Abstract: An endoscope includes an imager unit loading region provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion, a cable connection surface, a wall provided to connect an opening of the imager unit loading region and an opening of the cable connection surface to each other, a contact pattern formed on a wall surface of the imager unit loading region, a wiring pattern formed on a front surface of the cable connection surface from the wall, a connection pattern formed on the cable connection surface, and a through-electrode formed in the wall so that the imager unit loading region and the cable connection surface communicate with each other, configured to cause the contact pattern and the wiring pattern to electrically continue to each other, and formed at a predetermined angle with respect to a center axis of the distal end barrel member.

Abstract: A member includes a base material and an electroless plating layer. The base material includes an elastic section that includes a sulfur-containing elastic body. The electroless plating layer is provided on the elastic section of the base material. The base material includes the elastic section, and the electroless plating layer is positioned on one surface of the elastic section. The elastic section has a portion that is elastically deformable together with the electroless plating layer.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: a feeder that feeds a label sheet, having a long base sheet and labels detachably adhered to the base sheet at a predetermined interval in a longitudinal direction thereof, to a conveyance path; a conveyance member that conveys the fed label sheet along the conveyance path; a detector that is placed along the conveyance path and that detects a position of at least one of the labels on the label sheet being conveyed; an image formation unit that is placed downstream of the detector in a conveyance direction and that forms an image on the label detected by the detector; and a controller that controls the conveyance member, the detector, and the image formation unit. The controller switches the detector between a constant light emission operation of emitting the detection light constantly and an intermittent light emission operation of emitting the detection light intermittently.

Abstract: A concave part defined by a ring-shaped step is formed on the upper surface of a housing body. A first elastic member is brought into contact with a portion of an electroless nickel-plated layer, the portion being in a region inside the concave part. The first elastic member is then pressed and deformed so that the whole of an angular portion, at which the upper surface of the ring-shaped step and its side surface cross, bites into the first elastic member and that the first elastic member and the electroless nickel-plated layer on the upper surface of the ring-shaped step are separated from each other. The housing body is then immersed in a dissolving liquid that can dissolve the electroless nickel-plated layer while the first elastic member is kept deformed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, provided with an image forming part that performs an image formation on each of individual medium pieces that are attached to a long base sheet with specified gaps wherein a long medium is configured with the long base sheet and the medium pieces, a length of the gaps being defined as a gap length, a carrying part that carries the long medium to the image forming part in a medium carrying direction, a cutting part that cuts the long medium that is being carried by the carrying part, and a cut position determining part that determines a cut position where the long medium is cut by the cutting part, the cut position being located at one of the gaps, wherein the cut position determining part changes the cut position according to the gap length.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: a feeder that feeds a label sheet, having a long base sheet and labels detachably adhered to the base sheet at a predetermined interval in a longitudinal direction thereof, to a conveyance path; a conveyance member that conveys the fed label sheet along the conveyance path; a detector that is placed along the conveyance path and that detects a position of at least one of the labels on the label sheet being conveyed; an image formation unit that is placed downstream of the detector in a conveyance direction and that forms an image on the label detected by the detector; and a controller that controls the conveyance member, the detector, and the image formation unit. The controller switches the detector between a constant light emission operation of emitting the detection light constantly and an intermittent light emission operation of emitting the detection light intermittently.

Abstract: A concave part defined by a ring-shaped step is formed on the upper surface of a housing body. A first elastic member is brought into contact with a portion of an electroless nickel-plated layer, the portion being in a region inside the concave part. The first elastic member is then pressed and deformed so that the whole of an angular portion, at which the upper surface of the ring-shaped step and its side surface cross, bites into the first elastic member and that the first elastic member and the electroless nickel-plated layer on the upper surface of the ring-shaped step are separated from each other. The housing body is then immersed in a dissolving liquid that can dissolve the electroless nickel-plated layer while the first elastic member is kept deformed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, provided with an image forming part that performs an image formation on each of individual medium pieces that are attached to a long base sheet with specified gaps wherein a long medium is configured with the long base sheet and the medium pieces, a length of the gaps being defined as a gap length, a carrying part that carries the long medium to the image forming part in a medium carrying direction, a cutting part that cuts the long medium that is being carried by the carrying part, and a cut position determining part that determines a cut position where the long medium is cut by the cutting part, the cut position being located at one of the gaps, wherein the cut position determining part changes the cut position according to the gap length.

Abstract: An IC (Integrated Circuit) tag communication apparatus is capable of transporting a medium with an IC tag along a transportation path and communicating with the IC tag. The IC tag communication apparatus includes an antenna portion for communicating with the IC tag. Further, the transportation path includes a low dielectric region arranged to face the antenna portion.

Abstract: A bi-directional rotary actuator causing the output shaft thereof to output two or more kinds of bi-directional and rotational driving forces. A bi-directional rotary actuator includes a rotary solenoid (101) serving as a driving source, a link body (104) engaged with a shaft (132) such that a rotational force can be transmitted to the shaft, an output element (105) connected to the link body, and switching operation means (106) for selecting connection between the link body and the output element. Transmission of a rotational force between the link body and the output element can be appropriately switched to either gear drive performed by meshing of gears or link drive based on a link ratio, and this allows the actuator to output bi-directional rotary driving forces having two or three rotational angles. The switching described above is performed by movement, in the direction of the axis of the shaft, of the link body by utilizing the repulsive or attractive action of an electromagnetic force.

