Abstract: In a cooling method of a carrying section including a conveyor for carrying an inverter component, a heating furnace covering a part of the carrying conveyor and heating the inverter component, and a mechanism for cooling the carrying conveyor and cooling the carrying conveyor by means of the cooling mechanism, the conveyor for carrying the inverter component is provided with a roller for carrying the inverter component by touching it, a roller cooling member surrounding the outer periphery of the carrying roller and having an opening for projecting a part of the outer periphery of the carrying roller is provided as the cooling mechanism, and the carrying roller heated by the heat of the heating furnace is cooled by the roller cooling member.

Abstract: A workpiece vacuum chuck head, which serves to vacuum-chuck a light, minute workpiece and to release and place the vacuum-chucked workpiece on a workpiece placement surface, includes a base section, a workpiece vacuum chuck section, and a follower mechanism section for connecting together the base section and the workpiece vacuum chuck section. These sections form an integral structure. The base section has an attachment surface for attaching the workpiece vacuum chuck head to a head drive mechanism. The workpiece vacuum chuck section has a workpiece vacuum chuck surface and a negative-pressure chamber, which opens at the workpiece vacuum chuck surface via a suction hole. The follower mechanism section has a structure that is easily elastically deformable, and is appropriately deformed in a three-dimensional space so as to cause the workpiece vacuum chuck surface to follow an inclination of the workpiece placement surface.

Abstract: An installation device includes an extruding mechanism that horizontally extrudes a piston ring, positions the piston ring and, after extruding, is driven downwardly and then returned to a waiting position; a ring holding mechanism that has a guide passage for guiding the piston ring, that is driven so as to move close to and apart from a piston in one direction perpendicular to the extruding direction, and that is capable of defining an insertion hole for insertion of the piston; a ring diameter extending mechanism that extends the diameter of the piston ring, that is driven to enter and leave the guide passage of the ring holding mechanism, and that is reversely driven to a position for defining a part of the guide passage when the diameter-extended state of the piston ring is released; and a piston holding member that holds the piston at a predetermined position.

Abstract: A precision positioning device 1 having degrees of freedom along multi-axial directions includes a single unitary structure 2 and a plurality of expansion/contraction actuators 4a, 4b, and 4c. Movements of an object-to-be-positioned in the axial directions are effected through such elastic deformations of the unitary structure 2 as to move the object-to-be-positioned only in the axial directions. Forces to generate the elastic deformations are based on expansion/contraction of the expansion/contraction actuators 4a, 4b, and 4c incorporated in the unitary structure 2. The expansion/contraction actuators 4a, 4b, and 4c can be formed of piezoelectric elements.

Abstract: An object is heated to a preheating temperature in an atmosphere of a reducing gas under the atmospheric pressure while adjusting the setting of the emissivity of a non-contact temperature measuring part and regulating the temperature of the object according to the measured value measured by a contact temperature measuring part. The pressure of the atmosphere is reduced. The object is further heated to a heating temperature under a lowered pressure while regulating the temperature of the object according to the measured value measured by the non-contact temperature measuring part whose setting of the emissivity is adjusted during the heating process to the preheating temperature. The pressure of the atmosphere is increased back to the atmospheric pressure while maintaining the heating temperature of the object. The temperature of the object is decreased under the atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A conveyance section positioning method has carrier pallets (40) on which workpieces are fixed, a conveyer (20), a heating furnace (13) for heating the workpieces, and a positioning mechanism for positioning the carrier pallets (40), and the method stops the carrier pallets (40) at predetermined positions. The heating furnace (13) has halogen heaters (30) for heating the workpieces. The carrier pallets (40) each have projections (41) and output grooves (42). Comb tooth-shaped stopper projections (35a) engaging with the projections (41) are formed on a carrier stopper (35). When the carrier stopper (35) is moved forward, the stopper projections (35a) and the projections (41) are engaged with each other. In this one operation, the carrier pallets (40) are positioned at places corresponding to the halogen heaters (30), and then the workpieces are heated.

