Abstract: An expansion valve includes: a main body portion having a valve chamber and a valve seat; a case fixed to the main body portion; and a screw shaft that is driven by driving force of rotation obtained by reducing a rotational movement of a rotor due to the excitation of an excitation portion by a speed reduction mechanism to move a valve body forward and backward. A bellows configured to seal a gap between the inside of the case and the valve chamber is arranged in the valve chamber to be externally fitted onto the valve body, and the rotation of the valve body relative to the main body portion is restricted by a rotation restrictor.

Abstract: An arc welding method includes performing welding by using a gas and a solid wire. The gas contains Ar. The solid wire includes a steel core wire and a copper plating film formed on a surface of the steel core wire, and the copper plating film has an average grain diameter of 600 nm or less.

Abstract: A meeting system includes an identification information acquirer that acquires a card ID, based on a user's operation of touching a reader with an ID card 5 for identifying the user, an authentication process operator that determines whether or not to grant an authentication of the user, based on the card ID acquired by the identification information acquirer, and a command process operator that issues a command for commanding an operation corresponding to a desired operation of the user, where the command is associated with the card ID corresponding to the user, if the authentication of the user is granted by the authentication process operator.

Abstract: A processor determines a cause of an image defect based on a test image that is obtained through an image reading process performed on an output sheet output from an image forming device. The processor generates an extraction image by extracting, from the test image, a noise point that is a type of image defect. Furthermore, the processor determines a cause of the noise point by using at least one of, in the extraction image: an edge strength of the noise point; a degree of flatness of the noise point; and a pixel value distribution of a transverse pixel sequence that is a pixel sequence traversing the noise point.

Abstract: A processor determines an image defect in a test image obtained through an image reading process performed on an output sheet output by an image forming apparatus. The processor creates an image to be processed including a horizontal line, extending in a horizontal direction, extracted from the test image. Furthermore, the processor determines the presence or absence of at least one periodicity set in advance in a vertical direction in the image to be processed and determines the cause of the horizontal line according to the determination result on the periodicity.

Abstract: A transport device includes a transporting belt having a support face configured to support a medium and configured to transport the medium, a device main body in which the transporting belt is provided, and a cleaning unit configured to clean the support face with a liquid. The cleaning unit includes a storage unit in which the liquid is stored, a flow path member through which the liquid discharged from the storage unit and returned to the storage unit passes, and a filter unit detachably provided to the flow path member. Here, the filter unit is configured to be pulled out in a direction away from the device main body.

Abstract: The image processing apparatus includes: an abnormality detection unit configured to detect one or more abnormalities included in a target image and an abnormality exclusion processing unit configured to exclude a specific abnormality from the detected one or more abnormalities. In a case in which a detection area of a certain abnormality among the detected one or more abnormalities and a detection area of another abnormality overlap with each other and a type of the certain abnormality and a type of the another abnormality are different from each other, when brightness information of one of the certain abnormality and the another abnormality satisfies a specific condition, the abnormality exclusion processing unit excludes the one of the certain abnormality and the another abnormality from the detected one or more abnormalities.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an anomaly detecting unit configured to detect anomalies included in a target image; and an anomaly exclusion processing unit configured to exclude a specific anomaly among the detected anomalies. Further, the anomaly exclusion processing unit excludes one of an anomaly and another anomaly among the detected anomalies, if (a) a detection area of the anomaly, a detection area of the other anomaly, and an overlapping area of the detection areas of the anomaly and the other anomaly satisfy a predetermined condition and (b) a type of the anomaly and a type of the other anomaly are different from each other.

Abstract: A processor determines a cause of an image defect based on a test image that is obtained through an image reading process performed on an output sheet output from an image forming device. The processor extracts a vertical stripe part extending along a sub scanning direction in the test image. Furthermore, the processor determines which of predetermined two types of cause candidates is a cause of the vertical stripe part, based on a distribution of a pixel value sequence along a main scanning direction that crosses the sub scanning direction, in a target part including the vertical stripe part in the test image.

Abstract: A processor identifies an original drawing part that is originally drawn in a test image. Furthermore, the processor identifies a noise point in the test image. Furthermore, the processor determines which of predetermined two types of cause candidates is a cause of the noise point by determining a degree of overlapping between the original drawing part and the noise point. The two types of cause candidates are: waste toner dropping in which waste toner that has adhered to a transfer body that transfers a toner image to a sheet, is transferred to the sheet in the image forming device; and carrier developing in which magnetic carrier that has been mixed with toner is transferred to a sheet.

Abstract: A processor generates an extraction image by extracting, from a test image, a target specific part that is a horizontal stripe extending in a horizontal direction or a noise point. The processor derives a vertical data sequence from a target area in the extraction image and converts the vertical data sequence to primary conversion data of a frequency domain. The processor converts, to secondary conversion data of a space domain, correction data that is obtained by removing, from the primary conversion data, data of frequency bands other than a particular frequency band corresponding to a target specific part that was determined as having periodicities. The processor classifies the target specific parts into periodic specific part and non-periodic specific part by comparing positions of the target specific parts with a peak position in a waveform represented by the secondary conversion data.

