Abstract: A contact portion 9 of a lens holding frame 1 and a contact portion 8 of a nut 10 are so formed that when the lens holding frame 1 and the nut 10 are brought into contact with each other by a coil spring 12, an urging force acts on the lens holding frame 1 in an optical axis direction and an orthogonal direction that orthogonally intersects the optical axis direction.

Abstract: In an electrode body for use in non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, a first end of a separator is located more interiorly than one positive electrode end of a positive electrode plate in a width direction, located more exteriorly than one end of a coated positive electrode portion of the positive electrode plate, and located more exteriorly than one end of a coated negative electrode portion of a negative electrode plate. The first end of the separator is thicker than an intermediate portion. A second end of the separator is located more interiorly than an other negative electrode end of the negative electrode plate in the width direction, located more exteriorly than the other end of the coated positive electrode portion of the positive electrode plate, and located more exteriorly than an other end of the coated negative electrode portion of the negative electrode plate. The second end of the separator is thicker than the intermediate portion.

Abstract: One end of an FPC (21) for supplying power to the driving section of a light amount control section provided in a shutter unit (20) is disposed between a second lens holder (17) and the shutter unit (20) secured to this second lens holder (17) and is held between the second lens holder (17) and the shutter unit (20). Thus, the FPC (21) is prevented from being spaced apart from the shutter unit (20), and a member for securing the FPC (21) to the shutter unit (20) is eliminated, reducing the number of part items. Further, the second lens holder (17) and the shutter unit (20) blocks unwanted light toward the FPC (21), so that a ghost image is prevented from appearing on an image due to unwanted light reflected on the FPC (21).

Abstract: A method for producing isophthalic acid, comprising: subjecting a m-phenylene compound and a molecular-oxygen-containing gas to liquid-phase oxidation reaction in the presence of a catalyst comprising a heavy metal compound and a bromine compound, and hydrous acetic acid having a water content of 1 to 15 mass %, to thereby yield a slurry; regulating the temperature of the slurry to 35 to 140° C., to thereby precipitate isophthalic acid; removing the isophthalic acid through solid-liquid separation, to thereby recover a mother liquor; and recovering the catalyst from the mother liquor by following steps (1) to (4) as described.

Abstract: A method for producing terephthalic acid comprising: subjecting a p-phenylene compound to a liquid-phase oxidation reaction by the use of a molecular-oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst at least containing a heavy metal compound and a bromine compound, and hydrous acetic acid having a water content of 1 to 15 mass %, to thereby yield a slurry; regulating the temperature of the slurry to 35 to 140° C., to thereby cause terephthalic acid to precipitate; removing the terephthalic acid through solid-liquid separation, to thereby recover a mother liquor; and recovering the catalyst from the mother liquor through a series of operations (1) to (4), as described, for reusing at least a portion of the catalyst in the liquid-phase oxidation reaction.

Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle includes, in one example, a motor-generator driven by an engine to generate alternating current, wherein the motor-generator is further configured to start the engine, a motor for driving the vehicle, a diode rectifier to rectify alternating current generated by the motor-generator, an inverter connected to a feed circuit between the diode rectifier and the motor to convert direct current in the feed circuit into alternating current, a power supply connected to a line connecting the diode rectifier with the inverter, a first feed circuit to supply current to the motor to drive the vehicle through the diode rectifier and the inverter in series a second feed circuit to connect the motor-generator with the power supply while bypassing at least the diode rectifier, and an alternating current converter provided in the second feed circuit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high-output, and long-life nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: an electrode group which is formed by winding a positive electrode 5 including an active material layer formed on a surface of a current collector, and a negative electrode 6 including an active material layer formed on a surface of a current collector with a porous insulator 7 interposed therebetween, and is sealed in a battery case, wherein the electrode group is configured in such a manner that uniform surface pressure is applied to turns of the positive electrode 5, the negative electrode 6, and the porous insulator 7 during the winding.

Abstract: A power converting apparatus is provided with three sets of half-bridge inverters (4a-4c) connected between output terminals of a solar battery (1), each of the half-bridge inverters (4a-4c) including two series-connected switching devices, single-phase inverters (5a-5c) connected to individual AC output lines of the bridge inverters (4a-4c), and two series-connected capacitors (6a, 6b) for dividing a voltage of the solar battery (1), wherein output terminals of the single-phase inverters (5a-5c) are connected to individual phases of a three-phase power system (2). Each of the half-bridge inverters (4a-4c) is operated to output one pulse per half cycle, each of the single-phase inverters (5a-5c) is controlled by PWM control operation to make up for a voltage insufficiency from the system voltage, and sums of outputs of the half-bridge inverters (4a-4c) and the single-phase inverters (5a-5c) are output to the power system (2).

Abstract: A control system and method for a hybrid electric vehicle. One example control system includes a current calculating module to calculate a current, the current being at least one of a current to drive a motor of the vehicle and a current generated by the motor, and a feed controller to selectively implement a first mode when the calculated current is below a predetermined current value and to selectively implement a second mode when the calculated current is more than the predetermined current value, wherein either the first feed circuit or the second feed circuit is used in the first mode and both the first feed circuit and the second feed circuit are used in the second mode.

