Abstract: A networked computer system distributes content that is to be added to receipts by receipt issuing devices. The system includes a central server, first and second store servers communicating with the central server over a first network, first receipt issuing devices communicating with the first store server over a first local network, and second receipt issuing devices communicating with the second store server over a second local network. A first control plane is implemented in the central server to control whether or not the content is to be distributed to the first store server and whether or not the content is to be distributed to the second store server. A second control plane is implemented in the first and second store servers to control whether or not the content is to be distributed to the first and second receipt issuing devices, respectively.

Abstract: There is provided a power supply device that supplies an output current to an electric processing device which performs electric processing on workpieces. The device includes: a first power supply; a magnetic energy recovery switch that receives a current supplied from the first power supply, and converts the received current into the output current; and a control unit that controls the magnetic energy recovery switch such that an electric current frequency of the output current includes a first electric current frequency and a second electric current frequency which are different from each other within a one-time electric processing time using the electric processing device.

Abstract: The present invention has as its object to inhibit fracture due to a HAZ softened part in substantially circular laser lap welding taking the place of resistance spot welding for joining a superposed plurality of steel sheets including a high strength steel sheet. To solve this problem, the inventors discovered lap welding comprising superposing a plurality of steel sheets and firing a laser to form a substantially circular laser weld (1), which lap welding firing the laser in a straight line through an outer edge of the substantially circular laser weld (1) so as to form a hardened part (8) at the steel sheets and thereby suppressing fracture arising from the HAZ softened part.

Abstract: There is provided a welded structure that can reduce fractures at welded portions. The welded structure includes two or three steel sheets and a lapped portion in which the steel sheets are overlapped and joined by spot welding at a plurality of locations, the welded structure including a spot weld portion, and, when a diameter of a nugget is dng (mm), a tip diameter of an electrode used by the spot welding is d (mm), and an average thickness per steel sheet of the steel sheets at the lapped portion is tave (mm), the spot weld portion satisfies dng>d(tave)1/2 when 0.5 mm?tave<1.1 mm and dng>1.05d when 1.1 mm?tave?2.6 mm, in accordance with the average thickness tave (mm).

Abstract: A spot welding electrode of a donut-shaped electrode wherein even when a welded member of a steel sheet is slanted with respect a plane perpendicular to an axis of the spot welding electrode, a cross tensile strength (CTS) of the spot welded joint can be improved. The donut shape spot welding electrode according to the present invention has an electrode tip and an electrode support. The electrode tip contacts the electrode support to be able to move. Due to this, it is possible to strikingly raise the ability of the donut-shaped electrode to track a steel sheet and make the entire surface of the donut shape contact-and-conduction part contact the steel sheet, so it is possible to secure a high CTS value even if the steel sheet is slanted.

Abstract: A resistance spot welding apparatus for performing resistance spot welding on a sheet set including a plurality of lapped metal sheets includes a pair of composite electrodes facing each other so as to hold the sheet set therebetween. The composite electrodes each include: a rod-shaped electrode body having an end surface that is brought into contact with and pressed against the sheet set; an electrically conductive rigid body having a through hole in which the electrode body is inserted and having an end surface that is brought into contact with and pressed against the sheet set; and a resilient member coupled to a rear end of the rigid body, the resilient member configured to apply a pressing force to the rigid body as the electrode body and the rigid body are pressed against the sheet set.

Abstract: The present invention is a friction welding method for friction welding of metal members characterized by starting friction welding in a state inserting an insert material between surfaces of the metal members facing each other, wherein the insert material consists of a metal having a melting point (centigrade temperature) of 60 to 80% of the melting point (centigrade temperature) of the metal members, melting the insert material, and pushing the melted insert material out from between the pair of metal members. Due to this, the adverse effects due to high temperature heating like in the past are eliminated while a quality of joint equal to or better than the past is obtained in a short time period.

Abstract: By obtaining a spot-welded joint being a spot-welded joint formed by overlapping a plurality of pieces of steel plates (1A, 1B) and performing spot welding on the steel plates, including a high-strength steel plate whose tensile strength is 750 (MPa) to 2500 (MPa), being at least one piece of steel plate out of the plurality of pieces of steel plates, in which a carbon equivalent Ceq of the high-strength steel plate is 0.20 mass % to 0.55 mass %, and ten or more of iron-based carbides in each of which a length of a longest portion is 0.1 (?m) or more exist in a square region 103 within a heat-affected zone 4 of a cross section that passes through a center of a welding mark, and is cut along a plate thickness direction of the steel plates (1A, 1B), a cross tensile strength of the spot-welded joint to be formed is improved.

Abstract: A spot welding method is a method of performing spot welding to obtain a spot welded joint, the method including a spot welding with two-stage welding, setting a ratio (I2/I1) of a current I2 of a second welding process to a current I1 of a first welding process to from 0.5 to 0.8, setting a time tc of a cooling process within a range of from 0.8×tmin to 2.5×tmin wherein tmin is calculated using the equation (0.2×H2) according to a sheet thickness H of the steel sheets, setting an welding time t2 of a second welding process within a range of from 0.7×tmin to 2.5×tmin, and setting a pressure from the cooling process onward to greater than a pressure until the first welding process.

