Abstract: An membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell composed of a pair of electrode catalyst layers and an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between the electrode catalyst layers is configured so that the catalyst of at least one surface of the electrode catalyst layers enters in the electrolyte membrane whereby the electrode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane are unified with each other. In this configuration, no exfoliation occurs at the interface between the electrode catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane, and the durability of the membrane electrode assembly can be increased even during the course of heat cycles.

Abstract: An electrolyte membrane/electrode assembly 9 of a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes an electrolyte membrane 2, and an air pole 3 and a fuel pole 4 provided to sandwich the electrolyte membrane 2 therebetween. Each of the electrolyte membrane, the air pole and the fuel pole includes a polymer ion-exchange component. The electrolyte membrane/electrode assembly has an ion-exchange capacity Ic in a range of 0.9 meq/g≦Ic≦5 meq/g, and a dynamic viscoelastic modulus at 85° C. in a range of 5×108 Pa≦Dv≦1×1010 Pa. In the electrolyte membrane/electrode assembly 9, a high power-generating performance can be maintained at an operating temperature not lower than 85° C.

Abstract: A separator for a fuel cell comprises a plate-shaped electrode having a pair of gas diffusion electrode plates and an electrolytic layer held by the gas diffusion electrode plates. The separator being layered on both surfaces of the electrode and forming gas passages cooperating with the gas diffusion electrode plate. The separator comprising: a metallic plate; protrusions made from a material of the carbon type, the protrusion having a projected surface projecting from the metallic plate toward the gas diffusion electrode plate so as to contact therewith and to form the gas passages; and intermetallic compounds precipitated on the projected surface of the protrusion. The gas passage is formed by a surface of the metallic plate and a pair of side surfaces of adjoining protrusions.

Abstract: A printing apparatus which quickly cancels a print job without any influence on the subsequent other print jobs when a print cancel instruction is issued. During printing, if a print cancel instruction is inputted from a printer operation unit 107, a printer function manager 109 notifies a print command interpreter 108 of the cancellation. The print command interpreter 108 searches data processed at that time in a transmission/reception buffer for an end mark command indicating the end of the cancelled job. Then the print command interpreter 108 deletes the data before the end mark command.

Abstract: When a continuous casting is carried out while applying an electromagnetic agitating force to a molten metal of an aluminum alloy composition, the molten metal of the aluminum alloy composition, which is used, has an Fe content in a range of 0.75% by weight ≦Fe<2% by weight. Thus, a hard Fe-based intermetallic compound can be crystallized as a primary crystallized product, and an acicular intermetallic compound can be pulverized and finely divided by cooperation of the hard Fe-based intermetallic compound with the electromagnetic agitating force.

Abstract: A relational figure print control processing apparatus for displaying and printing figures related to job flowcharts used in the operations management of computer jobs and other types of workflow. This device and method does this so that the relationship between the jobs will be output to users in an easily understandable manner on multiple sheets. The job flowchart is output on several sheets that can be easily combined into a single sheet. To accomplish this easy combining of multiple sheets, lines indicating relationships with other objects are output in a manner in which job hierarchy is easily distinguishable. This is accomplished by determining the positions of the job objects relative to each other and then determining the printing position of the an icon representing a job such that the icon is positioned within the printing area of a printing sheet, and a connection between the first icon and second icon is included within the printing area.

Abstract: The present invention provides a rewritable optical disc which is compatible with a DVD-ROM reproduction apparatus and employs the groove recording method. The optical disc has a recording layer having a land 10 and a groove 9 onto/from which an information signal is recorded and reproduced with a light of a predetermined wavelength, wherein if it is assumed that the groove has a bottom width W1 and an opening width W2, then a groove average width X [&mgr;m] can be expressed as follows: X=(W1+W2)/2, and if the groove has a depth Y nm, then X and Y satisfy the following relationships: Y≧4736X2−4764X+1239 X≦−0.000127Y2+0.018624Y−0.075043 X>0.40.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical disc capable of effectively reducing a reproduction signal jitter value and obtaining a wider record power margin assuring a reproduction limit jitter value to obtain a preferable recording/reproduction characteristic even after a number of times of recording repeated. The optical disc includes the following films successively formed on a substrate 2: a first dielectric film 3; a phase change recording film 4 whose phase is changed between a crystalline state and an amorphous state thereby to record an information signal; a second dielectric film 5; and a light reflection film formed on the phase change recording film 4 and constituted by an Al alloy containing Cu in a range from 0.1 to 1.0 atomic %.

