Abstract: A groove is provided to the rear of an inner wall of a cylinder. A locking ram capable of freely sliding in a radial direction and a cam rod having a profile changing with a transition from the rear to the front from a small diameter part to a large diameter part that are provided relative to a piston. The inner end of the locking ram makes contact with the profile, and the cam rod is urged to the rear by the spring, so that the cam rod can be pushed to the front by a push rod. The piston can therefore be locked with a simple structure, and it is possible to provide a linear actuator where locking can be released with a straightforward operation even when a pressurized oil source fails.

Abstract: Activated carbon useful as polarizable electrode material for an electric double-layer capacitor can be obtained by mixing a carbonaceous material and an alkali metal hydroxide while maintaining a solid state, granulating the obtained mixture while maintaining its solid state, dehydrating the obtained granulated substance while maintaining its solid state, and subjecting the granulated dehydration product obtained in the dehydration step to an activation treatment. The preferred pressure of the granulation treatment in the granulation step is 0.01 to 300 Torr, and the preferred temperature of the granulation treatment is 90 to 140° C. The preferred pressure of the dehydration treatment in the dehydration step is 0.01 to 10 Torr, and the preferred temperature of the dehydration treatment is 200 to 400° C.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a composition for use as a catalyst in, for example, a fuel cell, the composition comprising platinum and copper, wherein the concentration of platinum is greater than 50 atomic percent and less than about 80 atomic percent, and further wherein the composition has a particle size which is less than 35 angstroms. The present invention is further directed to various methods for preparing such a composition.

Abstract: A production system capable of further improving production efficiency and quality. The ring management system includes size measurement unit for measuring size of the ring, first convey unit for moving the ring w whose size has been measured, a first stocker having a plurality of storage positions for storing rings conveyed by the first convey unit, a second convey unit for conveying out the rings from the first stocker means for stacking, and a control unit. The control unit includes memory means for storing the rings size measured by the size measurement means in association with the storage position in the first stocker, first selection means for selecting a ring constituting a stacked ring according to the ring size stored in the memory means, and first instruction means to instruct the second convey unit to convey out the ring selected by the first selection means from the storage position pj in the first stocker.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack which comprises a plurality of unit fuel cells laminated via separators, and is connected to external resistors each allowing a feeble current to flow to each unit fuel cell, whereby such problems as an open-circuit voltage generation and corrosion that may be caused by fuel gas remaining after operation shutdown can be resolved. A switch is preferably attached in series with an external resistor.

Abstract: A cell assembly is formed by stacking a first unit cell and a second unit cell to each other. The first unit cell includes a first unified body, and the second unit cell includes a second unified body. In the cell assembly, the first and second unit cells have structures different from each other.

Abstract: The invention is directed toward methods of using alkali-containing catalysts for generation of hydrogen-rich gas at temperatures of less than about 260° C. A WGS catalyst of the invention may have the following composition: a) at least one of Pt, Ru, their oxides and mixtures thereof; b) Na, its oxides or mixtures thereof; and optionally, c) Li, its oxides and mixtures thereof. The catalysts may be supported on a variety of catalyst support materials. The invention is also directed toward catalysts that exhibit both high activity and selectivity to hydrogen generation and carbon monoxide oxidation.

Abstract: An image sensor comprising a number of light sensor circuits each representing a unit pixel and capable of outputting a sensor signal corresponding to a photo current produced in a photoelectric converting element in proportion to light falling thereon, which is provided with a way of detecting a period and a phase of flicker in light from a light source and a way of determining timing of obtaining the maximum brightness of the light source based on the flicker detection signal and reading sensor signals from respective pixels at the timing determined. This image sensor can easily prevent the effect of flicker resulting from flicker of the light source to an image taken and displayed by the image sensor with no need for adjusting the time of accumulating a charge in the capacitor in accord with incident light thereon and compensating an image signal to be displayed.

Abstract: A molecular-oriented polymer gel and its cast film obtained by self-assembly of a self-organizable amphiphilic compound and a monomer interacting with the amphiphilic compound, and then polymerizing the monomer, and their production methods.

Abstract: To reduce moment generated at the proximal portion and the supporting portion of a brake pedal and to prevent an increase in weight even when the brake pedal is disposed outside a vehicle body and an operating unit is disposed away from the brake pedal within the vehicle body. A supporting shaft rotates integrally with the brake pedal by being connected with the brake pedal at one end with a supporting member for supporting both ends of the supporting shaft. An operating member is provided for operating an operating unit by rotation of the brake pedal and the supporting shaft by being connected to the other end of the supporting shaft at the position away from the brake pedal are provided. A pedal pad unit includes a flat depressing surface forming portion to be covered by a cover on the front face on which the driver depresses and a mounting portion extending from the depressing surface forming portion in the direction opposite from the cover for being pivotally mounted on the pedal lever unit.

Abstract: A fuel cell catalyst comprising platinum, chromium, and copper, nickel or a combination thereof. In one or more embodiments, the concentration of platinum is less than 50 atomic percent, and/or the concentration of chromium is less than 30 atomic percent, and/or the concentration of copper, nickel, or a combination thereof is at least 35 atomic percent.

