Abstract: In an electric vehicle, a torque to rotate a drive wheel is generated by a motor. An accelerator grip is operated by a rider in order to adjust the torque of the motor. An operation amount of the accelerator grip is detected by an accelerator sensor. Further, a brake lever is operated by the rider in order to brake a main body. A controller is programmed to control the motor such that the torque of the motor gradually decreases when the brake lever is switched from a non-operation state to an operation state with the torque being generated by the motor.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that can prevent degradation of sheet feeding performance at low cost. A drive transmission portion 200B is provided between a driving motor 227 that drives a conveying roller 250 provided in an apparatus body and a body-side lifting portion 200C that drives a lifter mechanism 200A of a sheet feeding cassette 201 mounted on the apparatus body. When the sheet feeding cassette 201 is mounted on the apparatus body, the drive transmission portion 200B selectively transmits drive of the driving motor 227 to the lifter mechanism 200A through the body-side lifting portion 200C to lift a stacking plate 206 by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable member movable between first and second inside position and between the second inside position and an outside position, supporting cartridges arranged in an arranging direction. At the outside position, the cartridges are detachably mountable outside a main assembly of the image forming apparatus in a direction crossing with the arranging direction and with a longitudinal direction of each cartridge. At the first inside position, the cartridges are positioned inside the main assembly. The second inside position is inside the main assembly partway of a movement path between the outside position and the first inside position. The movable member supports the cartridges so that a distance between adjacent two cartridges of the cartridges is increased with respect to the arranging direction in interrelation with movement of the movable member from the first inside position to the second inside position.

Abstract: A catalyst converter having a retaining mat with a thickness wherein the apparent density during assembling becomes 0.25 g/cm3 or more and less than 0.51 g/cm3 and the outside diameter D1 of a catalyst retainer is set according to interference of the retaining mat in passing through a press-in tool and interference of the retaining mat after being pressed into a retaining tube. The retaining mat is formed of a non-expandable inorganic fiber sheet. A pressing force moves the catalyst retainer in the axial direction with respect to the retaining tube while the catalyst converter device is used with the length L2 along the longitudinal direction of the catalyst retainer in the retaining mat wound around the catalyst retainer being set longer than the winding diameter D1 of the retaining mat around the catalyst retainer so that a retaining force R greater than the pressing force F can be secured.

Abstract: It is devised to further enhance strength and straightening ability of a nitrocarburized raw material for crankshafts. A nitrocarburized raw material for crankshafts is formed so as to have a composition composed of C, Si, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cr, V, S, s-Al, Ca and N in prescribed % by mass, with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities and having a structure of ferrite+pearlite; after smelting a steel having the foregoing composition, hot forging is performed; thereafter, a normalizing treatment is applied to the subject hot forged material at a treatment temperature in the range of from 780° C. to 850° C.; and straightening process for correcting bending to be caused due to the nitrocarburizing treatment is later applied.

Abstract: An exhaust muffler device has a ceramic catalyst body, and a holding tube having an end portion configured to hold the ceramic catalyst body therein with a holding mat therebetween. The end portion is reduced in diameter to form a reduced diameter portion. An exhaust pipe is connected to the holding tube, with a downstream end portion thereof being fitted to an inner circumference of the reduced diameter portion of the holding tube. An inner circumferential surface of the downstream end portion of the exhaust pipe is in proximity to a boundary portion of the holding mat and the ceramic catalyst body.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an alcohol-free beer-taste sparkling beverage imparted with a fruity aroma and a reduced off-flavor; and an alcohol-free beer-taste sparkling beverage imparted with a fruity aroma and a reduced off-flavor produced by the aforesaid production method. “The method for producing an alcohol-free beer-taste sparkling beverage imparted with a fruity aroma and a reduced off-flavor” in the present invention is characterized by use of a hop or a hop component stored and aged in the state of being in contact with air as a hop or a hop component used during a raw material liquid-boiling step, or adjustment of the contents of myrcene, linalool, and nerol in the beer-taste sparkling beverage so as to satisfy five particular numerical ranges by boiling the hop or the hop component in a raw material liquid.

