Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid application device, an inkjet recording apparatus and a recording apparatus, which are capable of performing an adequate application initial operation according to the length of waiting time and power-off time, as well as a method of controlling the liquid application device. In the present invention, information on an end time of the previous processing for collecting liquid is read from a nonvolatile memory, current time information indicating the current time is obtained, and information on a lapse of time from the end time of the previous collection to a start time of the current application. Thereafter, the number of preliminary rotations R of an application roller is decided based on the information on the lapse of time with reference to a look-up table. Sequentially, the application roller is rotated by the decided number of preliminary rotations R to perform preprocessing operation.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a sheet feeding unit configured to feed sheets one by one from a storing unit, a coating unit configured to apply a coating liquid on a fed sheet, and a printing unit configured to perform printing on the coated sheet. The control unit controls timing to start a sheet feeding of a next page while a current page is being printed, depending on occurrence of event of temporary interruption or delay of printing operation.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus using many types of inks to execute bidirectional printing, when symmetrically arranged ejection opening rows for a cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are used in the print head, one-pass bidirectional printing is executed. On the other hand, if ejection opening rows for a black ink are used in addition to the above ejection opening rows, multi-pass printing is executed so that there are a number of dots formed with one application order for the black and other color inks and the same number of dots formed with another application order for the black and other color inks. This reduces the non-uniformity of the colors attributed to the difference in application order.

Abstract: Provided is a planar lighting device having a thin shape and capable of emitting uniform illumination light with less brightness unevenness. The planar lighting device includes a first and a second light sources arranged at a given distance apart from each other and a light guide plate arranged between the first and second light sources. The light guide plate includes a light exit plane, a first light entrance plane facing the first light source and containing one side of the light exit plane, and a second light entrance plane facing the second light source and containing the opposite side to the one side, and has a shape growing thicker from the first and second light entrance planes toward the center. The light guide plate contains scattering particles for scattering light entering through the first and second light entrance planes and propagating inside by a ratio satisfying 1.1??·Np·LG·KC?8.2.

Abstract: The planar lighting device includes a light guide plate having the light exit plane, two pairs of light entrance planes formed at the four sides of the light exit plane, and rear planes formed opposite to the light exit plane and inclined such that the light guide plate grows thicker toward the center thereof, a pair of main light sources and a pair of auxiliary light sources disposed opposite their respective light entrance planes to emit light to the respective light entrance planes, and illuminance distribution control unit to adjust the amount of light emitted by the main and auxiliary light sources to form a designated local illuminance distribution for any position desired in the light exit plane. The planar lighting device performs area control and line control to adjust illuminance at a light exit plane for any area desired and along any line desired, respectively.

Abstract: A light guide plate comprises: a rectangular light exit plane and at least one light entrance plane in contact with the light exit plane, wherein the light guide plate comprises three or more structural layers disposed on each other in a direction normal to the light exit plane, each structural layer containing scattering particles dispersed therein, the structural layers having different particle densities of scattering particles.

Abstract: A light guide plate comprises: a rectangular light exit plane and at least one light entrance plane in contact with the light exit plane, wherein the light guide plate comprises three or more structural layers disposed on each other in a direction normal to the light exit plane, each structural layer containing scattering particles dispersed therein, the structural layers having different particle densities of scattering particles.

Abstract: A transparent support and plural types of particle groups having different particle size distributions each other that are to be contained in a light diffusing layer are provided. a blending ratio of the plural types of particle groups is computed such that a space packing ratio of respective particles in the light diffusing layer becomes a specified space packing ratio and the plural types of particle groups having been blended in the computed blending ratio are dispersed on the transparent support, whereby the light diffusing layer is formed on the transparent support. Thus, a diffusion film can be produced simply and at low cost.

Abstract: The planar lighting device includes a light guide plate including two symmetrical, inclined planes increasingly distanced from the light exit plane with the increasing distance from the light entrance planes toward the center, a curved portion joining the inclined planes, and scattering particles dispersed therein; light sources; a housing; a securing unit securing the light sources and light guide plate to keep their distance constant, and a sliding mechanism allowing the securing unit to slide. Distance between the light entrance planes, thicknesses at the light entrance planes and at the central curved portion, its radius of curvature and taper of the inclined planes are all held within respective given ranges as well as scattering particle diameter and density, light use efficiency and middle-high ratio of the brightness distribution.

Abstract: A thinner and larger planar lighting device is achieved without increasing the number of light sources and holding the power consumption to a minimum. The LED chips on the light sources are arrayed at an array density varying according to the position of each of the light entrance planes of the light guide plate such that the illuminance distribution as measured on along the middle of the light guide plate in a direction parallel to longitudinal direction of the light entrance planes represents a high-in-the-middle, bell-curve distribution.

Abstract: The absolute value of the light amount is increased by providing main light sources and auxiliary light sources on four sides of a light guide plate having a flat and rectangular light exit plane whereas the amounts of light emitted by LED chips of the main light sources and the auxiliary light sources are adjusted such that illuminance is highest near the central area of the light guide plate to obtain a high-in-the-middle, bell-curve illuminance distribution for light emitted by the light guide plate. A planar lighting device achieving a reduced thickness and weight and capable of emitting an increased amount of illumination light is provided.

