Abstract: A particle analyzer (100) includes: a light source that emits excitation light (EL1) including light having a wavelength of 400 nm or less; a lens structure (41) that collects excitation light (EL1) at a predetermined position (51s) in a flow path (53); a detection unit (7) that detects light (FL) emitted from a particle as the particle (51) flowing through the predetermined position is excited by the excitation light (EL1); and a processing unit (120) that processes detection data acquired by the detection unit (7). The lens structure (41) includes a plurality of lenses (411) arranged along an optical axis of the excitation light (EL1); and a lens frame (412) holding the plurality of lenses (411). At least one (G12) of the plurality of lenses (411) is positioned in the lens frame (412) by abutting on a lens adjacent to the lens.

Abstract: An inspection information prediction apparatus includes an environment-information acquisition unit that acquires environment information of a routing step through which an inspection target has been routed before an inspection step of inspecting the inspection target, a manufacturing-information acquisition unit that acquires manufacturing information of the inspection target, and a prediction unit that predicts inspection information which indicates an inspection result of an inspection portion of the inspection target determined by the manufacturing information and is obtained by applying the environment information, based on the manufacturing information of the inspection target and the environment information of the routing step through which the inspection target has been routed.

Abstract: An inspection information prediction apparatus includes an environment-information acquisition unit that acquires environment information of a routing step through which an inspection target has been routed before an inspection step of inspecting the inspection target, a manufacturing-information acquisition unit that acquires manufacturing information of the inspection target, and a prediction unit that predicts inspection information which indicates an inspection result of an inspection portion of the inspection target determined by the manufacturing information and is obtained by applying the environment information, based on the manufacturing information of the inspection target and the environment information of the routing step through which the inspection target has been routed.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a tank configured to contain a developing agent including a toner and a carrier, the tank having a discharge port configured to discharge the developing agent overflowing from the tank, a supplier configured to develop a latent image by using the toner contained in the tank, a replenisher configured to contain the developing agent and to replenish the developing agent into the tank, and a controller configured to estimate an amount of the developing agent in the tank in according with the amount of the supplied developing agent and the amount of the replenished developing agent and to execute a forced discharge for forcibly discharging the developing agent contained in the tank from the discharge port based on the estimated amount of developing agent.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a developing device, comprising: a developing unit configured to store an initial two-component developer including an initial toner containing silica externally added and a carrier and to form a toner image on an image bearing member with the two-component developer; a discharging section configured to discharge a part of the initial developer from the developing unit; and a developer supplying unit configured to supply a supply developer including a supply toner containing silica externally added and the carrier to the developing unit, the amount of silica added to the supply toner being smaller than the amount of silica added to the initial toner.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a reducing plate that dams up a part of a developer scraped up by a blade is provided. The reducing plate suppresses swell of the developer held up by a discharge mixer from fluctuating according to the rotation of the blade. Fluctuation in an excess developer discharged from a discharge port is suppressed and replace a deteriorated carrier in a development container with a new carrier little by little.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a contact pivoting plate, which comes into contact with a developer swelled by a discharge mixer, is provided in a case. The contact pivoting plate is pivoted according to a detection result of a temperature and humidity sensor to change the magnitude of resistance by the contact pivoting plate with respect to a flow of the developer. The height of the swell of the developer is suppressed from fluctuating according to an environmental change. The fluctuation in an amount of an excess developer discharged from a discharge port is suppressed to replace a deteriorated carrier in a development container with a new carrier little by little.

Abstract: There are provided a developing unit and a developer stirring and transporting method in which the amount of developer in the developing unit can always be kept at a specified amount without being influenced by a use environment. A developing unit 10 includes a developing roller 12, a containing unit 16 to contain the developer and having a discharge port 14 to discharge the overflown developer in its side wall, a stirring and transporting member 20 to stir and transport the developer along a passage 18 formed in the containing unit 16, and a guide unit 22 provided in the passage 18 correspondingly to the discharge port 14 of the containing unit 16 and to guide the developer transported in the passage 18 by the stirring and transporting member 20 to the discharge port 14 side.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, degradation of carrier in a case is detected from the number of rotations of a developing roller. A predetermined quantity of carrier is replenished every time the developing roller reaches a predetermined number of rotations. An excess developer caused by an increase in bulk through carrier replenishment is discharged from a developer discharge port. The degraded old carrier in the case is replaced by new carrier little by little.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a maintenance unit includes an inkjet head and a cap. The inkjet head includes plural nozzle arrays and discharges a different color of ink from each of the plural nozzle arrays. The cap includes plural protrusions at positions facing the plural nozzle arrays, includes a groove between the plural protrusions, and tightly closes the plural nozzle arrays with the plural protrusions.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an inkjet image forming apparatus includes an inkjet head configured to discharge water-based ink and form an image on a surface of a recording medium, a medium conveyance part configured to convey the recording medium, a solution imparting part that is disposed upstream of the inkjet head in a recording medium conveyance direction and uses another inkjet head to impart a solution to the surface of the recording medium on which the image is formed, and a controller configured to calculate an imparting amount of the solution to be imparted to the recording medium and control an imparting operation to the recording medium.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image recording apparatus includes a printing unit and an entry angle changing mechanism. The entry angle changing mechanism is disposed further along the upstream than the printing unit in a conveying direction and changes the entry angle of the paper with an upper surface not printed and a lower surface printed, after printing on the first surface if printing on both sides is performed by the printing unit.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer tank configured to contain a developer including a toner and a carrier, the developer tank having a discharge port which is provided in a lateral side surface of the developer tank and configured to discharge the developer, a developing agent supplier configured to develop a latent image by using the toner contained in the developer tank, and a plate-shaped member configured to be formed in a direction of height from a lower end of the discharge port and partially cover the discharge port to regulate the discharge of the developer.

