Abstract: In a sheet creaser, a sheet set is pushed between a pair of folding rollers to fold the sheet set. Then, a re-pressing roller re-presses the sheet set, which has been folded by the folding rollers, by rolling along the crease. Pressure applied on the sheet set by the folding rollers is released when the re-pressing roller re-presses the sheet set.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a conveying unit that conveys a sheet in a sheet conveying direction; a measuring unit that measures a position of a side edge of the sheet in a measurement area; a shielding unit having an end portion that is projected into the measurement area for shielding the sheet; a first determining unit that determines whether the shielding unit is detectable in the measurement area; and a second determining unit that determines whether the measuring unit has been mounted in the sheet conveying device based on a result obtained in the first determining unit.

Abstract: A pressing unit includes a pressure roller that slides on the folded side while rotating, an elastic biasing unit that presses the pressure roller in a thickness direction of the stack of sheets, and a driving unit that slides the pressure roller in a direction substantially perpendicular to a conveying direction of the stack of sheets. A lifting unit, when the pressure roller slides to a first position, temporarily lifts up the pressure roller, and when lifted-up pressure roller slides to a second position, lifts the lifted-up pressure roller down onto the folded side.

Abstract: In a sheet creaser, when a sheet is conveyed to a folding unit by a conveyer unit, the folding unit folds the sheet and a pressing unit presses the folded sheet by sliding in a direction substantially perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction. A switching unit switches the conveyer unit between a first position to convey the sheet and a second position unable to convey the sheet. A driving unit drives both the switching unit and the pressing unit.

Abstract: A folding unit folds a sheet. A pressing unit presses a folded side of the folded sheet. A driving unit causes the pressing unit to slide in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction. A control unit independently sets number of slides at which the pressing unit is to slide on each of a plurality of sections of the folded side depending on a distance of each of the sections from a reference position, and controls the driving unit so as to slide in each of the sections for the number of slides set for that section.

Abstract: An associative memory with a shortest mask output function has data cells, mask cells, comparators for the data cells, comparators for the mask cells, a first bit lines for inputting compared bits to the data cell comparators, and a second bit lines for inputting compared bits to the mask cell comparator, a search data are input to the first bit line and bit data corresponding to the shortest mask lines are input to the second bit line.

Abstract: According to this invention, a silicon oxide film growing apparatus includes a single wafer film-forming processing tank, a post processing unit, and a wafer conveying robot. The single wafer film-forming processing tank selectively grows a silicon oxide film by a liquid-phase growing method on only a silicon oxide film on a surface of a semiconductor wafer. The post processing unit washes the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The wafer conveying robot conveys the semiconductor wafer between the film-forming processing tank and the post processing unit.