Abstract: A chuck apparatus including a chuck, and a power-driven device which selectively places the chuck in an object-hold state thereof in which the chuck holds an object, and an object-release state thereof in which the chuck releases the object, the power-driven device including, as a power source thereof, an electric motor.

Abstract: An electric-component transferring apparatus including a component holder which holds an electric component, a shaft member whose lower end portion supports the component holder, a movable member having a support hole which supports the shaft member such that the shaft member is rotatable about an axis line relative to the movable member and is movable relative to the movable member in an axial direction parallel to the axis line, a moving device which moves the movable member in a direction intersecting the axis line of the shaft member, a piston which is supported by the shaft member such that the piston is not movable relative to the shaft member in the axial direction of the shaft member, the support hole including a portion defining a cylinder bore which cooperates with the piston to provide an air-pressure-operated cylinder device, a driven wheel which is substantially integral with the shaft member, and a drive wheel which is supported by the movable member such that the drive wheel is meshed with the

Abstract: Producing a photovoltaic panel, including forming holes in a first electrode plate, fitting, in the holes, photovoltaic elements, each having a P-N junction between a core and a shell, electrically connecting a first portion of the shell of each photovoltaic element to the first electrode plate, removing one second portion of the shell of each photovoltaic element located on both sides of the first portion of the shell, so that a third portion of the core of the each photovoltaic element that corresponds to the one second portion of the shell is exposed, and electrically connecting the third portion of the core of each photovoltaic element to a second electrode plate, wherein electrically connecting the first portion and electrically connecting the third portion includes soldering, a corresponding one of the first portion and the third portion to a corresponding one of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate.

Abstract: A method of processing an unfired ceramic body or sheet, including the steps of covering, with a cover, a surface of the unfired ceramic body or sheet, such that a portion of the surface of the unfired ceramic body or sheet is exposed, and removing at least a portion of the unfired ceramic body that defines the exposed portion of the surface of the unfired ceramic body, and thereby forming a dent, a dimple, or a through-hole in an exposed portion of the unfired ceramic body or sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus for displacing two displaceable members, including a first member, a second member which is supported by the first member such that the second member is displaceable relative to the first member, a third member which is supported by the second member such that the third member is displaceable relative to the second member, a first and a second drive source which have respective output members and each of which is not movable relative to the first member, a mechanically motion-transmitting device which is connected to the respective output members of the first and second drive sources and to the second and third members and which mechanically transmits respective motions of the output members to the second and third members while allowing the second and third members to be displaced relative to each other, and a displacement control device which is connected to the first and second drive sources and which controls the first and second drive sources and thereby controls the displacement of each of

Abstract: A rotary-type circuit-component supplying apparatus including a plurality of feeders each of which stores a plurality of circuit components of a same sort and which supplies the components one by one from a component-supply portion thereof, at least one rotary table which is rotatable about a first axis line which is substantially vertical and which holds the feeders such that the respective component-supply portions of the feeders are arranged along a circle having a center on the first axis line, and a table-driving device which rotates and stops the rotary table to position the component-supply portion of each of the feeders at a predetermined component-supplying position, the feeders including at least one pendent feeder which includes a main portion which is held by the rotary table such that the main portion extends in a substantially horizontal direction, and which supports a tape-feeding mechanism which feeds a tape carrying the circuit components to the component-supply portion of the pendent feeder,

Abstract: A method of producing a photovoltaic panel, including the steps of producing a light-transmitting, photovoltaic-element holding member which holds, along a reference surface, a plurality of photovoltaic elements each of which includes a P-type layer and an N-type layer, and forming, on one of opposite sides of the photovoltaic-element holding member, a first electrode which is electrically connected to the respective P-type layers of the photovoltaic elements, and a second electrode which is electrically connected to the respective N-type layers of the photovoltaic elements.

Abstract: Producing a photovoltaic panel, including forming holes in a first electrode plate, fitting, in the holes, photovoltaic elements, each having a P-N junction between a core and a shell, electrically connecting a first portion of the shell of each photovoltaic element to the first electrode plate, removing one second portion of the shell of each photovoltaic element located on both sides of the first portion of the shell, so that a third portion of the core of the each photovoltaic element that corresponds to the one second portion of the shell is exposed, and electrically connecting the third portion of the core of each photovoltaic element to a second electrode plate, wherein electrically connecting the first portion and electrically connecting the third portion includes soldering, a corresponding one of the first portion and the third portion to a corresponding one of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate.

