Abstract: A porous membrane of vinylidene fluoride resin excellent in hydrophilicity and having a good balance among strength, elongation and water permeation rate, which is thus useful as a microfiltration membrane or a separator of battery. The porous membrane is formed from a copolymer of 100 mols of a vinylidene fluoride monomer and 0.01-10.0 mols of a hydrophilic monomer having at least one species of hydrophilic group selected from epoxy group, hydroxy group, carboxy group, ester group, amide group and acid anhydride group.

Abstract: An electronic device includes an electronic control unit, a wire, and a wiring-side connector. When a movable member is arranged in a first arrangement relative to a wiring-side connector main body, the movable member is in a position where the movable member does not prevent the wire from projecting from the main body to extend straight in a counter-fitting direction. When the movable member rotates from the first arrangement to a second arrangement relative to the main body, a restricting member approaches a portion of the main body from which the wire projects, to press and bend the wire, so a direction in which the wire projects from the main body is limited to a direction crossing the counter-fitting direction. When the movable member is arranged in the second arrangement and the main body is fitted to an ECU-side connector, the second arrangement is maintained.

Abstract: An adhesive vinylidene fluoride resin sheet, including: an extruded sheet of a vinylidene fluoride copolymer composition comprising 100 wt. parts of polymerized units of a vinylidene fluoride monomer containing at least 60 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride, and 0.01-0.8 wt. part of polymerized units of a monoester of unsaturated dibasic acid. The vinylidene fluoride resin sheet is excellent in adhesiveness with another thermoplastic resin layer, and provides a lamination extrusion sheet with such another thermoplastic resin layer taking advantage of the good adhesiveness.

Abstract: A load detecting device includes a substrate, a load receiver arranged on a first face of the substrate, a load detecting element arranged between the substrate and the load receiver, and a supporting portion to support the substrate. The supporting portion is made of metal. The supporting portion is located to overlap with the load receiver in a direction approximately perpendicular to the substrate. The supporting portion has a plurality of projections contacting with a second face of the substrate opposite from the first face. The projections located adjacent to each other are distanced from each other through a trench.

Abstract: A seat has an occupant detecting function and is installed in a vehicle. The seat includes a seating portion, a capacitance sensor, a controller, and a supporting member. The seating portion is adapted to support buttocks and thighs of an occupant of the vehicle. The seating portion includes a seat cushion therein. The capacitance sensor is attached to the seating portion. The controller is installed to the seating portion and configured to apply a voltage to the sensor and to detect a value of an electric current, which passes through the sensor because of the voltage. The supporting member supports the controller from a lower side thereof in a vertical direction, such that the controller is rotatable about the supporting member when the seating portion is pressed by the occupant.

Abstract: A colliding object determination device for a vehicle having a bumper reinforcement member (12) includes a sensor (20) and a determination circuit (40). The sensor (20) is located in a front portion of a vehicle for measuring a collision state quantity correlating with a collision load generated in a collision of a colliding body with the vehicle. The determination circuit (40) determines whether the colliding body is a pedestrian based on the measured collision state quantity. The sensor (20) is located on an upper half region of a front end face of the bumper reinforcement member (12). Thus, accuracy of discriminating the pedestrian from other objects can be improved.

Abstract: A water treatment membrane comprising a porous membrane of vinylidene fluoride resin, wherein 0.01-5 wt. parts of photocatalytic titanium oxide is uniformly dispersed in 100 wt. parts of the vinylidene fluoride resin. The water treatment membrane can solve problems accompanying the hydrophobicity of a porous membrane of vinylidene fluoride resin while taking advantage of excellent mechanical properties, weatherablility, chemical resistance, etc., thereof.

Abstract: An obstacle discrimination device has a first detection unit, a second detection unit which is more resistant to damage than the first detection unit, and an obstacle discrimination ECU. The obstacle discrimination ECU performs at least one of a discrimination for determining whether or not an obstacle colliding with a vehicle is a lightweight obstacle and a discrimination for determining whether or not the obstacle is a heavyweight obstacle based on detection signals of the first detection unit, and performs a discrimination for determining whether or not the obstacle is the heavyweight obstacle based on detection signals of the second detection unit. The obstacle discrimination ECU sends instructions corresponding to discrimination results to a pedestrian protection device and the like of the vehicle.

Abstract: A colliding object determination device for a vehicle having a bumper reinforcement member (12) includes a sensor (20) and a determination circuit (40). The sensor (20) is located in a front portion of a vehicle for measuring a collision state quantity correlating with a collision load generated in a collision of a colliding body with the vehicle. The determination circuit (40) determines whether the colliding body is a pedestrian based on the measured collision state quantity. The sensor (20) is located on an upper half region of a front end face of the bumper reinforcement member (12). Thus, accuracy of discriminating the pedestrian from other objects can be improved.

Abstract: A water treatment membrane comprising a porous membrane of vinylidene fluoride resin, wherein 0.01-5 wt. parts of photocatalytic titanium oxide is uniformly dispersed in 100 wt. parts of the vinylidene fluoride resin. The water treatment membrane can solve problems accompanying the hydrophobicity of a porous membrane of vinylidene fluoride resin while taking advantage of excellent mechanical properties, weatherability, chemical resistance, etc., thereof.