Abstract: An IC (Integrated Circuit) tag communication apparatus is capable of transporting a medium with an IC tag along a transportation path and communicating with the IC tag. The IC tag communication apparatus includes an antenna portion for communicating with the IC tag. Further, the transportation path includes a low dielectric region arranged to face the antenna portion.

Abstract: A bi-directional rotary actuator causing the output shaft thereof to output two or more kinds of bi-directional and rotational driving forces. A bi-directional rotary actuator includes a rotary solenoid (101) serving as a driving source, a link body (104) engaged with a shaft (132) such that a rotational force can be transmitted to the shaft, an output element (105) connected to the link body, and switching operation means (106) for selecting connection between the link body and the output element. Transmission of a rotational force between the link body and the output element can be appropriately switched to either gear drive performed by meshing of gears or link drive based on a link ratio, and this allows the actuator to output bi-directional rotary driving forces having two or three rotational angles. The switching described above is performed by movement, in the direction of the axis of the shaft, of the link body by utilizing the repulsive or attractive action of an electromagnetic force.

Abstract: A GPS-equipped electronic camera takes images of destinations. A memory card set to the electronic camera stores image files to which shooting position data is added. The shooting position data represents a position where shooting has been performed. The memory card is set to a car navigation equipment. A shooting-position-data extracting portion extracts the shooting position data from the image file corresponding to the destination. A route searching portion searches a route leading from a present location to the destination on the basis of the extracted shooting position data, road map data stored in a storage portion, and present location data obtained by a GPS antenna and a present-location-data calculator. Since it is unnecessary to input an address and a phone number of the destination, setting the destination is easily performed.

Abstract: A voltage-controlled piezoelectric oscillator includes: an inverter having an input and output; a feedback resistor of the inverter; a first capacitor inserted between the inverter input and the ground potential; a second capacitor inserted between the inverter output and the ground potential; and a series circuit which is composed of a piezoelectric vibrator, two variable-voltage capacitance elements such as variable capacitance diodes, and a third capacitor. Each of the variable-voltage capacitance elements has a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminals being connected to each other. The oscillator further includes a control terminal for applying a control voltage by way of a resistor to the common connection point of the first terminals, and return resistors inserted between the second terminals of variable-voltage capacitance elements and the ground potential.

Abstract: A voltage-controlled piezoelectric oscillator includes: an inverter having an input and output; a feedback resistor of the inverter; a first capacitor inserted between the inverter input and the ground potential; a second capacitor inserted between the inverter output and the ground potential; and a series circuit which is composed of a piezoelectric vibrator, two variable-voltage capacitance elements such as variable capacitance diodes, and a third capacitor. Each of the variable-voltage capacitance elements has a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminals being connected to each other. The oscillator further includes a control terminal for applying a control voltage by way of a resistor to the common connection point of the first terminals, and return resistors inserted between the second terminals of variable-voltage capacitance elements and the ground potential.

Abstract: In a magnetoresistive element, deposition of a conductor layer in a DC magnetron sputtering apparatus causes application of tensile stress to the conductor layer, causing the problem of readily producing separation of the conductor layer. In the present invention, a conductor layer is formed so that the crystal face spacing in the direction perpendicular to the film plane is larger than the crystal face spacing of a bulk material. This permits application of compression stress to the conductor layer, preventing separation of the conductor layer.

Abstract: In a magnetoresistive element, deposition of a conductor layer in a DC magnetron sputtering apparatus causes application of tensile stress to the conductor layer, causing the problem of readily producing separation of the conductor layer. In the present invention, a conductor layer is formed so that the crystal face spacing in the direction perpendicular to the film plane is larger than the crystal face spacing of a bulk material. This permits application of compression stress to the conductor layer, preventing separation of the conductor layer.

Abstract: A control for robots wherein a plurality of control units are connected in a hierarchical structure including a plurality of ranks including the lowest rank, and the robots subordinate to the control units belonging to the lowest rank.

Abstract: A method and apparatus controlling a production line including at least one work station operable in one of a normal production posture and at least one extraordinary production posture for producing products and a checking station located downstream of the work station for making a quality check to provide a quality audit result for each of the products transferred in succession from the work station. Trouble data are provided in succession for respective troubles which have occurred in the work station. The trouble data are accumulated to provide trouble history data specifying each of the troubles in relation to a nature of the corresponding trouble, a cause of the corresponding trouble, and a stoppage time required to restore the work station so as to remove the corresponding trouble. A failure signal is produced when the work station ceases to function due to a trouble. The failure signal indicates detected nature and cause of the trouble.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle body assembling line including a floor main assembling unit for positioning a plurality of floor main components and jointing the positioned floor main components to assemble a floor main, a body side assembling unit for positioning a plurality of body side components and jointing the positioned body side components to assemble a body side, and a vehicle body assembling unit for positioning the body side and the floor main and jointing the positioned body side and the positioned floor main to assemble a vehicle body. The pushing forces applied to respective positioning points set on the body side are measured when the vehicle body assembling unit positions the body side with respect to the floor main.