Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel cell stack which includes: a cell assembly formed of stacked unit cells, each composed of a membrane electrolyte assembly and separators which sandwich the membrane electrolyte assembly; a pair of collector plates A and B which sandwiches the cell assembly; a pair of end plates A and B which sandwiches the cell assembly and the collector plates; and an elastic member disposed between end plate A and collector plate A, wherein end plate A has a convexed portion and a concaved portion on a surface facing collector plate A, and the concaved portion of end plate A holds therein the elastic member, and a bottom surface of the concaved portion includes a second convexed portion and a second concaved portion.

Abstract: An image gloss control apparatus that includes a first control component and a second control component is provided. The first control component controls an image forming/fixing component, which forms an image on a recording medium using a colored image formation material and fixes the image, so that a first image is formed in a high gloss area having a high gloss level on the recording medium or an area including the high gloss area on the recording medium and is fixed. The second control component that controls the image forming/fixing component, so that a second image having a density lower than a density of the first image is formed in a low gloss area having a gloss level lower than the gloss level of the high gloss area on the recording medium where the first image is formed or the low gloss area on the first image and is fixed.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack comprising: a cell stack body having stacked single cells and a manifold for supplying or discharging a fluid to the stacked single cells, the single cell including a membrane electrode assembly and a separator sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly; an end plate stacked onto the cell stack body and having a through-hole along the stacking direction of the cell stack body; and a fluid tube body inserted detachably into the through-hole so as to pass through the end plate, the fluid tube body being connected to the manifold, wherein a part of the outer surface of the fluid tube body opposite to the inner surface of the through-hole is separated from the inner surface of the through-hole.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: pixel electrodes arranged in columns and rows, each including a reflective electrode region; scanning lines; and signal lines. The device sequentially supplies a scanning signal voltage to one of the scanning lines after another to select one group of pixel electrodes, connected to the same one of the scanning lines, after another, and then supplies display signal voltages to the selected group of pixel electrodes by way of the signal lines, thereby displaying an image thereon. The pixel electrodes are arranged such that the polarity of a voltage to be applied to a liquid crystal layer is inverted for every predetermined number of pixel electrodes in each of the rows and in each of the columns. The display signal voltage to be supplied to each pixel electrode is updated at a frequency of 45 Hz or less.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: pixel electrodes arranged in columns and rows, each including a reflective electrode region; scanning lines; and signal lines. The device sequentially supplies a scanning signal voltage to one of the scanning lines after another to select one group of pixel electrodes, connected to the same one of the scanning lines, after another, and then supplies display signal voltages to the selected group of pixel electrodes by way of the signal lines, thereby displaying an image thereon. The pixel electrodes are arranged such that the polarity of a voltage to be applied to a liquid crystal layer is inverted for every predetermined number of pixel electrodes in each of the rows and in each of the columns. The display signal voltage to be supplied to each pixel electrode is updated at a frequency of 45 Hz or less.

Abstract: Elastic members that are integrally joined to a frame member are placed between an outer edge of an electrode unit and an inner edge of the frame member, and in the assembled state of the single cell module, the elastic members are elastically deformed in the thickness direction of a membrane-electrode-frame assembly so that the gap between the membrane-electrode-frame assembly and the separator is sealed in a tight contact state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel cell including: a membrane electrolyte assembly which includes a polymer electrolyte membrane and a pair of catalyst electrodes between which the polymer electrolyte membrane is held; and separators A and B between which the membrane electrolyte assembly is held, wherein the separator A includes first gas flow channels a1 and second gas flow channels a2 which are placed adjacent to the first gas flow channels al, the first and second gas flow channels a1 and a2 supplying an oxidizing gas or a fuel gas to the membrane electrolyte assembly, the first and second gas flow channels a1 and a2 run in parallel to each other and are alternately arranged, the first gas flow channels a1 are larger in cross sectional area than the second gas flow channels a2; wherein the separator B includes first gas flow channels b1 which run in parallel to the first and second gas flow channels a1 and a2, and second gas flow channels b2 which are placed adjacent to the first gas flow channels b1, the first and seco

