Abstract: An apparatus capable of charging a battery mounted on a robot while allowing the robot to remain stably still in the state of standing on its legs is provided. Driving a first connector backward while it is connected with a second connector would cause a body of the robot to tilt as if being pulled by the first connector. However, it is possible to prevent the posture of the robot from becoming unstable by utilizing the fact that the connected state of first signal terminals and second signal terminals is maintained in that state. The backward driving of the first connector is restricted when a charge control unit is capable of communicating with a control system via the first signal terminals and the second signal terminals. This prevents the undesirable event that the posture of the robot becomes unstable due to the first connector being driven backward unconditionally.

Abstract: An apparatus capable of charging a battery mounted on a robot while allowing the robot to remain stably still in the state of standing on its legs is provided. Driving a first connector backward while it is connected with a second connector would cause a body of the robot to tilt as if being pulled by the first connector. However, it is possible to prevent the posture of the robot from becoming unstable by utilizing the fact that the connected state of first signal terminals and second signal terminals is maintained in that state. The backward driving of the first connector is restricted when a charge control unit is capable of communicating with a control system via the first signal terminals and the second signal terminals. This prevents the undesirable event that the posture of the robot becomes unstable due to the first connector being driven backward unconditionally.

Abstract: An expander (M) employing steam as a working medium is formed from a first radially inner group of axial piston cylinders (49) arranged annularly on a rotor (27) so as to surround the axis (L) of an output shaft (28), and a second radially outer group of axial piston cylinders (57) arranged annularly so as to surround the first group of axial piston cylinders (49). The first and second groups of axial piston cylinders (49, 57) are driven by a common swash plate (39), and the first and second groups of axial piston cylinders (49, 57) are arranged with circumferentially displaced pitches. High-temperature, high-pressure steam firstly operates the first group of axial piston cylinders (49), then operates the second group of axial piston cylinders (57), and the outputs from the two are combined to drive the output shaft (28). This achieves a further reduction in the size and a further increase in the output of the axial type expander (M).

Abstract: A charging system for a legged mobile robot that facilitates positioning of a robot to be charged and does not put a load on the robot is provided. The charging system includes a battery 2, a power receiving connector 4 and a movable shutter member 5 capable of being opened and closed on a rear cover 3, which are provided on a robot 1, and a holder 21, a power supplying connector 22, a slide mechanism 23, a base plate 25, a charging power supply 26 and the like, which are provided on a charging station 20. The robot 1 performs a predetermined positioning on the base plate 25 and then moves the center of gravity rearward to connect the power receiving connector 4 to the power supplying connector 22. In this step, when the rear cover 3 of the robot 1 is guided by a first guide section 21a of the holder 21, the slide mechanism 23 allows the holder 21 to move horizontally. Thus, even if the robot 1 and the charging station 20 are slightly misaligned with each other, the robot 1 can be easily positioned correctly.

Abstract: The autonomous mobile robot having an openable and closable gripper for gripping goods, cameras, an autonomous mobile means, and a control means for making the robot carry the goods to a destination from an acquisition source, the control means comprising: a grip position recognition means configured to recognize a predetermined position suitable for gripping a carrier container of a predetermined specification configured to place the goods to carry, based on an image of the acquisition source taken by the cameras; a grip control means configured to drive the gripper to the predetermined position of the carrier container and to control gripping the predetermined position; and a grip-success-or-not determination means configured to determine whether or not the gripping is successful, based on an external force acting on the gripper.

Abstract: A rotary fluid machine is provided in which, among first bearings (23f, 23r) and a second bearing (24) supporting in a casing (11) opposite ends of a rotor (22) that includes an axial piston cylinder group (56) for converting the pressure energy of a working medium into mechanical energy, only the first bearings (23f, 23r) are formed from combined angular bearings that can support an axial load, and the second bearing (24) is formed from a radial bearing that can support a radial load and is axially movable relative to the rotor (22). Since the rotor (22) is axially positioned relative to the casing (11) by only the first bearings (the combined angular bearings) (23f, 23r), a difference in the amount of axial thermal expansion between the casing (11) and the rotor (22) can be absorbed by the second bearing (radial bearing) (24) without any problem. This can solve effectively problems caused by a difference in the amount of thermal expansion between the casing and the rotor of the rotary fluid machine.

