Abstract: The present invention relates to a modified styrene-maleic acid copolymer obtained by reacting a carboxylic acid group in a styrene-maleic acid copolymer with a halogen and/or epoxy compound. The modified styrene-maleic acid copolymer is useful as a low profile additive for a thermosetting resin, a water-absorbing material, etc.

Abstract: An operating switch wiring device capable of easily setting a load which is a group control object, without using a dedicated setter, and a handle member used therefore. The operating switch wiring device used for a remote supervisory control system includes a plurality of individual switches which are individually assigned with addresses corresponding to addresses of relays and individually turn on/off the relays, a group switch which groups one or plural of the individual switches into a group and collectively turns on/off the relays corresponding to the individual switches in the group, and group setting switches which are provided in correspondence with the individual switches and set whether each of the individual switches are registered in the group.

Abstract: A socket includes a socket housing of an insulator to which plural socket contacts to be soldered to a conductive pattern of a circuit substrate, and a fitting metal for fixture to the circuit substrate are attached, in which the fitting metal includes plate-like side plates that are exposed along end surfaces of the socket housing, anchors that are formed by folding the side plates to bite into the housing, and an attachment piece that protrudes from a bottom plate to outside of the socket housing to be fixed to the circuit substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type nitride semiconductor layer 3 formed on one surface side of a single-crystal substrate 1 for epitaxial growth through a first buffer layer 2, an emission layer 5 formed on a surface side of the n-type nitride semiconductor layer 3, and a p-type nitride semiconductor layer 6 formed on a surface side of the emission layer 5. The emission layer 5 has an AlGaInN quantum well structure, and a second buffer layer 4 having the same composition as a barrier layer 5a of the emission layer 5 is provided between the n-type nitride semiconductor layer 3 and the emission layer 5. In the semiconductor light emitting device, it is possible to increase emission intensity of the ultraviolet radiation as compared with a conventional configuration while using AlGaInN as a material of the emission layer.

Abstract: A rocking-type exercise device includes a seat on which a user can sits, a seat rocking unit for reciprocating the seat at least in one direction, a control unit for controlling the seat rocking unit so as to reciprocate the seat, and a detector unit for detecting a user's exercise posture to obtain detected information. The control unit includes a feedback stimulus output unit for comparing the detected information obtained by the detector unit with a target value and for outputting, if a difference exits between the detected information and the target value, a feedback stimulus by which to make the detected information come close to the target value.

Abstract: A spatial information detection system, which is capable of, even when detecting spatial information from a common target space by use of a plurality of detection devices, achieving accurate detection without causing interference between the detection devices. Each of the detection devices has a light emitting source for projecting light intensity-modulated with a modulation period into the target space, a photodetector for receiving light from the target space, and an evaluation portion for detecting the spatial information of the target space from a change between the light projected from the light emitting source and the light received by the photodetector. The system includes a timing control portion for controlling the timings of projecting the lights from the light emitting sources such that a light projection period of the light emitting source of one of the detection devices does not overlap with the light projection period of the light emitting source of another detection device.

Abstract: An electrodeless discharge lamp has a bulb into which a discharge gas and a mercury, which is controlled at a temperature of a coldest spot are filled. A power coupler generates a high frequency electromagnetic field. A ferrule couples the bulb and the power coupler. The bulb is configured as a substantially spherical barrel formed of a transparent material and has an opening. A sealing member is welded to the opening of the barrel having a substantially cylindrical cavity. A protrusion, which becomes the coldest spot when the lamp is lit in a state that the ferrule is disposed upward, is formed at an apex of the bulb. A protruding portion is formed in a vicinity just above the ferrule of the bulb, that is, in a bulb neck portion, so that the bulb neck portion becomes the coldest spot when the lamp is lit in a state that the ferrule is disposed downward. Thereby, a constant optical output is obtained, regardless of a posture of installation of the electrodeless discharge lamp.

Abstract: To provide a connector that enhances the reliability of connection between the ground and a shield constituting a shell. A socket constitutes the connector together with a header which is mounted on a different printed wiring board. The socket includes a socket body which is provided with a connection recess, a plurality of socket contacts which are held by the socket body, and a pitch direction shield and a terminal direction shield constituting the shell which surround the connection recess and which prevents electromagnetic noise from coming in and out. The pitch direction shield and the terminal direction shield are provided with terminals soldered to conductive pattern of the ground.

Abstract: A light emitting device comprises: an LED chip mounted in a recess formed in a mounting substrate; a wavelength converting member that is disposed so as to cover the recess and the edge area around the recess and that is excited by light emitted from the LED chip to emit light of a wavelength different from an excitation wavelength; and an emission control member disposed at a light output side of the wavelength converting member so as to allow emission of light coming from an area of the wavelength converting member that corresponds to the recess and to prevent emission of light coming from an area of the wavelength converting member that corresponds to the edge area around the recess. This can prevent variations in color between light emitted from the central part of the wavelength converting member and light emitted from the part of the wavelength converting member that is located on the edge area around the recess of the mounting substrate, thereby reducing unevenness of color on the irradiation surface.

Abstract: An epilating apparatus has a cylindrical rotating cylinder, a plate and driving portions. The cylindrical rotating cylinder has a plurality of claw portions for epilation. The plate has a plurality of openings, in which the plurality of claw portions are exposed, and covers the outside exposed surface of the rotating cylinder. The driving portions open-close drives the plurality of claw portions while rotationally drives the rotating cylinder so that hairs held by the claw portions are pulled out. The claw tip shape of each claw portion is formed in the shape of a circular arc having a center at the rotational center vicinity of the rotating cylinder.

