Abstract: An optical connection device according to the invention is an optical connection device for optically coupling light propagated through an optical waveguide to an optical element arranged outside the optical waveguide and with the following configuration. Part of the optical waveguide is removed so as to be shaped like a groove. The optical waveguide and the optical element are arranged so that an optical axis of the optical waveguide intersects an optical axis of the optical element at a specified angle inside the groove. An optical unit is arranged at a position of intersection of the optical axes for turning light by reflection from one optical axis along the other optical axis.

Abstract: In homogeneous materials, etching characteristics depend on properties inherent in these materials regardless of whether they are isotropic or anisotropic, and there have been limitations in realizing various desired shapes. A subject for the invention is to provide a gradient material which eliminates these limitations. A gradient material is provided in which the rate of etching with a specific chemical substance changes continuously or by steps from the outermost surface to an inner part thereof. This gradient material is made of a main material which contains an additive capable of changing the etching rate of the main material so that the concentration of the additive changes continuously or by steps. Especially when a glass material containing SiO2 as the main component is used as the main material and fluorine is used as the additive, then a gradient material in which the rate of etching with an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid changes in the depth direction can be obtained.

Abstract: Vehicle window pane (16) has an arcuately curved vertical section having a single or same radius of curvature (R1) and a curved lateral section having a single radius of curvature (R2) or a compound radius of curvature. The single radius of curvature (R1) in the curved vertical section and the single radius of curvature (R2) and the compound radius of curvature in the curved lateral section are chosen to differ from each other. The vehicle window pane (16) constitutes a bidirectionally curved pane, which is neither a spherically curved pane (because the radii of curvature in the vertical and lateral sections are not equal to each other) nor a cylindrically curved pane (because both of the radii of curvature in the vertical and lateral sections are not infinite). With this arrangement, the vehicle window pane can significantly improve an aesthetic appeal of a motor vehicle employing the window pane.

Abstract: In a small-sized optical module, opposite side surfaces of a collimator lens (2) and opposite side surfaces of a polarization compensating filter (5) are fixed to opposite side surfaces of a rectangular frame (4). Two open surfaces are provided in the rectangular frame (4), so that optical components can be finely adjusted easily, and a large number of small-sized optical components can be aligned and assembled accurately. Reinforcing members (6) are provided in the open surfaces of the rectangular frame (4) so that the shape of the rectangular frame (4) can be retained against external force. After a diffraction grating (3) is fixed to the reinforcing members (6), the reinforcing members (6) with the diffraction grating (3) are adjusted, aligned and fixed to the rectangular frame (4).

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus which provides an image of an excellent quality which has a less variation in resolution and suppressed linear irregularity. A rod lens array includes two rows of rod lenses stacked one on the other. An LED array is offset by a predetermined offset amount from a plane passing the median position between the first row of rod lenses and the second row of rod lenses. This structure can realize an LED printer head which reduces a variation in the resolution of the rod lens array, thereby suppressing linear irregularity, and can thus provide an image having an excellent quality.

Abstract: A light guide, a line-illuminating device, and an image-scanning device are provided which are excellent in uniformity of the light amount. A light-reflecting portion comprised of tubular concave surfaces becomes a reflecting surface having tubular convex surfaces when seen from the inside of the light guide. With such structure, even when the incident angle of light from a light source unit slightly displaces, the reflection angle in the tubular convex surfaces significantly changes. In an irregular surface having a triangular shape, as in a conventional example, the incident angle becomes almost uniform in the area far from the light source unit, and thereby the reflection angle also becomes uniform. Consequently, it is difficult to achieve uniform reflection in the main-scanning direction. However, with the tubular concave surfaces, light is reflected uniformly toward the upper surface as a light-emitting surface.

