Abstract: A printer comprises a frame having top, bottom, left and right surfaces, a base disposed along the bottom surface, and a pair of bearings each connected to the base and having a recessed portion. A platen is supported between the left and right surfaces of the frame to undergo rotation. A print head is supported between the left and right surfaces of the frame to undergo pivotal movement about a rotational axis into and out of contact with the platen and for printing on a recording paper fed between the platen and the print head. The print head has a pair of support shafts disposed along the rotational axis each for engagement with one of the recessed portions of the bearings. When the support shafts of the print head detachably engage with the recessed portions of the bearings and the print head is pivoted about the support shafts, the print head undergoes pivotal movement into and out of contact with the platen without being detached from the bearings.

Abstract: A tip of a probe is sharpened and a level difference portion 6 in a boundary zone between a base portion 5 and an elastic functioning portion 4 is formed into a tapered configuration. The diameter of the elastic functioning portion 4 is made smaller than that of the base portion 5. Also, a part of the elastic functioning portion 4 is shaped into a constricted configuration. Also, the probe material is an optical fiber and this probe is composed of a core portion 2 that propagates light therethrough and clad portions 3 that differ in refractive index from each other. And the portion of the probe that excludes a aperture is clothed by a metal film cladding 7.

Abstract: A charge/discharge control circuit cuts off a current path to stop charging of an abnormal secondary cell when the voltage of the secondary cell is less than the threshold voltage of a MOS transistor.

Abstract: To obtain a required delay time at each control using one capacitor in common, a charge and discharge control circuit includes an overcharge detecting circuit, an overdischarging circuit, and an overcurrent detecting circuit and carries out charge and discharge control of a secondary cell by ON/OFF control. A delay circuit includes plural current sources or a resistor and a single capacitor to obtain a varying delay time in response to a signal from outside. The charge and discharge control circuit operates the delay circuit so that a required delay output is obtained from the delay circuit by a first control circuit and ON/OFF controls a switch circuit by a second control circuit so that a required charge and discharge control is carried out with delay by the delay output.

Abstract: A multi-functional timepiece comprises a base, a wheel train mounted on the base for rotation, a cam member rotationally driven by the wheel train about a rotational center, and a rotary member mounted to undergo angular displacement in opposite directions. A display member is integrally connected to the rotary member for angular displacement therewith to display time or date information. An interconnecting member interconnects the cam member to the rotary member such that rotational motion of the cam member effects angular displacement of the rotary member in the opposite directions.

Abstract: An improved stable feedback control circuit for a scanning probe microscope has a vibrationally driven cantilever having a probe mounted at a distal end thereof at a frequency near the resonance frequency thereof and a light detector for measuring deflection of the cantilever in response to a repulsive force acting between the probe and a surface of a sample and producing a pair of output signals which vary depending upon deflection of the cantilever and a detected signal having the vibrating frequency of the cantilever as a fundamental frequency component thereof, a method for controlling the probe microscope comprising the steps of: producing a plurality of input signals for the feedback control circuit comprising a first input signal equivalent to the root-mean-square value of the detected signal and a second input signal equivalent to a difference between, or the sum of, the pair of output signals of the light detector, and adding the first and second input signals to produce a feedback control signal use

Abstract: A high speed electromagnetic rotating machine is arranged to avoid heat generation due to mutual inductance between a stator and rotor and has a stator provided with drive windings for generating a rotating magnetic field to rotate the rotor and position control windings fitted to the stator for generating a magnetic field having a different number of poles than that of the drive windings for controlling the axial or radial position of the rotor when an electric current sufficient to unbalance the magnetic field applied to the rotor by the drive windings is supplied to the position control windings. The rotor has a cage conductors interconnected to form a plurality of closed circuits mounted to the rotor, the closed circuits having a number of poles set so that there is no mutual inductance between the position control windings and the cage conductors.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel comprises first and second substrates each having a transparent electrode and an orientation plane, a nematic liquid crystal material disposed between the first and second substrates, a polarizer disposed over the first substrate and the nematic liquid crystal material, and a simplex polymer film comprised of a single optically anisotropic substance disposed between the first substrate and the polarizer. The nematic liquid crystal material has a positive anisotropy of refractive index, a retardation of 0.55 .mu.m to 1.75 .mu.m, and molecules twisted at a high degree with a twist angle of 180.degree. to 270.degree.. The simplex polymer film has a retardation of 20 nm to 200 nm.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrically erasable semiconductor non-volatile memory device comprises forming a field insulating film on a surface of a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type. A gate insulating film is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Source and drain regions having a second conductivity type are formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate in spaced-apart relationship with each other by introducing impurity ions having the second conductivity type into the semiconductor substrate with an acceleration energy sufficient to form a peak value of impurity concentration at a depth of more than approximately 500 .ANG. from the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The gate insulating film is then etched on the drain region to form a tunnel region having opposite sides connected to the field insulating film.

Abstract: An efficient battery charger which does not require rectifiers such as diodes, and prevents the reverse charging of a secondary battery and discharge to a generator from the secondary battery in an electrical close loop constituted of the generator and secondary battery by using a mechanical mechanism. The battery charger comprises an external rotary operating member (1), a generator (5) which converts the rotational kinetic energy of the member (1) into electrical energy, a one-way rotary clutch (20) which short-circuits an energy path for transmitting the rotational kinetic energy of the member (1) to the generator, an electricity storage (6) which stores the converted electrical energy, and an electrical switch (30) which forms an electrical loop by connecting the generator (5) to the storage (6) when the generator (5) is in a generating state.

