Abstract: A fuel cell cathode comprising a cathode body having rib regions and base regions which connect the rib regions, the rib regions being of greater thickness and of less porosity than the base regions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous fabrication of homogeneous thin flake or powder electrolyte material from inorganic salt, metallic or similar materials or from mixtures of such materials for use in Carbonate Fuel Cell (“CFC”) power plants. Electrolyte precursor powders are fed to a continuous blender type mixer using precision metering equipment that controls material feed rates. The homogenous mixture of blended powders is then fed into a high temperature melting tank in which the mixture is melted, forming the desired molten eutectic composition. The liquid eutectic melt drips from the melting tank through ceramic or metallic nozzles and splat-cools on a rotating, water-cooled metal cylinder to produce uniform size, thin flake material. The thin flake electrolyte material can be used as-is, or it may be further processed using continuous grinding and powder fabrication equipment.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a lighting apparatus including a light source, an optical member that is placed in front of the light source and provided with a reflecting surface for reflecting light from the light source or prism sections each made up of a refracting surface which receives the light incident from the light source and a reflecting surface for reflecting the light incident from this refracting surface. Here, in the optical member, there is a plurality of pairs of the reflecting surfaces or prism sections arranged in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis within a plane including the radial direction of the light source centered on the optical axis. The present invention can provide a low-profile lighting apparatus using light from the light source with high efficiency.

Abstract: In an audio signal processing apparatus for recording a plurality of kinds or systems of audio signals on a recording medium and for reproducing a plurality of kinds or systems of audio signals recorded on the recording medium, in a state where a mixing output mode of mixing the plurality of kinds or systems of audio signals and outputting the mixed audio signals is designated, (i) when a recording operation mode of recording the plurality of kinds or systems of audio signals on the recording medium is designated, the plurality of kinds or systems of audio signals are mixed and outputted while making levels of the plurality of kinds or systems of audio signals equal to each other, and (ii) when a reproducing operation mode of reproducing a plurality of kinds or systems of audio signals recorded on the recording medium is designated, the plurality of kinds or systems of audio signals reproduced from the recording medium are mixed and outputted according to an arbitrarily variable mixing ratio.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a shutter apparatus including a base plate, a plurality of blades which run between a superposed state and a spread state for opening and closing a shutter aperture and two arms, each of the arms pivotably supported on the base plate. It is characterized in that each of the two arms are pivotably connected to the plurality of blades, and the two arms cause the plurality of blades to run between the superposed state and the spread state, and a protruding section is formed in a central area of at least one of the plurality of the blades, and the protruding section protrudes in the blade running direction so as to overlap with the base plate in the spread state.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a barrier member slidably movable along the surface of a camera to a closing position for covering a lens barrel of a camera body and to an opening position for letting the lens barrel be exposed. The camera includes a pressing member for pressing the barrier member from the side of the camera body, and regulating the slide movement of the barrier member in the closing and opening positions. In the camera of the present invention, the barrier member is provided with a guide member abutting on the pressing member at a plurality of points with the center of the pressing member being interposed therebetween in a direction along the surface of the camera and in a direction orthogonal to a slide moving direction of the barrier member, thereby eliminating a backlash of the barrier member.

Abstract: A compression system is described for use in conjunction with a fuel cell stack having first and second ends and contained within a vessel. The system includes members connecting the first and second ends of the stack, a compression plate at the first and second ends of the stack, and compression assemblies adjacent the second end of the stack. Each compression assembly includes a compression pack for maintaining compressive load on the stack as it creeps throughout its life and to compensate for thermal expansion of the stack under varying operating conditions, and a coupling assembly that couples each compression pack to one of the members. Each compression assembly is at least partially disposed exterior to the vessel, with compression packs mounted to the second compression plate outside the stack vessel and coupling assemblies provided to connect each compression pack to the members, and forming a gas seal between the inside of the vessel and the surrounding space.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is capable of accurately performing white balance control by accurately detecting color temperature without depending on a luminance signal level. In the image pickup apparatus, a color evaluation value is obtained by computation from color signals coming from a plurality of pixels of an image sensor having complementary color filters. It is determined whether the color evaluation value is included within a white determining range. The white determining range is made to vary according to the shooting condition and/or the object condition. The white balance is adjusted on the basis of color signals having color evaluation values included within the white determining range.

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus is arranged to reproduce from a recording medium a data string including image data and motion data indicative of motion of an image related to the image data, and to control the speed of reproduction of the image data according to the motion data included in the data string reproduced.

