Abstract: A viscoelastic characteristic measurement apparatus (1) according to the present invention includes: a sample deforming unit (11) that applies an external force to a measurement sample (S) to impose a cyclic deformation; a first viscoelastic characteristic calculation unit (15) that calculates a low-frequency viscoelastic characteristic of the measurement sample (S) based on stress acting on the measurement sample (S) that has been deformed by the sample deforming unit (11) and distortion of the measurement sample (S); an emission unit (12) that emits an incident sound wave to the measurement sample (S); a receiver (12) that receives a reflected sound wave generated as a result of reflection of the incident sound wave emitted from the emission unit (25) in the measurement sample (S) or a transmitted sound wave generated as a result of transmission of the incident sound wave through the measurement sample (S); and a second viscoelastic characteristic calculation unit (15) that calculates a high-frequency visco

Abstract: An automobile insurance premium determination system (1) according to the present invention includes: a measurement sensor (10) that measures a measurement amount of a viscoelastic characteristic of a tire of an automobile; a viscoelastic characteristic calculation unit (11) that calculates the viscoelastic characteristic of the tire using the measurement amount measured by the measurement sensor (10); a frictional coefficient calculation unit (12) that calculates a frictional coefficient of the tire using the viscoelastic characteristic calculated by the viscoelastic characteristic calculation unit (11); and an insurance premium determination unit (13) that determines an automobile insurance premium based on the frictional coefficient of the tire calculated by the frictional coefficient calculation unit (12).

Abstract: A tire having a tread member which has a contact surface made of an elastomer whose viscoelasticity is changed by applying an electric field or a magnetic field, which affords an advantage of enabling control of hysteresis loss near the contact surface of the tread member of the tire.

Abstract: In a frictional characteristic measuring apparatus, a sensor section emits a sound wave, which gives vibration to an object to be measured, as an incident sound wave, and receives a reflected sound wave generated by reflection of the sound wave on the object to be measured. An operational processing section derives a loss tangent of a viscoelastic characteristic of the object to be measured based upon the reflected sound wave received by the sensor section. Further, the operational processing section calculates a frictional characteristic from the derived loss tangent by means of a prescribed conversion constant. Moreover, the operational processing section previously emits an incident sound wave in a state where the object to be measured is not present, and stores the reflected sound wave as a reference value.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a strain element. In one aspect, the method of the invention comprises forming a coating film of titanium or a titanium compound on a surface of a cylindrical mold, and shaping the coating film like a coil. The method invention further comprises forming a crystal film of a strain element having a property of a piezoelectric inverse effect by hydrothermal synthesis on the coating film shaped like the coil, and removing the strain element from the cylindrical mold.

Abstract: There is provided a small and inexpensive actuator which has a simple structure and can obtain a large displacement. When voltage is applied to electrodes 2a and 2b formed on an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface of a piezoelectric ceramic 1 wound like a coil, deformation occurs in such a direction that an inner circumferential side of the piezoelectric ceramic 1 wound like the coil is contracted, and an outer circumferential side is expanded. Accordingly, if one end portion of the piezoelectric ceramic 1 formed into the coil shape is fixed, the other end portion is rotated in accordance with the deformation of contracting the diameter of this coil.

Abstract: There is provided a small and inexpensive actuator which has a simple structure and can obtain a large displacement. When voltage is applied to electrodes 2a and 2b formed on an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface of a piezoelectric ceramic 1 wound like a coil, deformation occurs in such a direction that an inner circumferential side of the piezoelectric ceramic 1 wound like the coil is contracted, and an outer circumferential side is expanded. Accordingly, if one end portion of the piezoelectric ceramic 1 formed into the coil shape is fixed, the other end portion is rotated in accordance with the deformation of contracting the diameter of this coil.

Abstract: There is provided a small and inexpensive actuator which has a simple structure and can obtain a large displacement. When voltage is applied to electrodes 2a and 2b formed on an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface of a piezoelectric ceramic 1 wound like a coil, deformation occurs in such a direction that an inner circumferential side of the piezoelectric ceramic 1 wound like the coil is contracted, and an outer circumferential side is expanded. Accordingly, if one end portion of the piezoelectric ceramic 1 formed into the coil shape is fixed, the other end portion is rotated in accordance with the deformation of contracting the diameter of this coil.

Abstract: A paper quality determining sensor and a faulty paper sorting device capable of detecting reaction forces of paper sheets themselves which vary according to paper quality using a plurality of rollers so as to detect the stiffness (rigidity) of paper sheets accurately without being affected by thicknesses of the paper sheets.

Abstract: A drawer device comprises a drawer and a frame. Either the drawer or the frame is provided with a rack extending in the direction of movement of the drawer, and the other is provided with a rotary damper, which inlcudes a spiral spring adapted to be wound from one end thereof as the drawer is pushed into an accommodation space in the frame, a locking member for locking the spiral spring against unwinding when the drawer is pushed into the accommodation space and a gear capable of being rotated in the forward and reverse directions under a braking force with the movement of the drawer. The gear and rack are coupled together. A bearing is provided between cooperating, relatively slidable surfaces of the drawer and frame.

