Abstract: An invention allows a stepping motor to be reliably driven to rotate when initializing the driving and allows power consumption of the stepping motor to be reduced. The controller, when initializing the driving (for example, replacing a battery), controls a main drive pulse generator to drive a stepping motor using a main drive pulse having a maximum energy and sets the generation cycle of a pulse down control signal of a pulse down counter for pulsing down the main drive pulse to a first cycle to drive the stepping motor, and when pulsing down the main drive pulse to that having a predetermined energy, changes the generation cycle of the pulse down control signal of the pulse down counter to a second cycle.

Abstract: A near field optical head includes a slider 20, a main magnetic pole 32 and an auxiliary magnetic pole 30 and is provided with a recording element 21 fixed on a top end surface of the slider. The near field optical head is provided with a light flux transmission element 22. The light flux transmission element 22 is fixed adjacently to the main magnetic pole and formed from a flat surface 40a and a curved surface 40b into the shape of a half column. The light flux transmission element 22 includes a core 40 for transmitting a light flux L introduced from one end to the other end and a cladding 41 for confining therein the core.

Abstract: A near-field optical head includes: a near-field light generating element, formed on a counter surface of a slider facing the surface of a magnetic recording medium and having two or more side surfaces each of which are in contact with the counter surface at a certain angle with the counter surface, for generating the near-field light; at least one lower wiring formed on at least one of the side surfaces of the near-field light generating element; a thin-film-like magnetic pole disposed to a position covering the lower wiring; at least one upper wiring disposed on one of the two sides of the magnetic pole, opposite to the side on which the lower wiring is disposed; at least one side surface wiring connecting the lower wiring and the upper wiring; insulating layers insulating each of the lower wiring, the magnetic pole, and the upper wiring from the others; and a coil wound around the magnetic pole by connecting the lower wiring and the upper wiring alternately and serially using the side surface wiring.

Abstract: The differential scanning calorimeter includes: a heat sink, which stores a measuring sample and a reference material; a heater, which heats the heat sink; a cooling block, which is separated away from the heat sink, and positioned below the heat sink; a thermal resistor, which is connected between the heat sink and the cooling block, and forms a heat flow path therebetween; a cooling head, which is detachably fitted to the cooling block, and is cooled by an external cooling device; and differential heat flow detectors, which output a temperature difference between the measuring sample and the reference material as a heat-flow-difference signal, in which: the cooling block forms a side wall to fit the bore of the cooling head outward from the joint of the thermal resistance body; the top surface of the cooling head is lower than the joint.

Abstract: A bearing device has a sleeve that encircles a shaft, and two side-by-side roller bearings rotatably support the sleeve coaxially on the shaft. A spacer portion protrudes radially inwardly from the sleeve and extends between the two roller bearings. The sleeve axially overlaps a minor portion of one roller bearing but does not overlap a race surface thereof, and the sleeve axially overlaps a major portion of the other roller bearing including a race surface thereof.

Abstract: A paper discharge device includes a waiting path having one side connected to an input port and another side connected to a discharge port, and a collection path having one side connected to the waiting path through a merged portion and another side connected to a collection chamber. Conveyance mechanisms convey a paper which was conveyed through the input port to the discharge port in a forward direction, and convey, after lapse of a given period of time after the conveyance of the paper, the paper in a reverse direction through the merged portion to feed into the collection path. An input mechanism provided in the collection path conveys the paper fed from the waiting path through the collection path into the collection chamber while sandwiching the paper between rollers to form folds across a total length of the paper along the paper conveying direction.

Abstract: A fuel cell system supplies a reacting solution from a liquid storage section to a reaction section to generate a reacting gas. A gas storage section stores the reacting gas and supplies it to a solid polymer membrane fuel cell which generates electricity using the reacting gas as fuel. The reacting solution is supplied from the liquid storage section to the reaction section when the pressure in the liquid storage section is higher than the pressure in the reaction section and the supply of reacting solution is stopped when the pressure in the liquid storage section is lower than the pressure in the reaction section. In this manner, the supply volume of the reacting solution is controlled in accordance with the driving state of the fuel cell.