Abstract: A snap-ring supplying device includes a magazine (10) containing C-shaped snap rings (S) piled together each of which has a gap, an extrusion member (25) that pushes out a snap ring occupying the lowest position in the magazine so that the gap (S1) of the snap ring is directed forwardly in an extruding direction, a conveying path (23) that conveys the snap ring pushed out by the extrusion member to an area in which the snap ring is contracted to reduce the diameter of the snap ring, a projection-strip guide wall (26) formed to stand upwardly in a substantially vertical direction with a width that is defined by forming a pair of concave parts (28) and that can enter the gap of the snap ring in a termination area of the conveying path, and an oscillating member (31) and urging members (32, 33) serving as a restricting mechanism (30) that restricts the gap of the snap ring so that the gap is directed in a direction from the magazine to the projection-strip guide wall.

Abstract: [Objective] An object is to provide an analyte testing/observing apparatus which can prevent evaporation and drying of an analyte and a reagent accommodated, before being dispensed, in a plurality of wells formed in microplates, to thereby stabilize the reaction between the analyte and the reagent and improve the accuracy of analyte test, and which can reduce the required space. [Means for solution] An analyte testing/observing apparatus includes a microplate mounting stand 10 which supports at least one microplate among a microplate 27 having a plurality of wells 27a for accommodating an analyte and microplates 28 each having a plurality of wells 28a for accommodating a reagent, and which includes a retractable shutter 20 for covering a surface of the at least one microplate mounted on the mounting stand 10.

Abstract: A layout arranging system doing automatic layout of a system being constituted of assembling units. More particularly, a layout arranging system (102) communicable with a plurality of connectable conveyors (C/V 1-12), comprising a module for recognizing connected conveyors (C/V 1-12), a module for acquiring information concerning recognized conveyors (C/V 1-12), and a module for laying out the recognized conveyors (C/V 1-12).

Abstract: A production system that includes a single main conveying line capable of defining a plurality of manual work areas and capable of conveying workpieces, a shuttle that holds a workpiece thereon and that reciprocates along the main conveying line, a shuttle conveying line on which the shuttle is reciprocated over a predetermined distance, a plurality of automatic processing machines that are disposed along the shuttle conveying line on the side opposite to the side on which the main conveying line is laid and that automatically apply a variety of process operations to the workpiece, and a plurality of display units that are disposed adjacent to the manual work areas and that display information about process operations to be applied to the workpiece.

Abstract: The present invention provides technology that uniformly heats and melts a plurality of solder material arranged in a plurality of locations on a board, and uniformly solders a plurality of parts to the board that are arranged in a plurality of locations on the board. A soldering apparatus includes an induction coil having a length in the longitudinal direction that is longer than the length of the board. An inner space having a size sufficient to arrange the board therein is maintained inside the induction coil. The board supporting the parts and the solder material will be positioned in the approximate center of the inner space of the induction coil. An alternating current will flow through the induction coil in this state. An alternating magnetic field will be generated in the inner space of the induction coil. Magnetic fluxes will substantially uniformly pass through the inner space of the induction coil along the longitudinal direction of the induction coil.

Abstract: A hydrogen vacuum furnace (100) is provided with a process chamber (1) wherein a subject (10) to be heated is stored; a heating chamber (2) wherein a heater lamp (25) is stored; and a crystal board (3) for separating the subject (10) and the heater lamp (25) one from the other. In the hydrogen vacuum furnace (100), the subject (10) is heated by a radiant ray applied from the heater lamp (25). The process chamber (1) and the heating chamber (2) are provided with gas feed ports (11, 21) and exhaust ports (12, 22), respectively, for feeding and exhausting a gas. When the subject (10) is being heated, atmospheric pressure in each chamber is adjusted so that the heating chamber (2) is under positive pressure to the process chamber (1) by feeding or exhausting the gas.

Abstract: In an overhead conveyance/storage system 1 including at least a storage area 100 for the storage of products (e.g., tires) 200, at least one transfer holder 300 adapted to move through a ceiling space in the storage area 100 in three dimensions, including vertical, transverse and longitudinal directions while holding the products 200, and unloader 500 for carrying out the products 200 from the storage area 100, a product receiving position (product unloading position) 501 of the unloader 500 is set to a nearly central part of the storage area 100 when seen in plan. The overhead conveyance/storage system 1 further includes loader 400 for carrying the products 200 into the storage area 100, and product discriminator 402 is disposed in the loader 400.

