Abstract: An electric pump for supplying a hydrogen gas to a fuel cell includes a rotary shaft rotatably inserted through an electric motor, a transmitting member provided on one of an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft and an inner peripheral surface of the electric motor so as to be rotatable therewith, and a groove formed in the other of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft and the inner peripheral surface of the electric motor for the transmitting member to be inserted therein. The groove transmits a rotary torque of the electric motor to the rotary shaft by contacting an inner surface of the groove and the transmitting member and has an opening width along a rotary direction of the rotary shaft which is larger than the width of the transmitting member. The groove and the transmitting member produce an impact torque when the electric pump is started.

Abstract: A thermal printer is disclosed. The thermal printer includes a thermal head on which plural heat-generating elements are arrayed; and a platen mounted opposite to the thermal head. The thermal printer uses an ink ribbon and paper held between the thermal head and the platen, and the thermal printer performs printing by causing the heat-generating elements to generate heat such that inks of the ink ribbon are transferred to the paper. The ink ribbon has a base film on which color inks and a transparent laminate ink are successively and repetitively arranged, and a pressure force acting between the thermal head and the platen is made different between when the color inks are transferred and when the laminate ink is transferred.

Abstract: An apparatus for cast-product production line includes a kneader for kneading casting sand for making mold; a mold maker for making a sand casting mold from the casting sand for making mold, the sand casting mold being provided with a molding cavity for forming a singular cast product or plural products; a molten-metal pourer for pouring molten metal into said molding cavity of the sand casting mold; and a mold disassembler for disassembling the sand casting mold having undergone molten-metal pouring. Upon disassembling the sand casting mold by the mold disassembler, the sand casting mold is disassembled in such a state that the cast product is supported by means of a cast-product supporter element.

Abstract: A clutch operating device includes a drive mechanism and a reduction mechanism. The drive mechanism generates a driving force. The reduction mechanism is a mechanism configured to amplify the driving force by reducing the driving amount to be inputted thereto from the reduction mechanism and convert the amplified driving force into an operating force of a clutch device. The reduction mechanism has a reduction ratio characteristic gradually increasing from a power blocking state to a power transmitting state of the clutch device and is allowed to adjust the reduction ratio characteristic in accordance with a state of the clutch device.

Abstract: A clutch operating device includes a drive mechanism and an assist mechanism. The drive mechanism is configured to generate a driving force and transmit the driving force to a clutch device. The assist mechanism is a mechanism for assisting the drive mechanism and includes a pressure mechanism and a toggle mechanism. The pressure mechanism is configured to generate a pressing force. The toggle mechanism is configured to convert the pressing force of the pressure mechanism into an assist force gradually increased from a power blocked state to a power transmitted state of the clutch device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a production method for biofuel based on a technology to convert carbon-dioxide as a carbon source through photosynthesis by photosynthetic microorganisms to biomass and produce biofuel of the biomass. The production method for biofuel of the present invention comprises a culturing process (S1) of culturing in a culture solution photosynthetic microorganisms which store oils, fats and carbohydrates in cells of the photosynthetic microorganisms, an oil and fat conversion process (S2) of converting the carbohydrates stored in the cells of the photosynthetic microorganisms cultured in the culture apparatus to oils and fats, an extraction process (S3) of extracting the oils and fats out of the cells of the photosynthetic microorganisms, and a reforming process (S4) to reform the extracted oils and fats.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a scanner comprises an image pickup unit, a light source, a control unit, an image capturing unit and an output unit. The light source configured to illuminate the light to an image pickup area of the image pickup unit for pickup the image. The control unit configured to change the illuminating angles of the light illuminated to the image pickup area. The image capturing unit configured to capture the image of the image pickup area by changing the illuminating angles. The output unit configured to output the image with the different illuminating angles captured by the image capturing unit.

Abstract: A vehicle steering apparatus 1 includes a variable gear ratio actuator 7, an IFS ECU 8, which controls the actuator 7, an EPS actuator 17, and an EPS ECU 18, which controls the EPS actuator 17. The variable gear ratio actuator 7 varies the transmission ratio between a steering wheel and steered wheels. The EPS actuator 17 applies an assist force that assists a steering operation. A microcomputer 43 of the EPS actuator 17 increases an inertia compensation current command Iti* (Iti**), which is a compensation component based on the differential value of a steering torque, during actuation of the variable gear ratio actuator 7, that is, when an ACT angle ?ta is changed.

Abstract: An electronic key includes an electronic key body that executes a function to communicate with and control a controller for an on-board device to drive a device mounted on a vehicle, and a mechanical key that fits a cylinder lock provided on the vehicle. The electronic key body includes an accommodation portion that accommodates the mechanical key through insertion of the mechanical key, and a changeover device that changes over or restricts the function of the electronic key body. The mechanical key may be inserted into the accommodation portion in a first accommodation mode or a second accommodation mode, and the changeover device is operated only when the mechanical key is inserted in the accommodation portion in the second accommodation mode.

Abstract: A control ON/OFF determination unit determines that oversteer control should be started in the case where a slip angle differential value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the sign of the slip angle differential value is identical with the sign of a yaw rate, the sign of a steering wheel turning angle is identical with the sign of a steering wheel turning speed, and a vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A toner for electrostatic charge development is provided where the toner comprises a colorant and a resin and contains an organic boron compound represented by a following chemical formula (A) as a charge controlling agent, further the toner is treated with an inorganic fine particle and at least one of the inorganic particles is a magnesium silicate compound represented by a following general formula [2] is provided. wherein X is an alkali metal, R1, R2, R3 or R4 each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a halogen atom. MgxSiyO(x+2y)??[2] wherein x and y are integers.