Abstract: A chair-type massage machine is provided which comprises a seat, backrest and leg portion having a plurality of preset reclining angles for giving an effective massage to the user in various postures. The massage machine comprises a seat pivotally movably supported by a base, a backrest pivotally movably supported by the seat at the rear end thereof, a leg portion pivotally movably supported by the seat at the front end thereof, control means for controlling seat moving means, backrest moving means and the leg portion moving means and a manual controller. The control means has stored therein a plurality of preset reclining angles with respect to the angle of the seat, backrest and the leg portion. The manual controller has reclining selection buttons for selecting one of the reclining angles and an initial position button.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel (2) includes a TFT substrate (20) and a counter substrate (30) placed opposite each other via a liquid crystal layer (40) containing liquid crystal molecules (41) that, when an electric field is applied, makes an alignment transition from an initial state to an image display state different in state of alignment from the initial state. A region (40B) where the liquid crystal molecules come into anti-parallel alignment is provided in that region of at least either the TFT substrate (20) or the counter substrate (30) to which a transverse electric field parallel to a surface of the substrate is applied. This makes it possible to provide a liquid crystal display panel capable of causing each pixel to surely make an alignment transition and making a quick alignment transition from an initial state to an image display state in a liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: In the method of the invention for producing an electrode-membrane-frame assembly, its principal part is formed by laying a first catalyst layer onto one of surfaces of an electrolyte membrane, arranging a first gas diffusion layer onto the surface of the first catalyst layer and inside the circumferential region of the electrolyte membrane, laying a second catalyst layer onto the other surface of the electrolyte membrane, and arranging a second gas diffusion layer onto the surface of the second catalyst layer and inside the circumferential region of the electrolyte membrane so as to make the position of the outer circumference of the second gas diffusion layer different from that of the outer circumference of the first gas diffusion layer.

Abstract: A power protection apparatus including: a switch unit connected in series in a power supply line from a power source to a DC regulator; a first short-circuit detector for detecting a short circuit based on an output voltage value of the DC regulator obtained by making the switch unit conductive for predetermined time and, after that, interrupting the switch unit; a second short-circuit detector for detecting a short circuit based on a value of current flowed in the switch unit when the switch unit is conductive; and a switch interrupting unit, when a short circuit is detected by the second short-circuit detector, for forcedly interrupting the switch unit regardless of a state of the switch unit controlled by the first short-circuit detector.

Abstract: For the purpose of providing a fuel cell module having a small number of molding processes and favorable productivity, the edge of a polymer electrolyte membrane (44) exposed at the outer periphery of an electrode section, which is formed by providing an anode electrode (46a) and a cathode electrode (46b) on the polymer electrolyte membrane (44), is placed on the upper surface of one frame (47a); and another frame (47c) is molded on the upper surface of the one frame (47a) by injecting a resin material having a smaller Young's modulus than the one frame (47a), and a seal section (49) made from the same material as the other frame (47c) is simultaneously molded on the lower surface of the other frame (47a).

Abstract: A MEA-frame assembly is arranged in a mold for injection molding to form a first flow passage arranged so as to extend along the outer periphery of an electrode between the outer periphery of the electrode and the inner periphery of a frame, a second flow passage arranged so as to extend along an inner elastic member between the inner periphery and outer periphery of the frame and a plurality of connecting flow passages which communicate the first flow passage with the second flow passage. An elastic resin is injected into the first flow passage to fill the first flow passage with the elastic resin and to fill the second flow passage with the elastic resin through each of the communicating flow passages, thereby an elastic member which hermetically seals the space between the MEA-frame assembly and the separator is integrally formed.

