Abstract: A curved lamp manufacturing method including a curving process in which a straight glass tube sealed with reduced pressure inside is heated and curved. The curving process includes: a first step of holding a predetermined portion of the glass tube using a first chuck, and holding one end portion of the glass tube using a second chuck such that the second chuck can slide in a longitudinal direction of the glass tube; and a second step of, while heating a planned curved portion of the glass tube positioned between the predetermined portion and the end portion by a heater, curving the planned curved portion by moving the second chuck relative to the glass tube. The end portion is moved in the second step so that a weight of the end portion is applied to the planned curved portion that has been softened by the heater.

Abstract: A curved lamp manufacturing method including a curving process in which a straight glass tube sealed with reduced pressure inside is heated and curved. The curving process includes: a first step of holding a predetermined portion of the glass tube using a first chuck, and holding one end portion of the glass tube using a second chuck such that the second chuck can slide in a longitudinal direction of the glass tube; and a second step of, while heating a planned curved portion of the glass tube positioned between the predetermined portion and the end portion by a heater, curving the planned curved portion by moving the second chuck relative to the glass tube. The end portion is moved in the second step so that a weight of the end portion is applied to the planned curved portion that has been softened by the heater.

Abstract: A computer-assisted method of assisting a user of a computer to memorize includes steps of displaying an image indicating a content to be memorized, on a left-hand side of a computer screen for a particular period; displaying text data indicating language information related to the image displayed in this displaying step, on a right-hand side of the computer screen for a particular period; and playing back a voice pronouncing the text data displayed in the text data displaying step. The image displaying step, the text displaying step, and the voice playing back step are performed repeatedly, thereby assisting the user of the computer to memorize.

Abstract: An electronic component having an element body, and a terminal electrode disposed on the element body. The terminal electrode has a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a third electrode layer. The first electrode layer is formed on an external surface of the element body and formed by baking of a conductive paste. The second electrode layer is formed by Ni plating on the first electrode layer. The third electrode layer is formed by Sn plating or Sn alloy plating on the second electrode layer. A thickness of the second electrode layer is set in a range of not less than 5 ?m, and less than 8 ?m.

Abstract: A computer-assisted method of assisting a user of a computer to memorize includes steps of displaying an image indicating a content to be memorized, on a left-hand side of a computer screen for a particular period; displaying text data indicating language information related to the image displayed in this displaying step, on a right-hand side of the computer screen for a particular period; and setting, by the user of the computer, an overlap ratio to indicate a degree of overlap between an area in which images are displayed in the image displaying step and an area in which text data is displayed in the text data displaying step. Once the overlap ratio is set, the image displaying step and the text displaying step are performed in accordance with the set overlap ratio, and the image displaying step and the text displaying step are performed repeatedly, thereby assisting the user of the computer to memorize.

Abstract: A discharge lamp manufacturing method that enables the energy loss of a laser beam irradiated from outside an arc tube to be suppressed when forming a pair of electrodes by fusion cutting a predetermined cutting site of a tungsten rod disposed within a sealed arc space. Even when a film of an arc material (e.g., mercury) forms on an inner wall of an arc tube (10) due to the arc material evaporating when the temperature of the arc tube (10) is raised as a result of a laser beam (60) being irradiated from outside the arc tube (10), this manufacturing method is able to eliminate the film through evaporation by heating the arc tube (10) with a coil heater (125) before irradiating the laser beam (60) again.

Abstract: An electronic component comprises an element body, and a terminal electrode disposed on the element body. The terminal electrode has a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a third electrode layer. The first electrode layer is formed on an external surface of the element body and formed by baking of a conductive paste. The second electrode layer is formed by Ni plating on the first electrode layer. The third electrode layer is formed by Sn plating or Sn alloy plating on the second electrode layer. A thickness of the second electrode layer is set in a range of not less than 5 ?m, and less than 8 ?m.

Abstract: In the case of forming a pair of electrodes by irradiating a predetermined site on an electrode assembly disposed in a sealed discharge space and melt-cutting the same, the predetermined site on the electrode assembly is irradiated with the laser beam emitted from a direction that forms a predetermined angle ?1 with a plane that is orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the electrode assembly. Therefore, the discharge lamp manufacturing method according to the present invention can appropriately control which electrode's side the melted electrode material moves to.

Abstract: A curved lamp manufacturing method including a curving process in which a straight glass tube sealed with reduced pressure inside is heated and curved. The curving process includes: a first step of holding a predetermined portion of the glass tube using a first chuck, and holding one end portion of the glass tube using a second chuck such that the second chuck can slide in a longitudinal direction of the glass tube; and a second step of, while heating a planned curved portion of the glass tube positioned between the predetermined portion and the end portion by a heater, curving the planned curved portion by moving the second chuck relative to the glass tube. The end portion is moved in the second step so that a weight of the end portion is applied to the planned curved portion that has been softened by the heater.

