Abstract: A buffering mechanism in which the contact area between an object to be housed and an elastic member interposed between the object to be housed and a housing member for housing the object is to be increased, while the elastic member is to have a sufficient thickness in at least two mutually perpendicular buffering directions. To this end, a buffering mechanism 10 is provided in which an object to be housed 12 is bufferably accommodated in a housing member 11. The object to be housed 12 includes at least three shaft units 13 extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of thickness of the object. An elastic member 14 is formed of an elastic material and provided with a cylindrically-shaped shaft accommodating opening 14a. The shaft unit is introduced into the shaft accommodating opening of the elastic member. At least a portion of the outer lateral surface of the elastic member is contacted with the housing member.

Abstract: A two-dimensional optical deflector includes a first deflector, which deflects a light beam about a first axis at a high speed, a second deflector, which deflects a light beam about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis at a low speed, and a fixing mechanism, which fixes the first deflector to the second deflector. The second deflector includes a rotation shaft capable of rocking about the second axis. The fixing mechanism includes a fixing member having a rotation shaft fixing hole, which engages with the rotation shaft with almost no space, and a fastener, which decreases the diameter of the rotation shaft fixing hole of the fixing member. The fixing member includes a first deflector mount surface. The first deflector is fixed to the fixing member so that a reflecting surface of the first deflector in a non-actuation state is almost parallel to the first deflector mount surface.

Abstract: A two-dimensional optical deflector includes a first deflector, which deflects a light beam about a first axis at a high speed, a second deflector, which deflects a light beam about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis at a low speed, and a fixing mechanism, which fixes the first deflector to the second deflector. The second deflector includes a rotation shaft capable of rocking about the second axis. The fixing mechanism includes a fixing member having a rotation shaft fixing hole, which engages with the rotation shaft with almost no space, and a fastener, which decreases the diameter of the rotation shaft fixing hole of the fixing member. The fixing member includes a first deflector mount surface. The first deflector is fixed to the fixing member so that a reflecting surface of the first deflector in a non-actuation state is almost parallel to the first deflector mount surface.

Abstract: Abnormality detection means 21 performs an abnormality determination when a power supply line 2 has the voltage lower than a reference power supply voltage VDD. If any abnormality is detected, the detection result is forwarded to sensor output compensation means 22, indicating a voltage decrease from the reference power supply voltage VDD. Based on the voltage decrease, the sensor output compensation means 22 accordingly compensates a voltage signal Vout coming from an acceleration sensor 1. Fall determination means 23 plots, on a time axis, the voltage output Vout of the acceleration sensor 1 after compensation made by the sensor output compensation means 22, and based on any change observed for the voltage output Vout on the time axis, makes a fall determination. In such a structure, a method and system for correct fall detection can be provided, without causing cost increase, through acceleration detection made properly despite any decrease observed for the power supply voltage of an acceleration sensor.

Abstract: There is disclosed an optical deflector comprising a mirror structure having a first and second surfaces in a front/back relation, single plate base for holding the mirror structure, and a driver for driving the mirror structure. The mirror structure comprises a pair of supports, a movable plate, and a pair of elastic members for connecting the movable plate and the supports, such that the movable plate is able to rock with respect to the supports. The movable plate has a mirror surface on the second surface. The base has an opening for exposing the mirror surface. The supports of the mirror structure are fixed to the base with the second surfaces of the supports in contact therewith. The driver includes a conductive element formed on the first surface of the movable plate, and magnetic field generating elements fixed on the base.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a capsular endoscope having at least an image pickup optical system, an illumination unit, an image pickup portion, and a circuit board comprises a marker shooting unit that indwells a marker member in a body cavity. Consequently, a predetermined marker is indwelled in a desired region such as a lesion discovered using the capsular endoscope so that the region can be readily rediscovered during reexamination.

