Abstract: Three magnetic field generating coils on the distal end side of the shape detection probe are provided in the curvable portion, and the first coil at the leading end position is placed at the position corresponding to the leading end curvable piece, whereas the third coil at the position corresponding to the trailing end curvable piece. Further, the second coil is placed at a middle position between the leading end curvable piece and the trailing end curvable piece in the curvable portion. With this structure, the accuracy of detecting the shape of the curvable portion can be improved, and the production cost of the system as a whole can be lowered.

Abstract: A built-in antenna device that broadens bandwidth and that realizes further miniaturization and thin-modeling without making a device itself a flat shape, while still enhancing gain and reducing SAR (specific Absorption Rate). The self impedance of dipole antenna 12, the self impedance of parasitic element 14, and the mutual impedance between dipole antenna 12 and parasitic element 14 change as the length and girth of dipole antenna 12 and parasitic element 14, and the distance therebetween are adjusted to predetermined levels, so as to broaden bandwidth by changing the input impedance of built-in antenna 10.

Abstract: A disc changer comprises a receiving unit for receiving a plurality of discs, a base unit, a playback unit and a transfer unit for transferring one of the plurality of discs to the playback unit. The transfer unit is movable in the perpendicular direction to the base unit. The playback unit has on its opposite ends swing support axes. The playback unit is swingable around the swing support axes relative to the base unit and the transfer unit, respectively. The playback unit has a gear. The base unit has a base unit-gear segment portion and the transfer unit has a transfer unit-gear segment portion. The gear is held between the base unit-gear segment portion and the transfer unit-gear segment portion so as to engage with these gear segment portions.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an insertion section inserted into the body cavity and a probe provided inside the insertion section for detecting the form of the endoscope. The probe includes a plurality of coil portions arranged in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section of the endoscope and a wire electrically connecting the coil portions. The coil portions and the wire are covered with a flexible member. And the outer diameter of the covered wire is smaller than the outer diameter of the covered coil portions.

Abstract: An endoscope capable of improving assembly operativity and facilitating a repair operation is provided. This endoscope has an insertion section having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, and inserted into a body cavity, an operation section arranged on a proximal end portion side of the insertion section, a universal cord extending from the operation section, and having a distal end portion, and a conduit extended in the insertion section, the operation section and the universal cord. This conduit has one end arranged on the distal end portion of the insertion section and having a first opening portion formed therein and the other end arranged on the connector and having a second opening portion formed therein, and separable on a portion between one end and the other end.

Abstract: A high gain built-in antenna for a radio communication terminal with less influence from the human body. This built-in antenna for a radio communication terminal includes bar-shaped second passive element 392 facing antenna elements making up dipole antenna 321. The distance between this second passive element 392 and the antenna elements making up dipole antenna 321 is appropriately set in such a way as to widen the band of the input impedance characteristic by changing mutual impedance between second passive element 392 and the antenna elements making up dipole antenna 321.

Abstract: A corpus is stored in a corpus-DB portion. A series of position numbers built for the corpus is stored in an index portion. A searching portion searches for positions of occurrences of a part of an input string in the corpus using the series of position numbers. A predicting portion, using the result of search performed by the searching portion, predicts a probability of occurrence of a character following the part of the input string.

Abstract: A cartridge receiving apparatus comprises a receiving unit for receiving at least one cartridge; at least one support unit for supporting the cartridge received; and a detection device for detecting a position of the support unit. A decision as whether receipt of the cartridge is completed or not is made in accordance with detection results obtained by the detection device.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a movable body comprises a rack having flexibility, a pinion for driving the rack and a guide device for guiding the rack. The guide device has a curved portion. The pinion may locate along the curved portion of the guide device. The movable body comprises a disc.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an insertion section inserted into the body cavity and a probe provided inside the insertion section for detecting the form of the endoscope. The probe includes a plurality of coil portions arranged in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section of the endoscope and a wire electrically connecting the coil portions. The coil portions and the wire are covered with a flexible member. And the outer diameter of the covered wire is smaller than the outer diameter of the covered coil portions.

Abstract: In a recording medium reproducing unit, hooks are given a holding-down function and a bending function to turn in a plurality directions of flexible cables for connecting a circuit board to major components of a reproducing unit body. An adapter is provided on the under side of the reproducing-unit body to be adapted for various thickness values of disc players. A holding mechanism for a circuit board is provided in the adapter to secure an easy setting of a board within the reproducing unit.

Abstract: The antenna apparatus of the present invention places antenna element 302 that transmits or receives electromagnetic waves on basic plate 301, places parasitic antenna elements 303 to 306 on basic plate 301 evenly spaced concentrically centered on antenna element 302, places switch elements 307 to 310 and capacitances 311 to 314 in parallel between one end of each of antenna elements 303 to 306 and said basic plate and disconnects one of switch elements 307 to 310 and connects all the others. In this way, the present invention provides a small and high-gain antenna apparatus with directivity switching capability.

