Abstract: A sheet distinction device includes a slot, a detector, a presser, a measurer, a calculator, and an operation controller. A sheet is inserted into the slot. The detector detects that the sheet has reached a detection position of the slot. The presser moves the sheet in a direction perpendicular to an insertion direction of the sheet to press a surface of the sheet against a measurement surface of the measurer. The measurer measures physical properties of the sheet. The calculator calculates an information value indicating time taken to insert the sheet. The operation controller controls operation start time and operation speed of the presser in accordance with the information value calculated by the calculator.

Abstract: The hydroponic cultivation apparatus comprises: a cultivation tank that has a light shielding property and is configured to accommodate underground part of a plant; a partitioning portion that has a light shielding property and that is configured to cover the opening at the upper end of the cultivation tank and partitions an underground space where the underground part of the plant grows and an aboveground space where aboveground part of the plant grows, wherein the partitioning portion includes; a fixed member, a position of which is fixed with respect to the cultivation tank, and including a through hole surrounding a stem of the plant and maintains a closed state where it is suppressed that light is irradiated to the underground part of the plant; and a door member that is attached to the fixed member in a state where it is movable with respect to the fixed member and changes to a closed state where it is suppressed that light is irradiated to the underground part of the plant and to an open state where it

Abstract: A measuring device, includes a physical property value detector and a push contact member that pushes to bring a sheet material in contact with the physical property value detector; and further includes a first processor that stops conveyance of the sheet material, pushes to bring the sheet material in contact with the physical property value detector, and detects a physical property value of the sheet material; a second processor that, after having detected the physical property value, cancels the pushing by the push contact member, separates the sheet material from the physical property value detector, and starts conveyance of the sheet material; and a physical property value specifier that specifies the physical property value on a basis of physical property values of a plurality of positions within a surface of the sheet material detected by executing the first processing and the second processing repeatedly.

Abstract: A setting determination apparatus includes: a measurer that measures a physical property of a medium; and a hardware processor. The hardware processor specifies a basis weight and a type of the medium based on a result of the measurement by the measurer and outputs the specified basis weight and type of the medium as a medium setting candidate for an operation setting for image forming.

Abstract: A physical property detecting device, includes: an insertion part that includes an insertion port through which a sheet is inserted and removed; a first physical property detector that detects a first physical property of the sheet in a non-nipping state; and a second physical property detector that nips the sheet and detects a second physical property of the sheet in a nipping state, wherein the first physical property detector and the second physical property detector are disposed at different positions in an insertion and removal direction of the sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes the following. A measuring unit measures a physical property of media as a target on which an image is formed. An image forming operator forms an image on the media. A hardware processor controls an operation of the image forming operator and extracts a candidate of a type of media based on a measured result by the measuring unit. An operation receiver receives input to specify one type from the candidate extracted by the hardware processor. The hardware processor controls the image forming operator to form on the media an identification image determined according to a combination of the extracted candidates.

Abstract: Disclosed is image forming apparatus, including a first roller and a second roller that conveys the recording sheet by sandwiching the recording sheet in a fixing process of an image forming; a pressing actuator that presses the first roller and the second roller against each other; an actuating motor that actuates the first roller; a brake that applies a brake force to the second roller; a rotation speed detector that detects a rotation speed of the second roller; and a hardware processor that judges a degradation of each surface roughness of the first roller and the second roller in accordance with the rotation speed of the second roller, which is detected when the first roller is actuated in a situation in which the first roller and the second roller are pressed against each other and when the brake applies a predetermined brake force to the second roller.

Abstract: Disclosed is image forming apparatus, including a first roller and a second roller that conveys the recording sheet by sandwiching the recording sheet in a fixing process of an image forming; a pressing actuator that presses the first roller and the second roller against each other; an actuating motor that actuates the first roller; a brake that applies a brake force to the second roller; a rotation speed detector that detects a rotation speed of the second roller; and a hardware processor that judges a degradation of each surface roughness of the first roller and the second roller in accordance with the rotation speed of the second roller, which is detected when the first roller is actuated in a situation in which the first roller and the second roller are pressed against each other and when the brake applies a predetermined brake force to the second roller.