Abstract: A developing unit and a developer stirring and transporting method are provided that enable smooth discharge of a developer in the developing unit without being affected by the inclination of the developing unit. A developing unit 10 has a developing roller 12, a housing unit 16 configured to house a developer and having in its sidewall a discharge port 14 which discharges overflowing developer, a stirring and transporting member 20 configured to stir and transport the developer along a passage 18 formed in the housing unit 16, and a deposit structure unit 22 provided in the passage 18 and configured to raise the height position of a bottom surface 18a part of the passage 18 corresponding at least to the discharge port 14 to a position higher than the other areas of the passage 18, and thereby deposit the developer near the discharge port 14.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ink-jet image forming apparatus includes an ink-jet head which ejects water-based ink and form an image on a surface of a recording medium, a medium conveying unit which conveys the recording medium, a solution applying unit arranged further on an upstream side in a recording medium conveying direction than the ink-jet head and which applies water solution to a surface of the recording medium on which an image is formed, and a controller configured to calculate an application amount of the water solution to apply the water solution to the recording medium at 1% to 6% of weight of the recording medium and control an application operation to the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charger to charge an image carrying member, an optical device to irradiate a light onto the image carrying member to form an electrostatic latent image, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member to form a developed image and a transfer device to transfer the developed image on a sheet. The developing device includes a developer container to store a developer including toner and a carrier, a developer supply device to supply the developer to the developer container, a driver device to drive the developer supply device, a developer collection device installed in the developer container to interlock with the driver device and collect a surplus developer left over due to supply of the developer from the developer supply device to the developer container, and a collected developer container to contain the developer collected by the developer collection device.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a developing unit configured to store a developer includes a toner and a carrier and to form a developer image, a toner attachment amount detection portion configured to detect an attachment amount of a toner formed on a photoconductor or an intermediate transfer body, a developing bias voltage change portion configured to change a plurality of developing bias voltages including a developing contrast voltage in a manner that the detected attachment amount of the toner becomes a value in a predetermined range, a carrier supply time correction portion configured to correct a carrier supply time in response to the value of the changed developing contrast voltage, and a carrier supply portion configured to supply a carrier in a corrected carrier supply time at a predetermined timing.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a reducing plate that dams up a part of a developer scraped up by a blade is provided. The reducing plate suppresses swell of the developer held up by a discharge mixer from fluctuating according to the rotation of the blade. Fluctuation in an excess developer discharged from a discharge port is suppressed and replace a deteriorated carrier in a development container with a new carrier little by little.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a developing device includes a developer container to contain developer having toner and carrier, a toner replenishing unit to replenish the toner to the developer container, a carrier replenishing unit to replenish the carrier to the developer container, a discharge portion to discharge the developer from the developer container, a developer feeder to support magnetically the developer in the developer container and to feed the toner in the developer to a photoconductor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, an electric conductor, provided separately from the photoconductor, to which the toner out of the developer supported by the developer feeder adheres, a detecting unit to detect a density of the toner adhered to on the electric conductor, and a controller to judge a deterioration status of the developer based on a detection result of the detecting unit and to replenish the toner and the carrier from the toner replenishing unit and the carrier replenishing unit to t

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a developing device, comprising: a developing unit configured to store an initial two-component developer including an initial toner containing silica externally added and a carrier and to form a toner image on an image bearing member with the two-component developer; a discharging section configured to discharge a part of the initial developer from the developing unit; and a developer supplying unit configured to supply a supply developer including a supply toner containing silica externally added and the carrier to the developing unit, the amount of silica added to the supply toner being smaller than the amount of silica added to the initial toner.