Abstract: In response to the driver's brake OFF operation after a gearshift operation of a gearshift lever to a parking position, a motor MG2 is controlled to sequentially output a torque in a backward direction of a vehicle and a torque in a forward direction of the vehicle. Gears are accordingly engaged in a parking lock mechanism during rotation of a parking gear by an angle corresponding to half a tooth in the backward direction of the vehicle or during subsequent rotation of the parking gear by an angle corresponding to one tooth in the forward direction of the vehicle. This arrangement effectively ensures gear engagement in the parking lock mechanism, while desirably reducing a moving distance from a vehicle stop position before gear engagement in the parking lock mechanism.

Abstract: The invention provides a chondroitin sulfate synthesis promoter useful for the treatment of diseases such as articular disease and discopathy. The chondroitin sulfate synthesis promoter contains, as an active ingredient, chondroitin sulfate glucuronyltransferase protein and/or chondroitin sulfate N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-1 protein, or a gene encoding the enzyme protein(s).

Abstract: In the case where a start command of an engine is given with a gearshift lever being operated to a parking position, when a cooling water temperature Tw is lower than a threshold value Twref, and a stop time tst of the engine is a threshold value tstref or longer (S110 and S120), a relatively large predetermined torque T2 is set to a power-holding torque Tg (S140), and the power-holding torque Tg added to a torque for canceling a reaction torque is output from a second motor to motor and start the engine. This allows the engine to be started with a backlash between gears being eliminated even when resistance in motoring the engine is relatively large.

Abstract: An oil feeding device which has an oil reserving portion 50 and first oil requiring portions 8, 62, 63, 67, 68, 72 and 76 provided in a moving object, and a first oil discharging portion 58 for feeding an oil reserved in the oil reserving portion 50 to the first oil requiring portions comprises: a regulating member 64 for regulating a relative movement of the oil discharged from the first oil discharging portion 58 and the first oil requiring portions in a moving direction of the moving object; a second oil discharging portion 57 for feeding the oil reserved in the oil reserving portion 50 to the first oil requiring portions. A discharging pressures of the oil at the first oil discharging portion 57 and the second oil discharging portion 58 are changed in accordance with the amount of the oil in the oil reserving portion 50. Therefore, the reduction of the amount of oil to be fed to the first oil requiring portions can be suppressed even when the speed of the moving object changes.

Abstract: A planetary gearset provided with a sun gear, a ring gear, and a carrier that rotatably retains a plurality of pinion gears arranged between the sun gear and the ring gear as elements, in which one of the elements is made a fixed element and one of the other elements is made a rotating element, and which transmits torque between that rotating element and an external member provided in a location eccentric with respect to that rotating member. The planetary gearset is constructed such that the fixed element is movably retained in the direction of a load from the transmission of torque between the rotating element and the external member, and the load from the transmission of torque between the rotating element and the external member is received by a fixed portion that rotatably retains that rotating element.

Abstract: The following are provided: a method for manufacturing artificial cartilages characterized in that undifferentiated mesenchymal cells are cultured in a cartilage differentiation inducing medium, and the cells are irradiated with ultrasound, as a method in which chondrocytes can be obtained in a short time in an amount sufficient for performing the treatment of cartilage disorder with surgical operation when a conservative therapy such as limitation of movement exhibits no effect, among various treatments of cartilage disorder; an artificial cartilage that has been produced by the method; and an apparatus for manufacturing artificial cartilages comprising a culture vessel containing cultured undifferentiated mesenchymal cells, an ultrasound transducer for applying ultrasound to the vessel, a control means for controlling the ultrasound, and a holding water-tank for installing the ultrasound transducer and the culture vessel in the holding water-tank in such a state that they are in contact with each other.

Abstract: There is an electrode-rolled battery in which an anode and a cathode are rolled in a manner that a separator is put between the anode and the cathode and in which a plurality of collecting tabs is respectively provided with a plurality of cathode active material unformed parts and a plurality of anode active material forming parts; and wherein when a length of an outermost anode active material unformed part is set as “L”; and when a distance from the outermost anode active material unformed part to a center of a rolled body made up of the anode, the cathode and the separator, is set as “R”, a following expression is set: L≧2&pgr;R.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lamination type secondary battery, in which accurate positioning can be performed for positive electrodes and negative electrodes arranged face-to-face to each other. The invention provides a lamination type secondary battery, which comprises positive electrodes and negative electrodes having different surface areas, said positive electrodes and said negative electrodes being laminated on each other with a separator between them, each of the electrodes having smaller surface area is arranged at the center with equal spacing from outer periphery of a separator main body and is covered with the separator main body, and outer periphery of each of the electrodes having larger surface area is equal in size with outer periphery of the separator main body to cover the electrode having smaller surface area.

