Abstract: A lighting device includes a light source portion, a light guide that includes a light guide body with an elongated shape, guides light incident from the light source portion in a longitudinal direction of the elongated shape, and emits the light in an emission direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and a bezel that is provided along the light guide and includes an elongated-shaped opening through which the light emitted from the light guide passes and is emitted to the outside. The bezel includes at least one bridge portion that is formed along a lateral direction of the opening so as to partially bridge opposed walls of the opening in the lateral direction.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor, in which the processor is configured to: acquire information related to an electronic output of data; derive the number of sheets virtually output in a case in which the data is output by the sheets, using the acquired information related to the electronic output of the data; and perform control to display a reduction value of the sheets reduced by the electronic output of the data, using the derived number of sheets virtually output.

Abstract: An organization attribute estimation device includes a software information acquisition unit that acquires software information indicating, for each information processing apparatus used in a certain department of an organization, software used in the information processing apparatus, and a department estimation unit that specifies an estimated class of the certain department on the basis of the software information acquired by the software information acquisition unit.

Abstract: A selection system includes an acquiring unit, a candidate selecting unit, and a product selecting unit. The acquiring unit acquires device information of multiple devices. The candidate selecting unit selects, from among the multiple devices, a device whose device information does not meet a predetermined criterion, as a candidate for a device to be replaced. The product selecting unit selects, based on a selection result by the candidate selecting unit and product information regarding multiple products that meet the predetermined criterion, a device to be replaced, from among candidates selected, and a replacement product with which the device is to be replaced.

Abstract: An organization attribute estimation device includes a software information acquisition unit that acquires software information indicating, for each information processing apparatus used in a certain department of an organization, software used in the information processing apparatus, and a department estimation unit that specifies an estimated class of the certain department on the basis of the software information acquired by the software information acquisition unit.

Abstract: There is provided a virtual network connection apparatus having a unit that receives an instruction for forming a virtual network; an unit that assigns a unique virtual network identifier in response to the instruction; a unit that receives designation of an information processor; a unit that issues permission information for a designated information processor and registers the issued permission information in correlation to the assigned identifier; a processor that determines, upon receipt of the permission information from an information processor, a virtual network identifier correlated to the permission information and executes a process to correlate an address of the information processor to the determined identifier; and a transmission controller that determines a virtual network identifiers correlated to a source and a destination addresses of a transmitted information, and executes a control to transmit the transmitted information to the destination address by reference to the determined identifiers.

Abstract: A Cleaning fluid discharge openings capable of supplying a cleaning fluid is provided around a suction port mounted in opposition to a nozzle hole. A negative pressure generating source performs suction from the suction port to take out the cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid discharge openings and to contact the cleaning fluid, thus taken out, with a neighborhood of the nozzle hole, and the cleaning fluid thus contacted is sucked and recovered from the suction port. A member of the suction port is made of a porous resin and the cleaning fluid discharge openings comprise pores formed on a surface of the porous resin. A cleaning fluid supplied to the porous resin is taken out from the pores formed on the surface of the porous resin to clean the neighborhood of the nozzle holes and to simultaneously clean the suction port as a wiping member.

Abstract: A Cleaning fluid discharge openings capable of supplying a cleaning fluid is provided around a suction port mounted in opposition to a nozzle hole. A negative pressure generating source performs suction from the suction port to take out the cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid discharge openings and to contact the cleaning fluid, thus taken out, with a neighborhood of the nozzle hole, and the cleaning fluid thus contacted is sucked and recovered from the suction port. A member of the suction port is made of a porous resin and the cleaning fluid discharge openings comprise pores formed on a surface of the porous resin. A cleaning fluid supplied to the porous resin is taken out from the pores formed on the surface of the porous resin to clean the neighborhood of the nozzle holes and to simultaneously clean the suction port as a wiping member.