Abstract: A phase-change optical disc has a recording layer formed from a phase-change material switchable between a crystalline state and an amorphous state. The recording layer is illuminated signal-wise by a light is focused onto the recording layer to change the phase thereof from crystalline to amorphous, to thereby write an information signal onto the recording layer. The phase-change material contains a GeSbTe alloy. The recording layer is formed by sputtering in an Ar gas atmosphere containing at least either N2 or O2 gas or both. The optical recording medium exhibits improved durability after repeated recording and maintains a stable and good write/read characteristic even after repeated cycles of signal recording.

Abstract: In carrying out of a thixocasting process, a material in a semi-molten state is produced by heating an aluminum alloy material which has a thermal characteristic that a first angled endothermic section generated by the melting of a eutectic crystal and a second angled endothermic section generated by the melting of a component having a melting point higher than an eutectic point exist in a differential calorimetric curve. A start point of a primary pressing stage is established at a point when the temperature T of the material is in a range of T.sub.1 <T.ltoreq.T.sub.4 in the relationship between the temperature T.sub.1 of a rise-start point in the first angled endothermic section and the temperature T.sub.4 of a peak of the second angled endothermic section. At the primary pressing stage, the charging of the material into the cavity in a casting mold is completed. A start point of a secondary pressing stage is established at a point when the temperature T of the material is in a range of T.sub.1 <T.

Abstract: In a thixocasting process, the following steps are used: a step of subjecting, to a heating treatment, an Al-Si based alloy material having a hypo eutectic crystal composition and a characteristic that a first angled endothermic section appearing due to the melting of a eutectic crystal and a second angled endothermic section appearing due to the melting of a component having a melting point higher than a eutectic point exist in a differential calorimetric curve, thereby preparing a semi-molten Al-Si based alloy material having solid and liquid phases coexisting therein; a step of pouring the semi-molten Al-Si based alloy material into a cavity in a casting mold under pressure; and a step of solidifying the semi-molten Al-Si based alloy material under pressure. When the temperature of a rise-start point in the first angled endothermic section is represented by T.sub.1, and the temperature of a drop-end point the first angled endothermic sections is represented by T.sub.

Abstract: Solid and liquid phases coexist in a semi-molten casting material. A plurality of composite-solid phases having liquid and solid phase regions and a plurality of single-solid phases exist as the solid phases in a mixed state in an outer layer portion of the semi-molten casting material. If the sectional area of the solid phase region is represented by A, and the sectional area of the solid phase region is represented by B in one of the composite-solid phases, the liquid phase enclosure rate P of the composite-solid phase is defined as being represented by P={B/(A+B)}.times.100 (%). The liquid phase enclosure rate P of the single-solid phase is equal to 0 (%). When two groups are selected from a class of the solid phases, for example, by first and second straight lines so as to include a plurality of the solid phases, average values M.sub.1 and M.sub.2 of liquid phase enclosure rates of, for example, six solid phases in each of the first and second groups are represented by M.sub.1 =(P.sub.1 +P.sub.2 - - - +P.

Abstract: A differential thermal analysis thermograph for a thixocasting aluminum alloy material is such that, a relationship, E.sub.1 >E.sub.2, is established between a peak value E.sub.1 of a first angled endothermic section generated by eutectic melting and a peak value E.sub.2 of a second angled endothermic section generated by melting of an element having a melting point higher than the eutectic point. Thus, a liquid phase produced by the eutectic melting has a large latent heat due to the fact that the peak value E.sub.1 of the first angled endothermic section is larger than the peak value E.sub.2 of the second angled endothermic section in a semi-molten eutectic aluminum alloy material derived from the thixocasting aluminum alloy material. As a result, in a solidification step of the thixocasting process, a liquid phase produced by the eutectic melting is sufficiently fed around a solid phase in response to the solidification and shrinkage of the solid phase, and then solidified.