Abstract: High strength steel wire for spring containing, by mass %, C: 0.67% to less than 0.75%, Si: 2.0 to 2.5%, Mn: 0.5 to 1.2%, Cr: 0.8 to 1.3%, V: 0.03 to 0.20%, Mo: 0.05 to 0.25%, W: 0.05 to 0.30%, and N: 0.003 to 0.007%, having a total of contents of Mn and V of 0.70%?Mn+V?1.27% and a total of contents of Mo and W of 0.13%?Mo+W?0.35%, limiting P: 0.025% or less, S: 0.025% or less, and Al: 0.003% or less, and having a balance of iron and unavoidable impurities, having a microstructure comprised of, by volume percent, over 6% to 15% of retained austenite and tempered martensite, having a prior-austenite grain size number of 10 or more, having a density of presence of spheroidal carbides with a circle equivalent diameter of 0.2 to 0.5 ?m of 0.06 particles/?m2 or less, having a density of presence of spheroidal carbides with a circle equivalent diameter of over 0.5 ?m of 0.01 particles/?m2 or less, and having a tensile strength of 2100 to 2350 MPa.

Abstract: Provided is a gas separation apparatus advantageous in suppression of increase in pressure loss and achievement of reduced size and weight, thereby reducing costs. The gas separation apparatus causes an absorbent to flow down along the surface of a packing arranged in a treatment chamber, and supplies to the treatment chamber a gas to be treated which contains a target gas component, and then causes the gas to be treated and the absorbent flowing down along the surface of the packing to come into gas-liquid contact. Thus the target gas component contained in the gas to be treated is absorbed into the absorbent and separated or recovered from the gas to be treated. The packing has at least one packing unit configured by a plurality of expanded metal plates standing vertically and being aligned.

Abstract: Change in the amount of an absorbing liquid is detected to restore the original amount, and carbon dioxide is stably recovered from exhaust gas. The carbon dioxide recovery apparatus has: an absorber where a gas contacts with an absorbing liquid that absorbs carbon dioxide contained in the gas; and a regenerator where the absorbing liquid after absorption is heated to release carbon dioxide and is regenerated. Water vapor in the carbon dioxide-containing recovery gas, discharged from the regenerator, is condensed by recovery equipment, and the condensed water is supplied at a fixed flow rate to the regenerator. A liquid level meter detects the liquid level changing with quantity fluctuations of the absorbing liquid. If the liquid level is lowered, a restoration system restores the original liquid level, using the condensed water. The condensed water sufficient for restoring the liquid level is supplied near the liquid level meter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image carrying member, a rotatable transfer member cooperative with the image carrying member, and a fixing unit having a fixing nip for nipping and feeding the recording material discharged from the transfer nip while fixing the toner image. In addition, a bowing amount measuring unit measures a bowing amount of the recording material, a storing portion stores a target bowing amount, and a speed controller controls a feeding speed of the recording material. The storing portion stores a plurality of target bowing amounts, which are selectable depending on kinds of the recording material, and the speed controller controls the feeding speed in the fixing nip, and then controls the feeding speed so that the bowing amount is substantially zero at the time when a trailing edge of the recording material leaves the transfer nip.

Abstract: A fuel cell separator is produced by forming a fuel cell separator resin composition including, as essential components, (A) an epoxy resin; (B) a curing agent; (C) a curing accelerator; and (D) a carbon material, in which the content of the (D) is 50 to 85% by mass based on the total amount of the composition, in which the (D) includes high crystalline artificial graphite having an average particle size of 100 ?m or more and less than 150 ?m in an amount of 5 to 100% by mass based on the total amount of the (D), and in which the content of the (C) is 0.1 to 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the (B). The resin composition is excellent in electric conductivity and fluidity and contains little impurities, and can provide a fuel cell separator which is excellent in electric conductivity and dimensional accuracy, and has no fear of causing deterioration in performance of a solid electrolyte.