Abstract: An on-demand ink jet head includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements in alignment with one another with one end of each facing in the same direction. The end of each piezoelectric element is bonded by an adhesive material to a diaphragm which, together with a nozzle plate, forms a pressurizing chamber. To confine the fluid state adhesive material expelled out of the endmost piezoelectric elements, a dummy piezoelectric element is disposed outside each endmost piezoelectric element. The adhesive material, when dried, serves as a damper of the piezoelectric element for damping unwanted vibrations of the piezoelectric elements. By the provision of the dummy piezoelectric elements, the distribution of the adhesive material becomes substantially even between the piezoelectric elements, resulting in uniform operations of the piezoelectric elements.

Abstract: An ink jet printer has a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in a matrix form in which each piezoelectric element is connected between one of TS lines and one of selection lines. The TS lines are connected, one by one and in a time sharing manner, to a voltage source E.sub.1 so as to be enabled. The remaining TS lines are connected to a voltage source E.sub.2 so as to be disabled. The selection lines are selectively connected to a voltage source E.sub.3 so as to be enabled. Non-selected selection lines are connected to a voltage source E.sub.4 so as to be disabled. A selected piezoelectric element connected between enabled TS line and enabled selection line is applied with a driving voltage. A non-selected piezoelectric element connected between enabled TS line and disabled selection line, or between disabled TS line and enabled selection line, or between disabled TS line and disabled selection line, is applied with a non-driving voltage.

Abstract: An ink jet printer having bubble purging arrangement for discharging bubbles mixed in the ink out of a print head. The print head has a main tank for storing ink, a sub tank for collecting and storing ink, and a manifold fluidly connecting the main tank and the sub tank. The manifold is in fluid communication with the nozzles for supplying ink from the main tank to the nozzles. Three kind of purging modes are provided in accordance with purging position of the print head. Pressurizing pump is selectively connected to the main tank or sub tank or both main tank and the sub tank through a valve arrangement. If the pump is fluidly connected to the main tank only, the ink in the main flows into the sub tank. If the pump is fluidly connected to the sub tank only, the ink in the sub tank flows back into the main tank. By alternating the fluid connection, bubbles mixed in the ink is gradually concentrated at an upper portion of the manifold.

Abstract: A hot-melt type ink jet printer includes a nozzle array, an ink tank containing a hot-melt ink therein, and an ink supply tube connecting the ink tank and the nozzle array, wherein a hot-melt ink is used which is a solid at room temperature but liquifies when heated. The ink supply tube is made of an elastic material that contracts and deforms corresponding to contractions and deformations of the ink contained in the ink supply tube. A cap is attached to the tip end of the ink supply tube so that the inlet of the ink supply tube that is in the ink tank faces to the side or upward.

Abstract: A suction purging unit for removing dusts solidified ink etc. from nozzles of a print head of an ink jet printer, the nozzles being arrayed in a moving direction of the print head. A contact portion is provided at one side of a body portion in which a fluid passage is formed. The contact portion is contactable with at least one of the nozzles for suction purging, and is separated from the nozzle between-suction purging mode. The body portion is pivotally movable toward and away from the print head, and is vertically movable. The body portion is movable along a top surface of the print head when the latter is moved in the moving direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing fused silica includes at least one anodic plasma arc electrode and at least one cathodic plasma arc electrode adjustably arranged with respect to one another so that the plasma arcs formed thereby couple together to form a plasma arc coupling zone. A feedstock material is fed into a region between the electrodes or to a region near the electrodes where the plasma arc coupling zone is formed. A platform is located beneath the plasma arc coupling zone to receive the silica product which is formed in the plasma arc coupling zone. The platform may be rotated about its axis and move up and down along its axis. A cooling device also may be included with the platform. The plasma anode torch used in the apparatus includes a cylindrical nozzle with a non-consumable, copper, blunt ended electrode disposed therein. A channel is provided between the electrode and the nozzle wall to allow the plasma gas to pass through the torch.

Abstract: Method for the production of fused silica in which a particulate silica feedstock material is passed from a silica feed tube through or near a plasma arc coupling zone in which at least two plasma arcs of opposite polarity are coupled, thereby raising the temperature of the feedstock material and collecting the material as fused silica.