Abstract: In a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery in which an electrode plate group including a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate which have a positive electrode mixture layer formed on a positive electrode current collector to contain a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode mixture layer formed on a negative electrode current collector to contain a negative electrode active material, respectively, and are spirally wound or stacked with a separator interposed therebetween is encapsulated in a battery exterior packaging body with an electrolyte, the battery exterior packaging body includes a gas releasing valve for releasing gas in the battery exterior packaging body to the outside when a gas pressure in the battery exterior packaging body reaches a working pressure and is formed to be deformable where the gas pressure in the battery exterior packaging body is lower than the working pressure of the gas releasing valve.

Abstract: A lens unit having a first lens (2) whose optical surface on the imaging surface side is made of resin (32), a first lens holder (3) for holding the first lens (2), a second lens (6) placed to the imaging side of and spaced in the optical axis direction from the first lens (2), and a second lens holder (4) for holding the second lens (6). The first lens (2) and the second lens (6) are movable relative to each other. A second lens holder recess (8) which a resin projection (33) of the first lens (2) can enter and exit from is formed in the second lens holder (4).

Abstract: An imaging device comprises: a lens housing on which lens groups are mounted and which has a first opening opened along an optical axis direction of the lens groups; and a drive housing on which a drive source for moving the lens groups in the optical axis direction is mounted and which has a drive-use opening to be communicated with the first opening of the lens housing. The lens housing and the drive housing are combined together so as to be separable from each other in a state that the first opening and the drive-use opening are communicated with each other.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present invention includes composite oxide particles including lithium, nickel, and an element M, the element M being at least one of aluminum and cobalt. The composite oxide particles include primary particles and each particle of the primary particles includes a surface portion and an inner portion. A content of the element M in the surface portion is higher than a content of the element M in the inner portion, and a proportion of the primary particles relative to all of the composite oxide particles is 80 to 100 wt %. According to the invention, a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that has excellent cycle characteristics and storage characteristics and is suitable for use in a wide range of the state of charge and in a high-temperature environment and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using the same can be obtained.

Abstract: A cylindrical electrode group prepared by winding a positive electrode and a negative electrode with a separator interposed therebetween is placed in a rectangular battery case together with an electrolyte. A pressure release mechanism is provided on a bottom surface of the battery case parallel to a winding axis of the electrode group. The pressure release mechanism is spaced apart from a projection line of the winding axis of the electrode group projected at a right angle on the bottom surface of the battery case.

Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery of the invention includes an electrode structure including an electrode group composed of a strip-shaped laminate or winding including a positive electrode in which a positive electrode active material layer is attached to a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode, and a separator; a positive electrode current collector plate including aluminum foil; and a negative electrode current collector plate electrically connected to the negative electrode. The positive electrode has, at one longitudinally extending end edge of the laminate, a positive electrode current collector-exposed portion protruding beyond the negative electrode.

Abstract: A secondary battery has a so-called tabless structure. An electrode group (4) includes an exposed end (1a) and a body portion (5). In the exposed end (1a), a current collector is exposed. In the body portion (5), an active material is provided on a surface of the current collector. A current collector plate (10) includes a principal surface (11) to which the electrode group (4) is connected, and projections (13) provided on the periphery of the principal surface (11). Moreover, in a direction in which a positive electrode plate (1), a porous insulating layer (3) and a negative electrode plate (2) are sequentially arranged, a width of the current collector plate (10) is equal to or smaller than a width of the body portion (5). Furthermore, the projections (13) sandwich the exposed end (1a) in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the exposed end (1a).

Abstract: The present invention mainly relates to non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries. The present invention intends to provide a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having excellent cycle characteristics and excellent storage characteristics. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present invention includes a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material, a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode active material includes secondary particles each being an aggregate of a plurality of primary particles, and the primary particles have an average particle diameter of 0.8 ?m or less. The secondary particles each contain aluminum atoms, and the content of the aluminum atoms is larger in a portion near the surface of each of the secondary particles than in a portion near the center of each of the secondary particles.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method of preparing excellent cultured muscle cells having high metabolic capacity and insulin responsiveness, and further provide a method for the measurement of sensitive metabolic capacity using the cells. The present invention is a method of preparing myotube cells, comprising a step (1) of culturing myoblast cells, a step (2) of differentiation-inducing the myotube cells into the myoblast cells in a culture medium with a high content of amino acids, and a step (3) of applying an electric pulse to the differentiation-induced myotube cells.

Abstract: It is possible to ensure welding of an exposed portion of an electrode core member protruding from one end surface of an electrode group to a desired connection portion of a current collector plate by constituting a battery wherein an end portion of a first electrode is protruding from an end portion of a second electrode and an end portion of a separator on one end surface of an electrode group, the protruding end portion of the first electrode includes an exposed portion of a first electrode core member, the exposed portion of the first electrode core member is welded to a connection portion on one surface of the first current collector plate, and an insulating layer is formed in an area except for a reverse face portion of the connection portion on the other surface of the first current collector plate.

Abstract: First to third guide members have first to third axis lines, and the first to third axis lines are arranged in parallel with each other. A first lens holder has a first lens held by a first lens holding portion with a first main sliding portion guided by sliding on the first guide member, and a first sub sliding portion guided by sliding on the third guide member. A second lens holder has a second lens held coaxially with the first lens by a second lens holding portion with a second main sliding portion guided by sliding on the second guide member, and a second sub sliding portion guided by the third guide member.