Abstract: An automobile structural member (2) has a closed transverse section shape constituted with a first composing member (12) and a second composing member (13). The first composing member (12) has a vertical wall portion (12c), a bent portion (12b), and an inward flange (12a), and has a load transmission portion (20) formed in at least a part of a region being a region between the bent portion (12b) and the second composing member (13) and being a region of an extension of the vertical wall portion (12c) toward the second composing member (13) and which joins the bent portion (12b) and the second composing member (13). Thereby, a bending and crushing performance can be improved.

Abstract: The present invention provides an overlap-welded member in which an overlapped portion including plural steel sheet members is joined at a spot-welded portion, in which at least one of the plural steel sheet members contains martensite, and the spot-welded portion includes: a nugget formed through spot welding; a heat-affected zone formed in the vicinity of the nugget; the softest zone having the lowest Vickers hardness in the heat-affected zone; and a tempered area formed between a central portion of the nugget and the softest zone and made out of tempered martensite having Vickers hardness of not more than 120% in the case where Vickers hardness of the softest zone is 100%.

Abstract: A method of welding an overlapped portion according to the present invention in which a plurality of steel sheet members are joined at an overlapped portion, and at least one of the plurality of steel sheet members contains martensite, includes: forming a spot-welded portion having a nugget in the overlapped portion; and emitting a laser beam to form a melted and solidified portion crossing an end of the nugget and located between the nugget and a position externally spaced apart from an end of the nugget by not less than 3 mm, this melted and solidified portion being formed in the steel sheet member containing the martensite so as to have a depth of not less than 50% of the thickness of the steel sheet member containing the martensite at a position externally spaced apart from the end of the nugget by 1 mm.

Abstract: An image obtainer, a distance detector, a computer, and an information provider are provided to a vehicle. The computer has a caution-determination function to determine whether caution is required with respect to objects existing around the vehicle by arithmetically processing image data and distance data, and an information providing function to output an instruction to provide information to the occupants of the vehicle by the information provider when it is determined that caution is required. A reference axis for obtaining image is positioned at the center of a range of obtaining the image data by the image obtainer, and a reference axis for detecting distance is positioned at the center of a range of detecting the distance data by the distance detector. The image obtainer and the distance detector are arranged such that the reference axes are coaxially aligned.

Abstract: An obstacle detecting means for detecting data related to the position of an obstacle existing on the side of a vehicle or in front thereof, a computer for computing the detected data, and an alarming means are mounted in the vehicle. The computer includes: a function of setting an alarming area having a certain distance from the side part of the vehicle and a forwardly extended line of the side part, in an outward direction lateral to the side part; a function of tracking the obstacle based on the obstacle data; a function of calculating a traveling locus of the obstacle relative to the vehicle and predicting the traveling locus thereafter; a function of determining whether the traveling locus enters into the alarming area; and a function of generating an alarm to the occupants by the alarming means when the traveling locus is determined to enter into the alarming area.

Abstract: A code reader is configured to reads information unique to an object from a code (e.g., one dimensional code, two dimensional code, three dimensional code, or multi-dimensional code combined with different codes, hereinafter referred to as a code) by providing the code directly or indirectly on the object in order to identify the particular object (e.g., a product) among the plural objects made of metal, rubber, ceramic, and resin, or the like.

Abstract: An image obtainer, a distance detector, a computer, and an information provider are provided to a vehicle. The computer has a caution-determination function to determine whether caution is required with respect to objects existing around the vehicle by arithmetically processing image data and distance data, and an information providing function to output an instruction to provide information to the occupants of the vehicle by the information provider when it is determined that caution is required. A reference axis for obtaining image is positioned at the center of a range of obtaining the image data by the image obtainer, and a reference axis for detecting distance is positioned at the center of a range of detecting the distance data by the distance detector. The image obtainer and the distance detector are arranged such that the reference axes are coaxially aligned.

Abstract: An obstacle detecting means for detecting data related to the position of an obstacle existing on the side of a vehicle or in front thereof, a computer for computing the detected data, and an alarming means are mounted in the vehicle. The computer includes: a function of setting an alarming area having a certain distance from the side part of the vehicle and a forwardly extended line of the side part, in an outward direction lateral to the side part; a function of tracking the obstacle based on the obstacle data; a function of calculating a traveling locus of the obstacle relative to the vehicle and predicting the traveling locus thereafter; a function of determining whether the traveling locus enters into the alarming area; and a function of generating an alarm to the occupants by the alarming means when the traveling locus is determined to enter into the alarming area.

Abstract: A code reader includes: a housing including a reading portion for reading a code provided on a surface of an object; image capturing means provided in the housing for capturing an image of the code; light generating means including a light source provided in the housing for irradiating an illumination light to the code; light restriction means for restricting an amount of reflected illumination light, reflected after contacting the code, that enters the image capturing means; and a flexible board provided on the housing, on which the light source is positioned.

Abstract: An anti-theft device for a vehicle includes a code including the unique information and a reference code memorized in a vehicle. The start of an engine is allowed when the unique code is identified with the reference code. The unique code is provided on an ignition key and the unique code includes portions including different reflective ratios when a light is irradiated.

Abstract: A code reader includes a housing, a reading portion, provided on the housing, for reading a code provided on an object; a device, provided in the housing, for illuminating the code a device, provided in the housing, for capturing an image of the code; the device for illuminating the code irradiating a light to the code for reading information of the code by a light reflected from the code; and a light transmission member, provided between the device for capturing the image and the reading portion, for introducing the light generated by the device for illuminating the code.