Abstract: A universal serial bus (USB) communication method includes determining in advance a communication data format between a host computer and a device driver so that a packet formed by the communication data format includes a report ID that indicates a size of the packet and transmission data, adding, at a time of transmission, the report ID indicating the size to the transmission data at a head portion of the packet and transmitting the packet with the report ID.

Abstract: A stepping motor includes a pair of drive coils arranged to sandwich a magnetic rotor in the axial direction of a rotor shaft in order to decrease the motor size. The drive coils are configured to be annular around the rotor shaft that extends in both directions from the magnetic rotor. A pair of cylindrical yokes are provided to enclose the drive coils. A pair of sintered bearings that support the rotational movement of the rotor shaft are made of a magnetic material, and the cylindrical yokes and the sintered bearings are formed together.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for an optical element includes providing a base member for an optical element and a cutting tool from which a blade tip part protrudes, forming an inspecting groove on a surface of the base member by the blade tip part of the cutting tool by relatively moving the cutting tool and the base member while the cutting tool is rotated and inspecting an inclination of a cut surface of the inspection groove formed by the cutting tool to form an inspection result. The method also includes correcting an angle defined by the base member and the blade tip part of the cutting tool based on the inspection result and forming formal grooves on the surface of the base member having the inspection groove by the blade tip part of the cutting tool by relatively moving the cutting tool and the base member while the cutting tool is rotated simultaneously with the inspection groove being cut out.

Abstract: A motor is disclosed comprising a motor case and a rotating shaft for the motor having a portion within the motor case and a portion extending outside of the motor case. A feed screw is formed on the extending portion of the rotating shaft. The feed screw threadedly engages with a moving body which moves back and forth along an axial direction of the rotating shaft. The feed screw has a threaded portion, a top portion of this threaded portion being provided with a concavity to store lubricating oil.

Abstract: A motor control device for a flow control device includes an opening part through which an upstream side of a fluid flow passage is in communication with a downstream side of the fluid flow passage, a valve element that controls a flow of a fluid which passes through the opening part, a motor which includes a rotor and a stator that relatively moves the valve element with respect to the opening part and a drive control section by which the motor is rotationally driven and controlled. Drive pulses are outputted from the drive control section for rotationally driving the rotor of the motor and a stop pulse is outputted from the drive control section and set to be a period width longer than that of the drive pulse for stopping the rotor of the motor at a prescribed position. The stop pulse is applied to the motor and the rotor stops at the prescribed position by a magnetic detent torque between the rotor and the stator.

Abstract: An IC card reader comprises a card transport path for passing an IC card, an abutting portion and an IC contact, which contacts a contact terminal pattern of the IC card and is capable of coming close to or being distanced from the IC card. The IC card reader further comprises a card discharge port, which is provided at the rear end of said card transport path, regulation means for regulating a distance between said IC contact block and the card transport path, a driving portion for releasing control of the distance and a stopper for aligning the IC contact block to the card transport path. When the IC card left on the card transport path needs to be discharged from the card discharge port, control of the regulation means is released so that the abutting portion and the IC contact are distanced from the card transport path at least to a position such that the IC card cannot contact thereagainst.

Abstract: A closing device for a toilet unit includes a slave member connected to a toilet cover, a motor, and a switching mechanism that mechanically connects or disconnects the motor from the slave member during closing of the cover. When the motor rotates to move the toilet cover from an open position to a partially closed position, the switching mechanism allows the slave member to move in response to rotation of the motor. After the toilet cover reaches the partially closed position, the mechanical link between the slave member and the motor provided by the switching mechanism is released such that the toilet cover falls freely under its own weight to the closed position independent of the motor. Preferably, the device includes a driving member coupled between the motor and the switching mechanism and operable to move the slave member.

Abstract: An optical head device includes a laser beam emitting element having a rectangular type body frame in which a semiconductor laser chip is accommodated, a light-emitting element holder having a first holder member and a second holder member, and a base portion to which the light-emitting element holder is mounted. The first holder member and the second holder member are fixed to each other so as to respectively about within part of the laser beam emitting element from both sides to hold the laser beam emitting element.

Abstract: A damper device includes a first baffle capable of opening or closing a first opening portion by turning about its axis and a second baffle capable of opening or closing a second opening portion by turning about its axis. A common drive source for driving the first baffle and the second baffle and a gear train by which the output from the drive source is transmitted to the first baffle and the second baffle are also provided. The device also includes a first rotary shaft driven by the gear train for driving the first baffle and a second rotary shaft driven by the gear train for driving the second baffle. The first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft are arranged to be extended from the positions adjacent to each other on the gear train toward one side in an axial direction of the gear train.

