Abstract: A ribbon spool is detachably attached to a printing apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by using an ink ribbon. The printing apparatus has an engaging member including an engaging convex portion for engaging the ribbon spool. The ribbon spool includes a ribbon retaining portion for retaining the ink ribbon, and an engaging portion provided at one lateral side end of the ribbon spool for engaging the engaging convex portion and having a plurality of inclined grooves. The grooves have a different inclination angle from that of a lateral side face of the engaging convex portion. At least one of the grooves of the engaging portion has a point contact with the engaging convex portion at two points to engage the engaging convex portion.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a display device capable of displaying a prescribed display pattern by making the pattern luminous as needed, while the rear side can usually be seen through easily. In order to achieve it, a display pattern 20 is formed with minute recesses 29 provided on at least one surface of a translucent substrate 10, and at least one light source 30 is disposed on a side end face of the translucent substrate 10. The area density of the minute recesses 29 constituting the display pattern 20 is set to not more than 20%, and the opening area of one recess 29 is set to not more than 0.03 mm2.

Abstract: A cartridge detachably attached to a printer apparatus includes a casing, an ink ribbon provided in the casing, a supply spool provided in the casing for supplying the ink ribbon, and a take-up spool provided in the casing for retrieving the ink ribbon. The printer apparatus includes a locking member rotatably supported on the printer apparatus and locking the cartridge to the printer apparatus, a detection device for detecting an installation of the cartridge by detecting a locked state of the locking member, a locking portion for locking the locking member when the cartridge is installed in the printer apparatus, and a guide forcefully and rotatingly displacing the locking member from a locking position when the cartridge is pulled out from the printer apparatus.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vacuum insulation panel which can be used as an insulator for a refrigerator requiring heat insulation to be provided and also to a refrigerator incorporating such a vacuum insulation panel. The invention particularly relates to an arrangement for preventing convection spaces from being formed where an edge of the vacuum insulation panel is folded back. The vacuum insulation panel includes a core which has an inner film bag in which a flexible inorganic fiber laminate is accommodated, and an outer barrier bag which is made of gas-impermeable film such as metallic foil laminated film and which accommodates the core. The inner film bag includes a welded portion and a ventilation portion. The outer barrier bag has a depressurized interior and has been sealed by welding. An edge of the inner film bag is placed in an edge of the outer barrier bag.

Abstract: A split type connecting rod is capable of preventing problems of peeling and falling at the time of fracturing and splitting, securing alignment accuracy after the fracturing, reducing a processing time necessary for processing the groove and improving the processing accuracy. This split type connecting rod 100 includes a valley 106 formed on the inner circumferential surface of a crank-pin hole 101d of a large end portion 101e. Fracture starting point grooves 105 are also formed at the base of the valley 106.

Abstract: A printing apparatus has a casing, a card supply opening at one side of the casing, a printing unit that performs a predetermined recording to a card supplied from the card supply opening, nip rollers that nip the card when being recorded at the printing unit, a magnetic encoder unit disposed adjacent to the printing unit that performs a predetermined recording to the card nipped by the rollers, and a card discharge outlet that discharges the card recorded at the printing and/or magnetic encoder units. The card supply opening, the printing unit and the magnetic encoder unit are disposed sequentially and substantially horizontally along the card conveyance path, and the card discharge outlet is provided in a side of the casing so that the card supply opening and card discharge output are positioned substantially vertically.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating material which minimizes the possibility of absorption of moisture or gas components by its core material during storage in the manufacturing process, improves manufacturing efficiency, and maintains and enhances heat insulation performance. A vacuum insulating material comprises: a core material as an inorganic fiber aggregate; a getter material which absorbs core material gas components; and an envelope with a gas barrier property which encases the core material. The getter material is contained in a housing area made by slitting the core material obliquely with respect to its surface or thickness and the opening of the housing area is narrowed by overlapping.

Abstract: A split type connecting rod has a simple structure that is capable of suppressing rotation of a metal bearing, and avoiding problems such as burning. The split type connecting rod holds a crank-pin through a metal bearing which has locking lugs. A bearing locking groove locks at least one of the locking lugs when the metal bearing rotates forward in the circumferential direction of a crank-pin hole. A bearing locking groove locks at least one of the locking lugs when the metal bearing rotates backward. The bearing locking grooves are deviated from each other in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: A method of measuring a diffusion length of a minority carrier in a silicon wafer by a surface photovoltage method including irradiating the surface-treated silicon wafer with ultraviolet radiation in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, and measuring a diffusion length of a minority carrier in a silicon wafer by a surface photovoltage method.

Abstract: A split type connecting rod has a simple structure that is capable of suppressing rotation of a metal bearing, and avoiding problems such as burning. The split type connecting rod 200 holds a crank-pin through a metal bearing 213 which has locking lugs 213c, 213d. A bearing locking groove 201h locks at least one of the locking lugs 213d when the metal bearing 213 rotates forward in the circumferential direction of a crank-pin hole 101d. A bearing locking groove 201i locks at least one of the locking lugs 213c when the metal bearing 213 rotates backward. The bearing locking grooves 201h, 201i are deviated from each other in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: A connecting rod includes a rod main body, a small end located at one end of the rod main body and a big end located at another end of the rod main body, the big end including a curved section which is curved so as to become narrower toward the rod main body. The big end is formed of a metal material whose composition is different from that of the rod main body, and is bonded to the rod main body. A joint between the big end and the rod main body is located closer to the small end than is an end of the curved section facing the rod main body.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing device for selectively forming an image on a recording medium and a transfer medium, and a platen roller arranged opposite to the printing device. A nipping roller is arranged for nipping the transfer medium with the platen roller, and a mode setting device is used for setting a direct mode for forming the image on the recording medium and a indirect mode for forming the image on the transfer medium. A moving device moves the nipping roller to contact with and separate from the platen roller according to the direct mode and the indirect mode set by the mode setting device.