Abstract: Provided is a thermal head including an intermediate layer between a support substrate and an upper substrate, which is capable of suppressing heat dissipation toward the support substrate while maintaining printing quality. Employed is a thermal head (1) including: an upper substrate (5); a support substrate (3) bonded in a stacked state on one surface side of the upper substrate (5); a heating resistor (7) provided on another surface side of the upper substrate (5); and an intermediate layer (6) including a concave portion that forms a cavity portion (4) in a region corresponding to the heating resistor (7), the intermediate layer (6) being provided between the upper substrate (5) and the support substrate (3), in which the intermediate layer (6) is formed of a plate-shaped glass material having a lower melting point than melting points of the upper substrate (5) and the support substrate (3).

Abstract: When a stepping motor is driven to rotate by a main driving pulse, if an induced signal exceeding a reference threshold voltage is detected only in a third segment, a pulse down operation is performed, and the main driving pulse is not changed when the same is detected in at least a first and the third segments. When it is detected only in a second and the third segments, a rank-up is performed without performing the driving by a correction drive pulse and, when it is not detected in at least the third segment, the rank up operation is performed after the driving by the correction driving pulse.

Abstract: A thermal head has a support substrate, an upper plate substrate having a back surface bonded to a top surface of the support substrate, and a heating resistor provided on the upper plate substrate. A concave portion is formed in a region of at least one of the top surface of the support substrate and the back surface of the upper plate substrate and opposes the heating resistor. A through portion is formed in the upper plate substrate and passes through the upper plate substrate from a top surface of the upper plate substrate to the top surface of the support substrate in a plate thickness direction. The upper plate substrate functions as a heat accumulating layer, and the concave portion functions as a heat insulating layer.

Abstract: A portable timepiece has a timepiece exterior assembly with a mounting hole having seal surfaces and escape portions. A valve member has a shaft portion movably inserted into the mounting hole and a head portion connected to the shaft portion. An urging member is provided between the head portion and the assembly for urging the valve member toward the interior of the assembly. Seal members are mounted to the shaft portion in correspondence with the seal surfaces. The seal members are configured to be moved between a sealing position in which the seal members are held in contact with the seal surfaces, and an exhaust position in which the seal members are opposed to the respective escape portions. In the sealing position, the seal members define a closed space together with an outer periphery of the shaft portion and the escape portions opposed to the outer periphery.

Abstract: A timepiece has a valve that discharges gas from an exterior assembly and includes a casing, a valve member that moves from a closed position to an open position in accordance with an inner pressure of the assembly, an exhaust button movable into the casing, a first spring urging the button and valve member away from each other, and a second spring urging the button toward the exterior of the assembly. When an inner pressure of the assembly is greater than a force of the first spring, the valve member is moved to the open position and a portion of the gas accumulates between the valve member and the button. When the button is moved into the casing, the accumulated gas is discharged to the exterior of the assembly by which the valve member is maintained at the closed position by the spring force of the first spring.

Abstract: A portable timepiece has a timepiece exterior assembly with a button mounting hole having seal surfaces and escape portions. An exhaust button has a shaft portion and a button portion connected to the shaft portion and configured to be pushed inward from an exterior of the assembly. An urging member is provided between the button portion and the assembly for urging the exhaust button toward the exterior of the assembly. Seal members are mounted to the shaft portion in correspondence with the seal surfaces. The seal members undergo movement between a sealing position in which they are held in contact with the respective seal surfaces with interference through axial reciprocation of the exhaust button, and an exhaust position in which the seal members are opposed to the respective escape portions. In the sealing position, the seal members define a closed space formed by the shaft portion and the escape portions.

