Abstract:
A chemicals mixing container (1), which allows two kinds of chemicals, a liquid material (2) and a powder material (4), to be stored therein in isolation from each other and which allows the liquid material (2) and the powder material (4) to be mixed together. The mixing container includes: a first cylinder (6); a first piston (7) which is fitted in the first cylinder (6) to define a first internal space (3); a second cylinder (8) which is connected to the first cylinder (6) or the first piston (7) so as to be rotationally slidable thereon; and a second piston (9) which is fitted in the second cylinder to define a second internal space (5). The second cylinder (8) and the first cylinder (6) or the first piston (7) to which the second cylinder (8) is connected have communicating holes (13, 14) formed in their mutual sliding surfaces at positions, respectively, eccentric relative to a rotation axis X. The first internal space (3) and the second internal space (5) are communicated with or isolated from each other depending on a rotational sliding angle between the second cylinder (8) and the first cylinder (6) or the first piston (7) to which the second cylinder (8) is connected.
Abstract:
A process cartridge and an image carrier supporter for use in an image forming apparatus. The image carrier supporter temporarily fixes an image carrier inside a process cartridge of an image forming apparatus. The image carrier supporter includes a penetration shaft, and first and second fixing members. The penetration shaft includes first and second ends, and penetrates through a center throughhole of the image carrier. The first and second fixing members are provided at the first and second ends, respectively, of the penetration shaft, and are configured to closely contact a circumferential inner surface of the image carrier and a frame of a process cartridge, respectively. The process cartridge is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus, and includes a frame, the image carrier, the image carrier supporter, and a process mechanism configured to form an image on the image carrier.
Abstract:
Substrate processing with return processing is carried out efficiently by a substrate processing apparatus that continuously processes a plurality of substrates. The apparatus is equipped with a conveyor chamber constituting a substrate convey space, a plurality of process chambers in which substrate processing is carried out, a substrate conveying device provided in the conveyor chamber having a function of conveying substrates, and a substrate convey control device that controls the process of substrate conveyance by the substrate conveying device so that in a case in which after a substrate is continuously processed by two or more process chambers, the substrate is re-conveyed from the last process chamber to any of the two or more process chambers other than the last and return processing is implemented. In the re-conveyance, the substrate is conveyed to any of the process chambers after being temporarily retracted to a place other than a process chamber.
Abstract:
It is an object of the present invention to adjust the transfer environment of a substrate in order to prevent contamination of the substrate surface by impurities. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprises a load-lock chamber 1 in which substrate exchange with the outside is performed, a wafer process chamber 2 in which the wafer is subjected to a predetermined processing, and a transfer chamber 3 in which the wafer is transferred between the load-lock chamber 1 and the wafer process chamber 2. In a semiconductor manufacturing method in which this semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is used to treat a substrate, an inert gas (N2) is supplied to and exhausted from the load-lock chamber 1, the transfer chamber 3, and the wafer process chamber 2 while the substrate is being transferred from the load-lock chamber 1 to the wafer process chamber 2 through the transfer chamber 3, and the substrate transfer is carried out with a predetermined pressure maintained.
Abstract:
A substrate processing apparatus and a method for manufacturing semiconductor device can inhibit an elastic deformation of a substrate due to a temperature difference in a substrate surface during a substrate temperature raising process so that a substrate processing such as a film formation and the like can be performed in a temperature uniform state in a substrate surface. The substrate processing apparatus is adapted to heat a substrate 1 on a susceptor 2 by a division type resistance heating heater 3 which can perform an unequal heating in a substrate surface. Such a temperature deviation &Dgr;t in a substrate surface represented by: &Dgr;t≦350×EXP(−0.004×T), wherein T is a substrate temperature, is obtained that no warpage of the substrate 1 occurs in accordance with a temperature of the substrate 1 when heating. Heating of the substrate 1 is controlled by controlling the resistance heating heater 3 such that the temperature deviation in a surface of the substrate 1 heated by the resistance heating heater 3 is maintained within the above-noted &Dgr;t.
Abstract:
An electromagnetic relay has an iron core, an armature, a coil wound around the iron core, a yoke, a hinge spring, and a joining structure. The yoke is fastened rigidly to the iron core and has an engaging hole and a fitting portion. The hinge spring is used to support the armature rotatably on the yoke, and the joining structure is used to join the hinge spring to the yoke in the electromagnetic relay. The hinge spring has a tongue and a dish-shaped portion, and the yoke has an engaging hole and a fitting portion for engaging with the tongue and the dish-shaped portion. The hinge spring is joined to the yoke by inserting and fitting the hinge spring into the yoke. This structure serves to simplify the process of assembling the hinge spring to the yoke and drastically reduce the number of assembling steps required. Further, in a flux penetration preventing structure of the electromagnetic relay, a coil bobbin is formed, integral with or separate from a base block, and a venting portion, for allowing air trapped in a center hole in the coil bobbin to be vented therethrough, is formed in an upper flange of the coil bobbin. Therefore, sealing work of the base block of the electromagnetic relay can be performed smoothly and pinhole-free sealing thereof can be provided.
Abstract:
An image forming apparatus includes a toner bank that is configured to hold a large-volume of toner that is ultimately used to develop a latent image formed on a latent image carrier. A developing apparatus develops the latent image into a visible image. The toner is supplied to the toner bank, which need not be located adjacent to the developing apparatus, using a mechanism that prevents the toner from becoming clogged while being transported to the developing apparatus from the toner bank. In the toner bank, more than one toner bottles are vertically set. The toner bottles are individually opened and closed at respective opening portions thereon with an opening/closing mechanism and are rotated so as to discharge toner therefrom. Toner discharged from the toner bottles is dropped into the toner bank and is supplied to a developing apparatus by a flexible toner delivering mechanism having a powder pump unit and a flexible toner supplying pipe.
Abstract:
An image transferring device incorporated in an image forming apparatus and capable of surely preventing a sheet from wrapping around a photoconductive element. The image transferring device includes a transfer belt contacting an image bearing member to form a nip portion and which is supported by rollers one which is made from insulating material. A contact electrode contacts the inner surface of the belt and is located downstream of the nip for applying a transfer bias to the belt. A power source is connected to the contact electrode. A discharge electrode is located downstream of the contact electrode for dissipating transfer charge on the belt. A controller controls the power source such that a relation: I.sub.1 -I.sub.2=I.sub.out is satisfied, where I.sub.1 is the transfer current, I.sub.2 is the feedback current flowing from the discharge electrode and I.sub.out is constant.
Abstract:
In an image forming apparatus, a lubricant is fed to an image carrier on which a toner image is to be formed. An endless rotatable transfer member conveys a recording medium to which the toner image is to be transferred from the image carrier. The transfer member is capable of contacting the surface of the image carrier to which the lubricant has been applied. As a result, an adequate amount of lubricant is evenly applied to the transfer member to reduce the coefficient of friction of the surface of the transfer member, thereby enhancing the cleanability of the transfer member.
Abstract:
The apparatus includes a photoconductive element and a transfer belt, with an electrode or bias applicator located downstream from a nip formed between the photoconductive element and the transfer belt. Upstream from the nip, a roller is provided which can also act as an electrode, or which can be held in an electrically floating state. A bias voltage can be provided to the roller upstream from the nip, with the voltage equal to or less than the voltage applied to the downstream electrode so as form a potential gradient. In addition, the applied voltages can be varied based upon the position of a sheet of paper, or in response to changes in humidity.