Abstract: An exercise assisting apparatus (1) comprises: a seat (13) on which buttocks of a user (2) is sit; a stationary support base (12) for supporting the seat (13); a burden regulator (14) provided between the support base (12) and the seat (13), and for regulating a ratio of self weight of the user which is supported by the seat (13) so that a load due to the self weight of the user acting on leg portion of the user; and a driving mechanism (16) for driving the burden regulator (14) so that the ratio of self weight of the user supported by the seat varies as time passes. The burden regulator (14) couples the support base (12) and the seat (13) in a manner so that a portion of the seat (13) to which the buttocks of the user is sit is tilted between a first state where the portion becomes horizontal and a second state where the portion is slanted downward toward the foot side in a plane including one of femoral regions and the buttocks of the user.

Abstract: A photodetector is provided, which has the capability of preventing a reduction in dynamic range for a signal light even under a plenty of environmental light to stably obtain a received light output. This photodetector has an accumulation electrode and a holding electrode, which are formed on a photoelectric converting portion through an insulating layer, and a control unit for controlling timings of applying voltages to these electrodes and polarities of the voltages. One of electrons and holes generated in the photoelectric converting portion is accumulated in an accumulation region formed by applying the voltage to the accumulation electrode, and the other is accumulated in a holding region formed by applying the voltage to the holding electrode. Then, the electrons and holes accumulated in the accumulation region and the holding region are recombined, so that remaining electrons or holes not recombined are output.

Abstract: A notch is provided between a cylinder supporting unit and a body of a pedestal, thereby applying elasticity to the cylinder supporting unit. With this structure, a leaf spring and the cylinder supporting unit corresponding to the leaf spring can always be in contact with or approach each other, and a noise generated when the cylinder supporting unit and the body of the pedestal collides against each other can be suppressed.

Abstract: A massage machine includes a massage member for massaging a back of a user's body and an operation unit for changing a massage force of the massage member applied to the user's body. A massage machine further includes a control unit for controlling the operation unit to adjust the massage force. The control unit adjusts the massage force of the massage member based on values set such that a massage force applied to a scapular region on the back of the user's body is smaller than a massage force applied to other regions of the user's body.

Abstract: A vertical alignment (VA) mode liquid crystal display unit having at least one biaxial optical anisotropic substance sheet and a liquid crystal cell between a light emission side polarizing polarizer and a light incident side polarizer, wherein (1) nx>ny>nz is satisfied (nx and ny: in-plane principal refractive indexes of the entire biaxial optical anisotropy, and nz: a principal refractive index in the thickness direction), (2) the low refractive index layer comprises an aerogel with a refractive index of up to 1.7, and (3) a multilayered body consisting of the total biaxial optical anisotropic substance sheet and the liquid crystal cell satisfies the formula: |R40?R0|?35 nm where R0: a retardation as measured without imposition of voltage when light with wavelength of 550 nm impinges vertically, and R40: a retardation as measured without imposition of voltage when light with wavelength of 550 nm impinges at an inclination angle of 40 degrees from the normal to the direction of the principal axis.

Abstract: A position sensor with excellent linearity of coil impedance is provided. This position sensor is equipped with a tubular detection coil, a magnetic core movable in the detection coil, a drive circuit for the detection coil, a signal processing circuit for converting a change in impedance of the detection coil into an electric signal, and a shield member disposed around the detection coil. The shield member is a tubular member having a first inner surface for surrounding an axial region of the detection coil, and a second inner surface for surrounding another axial region of the detection coil. The tubular member is formed such that a distance between the second inner surface and the detection coil is smaller than the distance between the first inner surface and the detection coil.