Abstract: A split connecting rod includes a fracture start groove that extends in an axial direction X and is located at the approximate center of each of opposing positions on an inner surface of a crank pin opening. A bearing securing groove is provided on either or both of the opposing positions on the inner surface of the crank pin opening. Notches are provided, respectively, at both ends of each of the opposing positions in the axial direction X on the inner surface of the crank pin opening. The fracture start groove has a stress concentration factor that is greater than those of the notches and the bearing securing groove. Preferably, steel for use as the material of a connecting rod has a carbon content of about 0.05% to about 0.45% by weight, more preferably about 0.10% to about 0.35% by weight.

Abstract: A vacuum insulating material which minimizes the possibility of absorption of moisture or gas components by its core material during storage in the manufacturing process, improves manufacturing efficiency, and maintains and enhances heat insulation performance. A vacuum insulating material comprises: a core material as an inorganic fiber aggregate; a getter material which absorbs core material gas components; and an envelope with a gas barrier property which encases the core material. The getter material is contained in a housing area made by slitting the core material obliquely with respect to its surface or thickness and the opening of the housing area is narrowed by overlapping.

Abstract: A connecting rod made of a titanium alloy is a split-type connecting rod which includes a rod main body, and a big end located at an end of the rod main body, the big end being fracture-split into a rod portion which continues from the end of the rod main body and a cap portion which is coupled to the rod portion. The rod portion and the cap portion each have a fractured surface on which rugged features are present. A difference in height between a highest portion and a lowest portion on each fractured surface is about 230 ?m or more.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vacuum insulation panel which can be used as an insulator for a refrigerator requiring heat insulation to be provided and also to a refrigerator incorporating such a vacuum insulation panel. The invention particularly relates to an arrangement for preventing convection spaces from being formed where an edge of the vacuum insulation panel is folded back. The vacuum insulation panel includes a core which has an inner film bag in which a flexible inorganic fiber laminate is accommodated, and an outer barrier bag which is made of gas-impermeable film such as metallic foil laminated film and which accommodates the core. The inner film bag includes a welded portion and a ventilation portion. The outer barrier bag has a depressurized interior and has been sealed by welding. An edge of the inner film bag is placed in an edge of the outer barrier bag.

Abstract: The invention provides a vacuum insulation panel to which moisture and gas do not easily adsorb while it is being processed or being in storage in an unfinished state. The vacuum insulation panel includes a core provided with air circulation, a getter material which adsorbs moisture and gas from the core, an inner film bag which accommodates the core and the getter material, and an outer barrier bag which accommodates the inner film bag. The getter material is filled in an incision provided on the surface of the core. To prevent the getter material from getting out of the incision, the opening of the incision is narrowed by evacuating air from the interior of the inner film bag and, concurrently, compressing the inner film bag and the core.

Abstract: A connecting rod is formed using a method that includes providing a connecting rod blank. The connecting rod blank has a rod section disposed between a big end and a small end. The big end has a first hole generally sized to receive a crankpin of a crankshaft and at least one second hole generally sized to receive a bolt, wherein the axes of the first and second holes are generally normal to each other. The big end of the connecting rod has a dividing plane that extends through both the first and second holes. The connecting rod blank is processed by hardening at least the big end to a sufficient depth such that a first region of the big end lying between the first and second holes at the dividing plane is hardened, while leaving a substantial second region of the big end at the dividing plane generally unhardened. The connecting rod blank is further processed by splitting the big end along the dividing plane to produce a rod part fracture surface and a cap part fracture surface.

Abstract: A split connecting rod includes a fracture start groove that extends in an axial direction X and is located at the approximate center of each of opposing positions on an inner surface of a crank pin opening. A bearing securing groove is provided on either or both of the opposing positions on the inner surface of the crank pin opening. Notches are provided, respectively, at both ends of each of the opposing positions in the axial direction X on the inner surface of the crank pin opening. The fracture start groove has a stress concentration factor that is greater than those of the notches and the bearing securing groove. Preferably, steel for use as the material of a connecting rod has a carbon content of about 0.05% to about 0.45% by weight, more preferably about 0.10% to about 0.35% by weight.

Abstract: A recording device having a first card transfer passage with a card supply unit and a second card transfer passage intersecting the first card transfer passage enables the component elements including an information recording means such as a thermal-transfer printer to be assembled compact and efficiently handle one or more cards at one time. Such rational arrangement of the first and second card transfer passages includes a card turning means located at the intersection of the passages for transferring the card between the first and second card transfer passages and recording or printing information on either or both surfaces of the card. By adding a third card transfer passage extending radially from the intersection of the first and second card transfer passages, desired information can be recorded on the card in different manner.