Abstract: A plant raising apparatus: a light source that emits light traveling toward an aboveground part of a plant; a heat insulating portion that has a light transmitting property and that partitions a space at a side of the light source and a space at a side of the aboveground part; and an air blowing mechanism that generates an airflow at a space between the light source and the heat insulating portion. Thereby, it is suppressed that the heat of high temperature air staying above the heat insulating portion having a light transmitting property adversely affects the plant.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer substrate with a hardcoat layer exhibiting excellent environmental resistance and wear resistance. A polymer substrate (60) is 1-20 mm thick and a hardcoat layer (70, 80) on the surface thereof comprises: an underlayer cured layer (70) with a thickness of 1-20 ?m, and including 10-90 parts by weight of a multifunctional acrylate, and 90-10 parts by weight of inorganic oxide fine particles and/or a silicon compound hydrolytic condensate; and a silicon oxide layer (80) which is in direct contract with the underlayer cured layer, is formed by PE-CVD with an organosilicon compound as the starter material, and satisfies all of the following conditions (a)-(c): (a) the film thickness of the silicon oxide layer is 3.5-9.0 ?m; (b) the maximum indentation depth of the surface of the silicon oxide layer by nanoindentation measurement at a maximum load of 1 mN is 150 nm or less; and (c) the limit compression ratio K of the silicon oxide layer is at most 0.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes: comparators; counters; and a control portion for carrying out control in such a way that in a phase of an addition mode, the two comparators and the two counters corresponding to the two pixel columns, respectively, are set as a unit, 1 is added to a second digit of one counter of the two counters when both the comparison results from the two comparators has a first logic, 1 is added to a first digit of the one counter when one of the comparison results from the two comparators has the first logic, and 1 is added to none of the first digit and the second digit of the one counter when both the comparison results from the two comparators has a second logic.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that controls to cut off exciting currents supplied to a plurality of motors to drive conveyance roller pairs after a leading end of a paper sheet is brought in contact with a registration roller pair, and, when cutting off the exciting currents, cut off the exciting current for at least one of the motors at a different timing from the other motors.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an image carrier driver which rotates the image carrier, a rotation detector which detects rotation of the image carrier, a rotary member in contact with the image carrier, a rotary member driver which rotates the rotary member, a first controller which controls the rotary member driver, and a second controller. The second controller controls the image carrier driver based on an output of the rotation detector and also controls the image carrier driver in a manner which attenuates a fluctuation component at a specific frequency. When the first controller changes a surface velocity of the rotary member, the second controller controls the image carrier driver in a manner that attenuates a fluctuation component at a specific frequency related to the changed surface velocity of the rotary member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image holder that holds a toner image; a transferer that is disposed opposite to the image holder so as to be in contact with the image holder and transfers the toner image from the image holder onto a recording sheet that is going through a contact part where the transferer contacts the image holder, by applying a transfer voltage between the transferer and the image holder; a first power source that applies a voltage of a first polarity to the image holder; and a second power source that applies a voltage of a second polarity, which is reverse to the first polarity, to the transferer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that controls to cut off exciting currents supplied to a plurality of motors to drive conveyance roller pairs after a leading end of a paper sheet is brought in contact with a registration roller pair, and, when cutting off the exciting currents, cut off the exciting current for at least one of the motors at a different timing from the other motors.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes: comparators; counters; and a control portion for carrying out control in such a way that in a phase of an addition mode, the two comparators and the two counters corresponding to the two pixel columns, respectively, are set as a unit, 1 is added to a second digit of one counter of the two counters when both the comparison results from the two comparators has a first logic, 1 is added to a first digit of the one counter when one of the comparison results from the two comparators has the first logic, and 1 is added to none of the first digit and the second digit of the one counter when both the comparison results from the two comparators has a second logic.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image holder that holds a toner image; a transferer that is disposed opposite to the image holder so as to be in contact with the image holder and transfers the toner image from the image holder onto a recording sheet that is going through a contact part where the transferer contacts the image holder, by applying a transfer voltage between the transferer and the image holder; a first power source that applies a voltage of a first polarity to the image holder; and a second power source that applies a voltage of a second polarity, which is reverse to the first polarity, to the transferer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a belt member configured to be rotationally operated at least during performance of a job; an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the position of the belt member; a detection unit configured to detect the position of the belt member; and a control unit configured to control the adjustment mechanism during performance of a job, and perform steering control for correcting deviation of the belt member, the control unit comparing the position of the belt member at the end of a job, and a determination threshold for determining deviation of the belt member from a belt reference position, and selecting a control mode relating to the steering control, according to a result of the comparison.

Abstract: The present invention realizes a polymer substrate with hard coating layer comprising a high level of environmental resistance and a high level of abrasion resistance. A polymer substrate with hard coating layer is provided that comprises a polymer substrate (60) having a thickness of 1 mm to 20 mm and a hard coating layer (70,80) on the surface thereof. Here, in this polymer substrate with hard coating layer, the hard coating layer (70,80) is laminated on the surface of the polymer substrate, contains as a main component thereof a hydrolysis-condensation product of an organic silicon compound, has a thickness of 0.1 ?m to 20 ?m, makes direct contact with a cured underlayer on the opposite side of the polymer substrate, is formed from an organic silicon compound by PE-CVD, and satisfies all of the following requirements (a) to (c): (a) film thickness of the silicon oxide layer is within the range of 3.5 ?m to 9.

Abstract: A signal processing device includes a control unit that suspends supplying of a signal to an A/D conversion unit which performs A/D conversion, during an A/D conversion period in which the A/D conversion is performed on the signal that depends on an electric charge read from a pixel; and a maintenance unit that maintains a signal value of the signal in a state where the signal is supplied by the control unit to the A/D conversion unit and that supplies the maintained signal value to the A/D conversion unit in a state where the supplying of the signal to the A/D conversion unit is suspended by the control unit.