Abstract: A movable body supporting mechanism supports a movable body (12, 42) to be moved in a direction orthogonal to a flat surface, on which a fixed member (11, 41) and the movable body are both mounted. The movable body supporting mechanism is provided with: a lever (13a, 13b, 46a, 46b) rotatably linked to the fixed member and the movable body; a movable body gear (18a, 18b, 52) mounted on the movable body at a side thereof opposed to the fixed member; and a pinion (14a, 14b, 44a, 44b) engaged with the movable body gear and driven in conjunction with the lever.

Abstract: An endoscope capable of improving assembly operativity and facilitating a repair operation is provided. This endoscope has an insertion section having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, and inserted into a body cavity, an operation section arranged on a proximal end portion side of the insertion section, a universal cord extending from the operation section, and having a distal end portion, and a conduit extended in the insertion section, the operation section and the universal cord. This conduit has one end arranged on the distal end portion of the insertion section and having a first opening portion formed therein and the other end arranged on the connector and having a second opening portion formed therein, and separable on a portion between one end and the other end.

Abstract: There is provided a disc player which comprises a base section, a loading section linearly movably mounted on the base section, a rotary tray rotatably mounted on the loading section for receiving a plurality of discs, a driving motor provided in the loading section for producing a driving force, a turn table provided under the rotary tray. The disc player further includes a first operating mechanism for transmitting a driving force from the driving motor to the rotary tray, and for moving down the turn table when the rotary tray is to be rotated, a second operating mechanism for transmitting a driving force from the driving motor to said loading section to cause the loading section to linearly move with respect to said base section, a change-over for selecting an operation of the first operating mechanism or the second operating mechanism.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fuse for improving the reliability and facilitating automation the process and, in this fuse, an inner cap 14 is provided between a glass tube 12 and a cap terminal 13; a passage 22 for ventilating the inside of the glass tube 12 is provided between the inner cap 14 and the glass tube 12; an end portion 15a of the fuse element 15 is taken out between the cap terminal 13 and the inner cap 14 through an element insertion hole 14b formed on a bottom plate 14a of the inner cap 14 in order to electrically connect the end portion 15a with at least the cap terminal 13; and the cap terminal 13 is fixed to the inner cap 14.

Abstract: In an endoscope system including an endoscope having an insertion section to be inserted into a cavity under inspection, a bending portion which is provided in said insertion section near a distal end thereof and is bendable in at least two different directions and an operation section to which a proximal end of the insertion section is connected and a disposable protection cover having an insertion section cover for covering said insertion section of the endoscope and having formed therein an insertion section inserting channel into which said insertion section of the endoscope is insertable and at least one conduit channel, said insertion section and bending portion of the endoscope are formed to have a non-circular lateral cross section, a direction in which said non-circular cross section has a larger size is aligned with a direction in which said bending portion is bent by a maximum bending angle or a direction in which said non-circular cross section has a smaller size is aligned with a direction in whi

Abstract: In an endoscope system including an endoscope having an insertion section insertable into a cavity under inspection and an operation section having at least one operation switch, the operation section being connected to a proximal end of the insertion section and a disposable protection cover having an insertion section cover for covering said insertion section of the endoscope and an operation section cover for covering the operation section of the endoscope, the insertion section cover includes a forceps channel through which existing forceps for use in ordinary coverless endoscopes can be inserted. An inner diameter of the forceps channel is determined to be slightly larger than an outer diameter of most frequently used forceps or standard forceps whose number is maximized in the outer diameter series of the forceps.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope apparatus provided with an electronic endoscope having arranged thereon a solid-state image pickup element at an insertion portion, and external devices such as a light source device for supplying an illumination light to the electronic endoscope, a video processor for processing an electrical signal transmitted from the solid-state image pickup element of the electronic endoscope to produce a video signal. An electrical connection portion for electrically connecting the electronic endoscope and the video processor is provided at a connector portion which is provided at an end of a universal cord which connects the electronic endoscope and the light source device. An electromagnetic interference countermeasure member is provided which covers at least one of the connector portion, the universal cord and the external devices. A dual shield around a signal line is also provided which includes spirally-wound lead wires having different diameters and ends connected to video ground.

Abstract: An endoscope has a channel switching device for use in switching over a suction channel. The channel switching device consists broadly of a cylinder unit and valve unit. The valve unit can be disassembled into three component parts; a button assembly, piston assembly, and mount assembly. The button assembly has a cap, which is made of a rigid resin such as polyether ketone (PEEK) or polysulfone (PSU), as the uppermost part thereof. Since the cap is made of a rigid resin durable to autoclaving; such as, PSU or PEEK, the valve unit will not be damaged due to autoclaving. Even when the autoclaved valve unit is put to use though it is not yet cooled down, an operator will not perceive heat very much but can manipulate the endoscope as he/she intends.