Abstract: Instability and oscillation are avoided in an overcharge/overdischarge control circuit by providing comparators with sufficient gain to minimize leakage current penetration into control circuitry when an output of a comparator used for comparing the output voltage of a secondary cell with a reference voltage is at an intermediate level. An overcharging/overdischarging detection circuit with two secondary cells connected in series has voltage dividing resistors connected in parallel therewith for producing a divided output voltage for each secondary cell, the divided output voltages each being supplied to a respective comparator. A first comparator has an input stage comprising N-channel MOS devices. A second comparator has an input stage comprising P-channel MOS devices.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope has a probe for measuring the shape of a sample surface and various physical properties of the sample, and a micro-positioning mechanism for positioning the sample proximate the probe. The micro-positioning mechanism has spring elements for effecting fine movement of the sample in a predetermined direction toward the probe, an electromagnetic power generating mechanism for driving the spring elements, a support mechanism mounted for movement in the predetermined direction and having a support member supported through a viscous element for effecting coarse movement of the sample in the predetermined direction, and a heating mechanism for heating the viscous element.

Abstract: A scanning type near field interatomic force microscope of the type having a hook-shaped probe formed of a light transmitting material and having a sharpened tip portion with a transmitting hole for transmitting light, the probe being disposed over and moved relative to a sample surface for simultaneously measuring the shape of the surface of the sample and the optical characteristics of a minute region of the surface of the sample by scanning over the surface of the sample under a state in which the distance between the tip portion of the probe and the surface of the sample is within an operation distance in which an interatomic force acts between the tip portion of the probe and the surface of the sample. A quartz oscillator is attached to a shaft portion of the probe and has electrodes. A detection circuit detects a change in the resonance characteristics of the oscillator caused by the interatomic force acting between the tip portion of the probe and the surface of the sample.

Abstract: A thermal head comprises an insulative substrate, a heating-element layer disposed over the insulative substrate, at least one electrode disposed over the heating-element layer for supplying power to the heating-element layer, and a protective film disposed over the heating element layer and the electrode. The electrode has a tapered peripheral edge portion, and the protective film has a Vickers hardness of at least 1200 Kg/mm.sup.2 or more.

Abstract: A printer comprises a frame, a platen supported by the frame for undergoing rotation, and a printing head for printing on a recording medium fed between the platen and the printing head. The printing head is supported by the frame for undergoing pivotal movement into and out of pressure contact with the platen. A biasing member is mounted for movement between a first position in which the biasing member is in a neutral, unstretched state, and a second position in which the biasing member is in stretched state. The biasing member has a first end integrally connected to the printing head and a second end opposite the first end. An operation member is integrally connected to the second end of the biasing member and is supported by the frame for undergoing pivotal movement between a first position and a second position. When the operation member is pivoted to the first position, the biasing member is moved to the first position and the printing head is pivoted out of pressure contact with the platen.

Abstract: There is provided a structure wherein a detector for measuring the fluorescent X-rays is made into a thin and hollow cylindrical type configuration and this detector is fitted onto the vicinity of an end on the sample side of the X-ray capillary tube for decreasing primary X-rays to a thin flux.

Abstract: An improved GPS receiving apparatus may be worn on a user's arm and is not affected by the user's periodic arm swinging motion. A GPS signal receiver receives a GPS signal from GPS satellites, the receiver being mountable on a user's arm. A display is provided for displaying information based upon an output of the GPS signal receiver. An arm swing detecting circuit including an acceleration sensor detects the periodic swinging motion of the user's arm and outputs a corresponding periodic signal. A timing circuit sets a predetermined time during respective arm swing movements at which a GPS signal receiving operation will be performed based upon the periodic signal output by the arm swing detecting circuit. Operation timing of the GPS signal receiver is performed based on the output signal of the timing circuit so that a GPS signal receiving operation is performed at the same time during each cycle of periodic arm swinging motion to thereby cancel the effect of the periodic arm swinging motion.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprises the steps of sequentially forming a first gate electrode and an insulating film over a transparent support substrate, forming a through-hole in the insulating film, forming a semiconductor single crystal silicon thin film over the transparent support substrate by epitaxial growth in the through-hole of the insulating film, forming a transistor element having a channel region formed in the semiconductor single crystal silicon thin film, and forming a second gate electrode over and electrically insulated from the channel region of the transistor element.

Abstract: A method of producing a bipolar transistor composed of collector, base and emitter regions disposed sequentially on a semiconductor substrate. According to the method, a semiconductor layer is deposited on the collector region, the semiconductor layer is cleaned to expose an active surface, an impurity source gas is applied to the exposed active surface while heating the substrate to form an impurity adsorption layer, the impurity is diffused into the semiconductor layer to form the base region, another semiconductor layer is deposited on the base region, this semiconductor layer is cleaned to expose an active surface, another impurity source gas is applied to the exposed active surface while heating the substrate to form another impurity adsorption layer, and impurity is diffused into the semiconductor layer to from the impurity adsorption layer to form the emitter region.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a MOS field effect transistor comprises forming on a semiconductor substrate a first epitaxial growth layer having an impurity doping concentration lower than that of the semiconductor substrate, forming on the first epitaxial growth layer a second epitaxial growth layer having an impurity concentration higher than that of the first epitaxial growth layer and having a thickness equal to or less than a diffusion depth of a source and a drain region, and forming on the second eptiaxial growth layer a third epitaxial growth layer having an impurity concentration lower than that of the second epitaxial growth layer and having a thickness equal to or less than that of a depletion layer at a channel region.