot water supply starts, controllability, and efficiency.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of this invention includes: a photoconductive unit; an exposure unit outputting a pulse-width-modulated light signal and exposing the photoconductive unit; a developing unit developing the photoconductive unit and forming a developed image on the photoconductive unit; a transfer unit transferring the developed image to a transfer target unit and forming a transferred image; an image patch generating unit generating an image patch formed by a predetermined pattern; a sensor unit detecting density information of the developed image of the image patch formed on the photoconductive unit or the transferred image of the image patch formed on the transfer target unit; and an image quality maintenance control unit deciding a proper quantity of exposure and a proper pulse width on the basis of the density information detected by the sensor unit and set the decided proper quantity of exposure and the proper pulse width in the exposure unit.
Abstract:
[Task] To provide a super-resolution microscope whereby the light source of pump light and erase light can be selected easily and a super-resolution can be reliably achieved through a simple and inexpensive arrangement. [Solution of the Task] A super-resolution microscope includes an optical system (3, 4, 9) for combining a part of a first coherent light from a first light source (2) and a part of a second coherent light from a second light source (1) and focusing the coherent lights onto a sample (10), scanning means (6, 7) for scanning the coherent lights, and detecting means (16) for detecting an optical response signal from the sample (10). The microscope is configured so as to satisfy the following conditions: σ01Ipτ≦1, and 0.65(λe/λp)≦τσdipIe where λp is the wavelength of the first coherent light, λe is the wavelength of the second coherent light, τ is the excited lifetime in which the molecule is excited by the first coherent light from the ground state to the first electron-excited state, Ip is the maximum photon flux on the sample surface of the first coherent light, Ie is the maximum photon flux on the sample surface of the second coherent light, σ01, is the absorption cross-sectional area when the molecule is exited from the ground state to the first electron-excited state, and σdip is the fluorescence suppression cross-sectional area.
Abstract:
A semiconductor device includes: a P-type semiconductor layer formed in a surface region of a semiconductor substrate; a first gate insulating film formed on the P-type semiconductor layer; a first gate electrode; and a first source region and a first drain region formed in the P-type semiconductor layer to interpose a region under the first gate electrode in a direction of gate length. The first gate electrode includes: a first silicide film formed on the first gate insulating film and containing nickel silicide having a first composition ratio of nickel to silicon as a main component; a conductive film formed on the first silicide film; and a second silicide film formed on the conductive film and containing nickel silicide having a second composition ratio of nickel to silicon as a main component. The second composition ratio is larger than the first composition ratio.
Abstract:
In the invention, oxidation-treated carbon black having good dispersibility is used to obtain a conductive brush having a uniform resistance even when it is finely processed. An image forming process is carried out by using the conductive brush, whereby abnormal discharge to a photoreceptor is suppressed, and an image defect due to charging unevenness is prevented from occurring without damaging the photoreceptor, so as to improve image quality. The photoreceptor is scraped uniformly and smoothly to prevent filming from occurring, whereby the maintenance property is improved.
Abstract:
A color image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member, a first forming portion having a first transfer unit, a second forming portion provided downstream from the first forming portion, a third forming portion provided downstream from the second forming portion, a fourth forming portion provided downstream from the third forming portion, and a control portion. The control portion controls a bias of at least one of the corresponding developing unit and the corresponding transfer unit, when transfer of the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to the recording medium is completed, so that a toner-image residue toner material resting on the intermediate transfer member is returned to the corresponding developing unit through the image bearing member of at least one of the first to fourth forming portions.
Abstract:
A cleanerless cartridge in which a photoconductor body and a charger are integrated, and a cleaner-equipped cartridge in which a photoconductor body, a charger and a cleaner are integrated are prepared. An image forming apparatus body is configured such that the cartridges are attachable to first- to fourth-stage image forming sections. When the cleanerless cartridge is attached to the first- to fourth-stage image forming sections, an image forming operation is controlled under an image formation condition for a cleanerless process. When the cleaner-equipped cartridge is attached to the first- to fourth-stage image forming sections, an image forming operation is controlled under an image formation condition for a cleaner-equipped process.
Abstract:
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method comprising: forming a first gate electrode via a first gate insulating film on a P-type semiconductor region formed in a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate, and forming a second gate electrode via a second gate insulating film on an N-type semiconductor region formed in the surface portion of the semiconductor substrate; forming a first insulating film on side surfaces of the first gate electrode and the first gate insulating film, and forming a second insulating film on side surfaces of the second gate electrode and the second gate insulating film; forming a mask having a pattern corresponding to the P-type semiconductor region; etching away the second insulating film by using the mask; removing the mask; and forming a first gate electrode sidewall insulating film on the side surfaces of the first insulating film, and forming a second gate electrode sidewall insulating film on the side surfaces of the second gate electrode and the second gate insulating film, thereby forming an interface insulating film in an interface between the second gate electrode and the second gate insulating film.
Abstract:
An adjusting portion adjusts values of lightness, chroma, and hue. A change-amount setting portion sets an amount of change for each of lightness, chroma, and hue. A weighting-curve storing portion stores weighting curves for each of lightness, chroma, and hue. A weighting-factor determining portion determines, based on the weighting curves, weighting factors for the values of lightness, chroma, and hue. A specific-color-index determining portion determines a specific color index by multiplying each of the weighting factors determined by the weighting-factor determining portion. An adjustment-amount determining portion determines an adjustment amount by multiplying, by the specific color index, the amount of change set by the change-amount setting portion, and determines adjusted values of lightness, chroma, and hue based on the adjustment amount. An adjusted-color-image obtaining portion obtains an adjusted color image based on the adjusted values.
Abstract:
An apparatus and method for cleaning a plurality of drums in an image forming apparatus includes applying a first bias to each of a plurality of disturbing members, each disturbing member associated with a corresponding drum of a plurality of drums. While performing an image forming operation wherein at least one of the plurality of drums is not use, the bias is changed of a disturbing member corresponding to at least one of the plurality of drums not used in performing the image forming operation from the first bias to a second bias different from the first bias.