Abstract: An electrostatically driven latchable actuator system has an actuator and a pair of side effectors on opposite ends of the actuator. The actuator is resiliently supported to a substrate and is movable along a linear axis between two operative positions as being electrically attracted to one of the side effectors. A latch mechanism is provided to mechanically latch the actuator at either of the operative positions. The side effectors are movably towards and away from the actuator along the linear axis between a normal position and a shifted position close to the actuator. Both of the side effectors are also resiliently supported to the substrate to be movable towards the actuator by being electrostatically attracted thereto and away from the actuator by resiliency.

Abstract: An exercise aid device has a hip supporting member movable relative to a base, footrests movable relative to the base, drive means for driving the hip supporting member, body constitution estimating unit for estimating at least one of fat mass and muscle mass of a user, and a controller for the drive means. The controller controls the drive means such that a load acting on a femoral region by own weight of the user supported on the hip supporting member changes according to a relative positional displacement between the user's toe and trochanter major, the positional displacement is allowed in a direction of flexion and extension of knee joint of the user, and an angle of the knee joint is maintained substantially constant. In addition, since the controller controls the drive means by use of an output of the body constitution estimating unit, it is possible to provide an exercise with less burden to the knee joint and a suitable strength for the user.

Abstract: Provided is an operating switch mechanism having a handle cover with enhanced rigidity. The operating switch mechanism has a chassis 1 in which individual switches 21 and a group switch are exposed from the front side. An indicator hole for passing light is formed in the chassis 1 to at locations facing light-emitting diodes indicating operation states of lighting apparatuses in association with the group switch. A handle body 4 is rotatably attached on the front side of the chassis 1 so as to press the group switch. An indicator hole is formed at the location corresponding to the indicator hole formed in the chassis 1. A handle cover 5 is rotatably attached on the front side of the handle body 4. An indicator hole is formed at the location corresponding to the indicator hole formed in the handle body 4. A concave groove 44 for attaching an indicator window 8 is formed on the front side.

Abstract: A power line communications system includes slave apparatuses individually connected to multiple electric power line wirings; a master apparatus connected to one of the multiple electric power line wirings; and couplers each connected between the master apparatus and the others of the multiple electric power line wirings. The master apparatus includes a communicator for performing power line communications with the slave apparatuses via the electric power lines; a power supply terminal device connected to the one electric power line wiring; a communication connector provided between the communicator and the power supply terminal device; and a coupler connecting terminal device connected to each of the couplers via a signal line.

Abstract: A dry shaver includes a swingable shaving head which is provided with a pair of support points through which the shaving head is supported to a grip through a linkage mechanism. The linkage mechanism includes a pair of cranks each connected at its one end to each one of the support points and connected at the other end to each one of the anchor points on the side of the grip. A frame projects on top of the grip in an overlapping relation with the shaving head to give the anchor points which are positioned upwardly of the support points with respect to a height axis of the grip for suspending the shaving head an top of the grip by the frame.

Abstract: A brushless motor has a stator, a rotor and a circuit board for controlling rotation of the rotor. The stator has iron cores and coils wound around the iron cores. Switching elements for turning on and off electric power to be supplied to the coils for the stator are mounted to the circuit board. A heat-radiating member is fixed to the iron cores.

Abstract: An oscillation-type exercise device is provided with a pair of reins on the right and on the left disposed in front of the user seated on a seat portion. The base ends of a pair of the reins are coupled to a pair of extensible mechanisms housed inside the seat portion. Handle portions formed almost in the shape of a ring so as to be gripped by the user are attached to the tip ends of a pair of the reins. Each extensible mechanism drives a rotary plate to rotate by the driving of a motor, and changes the length of the rein, that is, it causes the rein to substantially extend and retract. Accordingly, it is possible to exert an exercise effect not only on the lower back and the legs but also to the upper half of the body.