Abstract: A method supporting a printed circuit board, including the step of causing a contact portion of at least one board supporting member including a vibration damping portion formed of a vibration damping rubber, to contact at least one portion of a lower surface of the printed circuit board and thereby support the printed circuit board on a side of the lower surface thereof.

Abstract: Producing a photovoltaic panel, including forming holes in a first electrode plate, fitting, in the holes, photovoltaic elements, each having a P-N junction between a core and a shell, electrically connecting a first portion of the shell of each photovoltaic element to the first electrode plate, removing one second portion of the shell of each photovoltaic element located on both sides of the first portion of the shell, so that a third portion of the core of the each photovoltaic element that corresponds to the one second portion of the shell is exposed, and electrically connecting the third portion of the core of each photovoltaic element to a second electrode plate, wherein electrically connecting the first portion and electrically connecting the third portion includes soldering, a corresponding one of the first portion and the third portion to a corresponding one of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate.

Abstract: In an automatic switchover device for a power source designed to automatically switch over systems for supplying electric power to an electric load in such a manner that electric power output from an engine generator is supplied to the electric load upon power failure of a regular power source system, a seesaw-type turn member is mounted for turning movement between a first turned position in which it permits a common contact to be electrically connected to a first individual contact and a second turned position in which it permits the common contact to be electrically connected to a second individual contact. First and second solenoids capable of exerting an electromagnetic force for driving the seesaw-type turn member toward one of the first and second turned position, each include a plunger which has an operating portion enabling the plunger to be pushed in from the outside, thereby enabling an operator's manual switching.

Abstract: An electronic-component supplying apparatus, including a bed with two linear guides; six tables movably supported by the guides, each table supporting electronic-component supplying cartridges such that respective component-supply portions of the cartridges are arranged along a straight line parallel to the guides, the six tables including a first group of three tables and a second group of three tables; three carriers which are movable, independent of one another, through three routes, respectively, each carrier being stopable at any position on the corresponding route, the three routes extending parallel to one another and the guides, within a carrier-movement area on the bed; engaging devices and engageable portions each of which is disengageably engageable with at least one corresponding engaging device of the engaging devices, one of (a) each of the six tables and (b) each of the three carriers supporting a corresponding one of the engaging devices, the other of (a) the each of the six tables and (b) the

Abstract: A system for performing an operation for a circuit substrate, including a plurality of main conveyors each of which conveys, positions, and supports a circuit substrate, the plurality of main conveyors being arranged in a direction perpendicular to a circuit-substrate conveying direction in which the each main conveyor conveys the circuit substrate, an operation performing device which performs at least one operation for the circuit substrate positioned and supported by the each main conveyor, at least one of (a) a carry-in conveyor which conveys the circuit substrate to the each main conveyor and loads the circuit substrate thereon, and (b) a carry-out conveyor which loads the circuit substrate off the each main conveyor and conveys the circuit substrate away therefrom, and a conveyor shifting device which selectively shifts the at least one of the carry-in conveyor and the carry-out conveyor to one of a plurality of shift positions at each of which the one conveyor is aligned with a corresponding one of the

Abstract: A method of connecting respective one end portions of two carrier tapes to each other, each of the two tapes having accommodating pockets at a first pitch and tape-feed holes at a second pitch, each of the accommodating pockets accommodating an electric component, the method including aligning a tape connecting member which includes a flat main portion having tape-feed holes at a third pitch equal to the second pitch, and caulking projections projecting perpendicularly from the flat main portion, with the respective one end portions of the two tapes, such that tape-feed holes of the connecting member are aligned with respective tape-feed holes of the two tapes, causing at least two caulking projections of the connecting member to penetrate through the respective thickness of the two tapes, so that the flat main portion of the connecting member contacts a respective major surface of the two tapes, and caulking respective portions of the two caulking projections that penetrate out of the respective other surfac

