Abstract: A keyboard instrument having a key and a link mechanism provided on a lower side of the key, and the link mechanism has a first member having a first fixing fulcrum, a first link pivotally supported on the first fixing fulcrum on one end side, a second member having a second fixing fulcrum provided further forwards and further downwards than the first fixing fulcrum, a second link pivotally supported on the second fixing fulcrum on one end side and a coupling link configured such that a distance between the other end side of the first link rotating about the first fixing fulcrum in response to a key operation and the other end side of the second link rotating about the second fixing fulcrum in response to the key operation is fixed and remains unchanged, and the second link has a counterweight provided further forwards than the second fixing fulcrum.

Abstract: A keyboard apparatus has a hammer supported rotatably on a fulcrum, including a weight disposed further backwards than the fulcrum, and including an extending member configured to extend further forwards than the fulcrum, a key including a hammer press rod configured to move towards and away from the extending member, and a switch, and the extending member includes a press-down area configured to protrude further forwards than the hammer press rod to press down the switch, and the extending member is configured to press down the switch without contacting the hammer press rod.

Abstract: The present disclosure promotes distribution of sensor data among a plurality of business operators. A controller that an information processing system according to the present disclosure includes collects first data including a plurality of items and personal information from mobile bodies belonging to a first business operator. The controller converts the first data to second data not being usable to identify individuals. The controller provides data in a range decided based on content of a predetermined data use contract, among the second data, to a second business operator. The controller calculates a consideration for the data that is to be paid by the second business operator, based on a data use record of the second business operator.

Abstract: A controller of a robot executes processing of determining whether an apparatus is likely to be subjected to an impact and, when determination is made that the apparatus is likely to be subjected to an impact in a case where a movable part is in a first state in which the movable part is able to cause the apparatus to execute a physical operation, transferring the movable part from the first state to a second state for suppressing an impact exerted on the movable part.

Abstract: An apparatus control device includes an emotion setter that sets, in accordance with an external stimulus acting on the apparatus, an emotion parameter expressing a pseudo-emotion; and an emotion changer that changes the set emotion parameter when the pseudo-emotion is close to a predetermined state and, also, the external stimulus is not detected in a predetermined period.

Abstract: Disclosed is a phosphorylation inhibitor of SMAD2/3 protein or a therapeutic agent for fibrosis which contains as an active ingredient, a nucleic acid that suppresses NEK6 (NIMA-related serine/threonine kinase 6) gene expression.

Abstract: Disclosed is an antisense nucleic acid that suppresses NEK6 gene expression.

Abstract: Disclosed is a phosphorylation inhibitor of SMAD2/3 protein or a therapeutic agent for fibrosis which contains as an active ingredient, a nucleic acid that suppresses NEK6 (NIMA-related serine/threonine kinase 6) gene expression.

Abstract: A spot welding machine includes tip electrodes mounted on the tips of the first and second arms, respectively, a pressing actuator for moving at least one of the first and second arms to apply a pressing force to the tip electrodes, an interelectrode distance detector for detecting a distance between the tip electrodes, and a brake for braking the actuator. The distance between the tip electrodes, i.e., interelectrode distance can be set at any desired intermediate distance between the maximum and minimum distances, by braking the actuator when the arms are opened to a desired degree. In this manner, it is made possible to effectively reduce the required operation time, and by suitably performing such a brake control, it is also made possible to effectively lessen an impact caused when the tip electrodes come into contact with plates to be welded. A speed control device may be provided which variably controls the moving speed of the actuator in accordance with the interelectrode distance.

Abstract: Primary coils generate flux upon being excited by a predetermined ac signal. A stator is made in a plate-like configuration and has plural primary coils independently in the circumferential direction so that flux is generated by the primary coils in the direction of the axis of rotation. A rotor is provided displaceably relative to the primary coils to change reluctance with respect to the flux generated by the primary coils. Accordingly, as the rotor is rotated, reluctance change is produced due to the relative positional relation between the primary coils provided in the stator and the rotor. This reluctance change causes to change self-inductance of the primary coils and affects the exciting ac signal flowing through the primary coils and, therefore, by outputting the self-induced ac signal in the primary coils, the relative positional relation between the rotor and the primary coils, i.e., the rotational position of the rotor, can be detected.

Abstract: A desired coded pattern such as a bar code is formed with two materials which are magnetically different, e.g., in permeability or conductivity. A sensor has primary coils which are excited by reference AC signals which are different in phase from each other, to produce an induced output signal. When at least one of the primary coils is moved relative to the pattern to approach the pattern, the induced signal produced in the primary coil changes in accordance with existence of a material in the pattern and the electrical phase of a composite output signal of the induced signals in the respective primary coils corresponds to the existence of the material in the pattern. By measuring the electrical phase of this induced output signal, therefore, the pattern corresponding to the existence of the material can be read on the basis of the measured data of the electrical phase.

Abstract: The rodless cylinder includes at least a cylinder tube and a piston, but it has no piston rod that is indispensable in the conventional cylinders. The article carrier is connected via the piston yoke to the piston and movable with parts and jigs placed thereon as the piston moves along the cylinder. At least one rod is fixed relative to the cylinder tube to extend in parallel with the direction in which the piston and hence the carrier moves. The sensor is provided to be movable along the rod as the piston moves. The sensor has a moving member movable along the rod as the piston moves within the cylinder tube, for detecting a current position of the piston in accordance with relative positional relation between the moving member and the rod. With such arrangements, the rodless cylinder as a whole has a higher rigidity against heavy load, and also the piston can be accurately positioned to stop at a desired position in its stroke.