Abstract: A motor/generator system is provided in which a casing (111) of a motor/generator (MG) is connected to a casing (15) of a displacement type expander of a Rankine cycle system, and a rotor (117) of the motor/generator (MG) is supported on a shaft end of an output shaft (32) extending from the expander to the interior of the motor/generator casing (111). Providing communication between an internal space of the expander casing (15), where steam that has leaked from an expansion chamber of the expander is present, and an internal space of the motor/generator casing (111) via a through hole (15a) enables the motor/generator (MG), which reaches a high temperature due to generation of heat in a coil (124), to be cooled by leaked steam that has entered via the through hole (15a), and covering the low temperature expander casing (15) with the high temperature motor/generator casing (111) enables the escape of heat from the expander casing (15) to be minimized, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the expander.

Abstract: An expander is provided in which spherical projections (61a) formed at the forward end of pistons (42) of an axial piston cylinder group abut against spherical depressions (31a) formed in a swash plate (31), and an elliptical contact point locus (T) of contact points (p) between the spherical depressions (31a) and the spherical projections (61a) is offset toward the expansion stroke side of the axial piston cylinder group. As a result, in a middle region of the expansion stroke where the speed of the piston (42) is high and the surface pressure of the contact point (p) is high, the position of the contact point (p) can be made as close as possible to an axis (L3) of the spherical depression (31a) and an axis (L2) of the piston (42), thus reducing a bending moment and a radially biased load exerted on the piston (42) and minimizing any increase in sliding resistance and any occurrence of abnormal wear.

Abstract: A rotary fluid machine includes a first operating part (49) and a second operating part (57), which are groups of axial piston cylinders, wherein a rotary valve (61) for controlling the intake and discharge of a working medium to and from the first and second operating parts (49, 57) is formed from a first valve part that has a flat sliding surface (68) perpendicular to a rotational axis (L) of the rotor (27) and controls the intake and discharge of the working medium to and from the first operating part (49), and a second valve part that has a cylindrical sliding surface (71) centered on the rotational axis (L) of the rotor (27) and controls the intake and discharge of the working medium to and from the second operating part (57). Since the intake and discharge of the working medium to and from the first and second operating parts (49, 57) are controlled by the common rotary valve (61), the size of the rotary fluid machine can be reduced.

Abstract: An expander is provided in which a rotor (22) is rotated by supplying high-temperature, high-pressure steam to an expansion chamber (43) defined between a piston (42) and a cylinder sleeve (41) so that the piston (42) pushes a swash plate (31). Since an annular heat-insulating space (70) is formed in a rotor head (38) facing the expansion chamber (43), it is possible to suppress the escape, to the rotor (22), of the heat of high-temperature, high-pressure steam supplied to the expansion chamber (43), thereby preventing the heat efficiency from deteriorating.

Abstract: An expander that converts the thermal energy and the pressure energy of a working medium into mechanical energy includes, within a casing (12, 15, 18), an operating part such as a group of axial piston cylinders operated by the working medium introduced into an operating chamber, and a hermetically sealed lubrication chamber (102) in which oil for lubricating at least the operating part resides. Breather chambers (101, 103) are provided in an upper part of the lubrication chamber (102), and a working medium discharge chamber (90) into which the working medium is discharged from the operating chamber is made to communicate with the breather chambers (101, 103) via breather passages (B1 to B4).

Abstract: An expander is provided in which a rotor (22) is rotated by supplying high-temperature, high-pressure steam to an expansion chamber (43) defined between a piston (42) and a cylinder sleeve (41) so that the piston (42) pushes a swash plate (31), and sliding surfaces of the piston (42) and the cylinder sleeve (41) are lubricated with oil supplied via an oil hole (32c). The piston (42) includes a top part (63) that is exposed to high-temperature, high-pressure steam within the expansion chamber (43), an end part (61) that abuts against the swash plate (31), and a middle part (62) that is present between the end part (61) and the top part (63) and is in sliding contact with the cylinder sleeve (41), the top part (63) being formed from a heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant material, the end part (61) being formed from a material having high surface pressure resistance, and the middle part (62) being formed from a material having high abrasion resistance.

Abstract: A nasolacrimal stent device illuminates a dark nasal cavity so that the interior of the nasal cavity can be directly observed to facilitate and ensure the correct insertion of a nasolacrimal stent into the nasal duct. Flexible, transparent probe tube segments (21) are connected to the opposite ends of a flexible detention tube segment (2) having a diameter that permits the flexible detention tube segment (2) to be inserted in a lacrimal passage, respectively. The respective extremities of distal end parts (21a, 21b) of the probe tube segments (21) are closed. The probe tube segments (21) are provided in their base end parts with openings (23), respectively. When inserting each probe tube segment (21) into the nasal cavity, an illuminating device, such as an optical fiber (30) is inserted through the opening (23) into the probe tube segment (21) to illuminate the interior of the nasal cavity through the transparent probe tube segment (21).

