Abstract: An appearance inspection apparatus and an appearance inspection method for detecting a shape, surface unevenness, shine or changes in tone on the surface. The method includes steps of acquiring reflected luminance data on the sample surface by casting a slit light having an intermediate wavelength of three types of lights having different wavelengths, receiving reflected light of the slit light, acquiring surface data by casting two lights of different wavelengths other than the intermediate wavelength at a position other than the position illuminated by the slit light on the sample surface from two different directions so as to overlap two lights with each other and receiving reflected light, detecting surface unevenness from a ratio between the intensities of lights, changes in tone by combining reflected luminance data and surface data, gloss on the sample surface based on the presence or absence of surface unevenness and the changes in color tone.

Abstract: The invention provides a resin-coated optical fiber, including at least: a glass optical fiber composed of a core and a clad for coating the core; a primary layer made of UV-curing resin in contact with the glass optical fiber; and a secondary layer made of the UV-curing resin disposed on an outer periphery of the primary layer, wherein the primary layer has a two-layer structure of an inner layer in contact with a surface of the clad, and an outer layer for coating the inner layer, wherein the UV-curing resin of the inner layer has a Young's modulus of 0.9 MPa or more and 3.0 MPa or less at room temperature in a film state based on JIS standard K7113, and the UV-curing resin of the outer layer has a Young's modulus of 0.1 MPa or more and 0.7 MPa or less at room temperature in a film state based on JIS standard K7113.

Abstract: An appearance inspection apparatus and an appearance inspection method for detecting a shape, surface unevenness, shine or changes in tone on the surface. The method includes steps of acquiring reflected luminance data on the sample surface by casting a slit light having an intermediate wavelength of three types of lights having different wavelengths, receiving reflected light of the slit light, acquiring surface data by casting two lights of different wavelengths other than the intermediate wavelength at a position other than the position illuminated by the slit light on the sample surface from two different directions so as to overlap two lights with each other and receiving reflected light, detecting surface unevenness from a ratio between the intensities of lights, changes in tone by combining reflected luminance data and surface data, gloss on the sample surface based on the presence or absence of surface unevenness and the changes in color tone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accurately detecting the shape of a tire side by performing an image processing of removing a knurled region from the tire side. An actual image of a tire side having a knurled region obtained by a light-section method is Fourier-transformed into a Fourier-transformed image by a Fourier-transformed image creating unit of an image processing means. Cross-shaped peaks appearing discretely at predefined frequency intervals on a straight line in the Fourier-transformed image are identified as peaks attributable to the knurled region by a knurled component identifying unit. The cross-shaped peaks are removed from the Fourier-transformed image by a knurl component removing unit, and the Fourier-transformed image from which the peaks are removed is inverse-Fourier-transformed into an actual image by an inverse-Fourier-transforming unit. And the acceptability of the shape of the tire side is determined using the actual image.

Abstract: There is provided a resin coated optical fiber, comprising at least: a glass optical fiber composed of a core and a clad for coating the core; a primary layer made of UV-curing resin in contact with the glass optical fiber; and a secondary layer made of the UV-curing resin disposed on an outer periphery of the primary layer, wherein the primary layer has a two-layer structure of an inner layer in contact with a surface of the clad, and an outer layer for coating the inner layer, wherein the UV-curing resin of the inner layer has Young's modulus of 0.9 MPa or more and 3.0 MPa or less at room temperature in a film state based on JIS standard K7113, and the UV-curing resin of the outer layer has Young's modulus of 0.1 MPa or more and 0.7 MPa or less at room temperature in a film state based on JIS standard K7113.

Abstract: A split mold for vulcanizing a tire is held at a mold holding section, which is held on a rotatable base, and then a measuring section measures distances to an inner surface of the split mold in the inside diameter direction and in the axial direction. An operating section acquires two-dimensional geometric data of the inner surface of the split mold from the distances measured above, and further acquires geometric data over the entire circumference by rotating the rotatable base, and the data are combined to acquire three-dimensional geometric data of the inner surface of the split mold and make reference geometric data for tire inspection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accurately detecting the shape of a tire side by performing an image processing of removing a knurled region from the tire side. An actual image of a tire side having a knurled region obtained by a light-section method is Fourier-transformed into a Fourier-transformed image by a Fourier-transformed image creating unit of an image processing means. Cross-shaped peaks appearing discretely at predefined frequency intervals on a straight line in the Fourier-transformed image are identified as peaks attributable to the knurled region by a knurled component identifying unit. The cross-shaped peaks are removed from the Fourier-transformed image by a knurl component removing unit, and the Fourier-transformed image from which the peaks are removed is inverse-Fourier-transformed into an actual image by an inverse-Fourier-transforming unit. And the acceptability of the shape of the tire side is determined using the actual image.

Abstract: A split mold for vulcanizing a tire is held at a mold holding section, which is held on a rotatable base, and then a measuring section measures distances to an inner surface of the split mold in the inside diameter direction and in the axial direction. An operating section acquires two-dimensional geometric data of the inner surface of the split mold from the distances measured above, and further acquires geometric data over the entire circumference by rotating the rotatable base, and the data are combined to acquire three-dimensional geometric data of the inner surface of the split mold and make reference geometric data for tire inspection.

Abstract: A corona discharging apparatus used in an electrophotographic process is provided with a conductive housing with an opening at one side, an electrode including a conductive linear member extending in one direction at the center of the opening, and a power source for applying a voltage between the housing and the electrode. The linear member consists of a core and a platinum layer covering the surface of the core. The core is formed of tungsten or molybdenum wire, and the core is coated with the platinum layer by cladding.