Abstract: A vibrator comprises a vibrating member and a fixing member. The vibrating member has a pair of support members, a movable plate capable of vibrating with respect to the support members, and a pair of elastic members connecting the support members to the movable plate. The fixing member holds the support members of the vibrating member. A material mainly constituting the fixing member has a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than that of a material mainly constituting the elastic members of the vibrating member.

Abstract: A buffering mechanism in which the contact area between an object to be housed and an elastic member interposed between the object to be housed and a housing member for housing the object is to be increased, while the elastic member is to have a sufficient thickness in at least two mutually perpendicular buffering directions. To this end, a buffering mechanism 10 is provided in which an object to be housed 12 is bufferably accommodated in a housing member 11. The object to be housed 12 includes at least three shaft units 13 extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of thickness of the object. An elastic member 14 is formed of an elastic material and provided with a cylindrically-shaped shaft accommodating opening 14a. The shaft unit is introduced into the shaft accommodating opening of the elastic member. At least a portion of the outer lateral surface of the elastic member is contacted with the housing member.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an electrostatic drive mirror apparatus including: electrostatic drive mirrors to be variably operated by electrostatic drive; an electrostatic mirror drive section formed on one semiconductor substrate, including at least mirror drive electrodes for driving the electrostatic drive mirrors and signal wirings for applying drive voltage on the mirror drive electrodes; a variable voltage source for supplying voltage from an external source to the electrostatic mirror drive section; drive switches for controlling and driving applied voltages from the variable voltage source to the electrostatic mirror drive section; holding capacitors for retaining the applied voltage to the electrostatic mirror drive section; and a control section for controlling at least the drive switches and the variable voltage source.

Abstract: A vibrator comprises a vibrating member and a fixing member. The vibrating member has a pair of support members, a movable plate capable of vibrating with respect to the support members, and a pair of elastic members connecting the support members to the movable plate. The fixing member holds the support members of the vibrating member. A material mainly constituting the fixing member has a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than that of a material mainly constituting the elastic members of the vibrating member.

Abstract: There is disclosed an optical deflector comprising a mirror structure having a first and second surfaces in a front/back relation, single plate base for holding the mirror structure, and a driver for driving the mirror structure. The mirror structure comprises a pair of supports, a movable plate, and a pair of elastic members for connecting the movable plate and the supports, such that the movable plate is able to rock with respect to the supports. The movable plate has a mirror surface on the second surface. The base has an opening for exposing the mirror surface. The supports of the mirror structure are fixed to the base with the second surfaces of the supports in contact therewith. The driver includes a conductive element formed on the first surface of the movable plate, and magnetic field generating elements fixed on the base.

Abstract: A printing device, in which a vaporizable dye is thermally transcribed onto a receptor layer provided as an upper layer of a photographic paper base, with a light radiating body for whitening a color hue of a light absorbing agent of a light absorbing layer provided between a photographic paper base and a receptor layer.

Abstract: A printing device according to the present invention includes a dye tank for containing a powdered vaporizable dye, an entrance section for liquefying the powdered vaporizable dye and a vaporizing section for radiating a laser light beam onto the liquefied dye transported to it by the entrance section for vaporizing the liquefied dye for thermal transcription of the vaporized dye onto a photographic paper. In this manner, printing may be made without employing an ink ribbon or a thermal head and hence the saving in power and the reduction in size and costs of the printing device may be achieved. Besides, the printing time may be shortened, while the size of the printing paper, may be set freely.A photographic paper according to the present invention includes a light absorbing layer between a receptor layer and a photographic paper base.

Abstract: A printing device according to the present invention includes a dye tank for containing a powdered vaporizable dye, an entrance section for liquefying the powdered vaporizable dye and a vaporizing section for radiating a laser light beam onto the liquefied dye transported to it by the entrance section for vaporizing the liquefied dye for thermal transcription of the vaporized dye onto a photographic paper. In this manner, printing may be made without employing an ink ribbon or a thermal head and hence the saving in power and the reduction in size and costs of the printing device may be achieved. Besides, the printing time may be shortened, while the size of the printing paper may be set freely. A photographic paper according to the present invention includes a light absorbing layer between a receptor layer and a photographic paper base.

