Abstract: When external electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor are formed by performing direct plating on surfaces at which internal electrodes are exposed without forming paste electrode layers, bonding forces of plating layers are relatively weak, and in addition, when glass particles are included in the plating layers, blisters are often generated. To overcome these problems, a multilayer ceramic capacitor is formed by performing electrolytic plating using a plating bath including glass particles, electrolytic plating layers including glass particles dispersed therein are formed as the external electrodes.

Abstract: A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes external terminal electrodes that are formed by depositing metal plating films on exposed portions of internal conductors embedded in a ceramic body, depositing a copper plating films that cover the metal plating films and make contact with the ceramic body around the metal plating films, and heat-treating the ceramic body to generate a copper liquid phase, an oxygen liquid phase, and a copper solid phase between the copper plating films and the ceramic body. The mixed phase including these phases forms a region at which a copper oxide is present in a discontinuous manner inside the copper plating film at least at the interfaces between the ceramic body and the copper plating films. The copper oxide securely attaches the copper plating films to the ceramic body and enhances the bonding force of the external terminal electrodes.

Abstract: In a laminate type ceramic electronic component, when an external electrode for a laminated ceramic capacitor is formed directly by plating onto a surface of a component main body, the film that is directly plated may have a low fixing strength with respect to the component main body. As the external electrode, a first plating layer composed of a Ni—P plating film with a P content rate of about 9 weight % or more is first formed such that a plating deposition deposited with the exposed ends of respective internal electrodes as starting points is grown on at least an end surface of a component main body. Then, a second plating layer composed of a Ni plating film containing substantially no P is formed on the first plating layer. Preferably, the first plating layer is formed by electroless plating, whereas the second plating layer is formed by electrolytic plating.

Abstract: In a laminate type ceramic electronic component, when an external electrode is formed directly by plating onto a surface of a component main body, the plating film that is to serve as the external electrode may have a low fixing strength with respect to the component main body. In order to prevent this problem, an external electrode includes a first plating layer composed of a Ni—B plating film and is first formed such that a plating deposition deposited with the exposed ends of respective internal electrodes as starting points is grown on at least an end surface of a component main body. Then, a second plating layer composed of a Ni plating film containing substantially no B is formed on the first plating layer. Preferably, the B content of the Ni—B plating film constituting the first plating layer is about 0.1 wt % to about 6 wt %.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a laminated ceramic electronic component, when a plating film to define an external terminal electrode is formed by plating exposed ends of a plurality of internal electrodes at a WT surface of a component main body, ingress of a plating solution may be caused from a gap between an end edge of the plating film and the component main body to decrease the reliability of a laminated electronic component obtained. An internal dummy electrode is provided around a region where the exposed ends of the plurality of internal electrodes are distributed in the WT surface of the component main body. The internal dummy electrode includes two LW-direction sections extending parallel or substantially parallel to each other in a direction along the LW surface, and two LT-direction sections extending parallel or substantially parallel to each other in a direction along the LT surface. The plating film is formed at least over the exposed end of the internal dummy electrode.

Abstract: A monolithic ceramic electronic component includes a laminate including a plurality of stacked ceramic layers and a plurality of internal electrodes extending between the ceramic layers and also includes external electrodes disposed on the laminate. The internal electrodes are partly exposed at surfaces of the laminate and are electrically connected to each other with the external electrodes. The external electrodes include first plating layers and second plating layers. The first plating layers are in direct contact with the internal electrodes. The second plating layers are located outside the first plating layers and contain glass particles dispersed therein.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component includes a first substep of depositing precipitates primarily made of a specific metal on an end of each of internal electrodes exposed at a predetermined surface of a laminate and growing the precipitates to coalesce into a continuous plated sublayer, and a second substep of heat-treating the laminate including the plated sublayer at a temperature of at least about 800° C., wherein a plated layer including a plurality of plated sublayers is formed by continuously performing at least two cycles of the first substep and the second substep.

Abstract: When an external terminal electrode of a ceramic electronic component such as a laminated ceramic capacitor is formed by plating, plating growth may be also caused even in an undesired location. The ceramic surface provided by a component main body is configured to include a high plating growth region of, for example, a barium titanate based ceramic, which exhibits relatively high plating growth, and a low plating growth region of, for example, a calcium zirconate based ceramic, which exhibits relatively low plating growth. The plating film constituting a first layer to define a base for an external terminal electrode is formed in such a way that the growth of a plated deposit deposited with conductive surfaces provided by exposed ends of internal electrodes as starting points is limited so as not to cross over a boundary between the high plating growth region and the low plating growth region toward the low plating growth region.

Abstract: A power generator starts an engine by overcoming an inrush current occurs. A calculator (21) retrieves an outputtable current of a generator according to an engine speed. A calculator (23) calculates the lacking amount of the outputtable current relative to a load current. When the remaining battery level is sufficient, a DC/DC converter controller (24) supplies a current corresponding to the lacking amount from the battery (4) to a DC part (52). If the battery (4) starts supplying a power, FETs (Qa to Qf) of a rectifying part (51) are powered off and an output of the power generator (3) is stopped. When an engine frequency stability deciding part (27) decides the engine frequency is stable the rectifying part (51) restarts the output of the generator (3) and the current supply from the battery (4) to the DC part (52) is stopped.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a monolithic ceramic electronic component includes a plating substep of depositing precipitates primarily composed of a specific metal on an end of each of internal electrodes exposed at a predetermined surface of a laminate and growing the precipitates to coalesce into a continuous plated layer, wherein the specific metal is different from that of the internal electrodes, and the same or substantially the same metal that defines the internal electrodes is distributed throughout the plated layer.

