Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Nuflare Technology, Inc.

Hideki Nukada

Yuko Nomura

Yasushi Shinjo

Kiminori Toya

Yuko Kobayashi

Noriko Yamamoto

Atsuko Iida

Satoshi Takayama

Masahiro Hosoya

Hitoshi Nagato

Shuzo Hirahara

Shunsuke Hattori

Kenichi Takahara

Takashi Sasaki

Takahiro Suzuki

Tetsuro Itakura

Atsushi Takahashi

Masashi Hiroki

Takamitsu Sunaoshi

Nobutaka Kikuiri

Chiaki Tanuma

Kazuhiko Inoue

Hiroshi Takahashi

Mitsunaga Saito

Yuji Suzuki

Isao Amemiya

Yoichi Tokai

Shiroh Saitoh

Tutomu Saito

Mamoru Izumi

Hisako Tanaka

Hideaki Hashimoto

Kumi Okuwada

Masami Sugiuchi

Tsutomu Saito

Masaki Takahashi

Fumihiko Murakami

Sakae Tamura

Noriko Y Kudo

Atsuko Nakamura

Seizaburou Shimizu

Tetuo Okuyama

A pattern inspection apparatus includes a stage to mount thereon a substrate with patterns formed thereon and be able to move two-dimensionally, plural detectors of a two-dimensional scale, whose height positions are mutually different and arranged at positions on the stage different from the substrate position, to perform measurement, the body of the two-dimensional scale arranged fixed to a position facing the plural detectors, a sensor to acquire an optical image of the pattern on the substrate, in a state where the stage with the substrate is moving in one direction on a surface for the two-dimensional movement, a calculation circuitry to calculate an image acquiring position of the optical image by using position information measured by the two-dimensional scale, and a comparison circuitry to compare, using a reference image corresponding to the image acquiring position of the optical image, the optical image with the reference image for each pixel.

Pattern inspection apparatus and pattern inspection method

A pattern inspection apparatus includes a first stage to mount an inspection target object, located at the position displaced from the gravity center of the first stage, first and second two-dimensional scales on the first stage and opposite each other with respect to the gravity center, a second stage under a region overlapping with the gravity center of the first stage and not overlapping with the target object, to support and move the first stage, a calculation processing circuitry to calculate the position of the inspection target object, using position information measured by the first and second two-dimensional scales, a sensor to capture an optical image of a pattern on the inspection target object in the state where the first stage on which the inspection target object is mounted is moving, and a comparison unit to compare, for each pixel, the optical image with a corresponding reference image.

Pattern inspection apparatus, pattern imaging apparatus, and pattern imaging method

Optical image data is acquired by irradiating a pattern with light emitted from a light source. A threshold value is specified by internally dividing a minimum value and a maximum value of a signal amount of reference image data by a division ratio. A position corresponding to a signal amount of a threshold value is determined as an edge of a pattern of the reference image data. A position of a signal amount equal to the threshold value is determined as an edge of the pattern of the optical image data. A line width error is obtained as a difference between a first line width of the optical image data and a second line width of the reference image data. A new threshold value is specified in the case of fluctuation of a light quantity of the light source or decrease of a contrast value of the optical image data.

Line width error obtaining method, line width error obtaining apparatus, and inspection system

A support apparatus in which a distribution of a load for a user can be designated. The load occurs at body parts of the user by a stand-up motion. A processor calculates a projection position of a center of gravity of the user onto a floor, calculates a region of the floor where the projection position is to be included at the stand-up motion, calculates a target position in the region based on the distribution, and calculates a direction from the projection position to the target position. The target position is nearer to one body part of the user to which a larger load distribution is designated than on other body parts to which a smaller load distribution is designated. A designation direction for the user to bend the body in advance of the stand-up motion is output based on the direction.

Apparatus and method for calculating pressure distribution

According to one embodiment, a drive device comprises a first generating unit which moves in straightly movable manner or rotatable manner and generates precharge pressure, a sliding guide unit which has a sliding guide surface that comes into contact with a sliding surface of the first generating unit and to which the precharge pressure is given, a vibration unit which gives vibration to the first generating unit, and a second generating unit. When the vibration is given to the first generating unit, the second generating unit generates driving force for driving the first generating unit in a predetermined direction so that the driving force is more than frictional force between the sliding surface and the sliding guide surface. When the vibration is not given to the first generating unit, the second generating unit generates the driving force so that the driving force is less than the frictional force.

Drive device

In an apparatus, a pile of sheets is mounted on a support base, and is brought into contact with a guide. A high-frequency vibration is applied to the sheets from a vibrating part which is pressed to the pile. A sheet on the uppermost surface of the pile is transferred by a feed roller. The guide has a guide end defining a guide entrance between the guide end and the feed roller, through which the sheets is passed. The guide end is arranged substantially in a virtual plane including a contact position at which the vibrating part is in contact with the uppermost surface of the pile, and substantially parallel with the sheets. A separation section for separating sheets from each other is arranged behind the entrance, and an air blow-off section for blowing air into the side of the pile is provided in the vicinity of the entrance.