Abstract: A diffraction device using a photonic crystal includes a diffraction grating, which has a period and periodically divides electromagnetic waves, and an input medium and an output medium, which contact the diffraction grating. The input medium is air, and the output medium is a one-dimensional layer having a periodic characteristic in a single direction (Z axis direction). The photonic crystal is formed by a periodic multilayer film having a period corresponding to the sum of the thickness of a first substance and the thickness of a second substance, which are superimposed. The diffraction device drastically decreases the resolution corresponding to the difference of the separated frequencies.

Abstract: A polarizing filter has a laminate structure: wherein one to four layers of first dielectric thin films 1 and one to four layers of second dielectric thin films 2 are alternately laminated on a transparent flat substrate 10 to form the laminate structure, the layers of second dielectric thin films 2 having a refractive index lower than that of the first dielectric thin films 1 with respect to the wavelength of incident light; wherein one layer of the third dielectric thin film 3 having a refractive index intermediate between the refractive indices of the first and second dielectric thin films with respect to the wavelength of incident light is laminated on a surface of the laminate structure. In an optical device using the polarizing filter, the angle of incidence is set to be in a range of from 20 to 70 degrees.

Abstract: A sol-form application liquid 3 is prepared by mixing together two solvents A and B and two film components C and D. The sol-form application liquid 3 thus prepared is applied onto a glass substrate 200, thus forming a mixed layer 401 on the glass substrate 200. The glass substrate 200 having the mixed layer 401 formed thereon is left at room temperature, whereupon the solvent A evaporates and phase separation of the mixed layer 401 into an upper layer 403 and a lower layer 402 occurs. The mixed layer 401 is then heated, thus evaporating the solvent B in the lower layer 402 and gelating the film component C in the upper layer 403 and the film component D in the lower layer 402, and hence forming an internal scattering layer 404.

Abstract: There are provided a method of processing an amorphous material which is capable of forming surface projections of uniform height in desired positions on the amorphous material, and a magnetic disk substrate using the amorphous material. A predetermined pressure is applied to selected parts of a surface of an amorphous material using fine particles having a hardness higher than that of the amorphous material to form high-density compressed layers, and a surface layer of the amorphous material is removed using a treatment agent that has a different removal capacity in the compressed layers and a remaining uncompressed layer, thus making the compressed layers project out. For example, the treatment agent may be an etching solution having a different etching rate in the compressed layers and the uncompressed layer.

Abstract: A packing device includes a base frame (10), a rear frame (20) and a front pillar (41). Glass plates (G) are disposed on the base frame (10) with the glass plates leaned against the rear frame (20). The glass plates (G) are held by a pressing device (50) with the glass plates (G) pressed toward the rear frame. The pressing device (50) has pressing members (60, 60) to be arranged along front both sides of the glass plates (G), and locking members (70, 80) each removably disposed between the pressing member (60) and the front pillar (41). The locking member (70) (80) disposed between the front pillar (41) and the pressing member (60) is pressed downwardly along the front pillar (41) to be disposed between the front pillar (41) and the pressing member (60) with the locking member engaged therebetween, whereby the pressing member (60) presses a front surface of the glass plates (G).

Abstract: A line-illuminating device is provided in an image-scanning device such that the end of a transparent light guide is not disengaged from a casing and uniformity of the light amount can be achieved. A rib is formed unitarily with a resin mold which constructs a light source unit so as to cover an end of a light-emitting plane of the transparent light guide. The end of the light guide can be prevented from being disengaged from the casing by the rib. Another rib is formed unitarily with the end of the casing on the opposite side of the light source unit. This rib covers an opposite end of the light-emitting plane of the transparent light guide, and prevents the opposite end of the light guide from being disengaged from the casing.

Abstract: A transmission grating that provides low polarization dependent loss over a wide wave range and provides high diffraction efficiency even with a small groove pitch and high resolving power and dispersion. In a transmission grating 10, multiple parallel ridges 22 that are transparent for the wave range to be used are disposed on one side of a substrate 20 that is transparent for the wave range to be used. Parallel grooves 24 are formed at a fixed pitch a between these ridges. Light is applied from the surface of the transmission grating on which the grooves are formed and diffracted light is extracted from the substrate surface on which grooves are not formed. The groove pitch a is set to a range of 0.51 ?c-1.48 ?c, where ?c is the central wavelength.