Abstract: A printing device according to the present invention includes a dye tank for containing a powdered vaporizable dye, an entrance section for liquefying the powdered vaporizable dye and a vaporizing section for radiating a laser light beam onto the liquefied dye transported to it by the entrance section for vaporizing the liquefied dye for thermal transcription of the vaporized dye onto a photographic paper. In this manner, printing may be made without employing an ink ribbon or a thermal head and hence the saving in power and the reduction in size and costs of the printing device may be achieved. Besides, the printing time may be shortened, while the size of the printing paper may be set freely.A photographic paper according to the present invention includes a light absorbing layer between a receptor layer and a photographic paper base.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording device in which a gap is provided between a layer of a transfer dye and an object of transfer recording and in which the transfer dye is supplied to a transfer section and subsequently vaporized by heating so as to be transferred onto the object of transfer recording wherein, with the density of the transfer dye .rho., the surface tension of the transfer dye .gamma. and with the period of heating .omega., a unit width d of a spatial structure of the transfer section is given by0.8n.pi.(.gamma./.rho..omega..sup.2).sup.1/3 <.sup.2 d<1.2n.pi.(.gamma./.rho..omega..sup.2).sup.1/3where n is a positive integer. With the present thermal transfer recording device, a high-quality color image can be produced easily.

Abstract: A printing device includes a dye tank for containing a powdered vaporizable dye, an entrance section for liquefying the powdered vaporizable dye and a vaporizing section for radiating a laser light beam onto the liquefied dye transported thereto by the entrance section and vaporizing the dye for thermal transcription onto a photographic paper. The photographic paper includes a light absorbing layer between a receptor layer and a photographic paper base. Since the light absorbing layer is capable of absorbing the light efficiently for evolving heat efficiently, the receptor layer may be heated directly to assure high quality printing.

Abstract: An ink sheet (3) is wound around rollers (6), and a recording sheet (4) is placed with a space (d) between the ink sheet (3) and the recording sheet (4) and is advanced. The thickness of the space (d) is a value in the range of 1 to 100 .mu.m. The ink sheet (3) is irradiated with a laser beam (L) emitted by a laser (5) to transfer the dye contained in a dye layer formed on the ink sheet (3) from the ink sheet (3) to the recording sheet (4) for printing. The dye layer of the ink sheet (3) is replenished with the dye (30, 30A) heated and fused by a heater (9) by a dye supply unit (7) at a position other than a position where the ink sheet (3) is irradiated with the laser beam (L). Since the ink sheet and the recording sheet are held with the space (d) having a thickness in the range of 1 to 100 .mu.m, the dye once transferred to the recording sheet is not transferred from the recording sheet to the ink sheet, so that a clear picture having a comparatively high density can be printed.

Abstract: A color video printer having a printer head portion and a cartridge detachable for supplying a solid dye to the printer head portion. The head portion vaporizes the solid dye and transfers the vaporized dye to a substrate. The cartridge is attached to the printer head portion when the supply of the dye is necessary. When the dye is supplied from the cartridge, the solid dye in the cartridge is liquefied and the liquefied dye is supplied to the printer head portion by capillarity.

Abstract: A laser sublimation type color video printer includes a plurality of dye tanks for accommodating solid powder form sublimating dyes. The dye tanks are communicated with liquid dye vaporizing sections via respective accommodating passages which are formed as capillary tubes provided with heating elements for liquefying dyes introduced from the dye tanks. The heating elements may also be active to heat the surface of photographic paper via a protective layer of the head portion of the printer. Each of the vaporizing sections comprises a plurality of vaporizing pores having a light-heat converting element projected thereinto from a head base of the printer. A laser source is mounted over the light-heat converting element, which may comprise a heat resistant light transmitting portion having a light-heat converting layer disposed on a lower end thereof.