Abstract: A processor identifies a specific part composed of a plurality of significant pixels in a mixed-color test image. Furthermore, the processor identifies a color vector. The color vector represents a vector in a color space from one of a color of the specific part in the mixed-color test image and a color of a reference area including a periphery of the specific part to the other. Furthermore, the processor determines which of a plurality of image creating portions of an image forming device corresponding to a plurality of developing colors, is a cause of an image defect, based on the color vector identified from the mixed-color test image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an anomaly detecting unit, and an anomaly unification processing unit. The anomaly detecting unit is configured to detect anomalies included in a target image. The anomaly unification processing unit is configured to unify specific anomalies among the detected anomalies. Further, if a type of an anomaly among the detected anomalies is the same as a type of another anomaly among the detected anomalies, the anomaly unification processing unit (a) determines whether the anomaly and the other anomaly should be unified or not on the basis of a relationship between a position of the anomaly and a position of the other anomaly, and (b) unifies the anomaly and the other anomaly if it is determined that the anomaly and the other anomaly should be unified.

Abstract: Provided are a transporting belt including a support face configured to support a medium, the transporting belt being configured to transport the medium; a wiper configured to wipe the support face; an attachment portion to which the wiper is attached; and a holding portion configured to switch between a pressing state in which the wiper is pressed against the attachment portion and a release state in which the pressure of the wiper against the attachment portion is released, in which the wiper includes a base portion attached to the attachment portion, either one of the base portion and the attachment portion includes at least one pin, and the other one includes a hole through which the at least one pine is inserted.

Abstract: A processor determines an image defect in a test image obtained through an image reading process performed on an output sheet output by an image forming apparatus. The processor derives a vertical data string that is composed of data about horizontal representative values serving as representative values of a plurality of pixel values in each line in a horizontal direction in the test image. Moreover, the processor determines the presence or absence of at least one periodicity set in advance in the vertical data string by performing frequency analysis on the vertical data string. Furthermore, the processor determines the occurrence or non-occurrence and the cause of periodic density unevenness serving as a type of the image defect according to the determination result on the periodicity.

Abstract: A processor selects a target sheet from a plurality of predetermined sheet candidates in accordance with selection information that is input via an input device. Furthermore, the processor derives feature information regarding a noise point from a target image that is obtained through an image reading process performed on an output sheet output from an image forming device, the noise point being a dot-like noise image included in the target image. Furthermore, the processor determines whether or not the noise point is a dot-like sheet noise by applying the feature information to a determination algorithm that corresponds to the target sheet, the sheet noise being included in a sheet of the output sheet itself, the determination algorithm being one of a plurality of determination algorithms that respectively correspond to the plurality of sheet candidates.

Abstract: A mechanical seal capable of eliminating the need for an elastic body includes a metallic sleeve 120 fixed to a rotary shaft 500 and a metallic rotary ring 110 fixed to the sleeve 120. A metallic cartridge 220 is fixed to a housing 600. A metallic fixed ring 210 is configured to slide on an end surface of the rotary ring 110. A metallic bellows 230 presses the fixed ring 210 toward the rotary ring 110, wherein the rotary ring 110 and the sleeve 120 are connected to each other by an annular first connecting part, whereby a radially inner side region and a radially outer side region are separated from each other, one end of the bellows 230 and the fixed ring 210 are connected to each other by an annular second connecting part.

Abstract: In an outer blade cutting wheel comprising an annular thin disc base of cemented carbide having an outer diameter of 80-200 mm, an inner diameter of 30-80 mm, and a thickness of 0.1-1.0 mm, and a blade section disposed on an outer periphery of the base, the blade section comprises diamond grains and/or CBN grains bound with a metal bond having a Young's modulus of 0.7-4.0×1011 Pa and has a thickness which is greater than the thickness of the base by at least 0.01 mm. The outer blade cutting wheel is capable of cutting a workpiece at a high accuracy and a reduced allowance, improves machining yields, and reduces machining costs.

Abstract: The crystallinity of a thermoplastic resin is 8% or more and 25% or less, the average primary particle size of carbon black is 10 nm or more and 30 nm or less, the content of the carbon black is 15.0 parts by mass or more and 30.0 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of an intermediate transfer belt, and (Li+Lo+Lc)/3?100 nm, where Li, Lo, and Lc are values of an L-function indicating a dispersibility of the carbon black with respect to the thermoplastic resin in an inner peripheral surface region of the intermediate transfer belt, in an outer peripheral surface region, and in a central region that is a central portion of the intermediate transfer belt in a thickness direction of the intermediate transfer belt, respectively.

Abstract: An outer member of a rotation transmission device has an opening integral with an inner peripheral portion of the outer member. Engaging elements are disposed between an inner member and the inner peripheral portion. An outer ring is fitted to the inner peripheral portion. A first snap ring is attached to the inner peripheral portion. An inner ring is fitted to an end portion of the inner member at one axial end thereof. A second snap ring is attached to the end portion through the opening. A shaft is connected to the opening so as to be rotatable in unison with and coaxially with the outer member.