Abstract: A robot and the like capable of executing a task in an appropriate condition from the viewpoint of execution economy even when a state of the task is altered. A cost is evaluated that represents a load or labor required for a robot (1) to execute a new task, and the cost information indicating the cost is transmitted to a support server (200) (bid procedure). The support server (200) designates the robot (1) having the lowest cost as a designated robot (1) and transmits an execution instruction for executing the new task to the designated robot (1). The robot (1) executes the task according to the execution instruction (contract procedure). By employing the task bid and contract system, a designated task is executed by an adequate robot (R) among a plurality of robots (R) in consideration of the execution economy of the designated task.

Abstract: A stop device is provided for a vehicle slide door for an opening of a vehicle side body structure. The slide door is guided in a front-to-rear direction by a sliding door mechanism which moves the slide door on a rail fixed to the side body structure. The stop device comprises a bracket for securing to the side body structure near a rear end of the lower rail. The bracket includes a base having a forward end portion and a rear end portion. A full stopper is mounted to the rear end portion of the bracket, and a mid-stopper is mounted to the forward end portion of the bracket. A strengthening member is connected to and extends at least partially outwardly from the base. The strengthening member is provided at least partially below the full stopper. The strengthening member has a generally stepped configuration.

Abstract: An overpack salvage drum including a drum body for holding a package to be overpacked, a lid adapted to be rotatably threaded onto the drum body to seal the package held in the drum body therein, and a clip adapted to be operatively associated with the lid before the lid is rotatably threaded onto the drum body. The clip is adapted to break in preference to the lid and the drum body in the event that the initial integrity of the seal between the lid and the drum body is compromised.

Abstract: A maintenance time notification device includes a storing unit storing a threshold value of a usage time or a traveling distance for each of a plurality of vehicle parts; a measuring unit measuring the usage time and the traveling distance of a vehicle since the vehicle began to be used for each of the vehicle parts; a maintenance period determination unit determining a maintenance period of each of the vehicle parts by comparing the usage time and the traveling distance measured by the measuring unit, with the threshold value; and a reporting unit reporting to a passenger based on a determination result of the maintenance period determination unit.

Abstract: A connection circuit board includes a main portion and a lead wire connecting portion. The main portion is positioned between an end portion of a motor case body and an end bracket. The lead wire connecting portion projects outwardly from the motor case body. A protective cap including a connecting portion receiving chamber for receiving the lead wire connecting portion of the connection circuit board is attached to the lead wire connecting portion through an engaging structure. An adhesive is filled in the connecting portion receiving chamber of the protective cap. In a small-sized motor of the above configuration, the protective cap can securely be fixed to the motor case.

Abstract: A welding apparatus includes a first electrode tip; a second electrode tip opposing the first electrode tip; and an electrically conductive part which is provided so as to be freely interposed between the second electrode tip and a work and ensures electrical conduction between the second electrode tip and the work when the electrically conductive part is interposed between the second electrode tip and the work, the electrically conductive part including an electrically conductive member one side of which opposes the work with a presence of a void space from the work when the electrically conductive member is interposed between the second electrode tip and the work, and against which the second electrode tip is abutted on another side thereof, and a pair of electrically conductive abutment members which are provided integrally with the electrically conductive member in such a manner as to extend toward the work, and distal ends of which are abutted against the work, a position of abutment of the electrically

Abstract: The invention provides processes for producing 2-propanol with higher purity than heretofore possible while suppressing the by-production of impurities. A process of the invention produces 2-propanol by reacting acetone with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, wherein the process includes reacting a raw material mixture containing water and acetone, with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, and the raw material mixture contains water at 1.2 to 4.0 wt % based on 100 wt % of the total of the water and the acetone.

Abstract: A radiator is provided within an engine room and in front of an engine for cooling engine cooling water. A shutter is provided in front of the radiator and covers a portion of a core surface of the radiator for adjusting an amount of cooling air to be directed toward the radiator. A baffle plate is provided behind a remaining portion of the core surface, which is not covered with the shutter, for directing the air, having passed through the remaining portion, to outside the engine room.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition for skin or hair which achieves an excellent UV absorption in a wide range of UV wavelength from the UV-A to the UV-B without inhibiting the effect of the alkyl ?,?-diphenylacrylate and the ?-cyano-?,?-diphenylacrylate (e.g. octocrylene) which serve to improve the photostability of dibenzoylmethane derivative. The composition for skin or hair comprises: (a) a dibenzoylmethane derivative, (b) an alkyl ?,?-diphenylacrylate and/or an ?-cyano-?,?-diphenylacrylate (e.g. octocrylene), and (c) a specific benzalmalonate derivative (e.g. di(2-ethylhexyl)-4-methoxybenzalmalonate).