Abstract: There are provided a position and velocity control system for producing a velocity command signal in response to a position command signal and a signal representing a current position and velocity of a servo motor, a current control system for supplying a drive current to the servo motor in response to the velocity command signal, and a communication system for transmitting data between the two systems by means of a bilateral communication line. A servo control system is thereby separated between the current control system and the position and velocity control system and connected to each other through the communication system.

Abstract: A decrease amount in plate thickness at a spot weld is detected at a predetermined time period when application of pressure is still maintained after termination of power supply to electrodes for spot welding. The decrease amount is correlated with the magnitude of diameter of nugget formed by spot welding, e.g., a larger diameter of nugget signifies a stronger the joint, and therefore, the quality of joint at the spot weld can be examined on the basis of the detected decrease amount. Since a value obtained by integrating plate thickness detection data of the spot weld during the predetermined time period is correlated, as the decrease amount is, with the magnitude of the diameter of a nugget, the quality of the joint may also be examined on the basis of this integrated value.

Abstract: A linear guide includes a linear guide member provided over a guide range, a movable member being displaceable along the linear guide member and a ball bearing assembly provided on the movable member in a portion which comes in sliding contact with the linear guide member. A position detection device for the linear guide comprises the ball bearing assembly and a coil assembly and the ball bearing assembly has a casing and a succession of plural metallic balls disposed within the casing to form an endless ball array with each adjacent one of the balls being in close contact with another whereby the balls are linearly displaceable in accordance with displacement of the movable member. The coil assembly is provided on a part of the casing and includes a coil member which is excited by an ac signal. A magnetic path is formed through the ball located at the part of the casing and a reluctance change is produced in the magnetic path in accordance with displacement of the balls.

Abstract: A first pattern which repeats change in the longitudinal direction with a predetermined pitch and a second pattern which changes in the longitudinal direction with a pitch which is different at least from that of the first pattern, both formed of a predetermined material, are disposed on a surface of a rod section. A detection head section is provided in proximity to the rod section, responds individually to the first pattern and the second pattern, changes its relation of correspondence to the respective patterns in accordance with its linear position with respect to the rod section and produces output signals in accordance with the relation of correspondence to the respective patterns. In accordance with the output signals corresponding to the respective patterns, first and second absolute position data of different ranges whose one cycle is constituted of one pitch of the respective patterns can be obtained.

Abstract: A position transducer has an input shaft coupled to a variable inductance sensor to produce an output electrical signal representing shift angle position. The transducer includes a plurality of rigid circuit boards which are hinged to one another so that the circuit boards and the electronic circuitry supported on the boards can be wrapped around the variable inductance sensor. The individual rigid circuit board segments are laminated onto a flexible sheet having conductive tracks. The track sheet provides the hinged effect.The power supply which is mounted on one or more of the boards provides DC power through an AC circuit fed by a transistor which is switched on and off as a function of the power needs of the transducer. By thus having an ON duty cycle substantially less than 100 percent, the heat generated in the power supply is minimized thereby making feasible the packing density afforded by the plurality of hinged circuit boards.

Abstract: A first pattern which repeats change in the longitudinal direction with a predetermined pitch and a second pattern which changes in the longitudinal direction with a pitch which is different at least from that of the first pattern; both formed of a predetermined material, are disposed on a surface of a rod section. A detection head section is provided in proximity to the rod section, responds individually to the first pattern and the second pattern, changes its relation of correspondence to the respective patterns in accordance with it linear position with respect to the rod section and produces output signals in accordance with the relation of correspondence to the respective patterns. In accordance with the output signals corresponding to the respective patterns, first and secondd absolute position data of different ranges whose one cycle is constituted of one pitch of the respective patterns can be obtained.

Abstract: On a circumferential side surface of a single cylindrical member constituting a main body of a rotor section are disposed, in parallel, a first pattern which repeats change in the circumferential direction with a predetermined pitch and a second pattern which has a change of one cycle with respect to one circumference. A detection head section which is provided in proximity to the rotor section changes its relation of correspondence to the respective patterns in accordance with rotational position of the rotor section and produces output signals corresponding to the relation of correspondence. A relatively rough absolute value of a rotational position within one rotation is established by an output signal produced in response to the second pattern and its accuracy is established with a high resolution by an output signal produced in response to the first pattern.

Abstract: This rotational position detection device comprises a stator section including primary and secondary windings and a rotor section disposed in such a manner that it is capable of performing relative rotational displacement with respect to the stator section. A conductive substance portion is provided in the form of a predetermined pattern. The amount of flux passing through the conductive substance portion of the rotor section changes in accordance with a relative rotational position of the rotor section with respect to the stator section and therefore an eddy current flows through the conductive substance portion. Reluctance is caused to change by a loss due to this eddy current and a secondary output signal corresponding to the rotational position is produced in the windings of the stator section. The pattern of the conductive substance portion can be formed easily by using electro-plating or other surface processing technique.