Abstract: A vehicle door lock device includes: a latch mechanism configured to enable a vehicle door to maintain a closed state in a vehicle body; and a lock mechanism configured to set an unlocked state or a locked state, wherein the lock mechanism includes an inside opening lever connected to an inside door handle, and capable of being operated so as to be rotatable around a lever support portion between an initial position and a maximum operation position, an opening link capable of switching between a first position and a second position, a lock operation lever capable of being operated so as to be rotatable around the lever support portion between an unlocking position and a locking position, and a lever actuating mechanism actuating the inside opening lever toward the initial position.

Abstract: A method for readily and accurately differentiating an esophageal cancer patient's tumor between basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus or another esophageal cancer is developed and provided. A method is provided for assisting differentiating contraction of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, including measuring the expression levels of markers for basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus in samples collected from a test subject and a healthy subject or a group of healthy subjects and determining whether the test subject is highly likely to be affected with basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus based on the obtained measurement values.

Abstract: A door lock device has a high degree of freedom in the disposition of an open link for switching between a locked state and an unlocked state and has low operational resistance when being put into the locked state. When there is a malfunction in which the open link is jammed by the dust and therefore does not move from a lock waiting position to an unlock waiting position even when an unlock action is performed, when an outside handle interlock lever is turned, a sliding-contact tilt guide provided on a support body slides and makes sliding-contact with the open link and forcibly tilts the open link, and as a result, it becomes unnecessary to increase an energizing force of a torsion coil spring as a precaution against such malfunction. This makes it possible to reduce the operational resistance when the door lock device is put into the locked state.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a given direction of rotation and a pressure rotator pressed against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A first heater is disposed opposite the fixing rotator with a first interval therebetween to heat the fixing rotator. A reflector reflects light emitted by the first heater to the fixing rotator. The reflector is disposed opposite the first heater with a second interval therebetween that is greater than the first interval.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging mechanism to charge a surface of the image carrier, an electrostatic latent image forming mechanism to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier, a developing mechanism to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier into a toner image, a transfer mechanism to transfer the toner image on the surface of the image carrier to a transfer body, and a cleaning mechanism including a cleaning blade to clean a transfer residue toner adhering to the surface of the image carrier by contacting the surface of the image carrier. The cleaning blade includes a strip shaped elastic blade and a surface layer formed on an opposing surface of the strip shaped elastic blade opposite the surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a given direction of rotation and a pressure rotator pressed against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A first heater is disposed opposite the fixing rotator with a first interval therebetween to heat the fixing rotator. A reflector reflects light emitted by the first heater to the fixing rotator. The reflector is disposed opposite the first heater with a second interval therebetween that is greater than the first interval.

Abstract: A vehicle door lock device includes: a latch mechanism configured to enable a vehicle door to maintain a closed state in a vehicle body; and a lock mechanism configured to set an unlocked state or a locked state, wherein the lock mechanism includes an inside opening lever connected to an inside door handle , and capable of being operated so as to be rotatable around a lever support portion between an initial position and a maximum operation position, an opening link capable of switching between a first position and a second position, a lock operation lever capable of being operated so as to be rotatable around the lever support portion between an unlocking position and a locking position, and a lever actuating mechanism actuating the inside opening lever toward the initial position.

Abstract: A door locking device which is reduced in size relative to a conventional device includes a key operation transmission link, which transmits a key operation force relative to a key cylinder to a relay lever corresponding to “a lock switch member”, and which is arranged to rotate about a common rotation axis shared with the relay lever. In addition, a rotation space for first and second movable contact portions fits within a circular-shaped area around the common rotation axis because a first fan-shaped protruding portion including the first movable contact portion for transmitting a force to the key operation transmission link and the relay lever and a second fan-shaped protruding portion including the second movable contact portion for transmitting the force to the key operation transmission link and the relay lever are arranged around the common rotation axis.

Abstract: A door lock device has a high degree of freedom in the disposition of an open link for switching between a locked state and an unlocked state and has low operational resistance when being put into the locked state. When there is a malfunction in which the open link is jammed by dust and therefore does not move from a lock waiting position to an unlock waiting position even when an unlock action is performed, when an outside handle interlock lever is turned, a sliding-contact tilt guide provided on a support body slides and makes sliding-contact with the open link and forcibly tilts the open link, and as a result, it becomes unnecessary to increase an energizing force of a torsion coil spring as a precaution against such malfunction. This makes it possible to reduce the operational resistance when the door lock device is put into the locked state.

Abstract: A carrier device is provided that can supply, at uneven intervals, a plurality of works arranged at even intervals. The carrier device (1) includes: a first retaining portion (11), second retaining portion (12), third retaining portion (13) and fourth retaining portion (14) that hold and carry a plurality of works arranged at even intervals and supply these to a supply pallet (7) at any intervals; and a retaining base portion (20) to which these first to fourth retaining portions are connected. The retaining base portion (20) includes first to fourth sliding portions that cause the first retaining portion (11) to fourth retaining portion (14) to approach each other or separate in the arrangement direction of the works. The first retaining portion (11) to fourth retaining portion (14) respectively include first engaging parts and second engaging parts that disengage with the works independently.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging mechanism to charge a surface of the image carrier, an electrostatic latent image forming mechanism to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier, a developing mechanism to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier into a toner image, a transfer mechanism to transfer the toner image on the surface of the image carrier to a transfer body, and a cleaning mechanism including a cleaning blade to clean a transfer residue toner adhering to the surface of the image carrier by contacting the surface of the image carrier. The cleaning blade includes a strip shaped elastic blade and a surface layer formed on an opposing surface of the strip shaped elastic blade opposite the surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: A door locking device which is reduced in size relative to a conventional device includes a key operation transmission link, which transmits a key operation force relative to a key cylinder to a relay lever corresponding to “a lock switch member”, and which is arranged to rotate about a common rotation axis shared with the relay lever. In addition, a rotation space for first and second movable contact portions fits within a circular-shaped area around the common rotation axis because a first fan-shaped protruding portion including the first movable contact portion for transmitting a force to the key operation transmission link and the relay lever and a second fan-shaped protruding portion including the second movable contact portion for transmitting the force to the key operation transmission link and the relay lever are arranged around the common rotation axis.