Abstract: To provide a pulverized toner excellent in the releasing ability and cleaning ability, and an image-forming apparatus for one-component developer, and a process cartridge using the pulverized toner. The pulverized toner contains a toner base particle containing at least a binder resin, a colorant, and a releasing agent, the mass ratio of the releasing agent to the binder resin is 3.0% to 6.0%, the adhesive force among the pulverized toners at 25° C. to 55° C. is 20 g to 80 g, and the pulverized toner is used for the image-forming apparatus for one-component developer containing the cleaning unit configured to dispose an elastic blade adjacent to the surface of the image bearing member so as to clean the surface.

Abstract: A navigation equipment includes a user position observing unit 15 for calculating the position of the navigation equipment by using the pseudo range and position of each GPS satellite, and a pseudo range error, a user velocity and heading observing unit 16 for calculating the velocity of the navigation equipment from a measured range rate, the position of each GPS satellite, and the position of the navigation equipment, and a user heading searching unit 17 for, when a multipath error is smaller than a specified value, searching for, as the heading of the navigation equipment, a heading whose range rate, which is calculated from a relative movement between the navigation equipment when the navigation equipment changes its heading within a predetermined angle range and a GPS satellite, matches the measured range rate.

Abstract: An image reading device includes: a document table on which a document G is placed; a line light source configured to illuminate the document G; an erecting equal-magnification lens array plate configured to receive light reflected from the document G and form an erect equal-magnification image on a predetermined image plane; and a line image sensor configured to receive the erect equal-magnification image formed by the erecting equal-magnification lens array plate. The erecting equal-magnification lens array plate includes: first and second lens array plates formed with a plurality of lenses on both sides thereof; a first shielding member provided on the first outer side surface of the first lens array plate; and a light-shielding wall provided upright on the top surface of the first light-shielding member and configured to shield light reflected by the document table.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including at least a latent image bearing member, a latent electrostatic image forming unit, a developing unit which includes at least a developing roller and a supply roller, and a transfer unit, wherein both of a diameter R (mm) of the developing roller and a diameter R? (mm) of the supply roller are 12 mm or less; the toner contains at least a binder resin, a wax, and a colorant with the wax having a melting point of 75° C. or less; an amount of the wax exposed on a surface of the toner is 10 mg/g to 30 mg/g; and when a diameter (mm) of the developing roller is represented by R the toner has a torque T (mNm) satisfying the inequation, 20/R<T<27/R, at a void rate of 58% as measured by a torque measurement method using a conical rotor.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head capable of ejecting liquid from a plurality of ejection ports by driving a plurality of ejection energy generation elements corresponding to the plurality of ejection portions. The apparatus includes a wiping mechanism capable of wiping an ejection port face in which a plurality of ejection ports is arranged in the liquid ejecting head. The ink ejection from the plurality of ejection ports is performed in a manner of a plurality of divisions. A time interval from a last wiping to a next wiping is adjusted according to an interval of the ejection energy generating elements corresponding to an adjacent ejection port.

Abstract: In an electrical powered vehicle including a control device for generating an input/output power command value for a power storage device and a control device for controlling a power conversion device and a rotating electric machine, provided separately, when there is a sudden change in the rotational speed of a rotating electric machine, the input/output power command value of a power storage device intrinsically set by an HV-ECU is corrected corresponding to the change in the rotational speed of the rotating electric machine by a control device MG-ECU detecting the rotational speed of the rotating electric machine, without having to wait for modification of the input/output power command value from the HV-ECU.

Abstract: A carriage drive control method capable of detecting the acceleration of a carriage at low cost, improving external disturbance suppression of the carriage, and thus improving image quality. This method is applied to a printing apparatus which prints by relatively moving on a printing medium a carriage to which a printhead is mounted. In the printing apparatus, the moving velocity of the carriage is detected, the acceleration of the carriage is detected on the basis of outputs from first and second strain gauges which are respectively attached on the two sides of a fixing portion for fixing the carriage on a belt for transmitting a drive force from a carriage motor to the carriage, the carriage velocity is compensated on the basis of the carriage acceleration detected for the detected moving velocity of the carriage, and driving of the carriage motor is feedback-controlled on the basis of the compensated carriage velocity.

Abstract: A flux control apparatus includes an outlet pressure detector for detecting an outlet pressure of a fluid at an outlet of a fluid flow apparatus driven by a drive source for feeding the fluid from an inlet of the fluid flow apparatus and letting the fluid flow out from the outlet of the fluid flow apparatus, a drive amount detector for detecting an amount of drive of the drive source, an estimated flux-calculating apparatus for calculating a flux of the fluid flowing from the fluid flow apparatus as an estimated flux on the basis of the pressure of the fluid and the amount of drive, a control amount-calculating apparatus for calculating an amount of control for the fluid flow apparatus on the basis of the estimated flux and a target flux, and a control apparatus for controlling the drive source on the basis of the amount of control.

Abstract: A navigation equipment includes a user position observing unit 15 for calculating the position of the navigation equipment by using the pseudo range and position of each GPS satellite, and a pseudo range error, a user velocity and heading observing unit 16 for calculating the velocity of the navigation equipment from a measured range rate, the position of each GPS satellite, and the position of the navigation equipment, and a user heading searching unit 17 for, when a multipath error is smaller than a specified value, searching for, as the heading of the navigation equipment, a heading whose range rate, which is calculated from a relative movement between the navigation equipment when the navigation equipment changes its heading within a predetermined angle range and a GPS satellite, matches the measured range rate.