Abstract: An aligning tool having a plurality of grooves formed side by side is provided; gradient index rod lenses are placed in alignment within the grooves at an average spacing of 1 ?m-5 ?m; the gradient index rod lenses are fixed to form an integral unit as they maintain the aligned state; thereafter the end faces of each rod lens are polished.

Abstract: A light guide 11 of a rectangular cross-section has side faces 11a, 11b including short sides in the longitudinal direction of which one side face 11a is provided with a light-scattering pattern 20, formed by screen-printing in white paint, for scattering the light incident to the light guide 11. The other side face 11b facing the side face 11a is exposed from a casing 12 to serve as a light-emitting surface. In the present embodiment, it is possible to secure a sufficient amount of light because the whole area of the side face is used as the light-emitting surface. The remaining side faces 11c, 11d of the light guide 11 are side faces including the long sides. Since the side faces 11c, 11d easily produce a surface sink during molding, neither the light-scattering pattern 20 nor the light-emitting surface is provided thereon.

Abstract: A diffraction optical element including an element body having a large number of grooves formed on its surface to form a grating, and a grating shape adjusting layer deposited on a grating surface of the element body by oblique incidence or material particles onto the grating surface, wherein the grating shape adjusting layer per se is made of a reflecting film material. By the grating shape adjusting layer, the contour shape of the resulting grating surface in a section perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the grooves is made not similar to the sectional shape of the element body. A reflecting film may be formed on a grating shape adjusting layer made of another material. A reflecting film may be provided on the element body before a grating shape adjusting layer made of a transparent dielectric material is provided on the reflecting film.

Abstract: There is provided a gradient index rod lens unit having a desired chromatic aberration. The gradient index rod lens unit is comprised of two gradient index rod lenses 11 and 12 with different chromatic aberrations and the entire lengths thereof adjusted, which are disposed in series with the optical axes thereof in alignment. The chromatic aberration of the gradient index rod lens unit can be set to a value falling within chromatic aberration ranges inherently possessed by the respective gradient index rod lenses 11 and 12.

Abstract: A separator for a valve regulated lead acid battery is composed mainly of fine glass fibers and also contains inorganic powder, beaten natural pulp, and heat-weldable organic fibers. The heat-weldable organic fibers have a fineness of 1.5 d (deniers) or less and a fiber length of 1 mm or more, and the amount of the heat-weldable organic fibers is from 3% to 15% by weight. A valve regulated lead acid battery employs the separator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of depositing rutile type titanium dioxide, and a substrate and glass flakes having rutile type titanium dioxide obtained using the method fixed thereto. An object of the present invention is to make heating essentially unnecessary and simplify the manufacturing process, thus reducing costs, and also enable rutile type titanium dioxide to be fixed easily even to a substrate having low heat resistance. This object is attained by depositing rutile type crystals from a titanium-containing solution through a neutralization reaction under conditions of a temperature in a range of 55 to 85° C. and a pH of not more than 1.3.

Abstract: When an end surface of a silica optical fiber and another optical element are to be optically coupled to each other, according to the invention, the optical fiber is treated so that a core of the optical fiber is protruded from a clad of the optical fiber at an end portion of the optical fiber to form a protrusion shaped like a truncated cone or like a cone. On this occasion, the refractive index of the surrounding medium is selected to be in a range of from 1.35 to 1.60. Preferably, the area of the top surface of the truncated cone is not larger than ? as large as the area of the bottom surface of the truncated cone. Further preferably, the side surface of the core protrusion is inclined at an angle of 30 degrees to 75 degrees, both inclusively, with respect to the central axis of the core.