Abstract: A technique for improving a number of reproducible times in reproduction of information from an optical recording medium having a recording layer which reacts in a photon mode. The power of a reproducing beam is set in proximity to P.sub.rep (W) appearing in the following expression (I) or within a range of P.sub.rep (W) appearing in the following expression (II): ##EQU1## In order to improve an S-N ratio, squeezed light having suppressed photon number fluctuation is employed as a reproducing beam at need. If improvement of the number of reproducible times is in preference to improvement of the S-N ratio, such squeezed light having suppressed photon number fluctuation is employed as a reproducing beam with power which is set within a range of P.sub.

Abstract: A hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode comprises a conductive substrate, a layer of hydrogen-absorbing alloy granules disposed on the conductive substrate and a binder for binding the granules together and to the conductive substrate. A part of the granules is exposed on a surface of the layer on the electrode. The layer may have a predetermined thickness and the granules may include large size granules having a maximum diameter larger than half the thickness of the layer but smaller than the thickness of the layer. The granules may include first granules having a first average diameter and second granules having a second average diameter smaller than the first average diameter; the first granules may be 5 wt % or more but less than 20 wt % of the total weight of the granules.

Abstract: A LOCOS film is formed on the surface of an epitaxial layer. A gate electrode is formed on the epitaxial layer. At the same time that the gate electrode is formed, a lower electrode is formed on the LOCOS film. A diffusion region is formed on each element and then covered with a BPSG film. A contact hole and capacitor exposure are formed in a capacitor element simultaneously. A film of SiN is deposited in layers over the capacitor exposure. The film of SiN covers undesired areas about the capacitor exposure. Excess SiN film outside the desired area over the capacitor exposure is removed by masking and etching to leave the remaining film area over the capacitor exposure to serve as a capacitor dielectric film. Finally, an Al upper electrode is formed over the SiN film to serve as electrode wiring. The process reduces the series resistance of the capacitor element, thereby reducing power required for charging the dielectric, and speeding the charging process.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device having a tab soldered onto it for modularization, includes a first conductivity type crystalline semiconductor layer, a collector electrode electrically connected to the tab by soldering, a short-preventing layer formed under a soldered portion of the collector electrode, and a second, opposite conductivity type amorphous semiconductor layer formed above the crystalline semiconductor layer. The short-preventing layer is an insulating layer of SiO.sub.2 or the like, or an opposite conductivity type doped layer formed in the first conductivity type crystalline semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Control data indicating the vertical start positions of display characters is written into the locations of a video RAM determined by a common column address and a plurality of column addresses. In each horizontal synchronizing period, all control data is read in sequence from the video RAM and set in sequence in a vertical start position register. A match is found between the contents of the vertical position counter indicating the current vertical position and the contents of the vertical start position register. When they match, after the horizontal synchronizing period, the video RAM is accessed with the control data as the vertical position start address.

Abstract: A quantitative flour feeding unit of a noodle making machine which can easily be exchanged with another one for making a different kind of noodle using a different kind of flour including a support platform on which a hopper and a rotational driving mechanism are mounted to quantitatively feeding the flour stored in the hopper to a flour kneading unit. The support platform is removably mounted on a housing of the noodle making machine by a position determining unit to enable the exchange with the position determining unit including a V-shaped groove formed at one corner of the support platform and a stationary knob disposed on the support platform at another diametrically located platform corner. The noodle making machine has a unit for transmitting the power generated by a motor to the rotational driving mechanism and a unit for setting and indicating what kind of flour is being used at present.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a microcomputer. The number of image forming operation of a photosensitive drum is counted by a counter as a copy quantity, and data of the copy quantity is applied to the microcomputer. By referring to a copy quantity-voltage table, voltage setting data according to the copy quantity is applied by the microcomputer to a bias voltage source so that the bias voltage source applies a required bias voltage according to the voltage setting data to a conductive substrate of the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A motor servo system for controlling a motor includes a first synthesizing portion which synthesizes a speed detection signal and a phase detection signal with each other to produce a synthesized signal which is in turn filtered by a low-pass filter portion and then becomes a first motor control signal. The first motor control signal is applied to an equivalent motor portion (software motor) which is included in an observer and has a transfer function of as the same as that of the motor. A detection signal which is detected by the equivalent motor portion and a synthesized signal from the synthesizing portion are compared with each other by a first comparing portion. An output signal of the first comparing portion is applied to a second comparing portion or a second synthesizing portion.