Abstract: In an electronic key system for a vehicle which includes a control apparatus mounted on an actual vehicle and an electronic key for transmitting a response signal in response to receiving of a request signal transmitted from the control apparatus through a transmitting antenna, the transmitting antenna is installed on an instrument panel of the actual vehicle. In particular, the instrument panel has various instruments (a speedometer, a direction indicator (left), another direction indicator (right), and so forth) and a board for securing the instruments thereto. Accordingly, the transmitting antenna is installed at a position on the board rather near to a seat (a position of front side of the user when the user is seated on the seat).

Abstract: A process data development and analysis system and method is disclosed. In an example embodiment, the system and method are implemented as a web-based tool that supports varied activities for defining and managing all aspects of production line processes used in a manufacturing environment. Software modules provide features and functionality for process and unit management as well as administration and report generation. Manufacturing processes comprise a plurality of units of operation, and a unit of operation comprises one or more working point details (i.e., tasks). Times are associated with each unit of operation so that the manufacturer may understand and analyze the amount of time required to complete the processes and manufacture the product. The process and unit data may be used to create operation standards for use by associates working on the production line. Report generation features allow a user to produce a variety of reports associated with the processes and units of operation.

Abstract: A control device of a legged mobile robot, wherein a state amount error (for example, an error of a vertical position of a body 3), which is a difference between an actual state amount and a state amount of a desired gait related to a translational motion in a predetermined direction (for example, a translational motion in a vertical direction) of a legged mobile robot 1, is determined, and then a desired motion of the desired gait is determined such that the state amount error approaches zero. The desired motion is determined using a dynamic model by additionally inputting a virtual external force determined on the basis of the state amount error to the dynamic model for generating desired gaits. At the same time, a desired floor reaction force of the robot 1 is corrected on the basis of a state amount error of zero, and compliance control is carried out to make the motion and the floor reaction force of the robot 1 follow the desired motion and the desired floor reaction force of the desired gait.

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly efficient fuel cell power supply unit, which is constructed by directly connecting a fuel cell with a capacitor. In this power supply unit, a control device of the unit calculates the output voltage V2 of the fuel cell after the variation of electrical load based on the synthetic current-voltage characteristics of the fuel cell and the capacitor and the predetermined width of the variation of electrical load ?I, calculates the corresponding current Ifc2?, and then calculates the equilibrium reacting gas supply amount Qa1, and supplies an excess amount of the reacting gas exceeding Qa1 before the variation of electrical load.

Abstract: A raw steel is coated with or surrounded by a boron compound (step S1). A coating film of h-BN is formed on the surface of the raw steel. Then, the raw steel is nitrided by a nitriding gas while being heated (step S2). B from the boron compound and N from the nitriding gas are diffused into the raw steel, turning the raw steel into a steel material containing B and N. Most of B and N are present as an Fe (B, N) solid solution or an Fe (C, B, N) solid solution in the structure of the steel material. The raw steel is heated and nitrided under conditions such that B and N are contained ranging from 7 to 30 ppm by weight and ranging from 10 to 70 ppm by weight, respectively.

Abstract: To provide a method of and an apparatus for displaying a structure optimizing result which are capable of displaying rigidity values calculated on the basis of an initial wall thickness value, an optimum wall thickness value, and a standard wall thickness value in such a manner that a change between two of these rigidity values is clearly indicated. The structure optimizing result is displayed wherein an actual rigidity value of a structure is calculated on the basis of an inputted initial value of a wall thickness of each component of the structure. An optimum value of the wall thickness of each of the components is calculated on the basis of a sensitivity analysis result in order to make the calculated actual rigidity value close to a required rigidity value of the structure and the calculated result is displayed.

Abstract: An element such as Cr is caused to dissolve sufficiently in a base-material metal (Cu) in a solid solution state at a high temperature and a material in a supersaturated condition is obtained by performing quenching. After that, a strain is applied to this material and this material is subjected to aging treatment at a low temperature simultaneously with or after the application of this strain. As a result of this, it is possible to obtain a copper alloy having properties desirable as an electrode material, for example, a hardness of not less than 30 HRB, an electrical conductivity of not less than 85 IACS %, and a thermal conductivity of not less than 350 W/(m·K).

Abstract: The fuel cell comprises: a membrane electrode assembly having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode side diffusion electrode (an anode electrode, and a second diffusion layer) disposed at one side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a cathode side diffusion electrode (a cathode electrode, and a first diffusion layer) disposed at the other side of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane; a pair of separators which hold the membrane electrode assembly; a projecting portion which extends from the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and which projects from the peripheries of the anode side diffusion electrode and the cathode side diffusion electrode; and a seal, provided on the separators, which was liquid sealant at the time of application. The seal makes contact with the projecting portion while the membrane electrode assembly is disposed between the separators.

Abstract: There are provided a control device, a control method, a control unit, and an engine control unit, which are capable of controlling a controlled object with relatively large phase delay and dead time, while attaining elimination of lag in control timing between the input and output of the controlled object and improvement of control accuracy at the same time. A state predictor calculates a deviation (output deviation) between an output from an oxygen concentration sensor and a predetermined target value at a predetermined deviation calculation period. Then, a DSM controller calculates a target air-fuel ratio for converging the output from the oxygen concentration sensor to the predetermined target value, according to the calculated deviation, based on any one of a ? modulation algorithm, a ?? modulation algorithm, and a ?? modulation algorithm at a predetermined calculation period shorter than the predetermined deviation calculation period.