Abstract: A degasifier includes a gas chamber, a degasification unit and a resistance applying unit. The gas chamber is separated from a liquid flow path by a transmission member capable of transmitting a gas dissolving in a liquid in the liquid flow path. The degasification unit expels the gas dissolving in the liquid from the liquid by discharging the gas in the gas chamber through a discharge path so that a pressure in the gas chamber is negative. The resistance applying unit applies an inflow resistance to atmosphere which flows into the discharge path so that the gas chamber is maintained at a pressure at which the liquid can be degasified at the time of the discharging by the degasification unit while the discharge path is open to the atmosphere at all times.

Abstract: A production process of an alcohol-free beer-like malt beverage is disclosed. The process comprises reducing the off-flavor originated from wort by adding terpene. The process provides an alcohol-free beer-like malt beverage having an unpleasant wort off-flavor reduced.

Abstract: A catalyst converter having a retaining mat with a thickness wherein the apparent density during assembling becomes 0.25 g/cm3 or more and less than 0.51 g/cm3 and the outside diameter D1 of a catalyst retainer is set according to interference of the retaining mat in passing through a press-in tool and interference of the retaining mat after being pressed into a retaining tube. The retaining mat is formed of a non-expandable inorganic fiber sheet. A pressing force moves the catalyst retainer in the axial direction with respect to the retaining tube while the catalyst converter device is used with the length L2 along the longitudinal direction of the catalyst retainer in the retaining mat wound around the catalyst retainer being set longer than the winding diameter D1 of the retaining mat around the catalyst retainer so that a retaining force R greater than the pressing force F can be secured.

Abstract: A method of managing downloading contents in a network system including a terminal device, a management server and a downloading site includes three phases of procedures. In a first phase procedure, the management server receives a request for downloading contents from the terminal device and performs a predetermined registration operation. In a second phase procedure, the management server transmits attribution data corresponding to the contents to be downloaded by the terminal device, the attribution data including information of the downloading site. In a third phase procedure, the terminal device accessed the downloading site in accordance with the information included in the attribution data and downloads the contents.

Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus includes: a supply manifold having an inlet port to which a first main flow channel is connected, the liquid supplied from a tank through the first main flow channel being stored in the supply manifold, the supply manifold being connected to supply ports of head modules; a collection manifold having an outlet port to which a second main flow channel is connected, the liquid to be collected to the tank through the second main flow channel being stored in the collection manifold, the collection manifold being connected to discharge ports of the head modules; and a first bypass flow channel which connects the supply manifold to the collection manifold, wherein an end of the first bypass flow channel is connected to an upper side of an end of the supply manifold on a side opposite to a side where the inlet port is arranged.

Abstract: The present invention enhances user usability by storing more files close to the user. A replication processing part 3A creates a replica of a prescribed file, which is in a first file management apparatus, in a second file management apparatus. A single instance processing part 3B selects as a duplicate data removal target another prescribed file in the first file management apparatus in accordance with a first prescribed condition, and converts the selected other prescribed file to a reference-source file, which references data of a prescribed reference file. A stubification processing part 3C selects a stubification candidate file, which constitutes a target of a stubification process, in accordance with a second prescribed condition, and executes stubification processing with respect to the stubification candidate file in accordance with a third prescribed condition.

Abstract: Abrasion resistance is further enhanced in a sliding member used in an internal combustion engine. With respect to a valve lifter 6 used in an internal combustion engine 100, hard particles having higher hardness than the valve lifter 6 are dispersed onto the top face 61 of the valve lifter 6, and a nitriding treatment is conducted on the top face 61 dispersed with the hard particles.

Abstract: A degasifier includes a gas chamber, a degasification unit and a resistance applying unit. The gas chamber is separated from a liquid flow path by a transmission member capable of transmitting a gas dissolving in a liquid in the liquid flow path. The degasification unit expels the gas dissolving in the liquid from the liquid by discharging the gas in the gas chamber through a discharge path so that a pressure in the gas chamber is negative. The resistance applying unit applies an inflow resistance to atmosphere which flows into the discharge path so that the gas chamber is maintained at a pressure at which the liquid can be degasified at the time of the discharging by the degasification unit while the discharge path is open to the atmosphere at all times.