Abstract: A timepiece is equipped with a movement (module), a solar cell panel, a ring member, and a dial (timepiece display plate). The panel is fixed to the module. The ring member is fixed to the peripheral portion of the movement. The ring member has, at a plurality of positions thereof, recesses, and a pair of engagement protrusions protruding upwardly from the bottom of each recess. The recesses are respectively open in an upper surface and the outer peripheral surface of the ring member. The pair of engagement protrusions form a gap G between them, and are capable of elastic deformation. A proximal portion of each engagement protrusion is situated below the upper surface of the ring member. The dial has cutouts at a plurality of positions of its peripheral portion. Each of these cutouts is engaged with each pair of engagement protrusions to cover the panel, and the dial is mounted to the ring member such that the peripheral portions of the cutouts cover the recesses.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a near-field optical head. A first projection shaped in a quadrangular pyramid is formed on a surface of a substrate for providing a near-field optical element of the near-field optical head. A second projection shaped in a frustum of quadrangular pyramid is formed on the surface of the substrate for providing an air bearing surface of the near-field optical head. A metal film is formed on at least one surface of the first projection and the metal film is connected with a resistance meter through a conduction wiring for detecting an electrical resistance of the metal film. The first and second projections and the metal film are polished while the resistance meter detects an electrical resistance of the metal film and until the detected electrical resistance reaches a predetermined value such that a top surface of the first projection has a specified size and becomes flush with a surface of the second projection providing the air bearing surface.

Abstract: The present invention aims to prevent a main drive pulse from being moved to a rank having a potential to cause a non-rotating state. A detection segment for detecting a rotating state of a stepping motor is divided into a first segment immediately after the drive with a main drive pulse, a second segment, and a third segment and, when the stepping motor is rotated by the main drive pulse, the main drive pulse is not changed when a detection signal exceeding a reference threshold voltage is detected at least in the first and second segments. When it is detected only in the first and third segments, or detected only in the third segment, the rank is moved upward and, when it is not detected in any segment, or detected only in the first segment, the rank is moved upward after the drive with a corrective drive pulse. When it is detected only in the second segment or detected only in the second and third segments, the rank is moved downward.

Abstract: A near-field optical head has a planar substrate having a first surface, a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface, and an inverted pyramidal hole extending through the first and second surfaces. The inverted pyramidal hole has at least one fine aperture formed at an apex thereof and disposed in the first surface and having at least one curved slant surface. An optical waveguide extends into the inverted pyramidal hole of the planar substrate for propagating light along an optical path. A mirror is disposed in the optical waveguide for bending in the direction of the fine aperture the optical path of the light propagated through the optical waveguide.

Abstract: Provided is a thermal head capable of making good contact to a thermal recording medium or the like to increase heat transfer efficiency while maintaining the number of manufacturing steps and manufacturing cost. Provided is a thermal head (1) including: a flat plate-shaped substrate main body (13); a heating resistor (15) of a substantially rectangular shape formed on a surface of the flat plate-shaped substrate main body (13); and a pair of electrodes (17A, 17B) connected to both ends of the heating resistor (15), for supplying power to the heating resistor (15), in which the pair of electrodes (17A, 17B) respectively include connecting portions (27A, 27B) having a width dimension smaller than a width dimension of the heating resistor (15), and the connecting portions (27A, 27B) are connected to the heating resistor (15) at positions shifted from each other in a width direction of the heating resistor (15).

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a bearing structure allowing direct adjustment between itself and an opposing bearing even after assembly and a watch equipped with the same. A bearing structure of a watch rotatably supports a forward end portion of a shaft of a wheel with respect to a base body, and includes: a bearing, a bearing support body supporting the bearing and having a male screw portion on an outer peripheral surface concentric with the shaft of the wheel, and an adjustment nut equipped with a female screw portion threadedly engaged with the male screw portion of the bearing support body, regulated in its displacement in the extending directions of the shaft of the wheel by the base body, and adapted to adjust the position of the bearing with respect to the extending direction of the shaft via the bearing support body.

Abstract: A section processing apparatus has a mark forming control portion that transmits control information for forming marks on a surface of a sample. Each of the marks has at least two portions intersecting at a converging portion located at a previously determined position of an observation target section of the sample or in the vicinity of the previously determined position. A first focused ion beam apparatus emits a first focused beam for forming each of the marks on the surface of the sample based on the control information transmitted by the mark forming control portion and for processing a section of the sample.