Abstract: A quantization circuit samples input digital data represented by a predetermined number of bits fed during a given period on a sampling period shorter than the digital data input period and converts the sampled data into quantized digital data having a fewer number of bits than the input digital data. Quantization noise at the quantization circuit is fed back into an input side of the quantization circuit to form a noise shaping loop. The noise shaping loop is provided with an auxiliary loop containing an integrator, and the integrating result is selectively added. Then, the noise shaping loop degree can be changed by determining whether or not the integrating result is to be added. An infinite impulse response filter is located on a feedback loop of the noise shaping loop for averaging noise, thereby improving the noise removing performance without raising the noise shaping loop degree.

Abstract: A partitioning member having therein a space is provided at the opening of a thermal insulation box having an outer and inner boxes forming a space in between said outer and inner boxes. The two spaces communicate with each other and filled integrally with a thermal insulation material by injecting into the space between said outer and inner box an expandable thermal insulation material, which diffuses into the space inside said partitioning member, to thereby provide in a simple and economical way a thermal insulation box having a small number of components but as uniform thermal insulation.

Abstract: A distributively arranged air conditioner group apparatus includes plural groups of air conditioners distributively arranged at remote locations wherein each group consists of a plurality of units on the heat source side and a plurality of units on the utilization side located remote from each other and a single signal line is used for a plurality of communication signal lines each usable for the purpose of controlling. To prevent a controlling operation from being erroneously performed at the time of an occurrence of signal interference, specific communication addresses are set to the respective units for the purpose of controlling communication among these units. The communication addresses are set for each group immediately after the apparatus is installed or at the time of starting of an operation of the apparatus by utilizing a plurality of heat source pipings extending between the units on the heat source side and the units on the utilization side for each group.

Abstract: A temperature control apparatus and method which utilizes a characteristic of a temperature detection device which detects temperature over a wide range of changing temperature and makes it possible to control a unit by detecting a wide range of changing temperature of the unit using the single temperature detection device. A temperature detection circuit outputs a voltage corresponding to the resistance value of the temperature detection device, whose resistance value varies with changes in temperature, which voltage is A/D (analog-to-digital) converted into a digital step value. This digital step value is converted to a temperature value using a predetermined mathematical relationship. The temperature control is executed using the converted temperature value and a desired temperature value in the same data form as the converted temperature value.

Abstract: There is disclosed an EL element having at least one layer made from organic materials between an electron injection electrode and a hole injection electrode, the organic materials consisting of oxadiazole series compounds which have a plurality of oxadiazole rings.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a refrigerating system capable of cooling a compressor stably using a liquid injection circuit even when defrosting of an evaporator is performed using a gaseous refrigerant of high pressure. The refrigerating system comprises a compressor having a refrigerant discharge side and a refrigerant suction side; a condenser connected to the discharge side of the compressor; a receiver tank connected to a refrigerant outlet side of the condenser; an evaporator connected between a refrigerant outlet side of the receiver tank and the suction side of the compressor; a defrosting circuit which supplies a gaseous refrigerant obtained by gas-liquid separation in the receiver tank to the evaporator to defrost the evaporator; and a liquid injection circuit which supplies a liquid refrigerant obtained by gas-liquid separation in the receiver tank to a low pressure side in the interior of the compressor.

Abstract: A secondary battery has a positive electrode principally comprising a lithium-containing complex oxide, a negative electrode principally comprising a carbon material and an organic electrolyte solution, said negative electrode utilizing a mixed binder comprising a polyamic acid and at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyamide resin, polyvinylpyrrolidone and a hydroxyalkylcellulose. The battery has a long cycle life and, at the same time, hardly breaks or bursts even when the battery temperature becomes abnormally high, thereby being highly reliable.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner in which the feedback of liquid refrigerant to a compressor is prevented and whose refrigerating cycle is constituted with an indoor side heat exchanger, a compressor, an outdoor side heat exchanger, and a pressure reducer. The controller of the air conditioner comprises a temperature control means which performs the cooling operation for a room in controlling the start or stop of the operation of the compressor based on the change of the room temperature, a protective means which stops the operation of the compressor compulsorily independent of the operation of the temperature control means when the open air temperature becomes lower than a specified temperature, and a display means for displaying the operation of the protective means.

Abstract: In an air conditioner having an air filter comprising a frame body and a mesh which are integrally formed, a specific portion 140 of the frame body 132 is wider than the other portions of the frame body, and a support post 130 which is engageable with a latch slot 131 on the main body is disposed at the widened portion, so that even when the joint between the frame body and the mesh is formed away from the support post, the mechanical strength of the post can be maintained. In addition, the width of the joint at the widened portion is substantially equal to that of the other portions of the joint, so that the mesh is uniformly fixed to the frame body.