Abstract: A cutting pallet is provided that can prevent works held in a carrier device from interfering with a supply pallet, when a plurality of works arranged at even intervals is supplied at uneven intervals. The cutting pallet (6) in which a plurality of works (W) to be carried by the carrier device (1) is arranged is provided with a plurality of cutting pallet holes (61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, 63b, 64a and 64b) arranged at even intervals and to which a plurality of works W is inserted and removed, respectively. Among the plurality of cutting pallet holes (61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 63a, 63b, 64a and 64b), the depths of holes adjacent to each of are different from each other.

Abstract: A carrier device is provided that can supply, at uneven intervals, a plurality of works arranged at even intervals. The carrier device (1) includes: a first retaining portion (11), second retaining portion (12), third retaining portion (13) and fourth retaining portion (14) that hold and carry a plurality of works arranged at even intervals and supply these to a supply pallet (7) at any intervals; and a retaining base portion (20) to which these first to fourth retaining portions are connected. The retaining base portion (20) includes first to fourth sliding portions that cause the first retaining portion (11) to fourth retaining portion (14) to approach each other or separate in the arrangement direction of the works. The first retaining portion (11) to fourth retaining portion (14) respectively include first engaging parts and second engaging parts that disengage with the works independently.

Abstract: An electric door latch apparatus includes a manual operation portion adapted to be mounted on a vehicle door and configured to be switched between a closed door retaining state in which the vehicle door is retained at a closed position and a door openable state in which the vehicle door is openable by an electric actuation, the manual operation portion being switched from the closed door retaining state to the door openable state by a manual operation in an electrically inoperable condition, and the manual operation portion positioned within the vehicle door and including a tool fitting hole on a surface thereof facing a vehicle compartment side wall portion of the vehicle door. The manual operation portion is configured to be rotated by fitting a predetermined tool into the tool fitting hole via an operation hole formed penetrating through the vehicle compartment side wall portion of the vehicle door.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an alternate combustion type regenerative radiant tube burner apparatus which comprises a circular plate positioned between a burner unit and a main combustion chamber, so that preheated secondary combustion air is fed through an opening of the circular plate to the main combustion chamber. The burner apparatus has the circular plate (10), an annular air throat (2), a cylindrical peripheral cover (30) and a heat-transfer tube (11,16). A front end portion of the peripheral cover is integrally connected with a peripheral edge portion of the circular plate so as to prevent the secondary combustion air of the air throat from leaking on a periphery of the circular plate to the air diluting chamber (3). According to the present invention, the concentration of nitrogen oxides in the combustion exhaust gas can be definitely prevented from increasing, without being affected by the installation condition or thermal deformation of the radiant tube burner apparatus.

Abstract: A heat treatment equipment having a heating chamber having a plurality of regenerative combustors provided with direct-fired burner having a built-in porous regenerator, for applying a heat treatment to an object in the heating chamber, wherein the substantial average surface pore diameter is not uniform for porous regenerators in a plurality of direct-fired burners or a plurality of regenerative combustors. By making contrivances in the shape of porous regenerators of the direct-fired burners or the regenerative heat exchangers arranged in an area where substances causing choking tend to easily adhere to make it difficult for such substances to adhere or prevent choking phenomenon from becoming apparent.

Abstract: An emission element enclosed inside an electrodeless lamp 5 is excited by an electromagnetic field of a microwave irradiated from a magnetron 2 for emitting light from the electrodeless lamp 5. A soft-starting method is provided such that an electric power enough to drive the magnetron 2 is gradually increased. The soft-starting method is to prevent the magnetron from being destroyed by self-heating due to a reflected wave of the microwave. The soft-staring method is used when a light begins to be emitted from the electrodeless lamp 5. Accordingly, the electrodeless lamp system is provided such that breakage of the magnetron caused by the self-heating due to the reflected wave of the microwave can be prevented.

Abstract: In an alumina honeycomb structural body according to a first aspect of the invention and another invention relating it, the alumina honeycomb structural body is constructed in such a manner that alumina is a main ingredient and an amount of impurities is limited to not greater than 2 weight %. Moreover, in an alumina honeycomb structural body according to a second aspect of the invention and another invention relating it, the alumina honeycomb structural body is constructed in such a manner that an amount of alumina as a main ingredient is limited to not less than 98 weight %; an amount of Na containing compound is limited to 0.02 weight %-1.0 weight % of Na2O when converting it into oxide; and remainder is impurities.

Abstract: An emission element enclosed inside an electrodeless lamp 5 is excited by an electromagnetic field of a microwave irradiated from a magnetron 2 for emitting a light from the electrodeless lamp 5. A soft-starting method is provided such that an electric power enough to drive the magnetron 2 is gradually increased. The soft-starting method is to prevent the magnetron from being destroyed caused by a self-heating due to a reflected wave of the microwave and is used when a light begins to be emitted from the electrodeless lamp 5.