Abstract: A contactless power supply system contactlessly transmits electric power from a power transmitting device to a vehicle. The vehicle includes: a power receiving unit that contactlessly receives electric power from the power transmitting device; an electrical storage device that stores electric power received by the power receiving unit; and an impedance adjustment unit that includes a DC/DC converter and a relay and that is used to adjust an impedance between the power receiving unit and the electrical storage device. A vehicle ECU switches between a power supply path of which the impedance is adjusted by the DC/DC converter and a power supply path that does not use the DC/DC converter on the basis of a state of charge of the electrical storage device.

Abstract: A non-contact power transmission apparatus includes a high-frequency converting section, which converts input voltage to high-frequency voltage and outputs it, a primary coil, which receives high-frequency voltage from the high-frequency converting section, and a secondary coil, which receives electric power from the primary coil. The non-contact power transmission apparatus further includes a load to which the electric power received by the secondary coil is supplied, a rectifier located between the secondary coil and the load, and an output adjusting section, which supplies, as pulses, output voltage to the high-frequency converting section. The output adjusting section is configured to increase or reduce output to the load by adjusting a duty cycle of the pulse output.

Abstract: Capabilities of suppressing erosion caused by liquid droplets and achieving a short operation period and cost reduction are provided. A build-up welding method for a structural material used in an erosive environment includes: removing a portion exposed to the erosive environment from the structural material; and forming a hard layer in a portion of the structural material, from which the portion exposed to the erosive environment is removed, the hard layer being formed by short circuiting transfer gas metal arc welding using a solid wire with a hardness of HV 400 or more.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust muffling device having a simple structure, which is capable of suppressing air column resonance favorably, irrespective of a length of an outlet pipe of an exhaust pipe which communicates with a muffler, and with which it is possible to achieve appropriate reductions in weight and cost. The exhaust muffling device of the present invention comprises a muffler having an expansion chamber whose length is L in an exhaust direction, and an outlet pipe being in communication with the expansion chamber and whose pipe length is approximately 2nL in which n is a natural number.

Abstract: An information recording device is provided with a recording means (300) for recording first contents information on an information recording medium (100), an information acquiring means (467) for acquiring information of a kind or type of the information recording medium and a medium state indicative of a vacant capacity, a first control means (476) for controlling the recording means so as to record the first contents information in (i) a first manner when the medium state is in a first state, and a second control means (476) for controlling the recording means so as to record the second contents information in (ii) a second manner when the medium state is in a second state.

Abstract: An exhaust pipe structure has, under a floor of a vehicle, an exhaust passage for exhaust gas discharged from a vehicle-installed engine, and at least one muffler is provided on an intermediate portion of the exhaust passage. The at least one muffler includes a main muffler having the greatest muffler capacity. An external cylinder forming an outer shell portion of the main muffler has a circular sectional shape having a diameter of 100 mm to 150 mm, or a sectional shape that is substantially equal to an area of the circular sectional shape. The external cylinder has a length of 800 mm to 12000 mm. The main muffler is disposed in a tunnel portion that is formed between the front wheels and the rear wheels.

Abstract: An information recording/reproducing apparatus is capable of recording the video information on an optical disk and reproducing the video information which has been recorded on the optical disk in accordance with a play list. The apparatus includes the detecting unit which detects an unnecessary portion of the video information not to be reproduced by any play list, and the erasing unit which erases the video information with respect to the detected unnecessary segment, which has been recorded on the optical disk.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust muffling device having a simple structure, which is capable of suppressing air column resonance favorably, irrespective of a length of an outlet pipe of an exhaust pipe which communicates with a muffler, and with which it is possible to achieve appropriate reductions in weight and cost. The exhaust muffling device of the present invention comprises a muffler having an expansion chamber whose length is L in an exhaust direction, and an outlet pipe being in communication with the expansion chamber and whose pipe length is approximately 2nL in which n is a natural number.

Abstract: An exhaust pipe structure has, under a floor of a vehicle, an exhaust passage for exhaust gas discharged from a vehicle-installed engine, and at least one muffler is provided on an intermediate portion of the exhaust passage. The at least one muffler includes a main muffler having the greatest muffler capacity. An external cylinder forming an outer shell portion of the main muffler has a circular sectional shape having a diameter of 100 mm to 150 mm, or a sectional shape that is substantially equal to an area of the circular sectional shape. The external cylinder has a length of 800 mm to 12000 mm. The main muffler is disposed in a tunnel portion that is formed between the front wheels and the rear wheels.

Abstract: When a mobile unit moves with a motor driven by electric power supplied by a power supply line without a contact when the mobile unit moves where the power supply line exists. The electric power supplied without a contact is also used in charging a electric double layer capacitor. Since the charging current is limited by limiting resistance, the motor can be supplied with sufficient power although the electric double layer capacitor is in a vacant (completely discharged) state.

Abstract: When a mobile unit moves with a motor driven by electric power supplied by a power supply line without a contact when the mobile unit moves where the power supply line exists. The electric power supplied without a contact is also used in charging a electric double layer capacitor. Since the charging current is limited by limiting resistance, the motor can be supplied with sufficient power although the electric double layer capacitor is in a vacant (completely discharged) state.