Abstract: A delicious, multifunctional soybean food, which has no unpleasant odor specific for a soybean and a less astringent taste. A soybean which completely lacks lipoxygenase and lacks group A acetyl saponin or soyasapogenol A, is used.

Abstract: A quick playback system which assists a user to memorize or learn a language or the like is disclosed. Voice data is sampled at a particular sampling frequency into a plurality of blocks. Fading in/out is performed on end portions of each block, and blocks are connected to each other such that end portions of respective adjacent blocks are overlapped with each other. When voice data is being played back in at an increased speed, a natural sound is played back at a normal speed such that the natural sound is superimposed on the voice data. Furthermore, a moving image corresponding to the natural sound is displayed. Equalizing may be performed on speeded-up voice data. An image moving in a scene of a natural environment may be displayed when speeded-up voice data is being played back. The speed at which the image is moved is increased in synchronization with the speed at which the voice data is played back.

Abstract: A delicious, multifunctional soybean food, which has no unpleasant odor specific for a soybean and a less astringent taste. A soybean which completely lacks lipoxygenase and lacks group A acetyl saponin or soyasapogenol A, is used.

Abstract: A head drum for supporting a magnetic head for magnetically recording information on and reproducing information from a magnetic tape includes an inner body of an aluminum alloy, and a wear-resistant layer of a sintered powdery alloy disposed around an outer circumference of the inner body in at least a region for sliding contact with an elongate magnetic recording medium. The wear-resistant layer has a thickness of at least 0.2 um, and the sintered powdery alloy comprises a powdery alloy of 17 to 38% of Si, 0.5 to 5% of Cu, 0.3 to 5% of Mg, and the remainder of aluminum.

Abstract: A switching controller controls two switches, which connect a first communication terminal such as a telephone set and a second communication terminal such as a facsimile machine to the same communication line. Under certain conditions, such as when the second communication terminal originates or answers a call for the first communication terminal, the switching controller monitors the status of the first communication terminal and automatically disconnects the second communication terminal from the communication line responsive to that status. For a telephone set, the monitored status is the on-hook/off-hook status.

Abstract: A coordinate detecting apparatus with a display unit of a type having a separated control unit constituted for the purpose of improving the handling facility of the coordinate detecting apparatus with the display unit, lowering the frequency for transferring data about the contents to be displayed, enabling the circuit for the display control means to be freely designed and also enabling the coordinate detecting apparatus to be connected to an existing computer body. The coordinate detecting apparatus with the display unit is supplied with power from a power source for a control unit, data about the contents to be displayed is supplied from the control unit to the coordinate detecting apparatus with the display unit via one integrated cable while being compressed to form a graphic control signal, the data about the contents to be displayed is restored in the coordinate detecting apparatus with the display unit and the aforesaid function is given to the interface board.

Abstract: An input/output apparatus includes a coordinate input device and a display device which are stacked on each other. The coordinate input device detects position coordinates of an input designating device by (a) intermittently transmitting radio waves from a tablet to excite a tuned circuit incorporated in the input designating device and (b) receiving radio waves generated by the tuned circuit while transmission of radio waves by the tablet is suspended. The times while the display data latch pulses are generated in the display device is synchronized with the transmission of radio waves from the tablet in the coordinate input device. In consequence, noise is not generated in synchronism with the generation of the display data latch pulses while the tablet receives the radio waves, so noise is not imposed on a signal received by the tablet.

Abstract: The position on a surface of an implement including a tuned circuit with a predetermined resonant frequency is determined and displayed by an apparatus having a housing including the surface. A tablet in the housing includes coils arranged in two coordinate directions parallel to the surface. The coils are excited with AC energy having approximately the same frequency as the resonant frequency. The tuned circuit interacts with the AC energy to change the AC current flowing in the coils as a function of the implement on the tablet. An electronic two-coordinate direction display in the housing configured as a plate is superposed with and lies in a plane parallel to the tablet and the surface. The display responds to the change in AC current resulting from the interaction between the AC energy and the tuned circuit to indicate the position of the implement on the surface.

Abstract: A plastic one-piece molding fastener for an elongated object includes a holding portion for holding an elongated object, first and second leg portions depending from the holding portion, first and second elastic locking portions extending from the ends of the respective first and second leg portions toward the bottom of the holding portion so as to define therewith substantially U-shaped members, locking shoulders provided on the first and second elastic locking portions for being engaged with the edge and undersurface of a mounting hole of a mounting plate within which the elongated object is to be secured, and first and second lever portions extending in opposite directions from upper portions of the elastic locking portions and perpendicular to the axial direction of the fastened elongated object and inclined downwardly with respect to the bottom of the holding portion.