Abstract: Provided is an automatic analyzer provided with a liquid level sensing function in which liquid levels in sample containers having various heights can be precisely detected using ultrasonic waves. This device is provided with: a conveyance rack for conveying a sample container which contains a sample and is loaded thereon; a fixed ultrasonic distance sensor for measuring the liquid level position in the sample container loaded on the conveyance rack; sound wave guides for suppressing diffusion of sound waves transmitted from the ultrasonic distance sensor, the sound wave guides being disposed between the sample container and the ultrasonic distance sensor; and a sound wave guide control unit for adjusting the length or switching the length of the sound wave guides in accordance with the distance between the ultrasonic distance sensor and the sample container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit to store recording sheets, an image forming unit, an insertion unit, including an interleaving sheet tray on which an interleaving sheet is to be stacked, and to insert the interleaving sheet fed from the interleaving sheet tray between recording sheets conveyed from the image forming unit. The control unit selects between a first mode and a second mode to execute based on a detected remaining amount of recording sheets in the storage unit. The first mode is a mode for feeding the interleaving sheet, which is to be inserted, from the interleaving sheet tray regardless of whether a presence of the recording sheet in the storage unit is detected. The second mode is a mode for feeding the interleaving sheet from the interleaving sheet tray based on that presence of the recording sheet in the storage unit is detected.

Abstract: A substrate processing method which can clean a peripheral portion of a substrate after polishing and can check the cleaning effect of the peripheral portion of the substrate is disclosed. The substrate processing method includes polishing a peripheral portion of the substrate by pressing a polishing tape having abrasive grains against the peripheral portion of the substrate with a first head, cleaning the peripheral portion of the substrate by supplying a cleaning liquid to the peripheral portion of the substrate after polishing, bringing a tape having no abrasive grains into contact with the peripheral portion of the substrate after cleaning by a second head, applying light to the tape and receiving reflected light from the tape by a sensor, and judging that the peripheral portion of the substrate is contaminated when an intensity of the received reflected light is lower than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A vacuum suction pad capable of making it more difficult to separate a substrate when the substrate is held by vacuum suction, the vacuum suction pad 8 including: a pad main body 37 having a lower surface adhered to a stage 5 of a substrate holder 2; and a plurality of circular arc-shaped substrate holding convexities 38, provided on a top surface of the pad main body 37, for holding a substrate W attracted by vacuum suction to the top surface of the pad main body 37, wherein the substrate holding convexities 38 are arranged concentrically with the circular pad main body 37, and width W1 in a radial direction of the substrate holding convexity 38 located on a radially outer side among the plurality of substrate holding convexities 38 is narrower than width W2 in the radial direction of the substrate holding convexity 38 on a radially inner side.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to start feeding a sheet from a feeding unit without confirming a presence or absence of an insert sheet to be inserted before the sheet when an amount of insert sheets stacked on a stacking tray as a feed source is higher than a predetermined amount. In a case in which the amount of the insert sheets on the stacking tray is lower than the predetermined amount, the controller starts feeding a sheet from the feeding unit without confirming a presence or absence of the insert sheet when another stacking tray on which an amount of insert sheets is higher than the predetermined amount is present, and the controller starts feeding the sheet from the feeding unit after confirming the presence or absence of the insert sheet when the other stacking tray is absent.

Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing device. This substrate processing device includes a substrate holder that holds and rotates a substrate, a first processing head that processes a first plane of the substrate held on the substrate holder, and a second processing head that processes a peripheral portion of the substrate held on the substrate holder.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a first conveyance unit, an image forming unit, a second conveyance unit, a stacking unit, and a control unit. The control unit controls, in a case where a sheet stacking condition of the stacking unit does not satisfy a predetermined stacking condition, the second conveyance unit to convey the sheet at a second conveyance speed that is faster than the first conveyance speed. The control unit controls, in a case where the sheet stacking condition of the stacking unit satisfies the predetermined stacking condition, the second conveyance unit to convey the sheet at a third conveyance speed that is slower than the second conveyance speed.