Abstract: A torque variation control device for a vehicle which has a motor providing rotational torque to a drive shaft of a vehicle, a motor control means controlling the motor based on drive torque, and a rotational velocity detection means detecting a rotational velocity of the drive shaft or a rotational shaft of the motor. The device has a feature that the device includes a torque variation detection means detecting a torque variation of the vehicle caused by a variation of the rotational velocity, and a compensation torque setting means setting compensation torque in an opposite phase relative to the torque variation.

Abstract: A rotary valve of a rotating fluid machine is constructed by bringing into contact, on sliding faces which are orthogonal to an axis, a moving valve plate provided on a rotor and a stationary valve plate provided on a valve body. An annular member pivotably supports the valve body by a fulcrum shaft. The annular member has a pair of projections at its two ends. The pair of projections are engaged slidably in the direction of the axis with a pair of guide grooves formed in a rear cover. When the valve body is pressed in the direction of the axis to bring the sliding faces into close contact with each other, the pair of projections receive a uniform frictional resistance from the guide grooves, so that the annular member is prevented from inclining off a plane orthogonal to the axis. Therefore, the compliance of the sliding faces can be secured to prevent a working medium from leaking and to suppress uneven wear of the sliding faces.

Abstract: An expander includes a rotor rotatably supported by a casing, a group of axial pistons and cylinders installed so that its axis is surrounded by the rotor, and a swash plate having a rotating surface inclined with respect to the axis of the rotor and is rotatably supported by the casing. The relative rotation of the swash plate and the rotor around the axis is restricted and the relative shifting of the swash plate and rotor in the direction of the axis is allowed, by fitting a slider, fixed to the swash plate by a synchro-pin, into a long hole of an output shaft. Therefore, it is possible to prevent wrenching between the swash plate and the rotor due to thermal expansion while reducing the bending moment acting on the pistons of the group of axial pistons and cylinders of the expander.

Abstract: The present invention provides the miniaturization and weight reduction of the multi-layer circuit board and improvement in the processability thereof. The multi-layer circuit board comprises a substrate 10, on at least one surface of a substrate 10, a first electrical conductive circuit (metal plating film 30) disposed on the substrate 10, an resin layer 20 disposed on the first electrical conductive circuit and a second electrical conductive circuit (metal plating film 30) disposed on the resin layer. The resin layer 20 is composed of a resin compound including benzocyclobutene resin, particulate inorganic filler and ultraviolet absorbent.

Abstract: A rotary fluid machine includes a first operating part (49) and a second operating part (57), which are groups of axial piston cylinders, wherein a rotary valve (61) for controlling the intake and discharge of a working medium to and from the first and second operating parts (49, 57) is formed from a first valve part that has a flat sliding surface (68) perpendicular to a rotational axis (L) of the rotor (27) and controls the intake and discharge of the working medium to and from the first operating part (49), and a second valve part that has a cylindrical sliding surface (71) centered on the rotational axis (L) of the rotor (27) and controls the intake and discharge of the working medium to and from the second operating part (57). Since the intake and discharge of the working medium to and from the first and second operating parts (49, 57) are controlled by the common rotary valve (61), the size of the rotary fluid machine can be reduced.

Abstract: An expander (M) employing steam as a working medium is formed from a first radially inner group of axial piston cylinders (49) arranged annularly on a rotor (27) so as to surround the axis (L) of an output shaft (28), and a second radially outer group of axial piston cylinders (57) arranged annularly so as to surround the first group of axial piston cylinders (49). The first and second groups of axial piston cylinders (49, 57) are driven by a common swash plate (39), and the first and second groups of axial piston cylinders (49, 57) are arranged with circumferentially displaced pitches. High-temperature, high-pressure steam firstly operates the first group of axial piston cylinders (49), then operates the second group of axial piston cylinders (57), and the outputs from the two are combined to drive the output shaft (28). This achieves a further reduction in the size and a further increase in the output of the axial type expander (M).

Abstract: A torque variation control device for a vehicle which has a motor providing rotational torque to a drive shaft of a vehicle, a motor control means controlling the motor based on drive torque, and a rotational velocity detection means detecting a rotational velocity of the drive shaft or a rotational shaft of the motor. The device has a feature that the device includes a torque variation detection means detecting a torque variation of the vehicle caused by a variation of the rotational velocity, and a compensation torque setting means setting compensation torque in an opposite phase relative to the torque variation.