Abstract: A grommet assembly for installation in an opening of a vehicle body component is provided. The opening is dimensioned to receive a pipe therethrough. The grommet assembly comprises a first relatively stiff component and a second relatively flexible component. The first component has retention elements formed therewith to secure the pipe to the grommet assembly. The second component is sized to be securely mounted in the body component opening. The second component is at least partially overmolded onto the first component. The grommet assembly is pre-mounted on the pipe and is configured to keep the pipe generally centered in the body component opening.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fermenter (10) for producing biogas from organic material, having a fermentation chamber (11) with a substantially round basal surface to receive fermentation material; arranged, in the peripheral region of the fermentation chamber, filling means (12) for substrate to be fermented; arranged, above the fermentation chamber, an unpressurized gas store (13) with gas discharging means (14); stirring means (15); a settling chamber (16) with overflow rim; and also pumping means (17) for the continuous or batchwise removal of fermentation material from the fermentation chamber and introduction into the settling chamber.

Abstract: Provided is an automotive rear vehicle body structure which increases the amount of energy that can be absorbed, improves the safety of the vehicle occupant and protects a fuel tank in a reliable manner at the time of a rear end collision while allowing a spare tire to be placed within a cabin. In an automotive rear vehicle body structure having a H-type torsion beam wheel suspension system (12) pivotally supported by side sill extensions (2a, 3a) on either side of the vehicle body, the wheel suspension system including a pair of trailing arms (13, 14) and a torsion beam (15) connecting intermediate parts of the trailing arms with each other, a pair of rear side frames (6, 7) extend rearwardly from side sills (2, 3), and a spare tire pan (10) is defined by downwardly bulging a part of a rear floor panel (11) located between the rear side frames (6, 7).

Abstract: A measuring system includes a laser tracker (10), a target point marked by a reflector (12), a surveying apparatus (13), and an arithmetic and control unit (14). The laser tracker emits a measuring beam (M) which is reflected by the reflector, a process that is used for determining the distance between the laser tracker (10) and the reflector (12). The surveying apparatus has a known position and orientation relative to the measuring beam (M) while preferably being embodied as a survey camera. The inventive measuring system is designed so as to track the reflector (12) via the measuring beam (M). In a normal tracking mode (A), a measured value for controlling the orientation of the measuring beam (M) is derived from the detection of the measuring beam reflected by the reflector (12).

Abstract: A state estimating apparatus permits efficient, highly accurate estimation of the state of an object. A particle in a state variable space defined by a second state variable preferentially remains or increases as the likelihood thereof relative to a current measured value of a first state variable is higher, while a particle is preferentially extinguished as the likelihood thereof is lower. A particle which transitions in the state variable space according to a state transition model with a high probability of being followed by an object (a high-likelihood model) as a next model tends to increase. On the other hand, although in a small quantity, there are particles having models (low-likelihood models) which are different from the high-likelihood model as their unique models.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drive station for an underground plough system, in particular a coal plough system, with a machine frame to which a plough box can be fastened, and with a wedge trough which is connected to the machine frame and is provided with a plough guide device, which has chain channels for a plough chain, and also a plough end stop on a runout section for a winning plough. In order to facilitate the repair of a winning plough, the plough end stop is formed on an attachment which can be dismantled, when the plough guide device is mounted, to produce a repair section in the longwall-gallery transition of the wedge trough. The invention also relates to a repair method in which the plough end stop is dismantled and the winning plough is moved into the repair section.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a rotor for a rotating electric machine. The apparatus includes a movable mold and a stationary mold, and a cavity is formed between those molds. The movable mold includes a rotor core holding portion holding a rotor core, and a core arranging portion arranging a core removably. The core includes a base core and a plurality of split cores. The base core is equipped on its outer circumference with a remedy face, which is positioned in the inner circumference of the open end portion of a boss portion and extends in a mold-release direction of a casting, thereby blocking the deformation of the open end portion at the parting time.

Abstract: A vehicle body panel having an integrated mounting device for mounting the body panel to a vehicle substrate is provided. The integrated mounting device includes a tower portion with a U-shaped base and an extended portion, and a U-shaped spring clip. The base has an open front and back and includes two opposing side walls and an upper portion. The upper portion is a two-tiered top where a first tier has a width greater than a width of the second tier. The extended portion has an inverted U-shape and is an extension of the second tier and is adapted to receive the spring clip.

Abstract: A navigation device that is mounted in a movable body of the present invention includes a first storing portion that stores a first navigation data; an acquiring portion that acquires a second navigation data from an external second storing portion; a movable body location detecting portion that detects the location of the movable body; a navigation operation executing portion that executes a predetermined navigation operation based on the location of the movable body that is detected by the movable body location detecting portion, and the first navigation data; and an updating portion that updates the first navigation data with the second navigation data.

Abstract: A guide shoe for a shearer loader, in particular for a shearer-loader drive assembly, comprising at least one base wall, comprising a guide projection, on the base-wall side, for engaging under a rack drive of a rack drive arrangement, and comprising a guide surface for engaging behind the rack drive. To achieve shorter downtime periods in the case of repairs to the shearer-loader drive assembly due to wear, and in order to reduce their susceptibility to wear, the guide projection and the guide surface are realized on wear inserts that are movably and, preferably, replaceably fastened, or fastenable, to the guide shoe. Movement of the wear inserts could be limited by pivot limiting strips or inhibited by clamping strips.