Abstract: A substrate processing method capable of preventing an adherence of a foreign matter to a substrate is disclosed. The substrate processing method comprises: a substrate rotating step of rotating a substrate W while holding the substrate W; a first-liquid upper supply step of supplying a first liquid onto an upper surface of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W; a polishing step of pressing a polishing tape 23 to the substrate W while supplying the first liquid in a state of rotating the substrate W; a second-liquid upper supply step of supplying a second liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W; and a cleaning step of pressing a cleaning tape 29 to the substrate W while supplying the second liquid in a state of rotating the substrate W and terminating after the polishing step is terminated. The second liquid is either of a conducting water, a surfactant solution, or ozone water.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus to which a first feeding device which does not notify abnormal sheet feeding or a second feeding device which notifies the abnormal sheet feeding is connectable includes a sheet receiving portion, a sheet detector, an image forming unit, and a controller. In a case that the first feeding device is connected to the image forming apparatus, the controller discriminates that the abnormal sheet feeding occurs in the first feeding device when the detector does not detect the sheet at first timing. In a case that the second feeding device is connected to the image forming apparatus, the controller discriminates that the abnormal sheet feeding occurs at the sheet receiving portion when the detector does not detect the sheet at second timing and notification of the abnormal sheet feeding is not provided from the second feeding device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus transmits a sheet feeding request to the sheet feeding device, obtains a sheet through a receiving device and performs image formation on the sheet. The receiving device comprises an inlet sensor for detecting a sheet fed from the sheet feeding device. The image forming apparatus transmits the sheet feeding request to the sheet feeding device again in a case where the inlet sensor does not detect a sheet within a predetermined time after the sheet feeding device starts to feed a sheet and no signal indicating an abnormality with regard to a sheet is received from the sheet feeding device. If the number of times the sheet feeding request is transmitted exceeds a predetermined number of times, the image forming apparatus stops operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a controller configured to start feeding a sheet from a feeding unit without confirming a presence or absence of an insert sheet to be inserted before the sheet when an amount of insert sheets stacked on a stacking tray as a feed source is higher than a predetermined amount, wherein in a case in which the amount of the insert sheets on the stacking tray is lower than the predetermined amount, the controller starts feeding a sheet from the feeding unit without confirming a presence or absence of the insert sheet when an other stacking tray on which an amount of insert sheets is higher than the predetermined amount is present, and the controller starts feeding the sheet from the feeding unit after confirming the presence or absence of the insert sheet when the other stacking tray is absent.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a mounting portion that detachably mounts either one of a fixing portion and another fixing portion. Each fixing portion includes a first rotatable member and a second rotatable member that, together, form a nip for fixing a toner image on a sheet, and a memory. A rubbing rotatable member executes a rubbing process of rubbing a surface of the first rotatable member, and a moving mechanism moves the rubbing rotatable member between a rubbing position, in which the rubbing rotatable member is in contact with the first rotatable member, and a stand-by position, in which the rubbing rotatable member is separated from the first rotatable member. In addition, a controller stores information corresponding to an execution frequency of the rubbing process designated by an operator through an operating panel, in the memory of the fixing portion that has been mounted in the mounting portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: a conversion unit configured to convert image data based on a conversion condition corresponding to a halftone process type; an image processing unit configured to perform a halftone process to the image data; and a controller configured to control an image forming unit to form a predetermined measurement image on an image carrier, to control the measurement unit to measure the predetermined measurement image, and to generate a predetermined conversion condition corresponding to a predetermined halftone process type based on a measurement result. In a case where the predetermined halftone process type is not performed by the image processing unit from when the predetermined measurement image is formed last time, the controller skips formation of the predetermined measurement image by the image forming unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit that stores recording sheets, an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording sheet, an insertion unit that inserts an interleaving sheet between recording sheets, a first detection unit configured to detect presence or absence of a recording sheet in the storage unit, a second detection unit configured to detect a remaining amount of recording sheets in the storage unit, and a control unit configured to control sheet feeding start timing of the interleaving sheet based on detection results acquired by the first detection unit and the second detection unit

Abstract: An image forming apparatus transmits a sheet feeding request to the sheet feeding device, obtains a sheet through a receiving device and performs image formation on the sheet. The receiving device comprises an inlet sensor for detecting a sheet fed from the sheet feeding device. The image forming apparatus transmits the sheet feeding request to the sheet feeding device again in a case where the inlet sensor does not detect a sheet within a predetermined time after the sheet feeding device starts to feed a sheet and no signal indicating an abnormality with regard to a sheet is received from the sheet feeding device. If the number of times the sheet feeding request is transmitted exceeds a predetermined number of times, the image forming apparatus stops operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus to which a first feeding device which does not notify abnormal sheet feeding or a second feeding device which notifies the abnormal sheet feeding is connectable includes a sheet receiving portion, a sheet detector, an image forming unit, and a controller. In a case that the first feeding device is connected to the image forming apparatus, the controller discriminates that the abnormal sheet feeding occurs in the first feeding device when the detector does not detect the sheet at first timing. In a case that the second feeding device is connected to the image forming apparatus, the controller discriminates that the abnormal sheet feeding occurs at the sheet receiving portion when the detector does not detect the sheet at second timing and notification of the abnormal sheet feeding is not provided from the second feeding device.