Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a platen in which first suction holes passing through from a medium support surface to a rear surface are formed; first pressure chambers provided to communicate with the first suction holes; a second pressure chamber disposed on the side opposite to the platen and communicating with the first pressure chambers; a wall section which is disposed between the first pressure chambers and the second pressure chamber and in which second suction holes each making the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber communicate with each other are formed; a suction mechanism which suctions rolled paper on the medium support surface through the first and second suction holes; and a slide plate movable in a parallel fashion along the wall section and provided with blocking portions having different lengths in a direction of parallel movement and capable of blocking the second suction holes.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, including: a recording head; a conveyor belt for conveying the medium in a conveyance direction; an attraction device including: a base; a first electrode having first extending portions and a first connecting portion; a second electrode having second extending portions and a second connecting portion; and a protective film provided on the base to cover the electrodes, the attraction device being configured to permit the belt to generate an attractive force to attract the medium to the belt. The first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are located respectively on an upstream side and on a downstream side, of the head, in the conveyance direction. The first electrode and the protective film are bent such that the first connecting portion is located distant from the head by a distance larger than a distance by which the first extending portions are distant from the head.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus, including: an ink-jet head having an ejection surface; a conveyor mechanism having a conveyor belt with a conveyor surface and a belt drive mechanism for moving the conveyor belt and configured to convey a recording medium; a pair of comb electrodes disposed so as to be opposed to the ejection surface, each comb electrode including a plurality of electrode portions, the electrode portions of one and the other of the comb electrodes being alternately arranged; a voltage-application power source for applying a voltage between the comb electrodes; and a controller having an attraction control portion for controlling the power source so as to attract the medium to the conveyor surface, wherein the attraction control portion is configured to control the power source such that the voltage is applied between the comb electrodes after initiation of the movement of the conveyor belt by the belt drive mechanism.

Abstract: A recording apparatus including: a head having an ejection surface; and a recording-medium conveyor device having a conveyor member with a conveyor surface, wherein the apparatus further includes a first and a second attraction device each for permitting the medium on the conveyor surface to be attracted thereto. The first device includes: a first and a second electrode each being opposed to one surface of the medium opposite to another surface thereof facing the ejection surface; and a first voltage applicator to apply a voltage between the first and second electrodes. The second device includes: an electrifying body and a third electrode between which at least one of the medium and the conveyor member is sandwiched; and a second voltage applicator to apply a voltage between the electrifying body and the third electrode. The second device is for electrifying the at least one of the medium and the conveyor member.

Abstract: A recording apparatus, including: an endless belt having first and second areas each defined by two rollers and looped over rollers including at least one tension roller and at least one drive roller; a recording head opposed to the first area; and a first cleaning member, wherein, in a cleaning mode in which the first cleaning member cleans the belt, a controller is configured to have the first cleaning member be held in contact with the second area and to drive at least one of the at least one drive roller such that the second area is located on a downstream side of the at least one tension roller and on an upstream side of the at least one of the at least one drive roller in a running direction of the belt.

Abstract: A recording apparatus including: a recording portion configured to record an image on a recording medium; an annular conveyance member having a face opposed to the recording portion, the face being capable of moving in a circumferential direction of the annular conveyance member while supporting the recording medium to convey the recording medium; and a first wiper configured to wipe the face by moving relative to the face, while contacting the face, in an intersecting direction that intersects the circumferential direction, wherein the face has a first area as a part of the face, the first area being an area at least a part of which is wiped by the first wiper, the first area having a grinding mark extending in the intersecting direction.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, including: a recording head; a conveyor belt to convey the medium in a conveyance direction; an attraction device including a first electrode having first extending portions and a second electrode having second extending portions and configured to permit the belt to generate an attractive force to attract the medium to the belt by giving mutually different potentials to the first and second electrodes; and, a pressing device including a contact member having electrical conductivity and disposed at a position where the contact member is opposed to respective upstream sections of the first and second extending portions, which upstream sections are located on an upstream side of the head in the conveyance direction, the contact member being configured to contact the medium placed on the belt, the pressing device being configured to press the medium onto the belt by the contact member.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a transport unit that transports, along a transport path, a medium having a recording base material whose one surface is a recording layer for an image and whose other surface is an adhesive layer and a separating base material that covers the adhesive layer; a recording unit that records an image onto the medium; a heating unit that fixes the recorded image onto the medium; and a humidifying unit that humidifies the medium.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus may include at least one inkjet head configured to eject ink onto a recording medium. The inkjet recording apparatus may also include a conveying device configured to convey the recording medium in a conveying direction, the conveying device including a recording-medium support surface that opposes the inkjet head and includes a plurality of holes. The inkjet recording apparatus may further include a suction device configured to suck air through the holes to attach the recording medium to the recording-medium support surface. The inkjet recording apparatus may yet further include a duct including an opposing opening that opposes the suction device via the recording-medium support surface, and a non-opposing opening that does not oppose the suction device.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus improves the operating efficiency while preventing trouble due to the contact of a recording medium with a discharging surface of a recording head. A distance sensor for detecting the distance of the leading edge of a sheet from a conveying surface is provided upstream from the inkjet head in the conveying direction of the sheet. A gap control unit controls a frame moving mechanism to move the inkjet head up so that a gap between the discharging surface and the conveying surface increases when the distance detected by the distance sensor is above a first distance, and the gap distance may be increased by different amounts depending on the distance detected by the distance sensor. A discharging control unit controls the inkjet head to discharge ink droplets after the gap is increased.

Abstract: A method is disclosed which rapidly detect allergens with good accuracy by efficiently extracting the allergens from a test sample such as food containing various allergens and eliminating non-specific reactions accompanying the disintegration of colloidal gold conjugated to antibodies by not using a reducing agent.