Abstract: In order to prevent the ingress of moisture into a void section of a component main body of a ceramic electronic component, at least the component main body of the ceramic electronic component is provided with water repellency using a water repellent agent. The water repellent agent is dissolved in a supercritical fluid such as, a supercritical CO2 fluid, as a solvent to provide at least the component main body with water repellency. After providing the water repellency, the water repellent agent on the outer surface of the component main body is removed. As the water repellent agent, a silane coupling agent may be used.

Abstract: A power generator has a battery and an alternator driven by an engine. The battery assists a power energy of the alternator. An inverter circuit is connected to an output of a rectifying circuit. A DC/DC converter boosts a voltage of the battery and inputs the boosted voltage into a constant power regulator. The constant power regulator boosts an input voltage and secures a certain power. An output voltage of the rectifying circuit is monitored by a monitoring means and an output voltage of the battery is monitored by a monitoring means. When the output voltage of the rectifying circuit is equal to or less than a rated voltage, an auxiliary power value corresponding to the remaining amount of the battery is set as a power target value of the constant power regulator.

Abstract: Starting and stopping an engine is automatically controlled based on a load without using a relay. An inverter engine-driven power generator has an alternator, a rectifying circuit, a DC/DC converter, and an inverter circuit. A load detection circuit is connected to an output of the inverter circuit in parallel. A load detection line of the load detection circuit is connected to an output line of the inverter circuit in parallel via resistors. A power supply formed of a battery is connected to the load detection line. A decision circuit outputs a load detection signal when a current having a preset value or more flows through the load detection line. A drive/stop CPU starts the engine in response to the load detection. The resistors are set at a resistance value which does not influence a load to which a generator output is supplied.

Abstract: Suppresses noise due to high engine speed and improves emission and fuel consumption of a hybrid generator. A difference computing unit 29 computes a first difference between an alternator output and a load output. A difference computing unit 31 computes a second difference between a battery output and the load output. When the battery output is greater than a battery output stopping threshold, the alternator output is fixed and the first difference is compensated for by the battery output. When the battery output is less than the battery output stopping threshold, the engine speed is increased to compensate for the second difference by the output of the alternator 3. To compensate for the second difference, a target engine speed is determined using a relationship of the second difference and the target engine speed. The engine speed is converged at the target engine speed.

Abstract: Usability is improved and noise and fuel consumption are lowered by preventing stopping of a generator output. A hybrid power generator 1 includes a battery 4, an alternator 3, a rectifier unit 51, a DC-DC converter 9 stepping up an output of the battery 4, and an inverter unit 53 converting outputs of the rectifier unit 51 and the DC-DC converter 9 to AC and outputting the AC as a generator output. At a time when a load output reaches an upper limit of an allowable power range of the DC-DC converter 9, the engine 2 is started and power supplying from the battery 4 is switched to power generation by the alternator 3. A generated power restricting unit 27 suppresses the output of the inverter unit 53 during the starting of the engine so that the generator outputs allowable power range of the DC-DC converter 9.

Abstract: Generator output specifications according to destination are satisfied by an alternator with a single output band and a generator output voltage is made automatically adjustable in accordance with a load. An engine generator 1 includes an alternator 3, a rectifier 51, a DC-DC converter 52, and an inverter 53. A comparing unit 12 compares an output voltage of the alternator 3 with a reference. The DC-DC converter 52 decreases voltage if the output voltage of the alternator 3 is greater than the reference, and the DC-DC converter 52 increases voltage if the output voltage of the alternator 3 is less than the reference. The DC-DC converter 52 is PWM controlled at an intermediate duty ratio when the output voltage of the alternator 3 is equal to the reference, a duty ratio is increased from the intermediate value, and the duty ratio is decreased from the intermediate value.

Abstract: An image forming system is supplied which is able to prevent the record medium from being taken by other people and to improve the secrecy performance of image data.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a monolithic ceramic electronic component includes a plating substep of depositing precipitates primarily composed of a specific metal on an end of each of internal electrodes exposed at a predetermined surface of a laminate and growing the precipitates to coalesce into a continuous plated layer, wherein the specific metal is different from that of the internal electrodes, and the same or substantially the same metal that defines the internal electrodes is distributed throughout the plated layer.

Abstract: The auxiliary board joining structure further includes a plurality of positioning holes 6 formed in the main board 1, a plurality of positioning pins 20 formed on the main board 1, wherein the plurality of positioning pins 20 extend through the corresponding positioning holes 6 so as to be oriented parallel to the axial direction of the joint pins 17. Each of the positioning pins 20 has a height regulating face 23 for regulating a distance that the positioning pins are extended through the corresponding positioning hole 6. Each of the positioning pins 20 is formed long enough to be extended through the corresponding positioning hole 6 before the joint pins 17 are extended through the corresponding through-holes 5, when the main board 1 and the auxiliary board 10 are engaged.

Abstract: A laminated electronic component includes a first plating film that defines a base for external terminal electrodes and that includes a plurality of layers including a first layer made of, for example, copper and a second layer provided on the first layer. The total thickness of the first plating film is about 3 ?m to about 15 ?m, and the thickness of the second layer is about 2 to 10 times as thick as the thickness of the first layer. The first layer is formed by electroless plating, and the second layer is formed by electrolytic plating. This formation results in a grain size of about 0.5 ?m or more of a metal grain included in the second layer, and thus makes the film less susceptible to oxidation.