Abstract: In a thixocasting process, a casting material is subjected to a heating treatment to prepare a semi-molten casting material having solid and liquid phases coexisting therein, and then, the semi-molten casting material is poured into a cavity under a pressure. A through-hole for applying a constricting effect to the material is provided in a flow path for the semi-molten casting material leading to the cavity in a casting mold. A material deforming pressure P.sub.1 immediately before the semi-molten casting material flows into the through-hole is used as a parameter. For example, the material deforming pressure P.sub.1 is equal to or lower than 6.7 MPa, it is determined that the material is satisfactorily filled in the cavity.

Abstract: In carrying out of a thixocasting process, a material in a semi-molten state is produced by heating an aluminum alloy material which has a thermal characteristic that a first angled endothermic section generated by the melting of a eutectic crystal and a second angled endothermic section generated by the melting of a component having a melting point higher than a eutectic point exist in a differential calorimetric curve. A start point of a primary pressing stage is established at a point when the temperature T of the material is in a range of T.sub.1 <T.ltoreq.T.sub.4 in the relationship between the temperature T.sub.1 of a rise-start point in the first angled endothermic section and the temperature T.sub.4 of a peak of the second angled endothermic section. At the primary pressing stage, the charging of the material into the cavity in a casting mold is completed. A start point of a secondary pressing stage is established at a point when the temperature T of the material is in a range of T.sub.1 <T.

Abstract: Anticorrosion magneto-optical recording medium is disclosed. The magneto-optical recording medium comprises a recording layer formed of an amorphous alloy of transition metal and rare-earth metal such as Tb--Fe or Tb--FeCo. On the recording layer, there are provided a transition metal layer such as FeCoCr alloy layer and a rare-earth metal layer such as Tb, in this order. Selective oxidation of rare-earth metal in the recording layer is effectively avoided by the existance of the layers.

Abstract: A process for producing an aluminum-based alloy cast product, includes the steps of: preparing a casting material having an aluminum-based hypo-eutectic alloy composition with solid and liquid phases coexisting therein; and subjecting the casting material to a casting under pressure. At this casting step, the casting material is passed through a gate in a casting mold under conditions of a viscosity .mu. in a range of 0.1 Pa.multidot.sec.ltoreq..mu..ltoreq.2,000 Pa.multidot.sec and a Reynolds number in a range of Re.ltoreq.1,500.

Abstract: A rubber composition comprising 100 parts by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated nitrile-conjugated diene high-saturation copolymer rubber containing 20 weight % or less of conjugated diene units, and 1-100 parts by weight of an unsaturated carboxylic acid metal salt having the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R and R' represent aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon groups or a hydrogen atom, which may be the same or different from each other, Me represents a metal selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ti, Cr, Mo, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Zn, Cd, Hg, Al, Sn, Pb and Sb, and n is an integer of 2-4.

Abstract: A wrapping method for operating a vertical, inclined or horizontal type wrapping machine for wrapping food products such as loaves of bread, wads of noodles or the like with synthetic resin film is free from the problem which are inherent in conventional wrapping machines related to abrupt stopping actions of the wrapping operation whenever products are incorrectly positioned. The method provides a way to bypass the problem by detecting in advance incorrectly positioned products and temporarily halting only the operation of the cutting blades without stopping the overall operation of the machine. The method according to the present invention can significantly enhance the efficiency of the wrapping operation and reduce the time and labor required to remove the trouble in a conventional machine.

Abstract: A toothed elastomeric belt for use in a power transmission system includes teeth having a cross-sectional configuration that includes a cycloidal convex curve that extends from the tooth tip and is smoothly connected to the bottom land between adjacent teeth by an arcuate fillet.