Abstract: A recording and reproducing apparatus includes a recording block for recording, on a recording medium, image data and error information indicative of presence or absence of any error in the image data, a reproducing block for reproducing the image data and the error information from the recording medium, an interpolating block for interpolating the reproduced image data on the basis of the reproduced error information, a mode change-over block for changing over a recording mode between a first recording mode in which the image data and the error information are recorded while the recording medium is transported at a first speed and a second recording mode in which the image data and the error information are recorded while the recording medium is transported at a second speed different from the first speed, and a control block for controlling and causing, in response to the change-over of the recording mode, the recording block to record the error information indicative of the presence of any error together w

Abstract: Provided is a distance measurement and photometry apparatus used in a camera or the like, which sets a distance between distance measurement sensors and distance measurement light receiving lenses and a distance between a plurality of photometry sensors and photometry light receiving lenses such that a position of a region within the observation field in which information is obtained by the distance measurement sensors is equal to a position of a region within the observation field in which information is obtained by the photometry sensors irrespective of a distance to the measurement object. With this construction, it can be prevented that a distance measurement region in which the measurement object is captured and a photometry region provided corresponding to the distance measurement region are shifted with respect to each other even when the set measurement object is located at any distance.

Abstract: A driving apparatus includes a rotatable rotor with a ring shape, a first magnetic pole portion, a second magnetic pole portion, and a coil for magnetically exciting the first magnetic pole portion and the second magnetic pole portion. The rotor has magnet portions which are divided along a circumferential direction and differently magnetized. The coil is disposed radially of the rotor. The condition of −0.333X+0.7>Y is satisfied where Y is a ratio of a central angle of each first magnetic pole portion relative to a central angle of each magnetized pole in the magnet portion, and X is a ratio of an outer circumferential length of each magnetized pole in the magnet portion relative to a thickness of the magnet portion in a direction of the rotational axis.

Abstract: A shutter device of the invention includes: a shutter base plate having a shutter opening; a first arm member which rotates with a first shaft as a rotation center relative to the shutter base plate; a second arm member which rotates with a second shaft as a rotation center relative to the shutter base plate; and plural shutter blades, wherein each of the plural shutter blades is joined to the first and second arm members and when the first and second arm members rotate with respect to each shaft, the plural shutter blades travel over the shutter opening in a predetermined direction, and in a state in which the plural shutter blades are positioned in their overlapping state, when an angle formed between a line connecting the rotation center of the first arm with a connecting center to the first arm member of a shutter blade, located on a front end side (opposite side to the first rotation center) of the first arm member and a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction is assumed to be &agr;, a con

Abstract: There is provided a shake correcting device that can prevent white defects of an image pickup unit from moving around on a display screen, thereby eliminating unsightliness of displays in correcting shakes of subject images, according to image signals that are output by the image pickup unit that converts the subject images into video signals. When an image stabilizing ON/OFF switch of a microcomputer of an image pickup apparatus is set to ON, and the image pickup apparatus is not in a static mode, if a level signal with a higher level than a predetermined reference level signal from a detection signal generating section, is input from a camera signal processing section to a comparison circuit of a white defect detecting section, then the white defect detecting section detects white defects in a CCD as the image pickup unit, and the microcomputer controls an image stabilizing operation to be set in the OFF state.

Abstract: A camera system is disclosed, which comprises a camera having a vibration detection unit which detects vibration, and a vibration correction unit which is attachable to the camera and has a vibration correction optical system which corrects image vibration and a driving control circuit which drives the vibration correction optical system based on a vibration detection signal from the vibration detection unit. The camera intermittently transmits the vibration detection signal from the vibration detection unit and time-related data to the driving control circuit. The driving control circuit receives the vibration detection signal and the time-related data. The driving control circuit drives the vibration correction optical system based on a previously received vibration detection signal or a currently received vibration detection signal selected on the basis of the received time-related data.

Abstract: An optical apparatus includes an optical element for shifting an incident position of a light beam on an image forming plane, a plurality of restricting portions for controlling an inclination position of the optical element with respect to an optical axis by respectively coming into abutment with end portions of the optical element and restricting positions of the respective end portions in a direction of the optical axis, and a driving part for driving the optical element to bring the optical element into abutment with the restricting portions.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a lens apparatus that can switch the aperture diameter of the light-blocking member using a body structural member constituting a portion of the lens apparatus. The lens apparatus includes a lens unit that is moved in a direction of an optical axis, a light-blocking unit having a plurality of light-blocking members forming an aperture portion through which light passes, and a body structural member. The light-blocking unit and the body structural member move relative to one another in the direction of the optical axis according to a movement of the lens unit, and an aperture diameter of the aperture portion is switched by moving the body structural member between a first position in which the light-blocking members are prevented from opening beyond a predetermined aperture diameter, and a second position in which the light-blocking members are allowed to open beyond a predetermined aperture diameter.

Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed, which comprises a detecting unit which detects a vibration to output a vibration signal, an amplifying circuit which amplifies the vibration signal and has a changeable amplification factor, a driving member which drives a lens unit, and a changing circuit which changes the amplification factor depending on whether or not the lens unit is driven by the driving member, thereby making it possible to output a relatively stable vibration signal even when a disturbance vibration occurs.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus is arranged to illuminate a transparent or transmissive original with light fluxes emitted by a plurality of light emission parts which differ in wavelength characteristic from each other, to select by means of a reflection mirror the wavelength characteristics of light fluxes emitted from the light emission parts, and to control each of the light emission parts every time a scanning motion is made by an original-placing board relative to an image pickup part.