Apparatus for separating and extracting sheets utilizing a vibration and an air flow

A pile of sheets is held by a separator/feeder and a vibrator is brought into contact with a first region of the pile with a first contact pressure. High frequency vibrations are applied from the vibrator to the sheet. A takeout mechanism is brought into contact with and pressed against the pile with a second contact pressure and sheets are taken out one by one from the top surface of the pile by the takeout mechanism. A first sensor detects the position of the vibrator and outputs a first detection signal, while a second sensor detects the uppermost surface of the pile and outputs a second detection signal. A control section selects first and second contact pressures according to the first and second detection signals and maintains the first and second contact pressures.

Separator and feeder with vibrator for sheets of paper medium

In a device that separates a sheet and extracts the sheet from a stack of the sheets, the stack of sheets is placed on a sheet feeding unit. A vibrator is in contact with the top surface of the stack at a spot to vibrate the sheets at a high frequency. The high-frequency vibration reduces the adhesion and frictional force among the sheets. A sheet extraction mechanism conveys each sheet.

Separation and extraction device

According to an embodiment, an image shift can be decreased by a photoconductor belt which has a photosensitive layer formed on the surface of a cylindrically formed belt, a pair of rollers which is placed to apply tension to a photoconductor belt, and rotates the photoconductor belt in a specified direction, a charger which is placed opposite to the surface of the photoconductor belt placed between the pair of rollers, and charges the photosensitive layer, a light source which forms a latent image on the charged photosensitive layer, a developing unit which supplies a developing solution to the photosensitive layer having a latent image, develop the latent image, and forms a toner image, and an absorbing roller which is placed on the backside of the photoconductor belt placed between a pair of rollers, and absorbs the photoconductor belt.

Electrophotographic apparatus using a developing solution containing a liquid carrier formed by dispersing toner particles in a solvent

A side face excluding the edge of a squeegee cleaner made of a plate-shaped urethane rubber is brought into pressure contact with a squeeze roller. Even for long-term use, a pressure contact surface of the squeegee cleaner does not break and long life of the squeegee cleaner is obtained and good cleaning performance is maintained and a liquid developing agent of a surface of the squeeze roller is surely removed.

Wet type image formation apparatus and liquid developing agent cleaner therefor

In liquid-developing image formation, a ghost image caused by the contact between a photosensitive member and an absorbing roller to collect a surplus liquid developer is prevented by preventing occurrence of a speed difference (relative speed) between a photosensitive member and a porous member (an absorbing roller) and by keeping an optimum pressing force from a porous member to a visible image on a photosensitive member.

Image forming apparatus and absorbing roller with optimum pressing force

In a belt driving mechanism, an endless belt is wrapped around a driving roller and a driven roller. The endless belt runs between the driving roller and the driven roller. The axis of the driven roller is placed so as to form a certain angle of torsion to a plane containing opposite ends of the driving roller and a middle point between opposite ends of the driven roller. Rotation of the driven roller is decelerated or stopped with the driving roller keeping on rotating to run the endless belt. Resistance is thus offered to between the endless belt and the driven roller while keeping the driving roller rotating to run the endless belt, so that the endless belt is slipped on the driven roller.

Belt driving mechanism

Image forming apparatus using a liquid developer including a carrier liquid with toner particles dispersed in a solvent

To remove a carrier liquid from a toner image before transfer on a photosensitive drum, a wet electrophotographic device of the present invention includes a first slit nozzle which blows airflow of a first velocity onto a surface of the photosensitive drum after image formation, a second slit nozzle which is positioned on a downstream side more than the first slit nozzle and which blows airflow of a second velocity higher than that of the airflow supplied from the first slit nozzle onto the surface of the photosensitive drum, and an aperture portion which introduces a reverse airflow generated by the airflow from the second slit nozzle to the first slit nozzle side between both nozzles.

Electrophotographic device and carrier liquid removal mechanism

An electrophotographic apparatus using a liquid developer of the present invention includes a photosensitive member which holds an electrostatic latent image, a plurality of developing unit which supply liquid developers including toner particles and carrier liquid to the photosensitive member to form a visible image, a visible image stabilizing unit which enhances adsorption among toners constituting the visible image on the photosensitive member and between the toners and the photosensitive member by an electric field, a drying unit which dries the visible image formed on the photosensitive member, a periphery of the visible image, or the carrier liquids included in the visible image by an air current, and a shielding unit which is disposed between the drying unit and the visible image stabilizing unit and which prevents deposits attached to the photosensitive member surface together with liquid droplets of the carrier liquid existing on the photosensitive member surface from reaching the visible image stabilizing mechanism.

Image forming apparatus using a liquid developer in which carrier liquid backflow is inhibited

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Yokohama, Japan

Hideki Nukada