Abstract: The planar lighting device includes a pair of light sources, a light guide plate and a housing. The light guide plate is disposed between the light sources and includes a light exit plane and a pair of opposite light entrance planes respectively provided opposite to the light sources. The planar lighting device thus configured features a heat dissipation structure whereby a heat sink is connected to each of the light sources and heat pipes are attached to the heat sink so as to extend toward the center of the housing. Disclosed is a thin and lightweight planar lighting device suitably used for a large display television or the like, capable of emitting illumination light free from brightness unevenness or with a reduced level of brightness unevenness, allowing increase of dimensions of the display area, and capable of optimally releasing heat generated by the light sources.

Abstract: The liquid crystal display device with a simple configuration is capable of emitting light with a desired color temperature, achieving high light use efficiency, and displaying high quality images. The liquid crystal display device includes a planar lighting device and a liquid crystal display panel. The planar lighting device includes a light source having LED chips for emitting blue light, a transparent light guide plate having a light entrance plane admitting light emitted by the light source and a light exit plane emitting planar light, and a fluorescent member disposed between the light emission plane and the light entrance plane and having one or more fluorescent substance coated areas for emitting white light by converting blue light from the light source into white light and one or more blue light passing areas passing blue light as blue light. The liquid crystal display panel essentially includes red, green and blue filters.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical sheet having one generally planar surface and composed of transmissive material, wherein on the other surface of the optical sheet, a concavo-convex pattern formed of a convex portion having a triangular top portion and a concave portion of a surface parallel to the one surface of the optical sheet is formed alternately in a generally parallel array.

Abstract: A planar lighting device provided with a film in front of the light guide plate, wherein the film can be disposed independently of the light guide plate so that the film does not affect the expansion and contraction of the light guide plate while the expansion and contraction of the film are prevented from affecting the light guide plate. The planar lighting device includes a light guide plate, a light source unit, a film supporter and at least one sheet of film. The light guide plate includes a rectangular light exit plane and a light entrance plane existing one side of the light exit plate, the planar lighting device being installed with that one side being located above the opposite side. The light source is disposed opposite the light entrance plane. The sheet of film is suspended from a film supporter and disposed in front of the light exit plane.

Abstract: A planar lighting device is capable of keeping the light entrance plane of the light guide plate spaced a constant distance from the light source and the light guide plate spaced a constant distance from the liquid crystal display panel even when the light guide plate expands, contracts or warps. This prevents break of the light source, decrease of light admission efficiency, occurrence of uneven brightness, and break of the liquid crystal display panel and permits a thin, larger, and lightweight design. The planar lighting device includes a fixing member for keeping them spaced from each other, a housing for accommodating the light source and the light guide plate, a sliding mechanism to elastically hold the fixing means against the housing while keeping the light source spaced a constant distance from the light guide plate, and a reinforcing member for reinforcing the housing.

Abstract: A planar lighting device comprises: a light guide plate including a concave rectangular light exit plane, two light entrance planes containing two opposite sides of the light exit plane and disposed opposite each other, two symmetrical inclined planes opposing to the light exit plane such that their distance from the light exit plane increases with the increasing distance from the two light entrance planes toward the center of the light exit plane, a curved portion connecting the two inclined planes; two light sources respectively disposed opposite the two light entrance planes for emitting light to enter the light into the light guide plate through the light entrance planes; and sliding mechanisms allowing the light sources to slide in a direction parallel to the light entrance planes of the light guide plate to absorb the expansion and contraction of the light sources along the length thereof.

Abstract: A liquid application device and an inkjet recording apparatus are capable of reducing nonuniformity in application of liquid onto a recording medium, and thereby forming high-quality images on a steady basis. In the present invention, information indicating the lapse of time after the previous circulation operation is obtained. Subsequently, based on the obtained information indicating the lapse of time, a preliminary circulation sequence is determined. Finally, the preliminary circulation sequence is performed based on the determined preliminary circulation sequence.

Abstract: In an ink jet printing apparatus using many types of inks to execute bidirectional printing, if ejection opening rows for yellow, magenta, and cyan inks are symmetrically arranged, ejection opening rows for a black ink are arranged adjacent to the most inside ejection opening rows for the yellow ink. Thus, a difference in color between forward scanning and backward scanning is determined by a difference in coloring between the black ink and the yellow ink. In this case, a possible color drift attributed to bidirectional printing can be suppressed by selecting the inks so that the difference in coloring between the black ink and the yellow ink is smaller than that between the black ink and the other color inks.

Abstract: To provide a spindle device and a machining center, in which spindle replacement can be carried out in an extremely short time, downtime during maintenance is short, and productivity is high. In a spindle device 20, there are provided wirings 41, 42 extended from a spindle 30 and wired to support arms via a bracket 21, and joint components 74, each provided at a position a predetermined length extended from extended parts for the wirings 41, 42, are accommodated within the bracket 21.