Abstract: According to the small hydroelectric power generator of the present invention, each of the outer peripheral portions of the hydraulic turbine which oppose to the ejecting openings are made in an edge shape. Therefore, the ejecting openings will not be blocked by the outer peripheral portions of the hydraulic turbine, keeping the hydraulic pressure constant. Also, since the water is constantly ejected from the ejecting openings at a plurality of locations, the hydraulic turbine rotates smoothly, reducing the rotational noise. Furthermore, the hydraulic pressure and the current are kept constant and in turn the vibration noise from the case and the current noise are reduced. Moreover, the square corners and the edges are eliminated from the back planes of the blade members to give an R-like round shape; therefore, a reverse torque is prevented from occurring to smoothen the current and in turn to reduce the noise.

Abstract: An optical characteristic measurement device includes an optical path separation element to which a parallel laser beam is made incident through an aperture, a first face-type photo-detector that receives the laser beam transmitted through the optical path separation element and a second face-type photo-detector that receives the laser beam reflected by the optical path separation element. A length of an optical path from the aperture to the first face-type photo-detector is set to be different from a length of an optical path from the aperture to the second face-type photo-detector.

Abstract: A motor has a stator with a simplified structure having a stator section including at least two core pairs. Each of the core pairs includes inner and outer cores. Coils are wound around the core pairs. A case made of a magnetic material covers the coils in a manner that the case more securely comes in contact with the inner cores and the outer cores. The case is welded to at least the inner cores to securely form independent magnetic circuits.

Abstract: An optical head device includes a first laser light source that emits a first laser beam with a first wavelength, a second laser light source that emits a second laser beam with a second wavelength which is different from that of the first laser beam, a common objective lens that converges the first laser beam on a recording surface of a first optical recording medium and the second laser beam on a recording surface of a second optical recording medium, a refraction surface that is formed on the common objective lens so as to be divided into a center side refraction surface region around an optical axis of the common objective lens and an outer peripheral side refraction surface region surrounding the center side refraction surface region and a center side diffraction grating that is formed all over the center side refraction surface region and is provided with a number of minute steps in a concentrically circular shape.

Abstract: A lens driving device includes a moving body equipped with a lens and a driving magnet attached to the lens, and a fixed body that is equipped with a driving coil that forms together with the driving magnet a magnetic circuit and moves the moving body in an optical axis direction of the lens between a first lens retaining position and a second lens retaining position, and at least one magnetic member disposed adjacent to at least one of two end sections in the optical axis direction of the driving magnet. The moving body is retained at the first lens retaining position by magnetic attraction caused by the driving magnet and the magnetic member when energization of the driving coil is stopped. Accordingly, the driving coil does not need to be energized while the lens is retained at the first lens retaining position.

Abstract: A bearing member and a dynamic pressure bearing device using the bearing member includes a cylindrical body constituting a bearing member that rotatably supports a shaft member. The cylindrical body is made of a copper metal, and an anti-rust film comprising cupric benzotriazole is formed on the surface of the cylindrical body.

Abstract: A data demodulating technique for binary data defined by a pulse code modulated signal. The technique involves digitizing the data signal read by a magnetic head from the stripe of a magnetic card. The time interval between peaks in the digitized signal is determined to provide peak interval values. The peak interval values form the basis for determining the end of a character and also by a pattern matching technique against idealized data form the basis for determining the character itself.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a disc clamping device includes a clamp body including a tip operating portion, wherein the tip operating portion moves downward by a depressed disc. The disc clamping device further includes an engagement body including an entry guide portion to guide the disc along the entry guide portion to a center location. When the clamp body is in an upward position, the uppermost surface of the clamp body is positioned to be the same height as an uppermost surface of the entry guide portion of the engagement body.

Abstract: A winding type magnetic sensor device includes a sensor core facing an object to be detected, an excitation coil wound around the sensor core, and a detection coil wound around the sensor core that defects a variation of magnetic flux corresponding to the object to obtain a detection signal for the object. A constant current drive circuit is provided that supplies a constant current to the excitation coil.

Abstract: A flow control device includes a wall part partitioning an upstream side and a downstream side of a flow passage for fluid, an aperture part formed on the wall part, a sheet shaped valve element which changes from a closed state in which the sheet shaped valve element extends along the wall part to cover the aperture part to an opened state in which the aperture part is opened and a valve element drive mechanism for moving the sheet shaped valve element.

Abstract: A carriage ejection mechanism has a drawer, which moves back and forth between a stock position and an eject position, a plurality of carriages contained inside the drawer in a slidable manner in the direction in which the drawer moves and in a vertically stacked manner, and a slide control device that slides the carriages relative to the drawer. The slide control device slides upper carriages relatively more towards the stock position than the lower carriages such that the plurality of carriages are positioned successively staggered in a stair-like manner in the eject position.