Abstract: A MEA-frame assembly is arranged in a mold for injection molding to form a first flow passage arranged so as to extend along the outer periphery of an electrode between the outer periphery of the electrode and the inner periphery of a frame, a second flow passage arranged so as to extend along an inner elastic member between the inner periphery and outer periphery of the frame and a plurality of connecting flow passages which communicate the first flow passage with the second flow passage. An elastic resin is injected into the first flow passage to fill the first flow passage with the elastic resin and to fill the second flow passage with the elastic resin through each of the communicating flow passages, thereby an elastic member which hermetically seals the space between the MEA-frame assembly and the separator is integrally formed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display panel and a liquid crystal display device in which a position of a singular point of pinwheel alignment is controlled, thereby suppressing rough-grained image and generation of image retention, and in which the response time is improved. The present invention is a liquid crystal display panel including a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, the liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules with negative dielectric anisotropy, wherein the pair of substrates each include an electrode, at least one of the pair of substrates includes a vertical alignment film and a photopolymerized polymer, the electrode on one of the pair of substrates has such a shape as to provide pinwheel alignment of the liquid crystal molecules upon application of a voltage and is partly provided with openings for surrounding a singular point of the pinwheel alignment and keeping the singular point within the electrode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided and includes: an image forming unit that forms an image on an image carrier with a transparent material and a coloring material; a controller that controls an order of an image forming with the transparent material and an image forming with the coloring material to be different between in an image portion and in a non-image portion in an image forming region on the image carrier; and a transferring unit that transfers the image formed on the image carrier onto a recording medium

Abstract: A MEA-frame assembly is arranged in a mold for injection molding to form a first flow passage arranged so as to extend along the outer periphery of an electrode between the outer periphery of the electrode and the inner periphery of a frame, a second flow passage arranged so as to extend along an inner elastic member between the inner periphery and outer periphery of the frame and a plurality of connecting flow passages which communicate the first flow passage with the second flow passage. An elastic resin is injected into the first flow passage to fill the first flow passage with the elastic resin and to fill the second flow passage with the elastic resin through each of the communicating flow passages, thereby an elastic member which hermetically seals the space between the MEA-frame assembly and the separator is integrally formed.

Abstract: First rubbing is performed on an entire surface of an alignment film provided on a substrate, and then a mask part for masking a first region and a region of an alignment mark is formed on the alignment film by using a resist layer. After performing second rubbing on the alignment film through the mask part, the mask part is removed, and a liquid crystal layer is formed on the alignment film. In this way, the alignment mark is formed as a region having an optical function different from an optical function of a region surrounding the alignment mark. Thus, it is possible to produce a substrate having an alignment mark formed without increasing processing steps at such a position as to contact the liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: A fuel cell using metal separators in which reactive gas leakage is reliably suppressed without requiring excessive fastening force, while employing a simple structure. The present invention is a solid polymer unit fuel cell having a frame holding an MEA and metal separators, in which 1) the central part of a separator faces an electrode and has linear a channel formed therein, and the peripheral part of a separator is a flat structure having a manifold hole; 2) the frame holding an MEA has a sealant that is provided around the respective electrodes, is in contact with a rib at the boundary of the central part and peripheral part of a separator, and regulates the flow of reactive gas; and 3) contact surfaces of the sealant provided around an electrode and ribs at the boundary between the central part and peripheral part of a separator, are respectively inclined with respect to the stacking direction from the frame toward the separator.

Abstract: In a manufacturing method for an electrode-membrane-frame assembly in a fuel cell, a first frame member and an electrolyte membrane member are arranged in a first mold for injection molding such that the edge of the electrolyte membrane member is arranged on the first frame member, a second mold is arranged to form a resin flow passage for forming a second frame member which is in contact with the first frame member by interposing the electrolyte membrane member, and a part of the edge of the electrolyte membrane member is pressed and fixed to the first frame member by a presser member mounted on the second mold and a molding resin material is injected into the resin flow passage to form a second frame member.