Abstract: A carrier pallet 1 carries a semi-finished product 2 and a plurality of assembly components 3a to 3e in assembling a final product. The position of the semi-finished product 2 on the carrier pallet 1 and the placement positions of the assembly components 3a to 3e on the carrier pallet 1 are such that, as viewed in plane, the placement position of a predetermined one of the assembly components 3a to 3e on the carrier pallet 1 is on a straight line which passes through a predetermined attachment position on the semi-finished product 2 where the predetermined assembly component is to be attached, and which is oriented in a predetermined direction. This allows a minimum necessary configuration of the moving mechanism of an attaching device, which attaches the assembly components to the semi-finished product. Therefore, the structure of an assembling apparatus is simplified, thereby reducing the cost of equipment. Also, mechanical errors are lessened, thereby improving assembling accuracy.

Abstract: An automatic warehouse 1 includes a plurality of shelves 50 and a conveyance device 20. The plurality of shelves 50 are arranged in a horizontal direction and in a single level or in a plurality of levels and adapted to store storage objects. The conveyance device 20 is adapted to transfer the storage objects between the same and each of the plurality of shelves 50. All of the plurality of shelves 50 are implemented by a plurality of shelves 50 provided in a plurality of carriages 60 capable of moving between the inside of the automatic warehouse and the outside of the automatic warehouse. By use of the plurality of carriages 60 which also function as storage shelves, there can be provided an automatic warehouse having high degree of freedom and good storage efficiency, enabling efficient use of factory space, and being capable of coping with cell production.

Abstract: A storage device 1 has a plurality of mount tables Tab storing a plurality of articles-to-be-stored Dab of different sizes placed thereon in a one-to-one correspondence, and at least one transfer device 300a, 300b moving in an upper horizontal plane located above the plurality of mount tables while holding the article-to-be-stored. The transfer device includes a holding mechanism for holding the article-to-be-stored; a vertically moving mechanism for vertically moving the holding mechanism; and a horizontally moving mechanism for moving the vertically moving mechanism in the upper horizontal plane. On the plurality of the mount tables Tab adjacent articles-to-be-stored are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval in a lower horizontal plane, and the mount tables Tab have a mount-table-moving mechanism 100 movable in at least one direction in a horizontal plane.

Abstract: A transport system of this invention includes a transport means for forming a plurality of transport paths from a transport source to a transport destination and transporting a work via a transport path selected from the plurality of transport paths, a control means for controlling the transport means, and a read means for, when the work has arrived at a branch point in the transport path, reading out, from a storage medium, transport path information representing a transport direction of the work at the branch point in the transport path, the storage medium being provided on the work and storing the transport path information. The control means controls the transport means to transport the work in the transport direction of the work at the branch point represented by the transport path information read out by the read means.

Abstract: A tray holding device includes a frame (20) that defines a tray elevation area (A) in which a tray containing workpieces can be lifted and lowered and that allows the loading and unloading of workpieces from above, a lower supporting member (40) that is fixed to the frame to horizontally receive and support the tray in the tray elevation area (A), an elevation mechanism (60) that is provided at the frame to lift and lower the tray supported by the lower supporting member, and an upper supporting mechanism (50) that is mounted to the frame to receive and support the tray lifted by the elevation mechanism from below and to horizontally carry it out. Thus, the size, installation space, etc., of the tray holding device can be reduced, and the productivity can be heightened by shortening a waiting time.

Abstract: There is provided cell observation apparatus (10) comprising cell observation chamber (30) and optical observation means (70), the cell observation chamber (30) having, disposed thereinside, a pair of wells and a channel through which the wells communicate with each other so that cells of a cell suspension stocked in one of the pair of wells can react with a chemotaxis-factor-containing solution stocked in the other well and can move from the one well to the other well through the channel, the optical observation means (70) capable of optically observing the cells moving through the channel from outside of the cell observation chamber (30), wherein the cell observation chamber (30) with its part exposed from casing (20) is housed in the casing (20) and wherein the optical observation means (70) is housed in the casing (20) so that the optical axis thereof horizontally extends allow in the cell observation chamber (30).