Abstract: An imaging element including: a photoelectric conversion layer including a compound semiconductor material; a contact layer disposed to be stacked on the photoelectric conversion layer and including a diffusion region of first electrically-conductive type impurities in a selective region; a first insulating layer provided to be opposed to the photoelectric conversion layer with the contact layer interposed therebetween and having a first opening at a position facing the diffusion region; and a second insulating layer provided to be opposed to the contact layer with the first insulating layer interposed therebetween and having a second opening that communicates with the first opening and is smaller than the first opening.

Abstract: A conveyer equipped with rotating discs rotatable around axes thereof relative to a mounting base. Each of the rotating discs has grooves in which rectangular wires are receivable. When an upstream and a downstream one of the rotating disc are arranged in a given angular relation to each other, one of the grooves of the upstream rotating disc is aligned with that of the downstream rotating disc to pass the rectangular wire from the upstream rotating disc to the downstream rotating disc. Upon such passing of the rectangular wire, the grooves of the upstream and downstream rotating discs hold or clamp all side surfaces of the rectangular wire, thereby ensuring the stability in retaining the rectangular wire when passed from one to another of the rotating discs, which enables the conveyer to carry the rectangular wires at high speeds.

Abstract: A stator has a stator core composed of teeth and slots. Segment coils are inserted into the corresponding slots. The segment coil projecting from the slot has an exposed conductor part and a covered conductor part covered with an electrical insulation film. The exposed conductor part is arranged at the distal end side from the covered conductor part of the segment coil. The segment coils are connected together through the exposed conductor parts thereof projecting from the slots. The exposed conductor part has a thickness T2 thinner than a thickness T1 of the covered conductor part. A step part is formed at a position of the stator core side, adjacent to the exposed conductor part of the segment coil. The step part and the covered conductor part are covered with the electrical insulation film continuously from the stator core side of the covered conductor part.

Abstract: A conductor wire insulating film separating method disclosed includes: a preparing step involving preparing rectangular cross-section coil pieces each of which is a conductor wire coated with insulating film and used to provide a stator coil of rotary electric machine; a delivering-in step involving, after the preparing step, delivering coil pieces into a laser separator, with coil pieces aligned such that extremities thereof are adjacent to each other; an applying step involving, after the delivering-in step, continuously applying film removing laser to the extremities of the aligned coil pieces such that the laser is applied to one extremity and then to another extremity, thus removing at least portions of the insulating film from the extremities of the coil pieces; and a delivering-out step involving delivering the coil pieces, from which the at least portions of the insulating film have been removed by the applying step, out of the laser separator.

Abstract: A method of removing an insulating coating layer of coil wiring includes: a fragmentation step in which a line-shaped region of the insulating coating layer, which separates a removal-planned portion and a remain-planned portion of the insulating coating layer, is removed; a laser irradiation step in which laser light which transmits through the insulating coating layer but which is absorbed by a coil wiring is irradiated from a side of an outer surface of the removal-planned portion toward a boundary of the coil wiring with the insulating coating layer, to carbonize a boundary portion between the insulating coating layer and the coil wiring of the removal-planned portion by generation of heat of the coil wiring; and a coating turn-over step in which air is blown onto the removal-planned portion to turn over and blow off the removal-planned portion.

Abstract: A conveyer equipped with rotating discs rotatable around axes thereof relative to a mounting base. Each of the rotating discs has grooves in which rectangular wires are receivable. When an upstream and a downstream one of the rotating disc are arranged in a given angular relation to each other, one of the grooves of the upstream rotating disc is aligned with that of the downstream rotating disc to pass the rectangular wire from the upstream rotating disc to the downstream rotating disc. Upon such passing of the rectangular wire, the grooves of the upstream and downstream rotating discs hold or clamp all side surfaces of the rectangular wire, thereby ensuring the stability in retaining the rectangular wire when passed from one to another of the rotating discs, which enables the conveyer to carry the rectangular wires at high speeds.

Abstract: A stator has a stator core composed of teeth and slots. Segment coils are inserted into the corresponding slots. The segment coil projecting from the slot has an exposed conductor part and a covered conductor part covered with an electrical insulation film. The exposed conductor part is arranged at the distal end side from the covered conductor part of the segment coil. The segment coils are connected together through the exposed conductor parts thereof projecting from the slots. The exposed conductor part has a thickness T2 thinner than a thickness T1 of the covered conductor part. A step part is formed at a position of the stator core side, adjacent to the exposed conductor part of the segment coil. The step part and the covered conductor part are covered with the electrical insulation film continuously from the stator core side of the covered conductor part.

Abstract: A method of removing an insulating coating layer of coil wiring includes: a fragmentation step in which a line-shaped region of the insulating coating layer, which separates a removal-planned portion and a remain-planned portion of the insulating coating layer, is removed; a laser irradiation step in which laser light which transmits through the insulating coating layer but which is absorbed by a coil wiring is irradiated from a side of an outer surface of the removal-planned portion toward a boundary of the coil wiring with the insulating coating layer, to carbonize a boundary portion between the insulating coating layer and the coil wiring of the removal-planned portion by generation of heat of the coil wiring; and a coating turn-over step in which air is blown onto the removal-planned portion to turn over and blow off the removal-planned portion.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting device comprising a lamp socket for connecting the discharge lamp; a stabilizing circuit connected to the power source and outputting a voltage to the lamp socket; a starting circuit connected between the stabilizing circuit and the lamp socket, and activated before the discharge lamp begins discharging to generate a high voltage required to start discharging, and deactivated after discharging begins; and a means for disabling the starting circuit when the discharge lamp is not installed in response to the installation or non-installation of the discharge lamp to the lamp socket.Preferably, the starting circuit is integrated with the lamp socket, thus forming a lamp socket unit comprising a starting circuit.

Abstract: An edgewise winding system for a thin, flat-type conductor wire is arranged for winding the wire edgewise on a winding shaft while supplying the wire onto the shaft preferably in a direction substantially along the axial line of the shaft. To this end, the system includes a winder having a support face out of which the winding shaft projects, and a wire erector having an engaging face engaged with the wire supplied edgewise on the shaft to urge the wire against the support face of the winder for preventing just wound portion of the wire from falling and a wire supply part for guiding the wire in the direction substantially along the axial line of the winding shaft.

Abstract: A five degree-of-freedom positioning device includes a manipulator shaft for manipulating an object to a desired position and orientation. Two sets of stator permanent magnets are spaced along an axis of the manipulator and arranged in parallel planes transverse to the manipulator axis so as to provide therebetween magnetic fields substantially extending along the axis. Interposed between the sets of permanent magnets are axially spaced sets of electrically energizable coils also arranged in parallel transverse planes. The coils are energized to produce coil fields that interact with the magnetic fields of the permanent magnets for generating the Lorentz force which acts on the manipulator shaft to effect two translational movements of the manipulator shaft along two mutually orthogonal axes perpendicular to the manipulator shaft axis and three rotational movements about the three mutually orthogonal axes including the manipulator shaft axis.