Abstract: A hydrophilic vinylidene fluoride resin composition, comprising: porous vinylidene fluoride polymer particles and a hydrophilic polymer having a weight-average molecular weight of at least 2×105 contained in the pores of the porous vinylidene fluoride polymer particles. The composition is preferably obtained by subjecting a slurry containing porous vinylidene fluoride polymer particles after suspension polymerization to an appropriate degree of heat treatment for adjusting the amount of residual polymerization initiator, then impregnating the Polymer particles with a hydrophilic monomer and polymerizing the monomer. The thus-obtained vinylidene fluoride resin composition exhibits persistent hydrophilicity and good processability.

Abstract: A polyglycolic acid resin is used as a forming aid to efficiently produce various shapes, such as porous film, ultrafine fiber, ultrafine film and porous hollow fiber, of shaped products of substantially water-insoluble thermoplastic resins. More specifically, a shaped composite of the polyglycolic acid resin and the substantially water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is caused to contact an aqueous medium, thereby selectively removing the polyglycolic acid resin through solvolysis and extraction to leave a shaped product of the remaining thermoplastic resin. A glycolic acid aqueous produced by the solvolysis and extraction can be recycled into the polyglycolic acid resin as a forming aid via the formation of a concentrated glycolic acid oligomer and glycolide.

Abstract: A porous membrane of vinylidene fluoride resin excellent in hydrophilicity and having a good balance among strength, elongation and water permeation rate, which is thus useful as a microfiltration membrane or a separator of battery. The porous membrane is formed from a copolymer of 100 mols of a vinylidene fluoride monomer and 0.01-10.0 mols of a hydrophilic monomer having at least one species of hydrophilic group selected from epoxy group, hydroxy group, carboxy group, ester group, amide group and acid anhydride group.

Abstract: An obstacle discrimination device has a first detection unit, a second detection unit which is more resistant to damage than the first detection unit, and an obstacle discrimination ECU. The obstacle discrimination ECU performs at least one of a discrimination for determining whether or not an obstacle colliding with a vehicle is a lightweight obstacle and a discrimination for determining whether or not the obstacle is a heavyweight obstacle based on detection signals of the first detection unit, and performs a discrimination for determining whether or not the obstacle is the heavyweight obstacle based on detection signals of the second detection unit. The obstacle discrimination ECU sends instructions corresponding to discrimination results to a pedestrian protection device and the like of the vehicle.

Abstract: The present colliding obstacle detection apparatus comprises a pedestrian bumper, which is supported below a front bumper of the vehicle by a body of the vehicle, at least one collision detector, which is located on the pedestrian bumper, and a control circuit, which determines whether the collision has actually occurred based on a detection signal outputted by the at least one collision detector. The front end of the pedestrian bumper vertically aligns with or extending ahead of that of the front bumper. The at least one collision detector detects one of a collision of the pedestrian bumper with an obstacle, and a presence of the obstacle in a close proximity to the pedestrian bumper. When the control circuit determines that the collision has actually occurred, the circuit activates a colliding obstacle protector for protecting the obstacle, especially a pedestrian.

Abstract: A vinylidene fluoride polymer having good high-temperature coloring resistance is produced through suspension polymerization at 10-100° C. in a mixture solvent of 100 wt. parts of an aqueous medium and 10-50 wt. parts of a halogenated hydrocarbon solvent showing a good dissolving power to both a vinylidene fluoride monomer and a polymerization initiator and represented by a formula of: CX3CX2CHX2, wherein X is a fluorine or chlorine atom, and 7 X's include 4-6 fluorine atoms and 1-3 chlorine atoms. The vinylidene fluoride polymer is characterized by an elutable total organic carbon content in pure water at 95° C. of at most 1.1 &mgr;g/cm2.

Abstract: A casing is provided for a reflection measurement device emitting a scanning beam and receiving an echo beam caused by reflection of the scanning beam at an object, and detecting a distance to the object in response to the received echo beam. The casing has a window for conducting a beam, and a protective member being transparent to the beam and covering the window from an inside. A predetermined range through which the beam passes is provided in the window. An interval between a lower edge of the beam pass range and a lower edge of the window is greater than an interval between opposing edges of the beam pass range and the window which differ from the lower edges thereof.

Abstract: A vinylidene fluoride polymer having good high-temperature coloring resistance is produced through suspension polymerization at 10-100° C. in a mixture solvent of 100 wt. parts of an aqueous medium and 10-50 wt.

Abstract: A casing is provided for a reflection measurement device emitting a scanning beam and receiving an echo beam caused by reflection of the scanning beam at an object, and detecting a distance to the object in response to the received echo beam. The casing has a window for conducting a beam, and a protective member being transparent to the beam and covering the window from an inside. A predetermined range through which the beam passes is provided in the window. An interval between a lower edge of the beam pass range and a lower edge of the window is greater than an interval between opposing edges of the beam pass range and the window which differ from the lower edges thereof.

Abstract: A radar apparatus for automotive vehicles is provided which is designed to emit laser beams to scan a forward zone for detecting moving object such as preceding vehicles and a downward zone for detecting lane marks printed on a road surface for defining a traffic lane. The downward zone is wider than the forward zone horizontally. Each zone has a minimum width required for assuring desired accuracy of radar detection of an object, thereby minimizing the number of emissions of the laser beams, resulting in an increase in lifetime of a laser diode and production of unwanted data on roadside objects having a low probability that the vehicle will collide them. The apparatus also includes a light focusing mechanism which focuses the laser beam on a given area in the downward zone to increase the power density of a return of the laser beam.