Abstract: A method of connecting respective one end portions of two carrier tapes, to each other, each of the two tapes having accommodating pockets at a first pitch and tape-feed holes at a second pitch, each of the accommodating pockets accommodating an electric component, the method including the steps of aligning a tape connecting member which includes a flat main portion having tape-feed holes at a third pitch equal to the second pitch, and caulking projections projecting perpendicularly from the flat main portion, with the respective one end portions of the two tapes, such that tape-feed holes of the connecting member are aligned with respective tape-feed holes of the two tapes, causing at least two caulking projections of the connecting member to penetrate through respective thickness of the two tapes, so that the flat main portion of the connecting member contacts respective one major surfaces of the two tapes, and caulking respective portions of the two caulking projections that penetrate out of the respective

Abstract: A power unit is provided which can perform stable feedback control by reducing a feedback gain, and sufficiently cope with fluctuations in the output voltage occurring according to fluctuations in the input voltage caused by fluctuations in the rotational speed of an engine. A pair of variable control bridge circuits are connected to three-phase output windings of a three-phase generator driven by the engine, and connected in an antiparallel manner to each other to form a cycloconverter for generating a single-phase alternating current to be supplied to a load. An effective voltage value-detecting circuits detects an effective value of a voltage of the alternating current. A reference effective voltage value-generating circuit generates a reference effective voltage for controlling the single-phase alternating current. A target wave-forming circuit forms a target wave for making the effective value of the voltage closer to a value of the reference effective voltage.

Abstract: In an automatic switchover device for a power source designed to automatically switch over systems for supplying electric power to an electric load in such a manner that electric power output from an engine generator is supplied to the electric load upon power failure of a regular power source system, a seesaw-type turn member is mounted for turning movement between a first turned position in which it permits a common contact to be electrically connected to a first individual contact and a second turned position in which it permits the common contact to be electrically connected to a second individual contact. First and second solenoids capable of exerting an electromagnetic force for driving the seesaw-type turn member toward one of the first and second turned position, each include a plunger which has an operating portion enabling the plunger to be pushed in from the outside, thereby enabling an operator's manual switching.

Abstract: A method of mounting a plurality of electric components on a circuit substrate and thereby producing an electric circuit, including the steps of taking, immediately before each of the electric components is mounted on the circuit substrate, a first image of a first portion of the circuit substrate on which the each electric component is to be mounted and a second portion of the circuit substrate that is adjacent to the first portion, mounting the each electric component on the circuit substrate, taking, immediately after the each electric component is mounted on the circuit substrate, a second image of the mounted electric component and the second portion adjacent to the mounted electric component, and inspecting, by comparing the first and second images with each other, a state in which the each electric component is mounted on the circuit substrate.

Abstract: A power unit is provided which can perform stable feedback control by reducing a feedback gain, and sufficiently cope with fluctuations in the output voltage occurring according to fluctuations in the input voltage caused by fluctuations in the rotational speed of an engine. A pair of variable control bridge circuits are connected to three-phase output windings of a three-phase generator driven by the engine, and connected in an antiparallel manner to each other to form a cycloconverter for generating a single-phase alternating current to be supplied to a load. A voltage-detecting circuit detects a voltage of the three-phase alternating current. An effective voltage value-calculating circuit calculates an effective value of the voltage of the alternating current. A reference sinusoidal waveform-forming circuit generates a voltage of a reference waveform for controlling the single-phase alternating current.

Abstract: An apparatus for positioning each of a plurality of electronic component holder heads each for holding an electronic component, at a selected one of a plurality of positions of at least one stop station, including a plurality of rotary members each of which is rotatable about a common axis line and is stoppable at the at least one stop station, the electronic component holder heads being carried by the rotary members, respectively, such that each of the holder heads is movable relative to a corresponding one of the rotary members in a direction parallel to the common axis line, and (a) a circumferential position selecting device which selects, for the stop station, one of a plurality of circumferential positions which are spaced from each other in a direction of rotation of the rotary members about the common axis line, so that at least one of the rotary members is stopped at the selected circumferential position and accordingly the electronic component holder head carried by the one rotary member is position