Abstract: An oscillator circuit outputs an oscillator signal with a frequency corresponding to an inductance of a displacement detector coil. An oscillation cycle measurement circuit measures a cycle of the oscillator signal output from the oscillator circuit, and outputs a signal corresponding to the measured cycle. A squaring circuit calculates and outputs a square of the signal output from the oscillation cycle measurement circuit. By the calculation and output of the square of the oscillator signal cycle, a square root component of the product of inductance and capacitance components is eliminated, so that the output signal changes linearly relative to the displacement of a displacement body. As a result, the linearity of the output signal relative to the displacement of the displacement body can be improved.

Abstract: A hair removal apparatus includes three plucking rollers configured to rotate on respective roller shafts which extend generally parallel to a skin surface during epilation, each plucking roller having tweezing mechanisms for grasping hairs, and a driver for turning each plucking roller on a rotary axis which is kept generally perpendicular to the skin surface. The tweezing mechanisms pull the grasped hairs out of the skin as the plucking rollers are slid therealong. The three plucking rollers can protrude and retract in a direction generally perpendicular to the skin surface independently of one another and swing in directions along the skin surface independently of one another.

Abstract: In an acoustic wave sensor for detecting a distance to an object and an orientation where the object is located with using acoustic waves, an acoustic wave generating device generating an acoustic wave by applying thermal impact to the air with no mechanical vibration is used as a wave transmitting device, and an electric capacitance microphone converting variation of pressure due to acoustic wave to variation of an electric signal is used as each wave receiving device. Therefore, dead zone caused by reverberation component included in the acoustic wave transmitted from the wave transmitting device and dead zone caused by reverberation component included in wave receiving signals outputted from the wave receiving devices can be shortened and angular sensitivity of the acoustic wave sensor can be increased, in comparison with a conventional acoustic wave sensor using piezoelectric devices as the wave transmitting device and the wave receiving devices.

Abstract: In photo-shaping a target object executed by a photo-shaping machine (10) along with a computing device (1), a first path (P1) is generated as a light beam irradiation path on the basis of contour data of each section sliced at a specified pitch of three-dimensional CAD model data of the target object desired to be formed, and the first parameter data. A second path (P2) is generated as a removal processing path on the basis of the three-dimensional CAD model data, the second parameter data, and removing timing data showing a timing of executing the removal process. Driving programs (P3) are generated for executing the photo-shaping process including the light beam irradiation and the removal process, on the basis of the first path data, second path data and removing timing data, thereby performing the photo-shaping and removal process according to the driving programs.

Abstract: A dryer for hair shaving devices includes a casing having a drying space for removably receiving a blade portion of a hair shaving device, and a heater and a fan for drying the blade portion received in the drying space. Also, a control unit is provided for controlling output power of the heater and the fan to perform operation modes, the operation modes include a drying operation mode in which the heater and the fan are driven simultaneously and a sterilizing operation mode in which the heater alone is driven with the fan kept stopped.

Abstract: A cleaning device for an electrical hair removing apparatus is capable of being stored in a compact profile. The apparatus has an operator head at its top, and is formed on its bottom with an electric terminal for receiving an external signal that controls the apparatus. The cleaning device includes a basin for receiving the operator head of the apparatus and also includes a control circuit providing the external signal. The device has a tank storing a volume of a cleaning liquid, and a circulator configured to supply the cleaning liquid into the basin from the tank for cleaning the operator head. A stand is provided on the device to hold the apparatus upside down with the operator head disposed within the basin. The stand is formed at its top end with a header carrying contacts which are connected to the terminal on the bottom of the apparatus. The stand is composed of a fixed support and a movable arm which extends from the support and is formed at its top with the header.

Abstract: A load terminal for use in a remote controlled load management system includes a control unit for starting to count a delay time and sending to a central controller monitoring data indicating that an illumination load has been turned off while controlling a power supply ON/OFF unit to keep the power supply to the illumination load when a transmission signal including a control data instructing to turn off the illumination load is received by a transmission signal transceiver unit. The control unit restarts the count of the delay time when the transmission signal transceiver unit receives a transmission signal including a control data instructing to turn on the illumination load during the count of the delay time from the central controller.