Abstract: A one-way damper has a rotor which is provided with a braking disc at one of its ends. The braking disc is received in a housing of the damper and the housing is filled with oil. The other end of the rotor extends outward from the housing and has a gear loosely mounted thereon. The gear is engaged with a coil spring. When the gear rotates in one direction, the coil spring is reduced in diameter so that it grips the rotor, making it possible for the torque of the gear to be transmitted to the rotor through the coil spring. When the gear rotates in the other direction, the coil spring is expanded in diameter so that it does not grip the rotor, making it possible for the gear to turn freely. The one-way damper is used in association with a lid or door to damp one but not the other of the opening and closing operations.

Abstract: An oil type damper comprises a housing formed of a basic member in the shape of a blind tube and a cap, a rotating member and a braking disc adapted to rotate jointly and accommodated within the housing, viscous oil applied to the braking disc, and at least one flexible membrane opposed to the braking disc so as to allow the braking disc to be sealed in the housing as covered with the oil. In this oil damper, when the oil serving to brake the rotary motion of the rotating member connected to a given door expands in volume because of rising temperature, the flexible membrane is deformed under the pressure of the expanded oil enough to absorb the voluminal expansion of the oil and prevent otherwise possible leakage of the oil from the housing.

Abstract: A plastic rivet consisting of rivet body comprised of a flanged head and a leg member extending from the bottom of the head, the rivet body having an axial hole extending through its entire length, and a pin which when inserted into the through-hole, expands the leg member. The leg member of the rivet body is provided with a movable leg which is deflected outward when the pin is inserted into the through-hole of the rivet body so as, for example, to catch and hold a pair of plates through which the rivet body has been passed between the head of the rivet body and the deflected movable leg. Pushing the pin further into the rivet body causes the deflected movable leg to return to its normal position, whereby the fastening action of the rivet is released.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the speed of a box within a housing being moved to its open position comprises using a first arm having one end thereof pivotally attached to the housing and a second arm having one end thereof pivotally attached to the box, with the respective other ends attached pivotally to each other, coupling a rotary damper means to one of the pivotally attached portions of the first and second arms, and actuating the rotary damper means in moving the box from its accommodated position to its open position to afford a damping force to the movement of the box to its open position.

Abstract: A one-way clutch comprises a stationary panel rotatably supporting in place an inner toothed ring possessing inner teeth, an output toothed wheel provided on the stationary panel at a position not to be meshed with the inner teeth of the inner toothed ring, and a planet gear interposed between the inner teeth and the output toothed wheel and adapted to be meshed with or separated from the output toothed wheel, depending on the direction of rotation of the inner toothed ring. This one-way clutch, with a braking plate attached to the output toothed wheel thereof and sealed in a damper housing together with viscous oil, can be utilized as a damper for a lid in a machine for the purpose of absorbing shocks produced only while the lid is being opened.

Abstract: A housing device for a remote control unit for a TV set or video cassette recorder has an outer case with an internal space opening to the front for insertion and removal of the control unit and a slide member with means for engaging with the control unit is provided within the outer case so as to be slidable in the inward and outward directions. To the rear of the slide member is provided a crank-shaped equalizer which extends widthwise across the rear of the slide member in abutment therewith and is rotatably supported on the opposite side walls of the outer case. The equalizer is connected with a rotary damper having a stopper mechanism which serves to constantly retain the slide member in the fully retracted position. When the slide member is in the fully retracted position, the control unit engaged with the slide member is retained with its front face substantially flush with the opening at the front of the outer case.

Abstract: A rotation damper comprises a base member, a gear wheel rotatably mounted on the base member via a damper, a spiral spring having one end attached to a cap member and the other end attached to the gear wheel and adapted to be wound up with the rotation of the gear wheel, and a locking member for locking the spiral spring in or releasing it from the wound-up state. When the gear wheel is rotated to the neighborhood of a limit position against the spring force of the spiral spring, the spiral spring is locked in the wound-up state. The spiral spring is released from the wound-up state by further rotating the gear wheel. The rotation damper is applicable to a cassette holder of a cassette tape recorder, for instance, and permits the holder to be opened and closed under braking force while eliminating the need for a separate holder locking mechanism.

Abstract: An oil type damper comprises a cylindrical wall formed integrally with a base secured on a given machine, a cap set in place rotatably within the cylindrical wall and integrated with a toothed wheel, a seal disk forming a housing in combination with the cap, and oil filling the interior of the housing. The integration of the toothed wheel and the cap decreases the number of component parts, reduces the time and labor involved in assembly, and permits size reduction of the damper.

Abstract: A rotary damper device comprises a base plate, a rotary cylinder rotatably disposed on the base plate through the medium of a damper, and a coil spring interconnecting the base plate and the rotary cylinder. The base plate and the rotary cylinder are interconnected to the main body of a device and the lid of the device. When the lid is opened or closed, the braking force of the damper and the resilient force of the coil spring cooperate to generate effective braking force and enable the opening-closing device to be opened or closed smoothly under the influence of the effective braking force.

Abstract: An oil type damper comprises a housing, a rotator formed of a hollow shaft and a braking disk, a flexible membrane, a toothed wheel secured to the leading end of the aforementioned hollow shaft, and oil introduced via the hollow shaft into the housing. Since the oil is introduced through the hollow shaft into the housing after the rotator and the flexible membrane have been set in place inside the housing, the work of filling the damper with oil is easy. The flexible membrane absorbs thermal expansion of the oil and precludes otherwise possible oil leakage.