Abstract: An information recording/reproducing apparatus is capable of recording the video information on an optical disk and reproducing the video information which has been recorded on the optical disk in accordance with a play list. The apparatus includes the detecting unit which detects an unnecessary portion of the video information not to be reproduced by any play list, and the erasing unit which erases the video information with respect to the detected unnecessary segment, which has been recorded on the optical disk.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding electric power to a movable body in a non-contact manner. Power lines on which electric power is transmitted are laid on a guide rail. The movable body is powered by the electric power from the power lines. A plurality of pick-up coils are positioned in the movable body for generating induced electromotive force as a drive voltage according to the electric power. The plurality of coils generate different voltages. A motor and a controller are connected to the coils. A motor is driven by a high voltage while the controller is driven by a low voltage.

Abstract: A pickup device has a core to which a coil is wound about. The core has a body formed by laminating a plurality of plates having a predetermined shape. Eddy currents produced by leakage flux is suppressed at the ends of the core. This is achieved by laminating a plate, which has a certain shape and is made of a material having a higher electric resistance value than the body, to the ends of the body. The generation of eddy currents may also be suppressed by providing notches at the ends of the core to obstruct the formation of a magnetic circuit at the ends. As another option, space may be provided at the ends of the core to disconnect the path of eddy currents.

Abstract: A seedling planting apparatus wherein a body of the seedling planting apparatus including one planting unit or a plurality of planting units for picking a seedling from each pot provided in a seedling tray to plant them in the field is connected to the rear portion of a traveling vehicle, wherein the body of the seedling planting apparatus is provided at its front portion with an operation platform and the planting unit is arranged such that an empty seedling tray wherein the planting operation has been finished, is withdrawn at the front portion of the body of the seedling planting apparatus. The thus constituted seedling planting apparatus can travel stably and straightly, and in the apparatus, an excessive force is not applied on the connection between the body and the traveling vehicle, and during the turning, little jolt is caused, and at the same time, an operator standing on the platform can effect all operations without getting down from the platform.

Abstract: A seedling planting apparatus includes a carriage, a seedling supply device, a seedling picker device for picking seedlings from the seedling supply device at a predetermined picking position, and a seedling planting device for receiving the seedling from the seedling picker device at a predetermined delivery position and planting them in a field, the seedling supply device including a frame for supporting a seedling tray formed with multiple cells in which seedlings are grown, a traverse feeding mechanism for moving the frame transversely so that a selected cell is located at the predetermined picking position, and a longitudinal feeding mechanism for logitudinally feeding the seedling tray pitch by pitch when the frame is moved to a right or left terminal position thereof, the seedling picker device including a pair of seedling picker claws for picking the seedling from the cell and delivering it to the seedling planting device, and a seedling picker driving mechanism for moving the seedling picker claws fr

Abstract: A pivotal member 2a comprises a main member 19 having inner and outer peripheral faces formed axially symmetric, an auxiliary member 20 having an inner peripheral face 23 made eccentric with respect to an outer peripheral face 24, such that the main member 19 is pivotally supported on the outer peripheral face of a fixed shaft 1, and a tension pulley 5 supported so as to be freely rotatable, on the outer peripheral face of the auxiliary member 20, thereby simplifying manufacturing operations for a pivotal member 2a of an auto tensioner to reduce the manufactured cost.

Abstract: A primary regulator valve has a cutback port which regulates a line pressure to increase, at the first speed of D range, a throttle pressure is applied to the cutback port through a cutback valve. The primary regulator valve sets the line pressure from a line pressure port higher. The cutback valve has a spool which is compressed in one direction. A first control chamber which is connected to a hydraulic servo (for example, a second brake hydraulic servo) which hydraulic pressure is applied at more than the second speed is formed against the pressing direction, a second control chamber which is connected to a hydraulic servo (for example, a second-coast brake hydraulic servo) to limit a coasting condition of the second speed is so formed as to follow the above pressing direction. At the second speed of second range, the cutback valve, as the first speed of D range, the throttle pressure is applied to the cutback port.

Abstract: In an overdrive planetary gear unit of an automatic transmission, a helical planetary pinion has its front portion cut to form an cutout portion and to have an axial-direction cross section asymmetrical in the direction of its rotation axis in order to uniformize, in the axial direction, the load imposed upon a bearing disposed around the circumference of the pinion shaft.In a front planetary gear unit of a main transmission of the automatic transmission, a helical planetary pinion has its rear portion cut to form an cutout portion and to have an axial-direction cross section asymmetrical in the direction of its rotation axis in order to uniformize the load imposed upon a bearing disposed around the circumference of the pinion shaft.It is thereby possible to reduce the weight of each planetary pinion and, hence, the centrifugal force acting on the pinion.

Abstract: A superconductor is produced by electric discharge explosion flame spraying of a composite body of constituents of an immiscible alloy. The electrically discharged composite body is deposited on a substrate and the resultant alloy is oxidized to yield an oxide of the alloy having superconductive property. This process can be applied to the Ln-Ba-Cu system (Ln is at least one of the rare earth elements including Y), typically the Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 - or Y.sub.2 Ba.sub.4 Cu.sub.8 system, or other immiscible alloy systems such as the Bi-(Ca, Sr)-Cu system to form an oxide thereof.