Abstract: An infrared detection unit includes a base carrying an infrared sensor element, and a cap configured to be fitted on the base to surround the infrared sensor element. The cap has a top wall with a window in which a semiconductor lens is fitted to collect an infrared radiation onto the infrared sensor element. The semiconductor optical lens is formed from a semiconductor substrate to have a convex lens and a flange which surround said convex lens. An infrared barrier is formed on the semiconductor lens to block the infrared radiation from passing through the boundary between the circumference of the convex lens and the window. Accordingly, the infrared sensor element can receive only the infrared radiation originating from a detection area intended by the convex lens.

Abstract: An electric-electronic toothbrush carries a brush driven to vibrate, and arranged to flow an electric current into a user's oral cavity for promoting removal of tooth plaque. The electric-electronic toothbrush has a shaft driven to vibrate along and/or about an axis of the shaft, and a battery supplying the electric current. The shaft is electrically conductive to flow the electric current into a brush electrode of a brush head. The shaft is electrically connected to the battery by way of an extendible electrically conductive coupler within the handle. The electrically conductive coupler has its one end secured to the shaft, and the other end to an electrically conductive member connected to one of poles of the battery, so as to absorb the vibration of the shaft. The handle is provided on its outer peripheral surface with a touch electrode.

Abstract: A compact sensing device capable of sensing a rotational angle and a rotational velocity, or a rectilinear moving distance and a moving velocity. A displacement sensing device that senses a rotational angle of a moving member rotation and a distance of a linear movement of the moving member, or senses an angular velocity of the moving member rotation and a velocity of a linear movement of the moving member, includes: a first movable member, moved together with the moving member by a linear movement of the moving member; a second movable member holding the first movable member in a rotatable manner, and rotated together with the moving member by rotation of the moving member; a first sensor outputting a signal in accordance with a linear movement of the first movable member; and a second sensor outputting a signal in accordance with a rotation of the second movable member.

Abstract: In a rolling driving actuator used as a drive source of a power toothbrush, permanent magnets are formed flat plate shape, and constituting a moving object by being attached to grooves formed on an outer peripheral face of a yoke which is press-fitted to and fixed on a shaft. On the other hand, a tubular shaped stator, which is constituted by a coil wound around a bobbin and stationary yokes provided on both side of the bobbin in axial direction of the shaft, is provided to face an outer face of the permanent magnet or an outer face of the yoke of the moving object with a predetermined clearance so that a center axis thereof becomes coaxial with the center axis of the shaft. By supplying an alternating current to the coil, the moving object is driven in rolling driving around the axis of the shaft.

Abstract: Light outputs from many LEDs are uniformized and power consumption required for such uniformizing is suppressed, in an LED lighting circuit to be used for illuminating apparatus and the like. Currents flowing from a DD converter to an LED module are detected by a current detection resistor and compared with a reference voltage (Vref) from a reference voltage source by a comparison circuit. Corresponding to the comparison results, a control circuit controls the DD converter, and the currents flowing to the LED module are controlled to be constant currents at the same time. Furthermore, in LED load circuits configuring the LED module, control elements configuring a current mirror circuit are arranged in series, a corresponding control element is permitted to have a diode structure by having a circuit with the highest sum of the LED ON voltages as a reference, the flowing current values of the control elements of the remaining circuits are interlocked, and the LED load circuits are balanced.

Abstract: In an insulation type AC-dc converter in which input current from a commercial power supply is converted to obtain insulated direct current, the overall efficiency is raised and the structure is simplified. A multi-resonance type half-bridge DC-DC converter having an insulation transformer T is used as a first converter, and a boosting chopper circuit for power factor improvement is used as a second converter. Hence through multi-resonance operation, increases in losses can be suppressed even when the switching frequency is raised, and because a half-bridge circuit is used, switching elements and similar with lower voltage ratings can be employed, whereby overall efficiency can be increased.

Abstract: A massage chair of the present invention includes an electric reclining mechanism for moving a backrest into different sloping positions, left and right holding mechanisms for respectively holding user's left and right forearms, and a controller for controlling operations of the mechanisms. The controller separately controls operations of the electric reclining mechanism and the left holding mechanism as well as operations of the electric reclining mechanism and the right holding mechanism. When controlling the former operations, the controller controls (A) allow the left holding mechanism to hold the left forearm, (B) allow the electric reclining mechanism to recline the backrest to any of the different sloping positions, (C) allow the electric reclining mechanism to raise the backrest to any of the different sloping positions, and (D) allow the left holding mechanism to release the left forearm. Similarly, the controller controls the latter operations.

Abstract: An infrared sensor unit has a thermal infrared sensor and an associated semiconductor device commonly developed on a semiconductor substrate. A dielectric top layer covers the substrate to conceal the semiconductor device formed in the top surface of the substrate. The thermal infrared sensor carried on a sensor mount which is supported above the semiconductor device by means of a thermal insulation support. The sensor mount and the support are made of a porous material which is superimposed on top of the dielectric top layer.

Abstract: An electric ballast attached to the outside of a lighting system. The system comprises a lamp housing with front and rear openings, a front lens closing the front opening, a discharge lamp put in the housing, and a reflector that reflects light of the lamp toward the lens. The ballast comprises: a ballast housing which closes the rear opening and is connected with frame ground via at least one of the lamp housing and the reflector; a lamp socket and an igniter, put in the front of the ballast housing; and a power converter put in the ballast housing. The output of the converter is connected with the socket, which directly connects with the lamp, and the igniter is connected between them. Heat generating parts of the converter are put in the rear of the ballast housing, and the rear functions as a radiator.