Abstract: A spinel-type LiMn secondary cell has an electrode unit including a positive electrode sheet made mainly of aluminum and coated with a positive electrode active material including lithium and manganese as indispensable constituents. The electrode unit is mounted in a cell casing as a negative electrode by an insulating assembly. A positive electrode member is made of an aluminum alloy with manganese mixed therewith for increased mechanical strength. Since manganese mixed with the aluminum alloy of the positive electrode member is an indispensable constituent of the positive electrode active material, it does not cause an unwanted chemical reaction such as electrolytic corrosion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lamination type secondary battery, in which accurate positioning can be performed for positive electrodes and negative electrodes arranged face-to-face to each other. The invention provides a lamination type secondary battery, which comprises positive electrodes and negative electrodes having different surface areas, said positive electrodes and said negative electrodes being laminated on each other with a separator between them, each of the electrodes having smaller surface area is arranged at the center with equal spacing from outer periphery of a separator main body and is covered with the separator main body, and outer periphery of each of the electrodes having larger surface area is equal in size with outer periphery of the separator main body to cover the electrode having smaller surface area.

Abstract: There is an electrode-rolled battery in which an anode and a cathode are rolled in a manner that a separator is put between the anode and the cathode and in which a plurality of collecting tabs is respectively provided with a plurality of cathode active material unformed parts and a plurality of anode active material forming parts; and

Abstract: A spinel-type LiMn secondary cell has an electrode unit including a positive electrode sheet made mainly of aluminum and coated with a positive electrode active material including lithium and manganese as indispensable constituents. The electrode unit is mounted in a cell casing as a negative electrode by an insulating assembly. A positive electrode member is made of an aluminum alloy with manganese mixed therewith for increased mechanical strength. Since manganese mixed with the aluminum alloy of the positive electrode member is an indispensable constituent of the positive electrode active material, it does not cause an unwanted chemical reaction such as electrolytic corrosion.

Abstract: A catheter capable of simultaneously measuring the action potential of myocardiac cells by means of a pair of electrodes, and the endocardiac cavity pressure by means of a pressure transducer. One electrode is provided to the enclosing front surface of a catheter body when the catheter body is brought into contact with the endocardiac surface guided into the endocardiac cavity. The other electrode is provided to the distal peripheral surface of the catheter body and is disposed within the endocardiac cavity when the catheter is guided into the endocardiac cavity and the other electrode contacts the endocardiac surface. The pressure transducer is provided to the peripheral surface of the distal section, for measuring the endocardiac cavity pressure and outputting it in the form of an electrical pressure signal.

Abstract: An MAP catheter adapted to be directly guided into the cardiac cavity by manual operation of the body thereof through a guide wire inserted into it. It includes a pair of Ag-AgCl lines projecting as a pair of electrodes from the end surface and the peripheral surface in the distal section of the catheter body, respectively, and lead wires connected respectively to the Ag-AgCl lines and extending outwardly beyond the rear end of the catheter body. This catheter body includes, at least in the distal section thereof, an insulating catheter closing section adapted to secure in position the non-projecting sections of the Ag-AgCl lines in a sealed condition.

Abstract: A blast-furnace tuyere having excellent thermal shock resistance and high durability consists of a tuyere substrate composed of copper or copper alloy, a self-fluxing alloy metallized layer sprayed on the substrate, a cermet coating sprayed on the alloy metallized layer, and a ceramic coating sprayed on the cermet coating. The cermet coating is made from a mixture of an alloy material consisting essentially of 5 to 60 wt% of Co, 5 to 50 wt% of Ni, 5 to 25 wt% of Cr, 5 to 40 wt% of Mo, 5 to 40 wt% of W, 3 to 40 wt% of Si and inevitable impurities, and a ceramic eutectic material consisting essentially of 95 to 65 wt% of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 5 to 30 wt% of ZrO.sub.2, 2 to 20 wt% of TiO.sub.2, 3 to 30 wt% of SiO.sub.2 and inevitable impurities. The ceramic coating is made from the same ceramic material as used in the formation of the cermet coating.

Abstract: A tuyere for a melting furnace, which comprises inner and outer walls forming a water cooling space therebetween; a cylindrical intermediate wall dividing the water cooling space into an inner water cooling chamber and an outer water cooling chamber, whereby the cooling water is first introduced into the outer water cooling chamber from the outside of the furnace, circulated into the inner water cooling chamber from the inner end portion at the furnace side of the outer water cooling chamber and thereafter discharged from the outer end portion of the inner water cooling chamber; and a guide wall disposed in the outer water cooling chamber so as to form a helical passage for the cooling water, said helical passage being so devised that a portion of the passage located so as to be subjected to a relatively high heat load has a cross-sectional area smaller than that of other portions of the same.