Abstract: A recording apparatus, including: a recording head; a conveying member for conveying a recording medium in a conveyance direction; a wiper whose distal end is to come into contact with and separate away from the surface; a wiper driving mechanism for driving the wiper to conduct a wiping operation in which the distal end is brought into contact with the surface and the wiper is moved relative to the surface in an intersecting direction that intersects the conveyance direction for wiping the surface; a retainer for giving, to the conveying member, a retaining force for preventing a movement of the conveying member in the intersecting direction; and a controller for controlling the retainer to give the retaining force to the conveying member and for controlling the driving mechanism to conduct the wiping operation, in a state in which the movement of the conveying member in the conveyance direction is halted.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus including: a head; a conveying member having a support face and configured to convey a recording medium in a conveying direction; a first wiper extending in a direction intersecting the conveying direction; a second wiper extending at least in the conveying direction; a first-wiping driving portion configured to drive the first wiper and the conveying member to perform a first wiping operation; and a second-wiping driving portion configured to drive the second wiper and the conveying member to perform a second wiping operation; and a controller; wherein the controller controls the first-wiping driving portion and the second-wiping driving portion to perform a first cleaning operation including the first wiping operation and the second wiping operation; and wherein the controller controls the second-wiping driving portion such that the second wiper wipes foreign materials remaining on the support face when the first wiper is released from the support face in the first wiping operat

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a recording head that records an image on a recording medium. A conveyor supports the recording medium on an outer surface thereof so as to convey the recording medium in a conveying direction, and has an attachment region and a non-attachment region on its outer surface. The recording medium is attachable to the attachment region with a first attachment force greater than a second attachment force of the non-attachment region. A medium feeder is configured to feed the recording medium to the conveyor so that at least a part of a leading edge of the recording medium in the conveying direction is positioned on the non-attachment region.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a recording portion; a conveying member having a surface opposed to the recording portion and which conveys the recording medium in a conveying direction; a wiper having an end portion which is contactable with the surface of the conveying member and which removes a foreign matter on the surface of the conveying member; and a wiping operation executing portion which executes a wiping operation in which at least one of the wiper and the conveying member is driven such that, after the end portion of the wiper distant from the surface of the conveying member comes into contact with a clean area of the surface of the conveying member, the end portion of the wiper reaches outside of the clean area.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet recording apparatus includes an inkjet head, a conveyor, a printing controller, an image sensor, a blocking object determining unit, and a blocking object dealing unit. The inkjet head has an ejection surface in which plural ejection outlets ejecting ink are formed. The conveyor has a placing member on which a recording medium is placed and conveys the placing member to a position opposing the ejection surface. The printing controller causes the conveyor to convey the placing member to the opposing position and causes the inkjet head to eject the ink towards the opposing position. The image sensor captures an image of at least one of (i) a surface of the recording medium placed on the placing member, (ii) a surface of the placing member, and (iii) the ejection surface.

Abstract: A medium convey apparatus including: a convey mechanism including an endless belt having a medium-placed face; and a first adsorbing mechanism which includes first and second electrodes each facing a face of the convey mechanism opposite to the medium-placed face, and which adsorbs a recording medium to the medium-placed face by applying a specific voltage to between the first and second electrodes; wherein a surface layer member covers the first and second electrodes; and wherein at least one of the endless belt and the surface layer member has at least an area facing the first and second electrodes, wherein the area is formed of a resin material containing an ion conductive resistivity control material, and wherein a volume resistivity of the resin material ranges from 1010 to 1014 ?·cm when the specific voltage is applied in an environment at a temperature of 22.5° C. and a relative humidity of 50%.

Abstract: The method and the device for positioning a columnar structure which can promote properties of the resulting columnar structure, such as thermal shock resistance, isostatic strength, thermal stress, mechanical stress, and the like, and can exhibit improved productivity due to excellent drying performance of the coated areas by approximation of the central axis of the columnar structure and the central axis of the seat, thereby flattening the coating thickness when a coating is applied to the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure, are provided. After causing the positioning fixture to abut on the seat mounting the columnar structure thereon, the columnar structure is moved from the seat using a positioning adjustment fixture placed opposing the positioning fixture, while keeping the columnar structure to abut on the positioning adjustment fixture at one or two points, thereby causing the columnar structure to abut on the positioning fixture.

Abstract: A medium feeding apparatus including: a feeding mechanism including a feeding member and configured to feed the recording medium; an adsorbing unit including first and second electrodes facing the feeding member and configured to adsorb the recording medium to the feeding member; first and second surface layer members respectively having higher volume resistivities than the first and second electrodes and respectively stacked on the first and second electrodes; and first and second low resistance members respectively having lower volume resistivities than the first and second surface layer members and respectively fixed to the first and second surface layer members at positions between the respective first and second surface layer members and the feeding member, wherein the first low resistance member and the second low resistance member are distant from each other.

Abstract: An interferometer comprises: a light source; a first polarization beam splitter configured to reflect, as reference light, a first polarization component of light emitted from the light source, and to transmit, as measurement light, a second polarization component of the light emitted from the light source; a birefringent-material element located between the light source and the first polarization beam splitter; and a light-receiving device configured to receive an interfering light generated by interference of the measurement light transmitted through the first polarization beam splitter, reflected by a reflecting surface to be measured, and transmitted through the first polarization beam splitter, with the reference light reflected by the first polarization beam splitter. The interferometer is configured such that the reference light and the measurement light pass through the birefringent-material element between the first polarization beam splitter and the light-receiving device.