Abstract: A method for producing a bumper reinforcement having a hollow and a substantially rectangular cross sectional shape formed by the steps of providing a straight tubular member and forming a curved bumper reinforcement, continuously; wherein angle portions of the straight tubular member having the radius of curvature established in profiling corner portions of an inner die having the radius established in larger than the radius of the corner portions of the outer die are bulged in a range of relief spaces formed between the corresponding corner portions of the inner die and the outer die to prevent generation of the wrinkles particularly on the angle portions of the straight tubular member while being curved.

Abstract: Before an electrode assembly is inserted into a quartz glass tube, a reinforcement bending process is applied to a metal foil. Even when a vibration load acts on the electrode assembly during the insertion of the electrode assembly into the quartz glass tube, the metal foil is not easily deformed, so that a rod electrode can be prevented from largely swinging together with the metal foil. Consequently, the position of a tip end portion of the rod electrode can be easily recognized by using a camera, whereby the degree of the insertion of the electrode assembly into the quartz glass tube can be correctly adjusted.

Abstract: A shock absorber as being of a bumper supporting member and a shock absorber as being of a side member, which retain the sinking motion of a smaller-diameter tube portion into a larger-diameter tube portion even if an impact is applied at a larger angle obliquely of an axial direction, thereby to achieve the absorption of the impact energy by a plastic deformation. A plastically deformable straight tube is partially reduced or partially enlarged to form smaller-diameter tube portion and larger-diameter tube portion, which joins to each other through a step portion. The step portion is formed by joining a folded-back portion of the smaller-diameter tube portion and a folded-back portion of the larger-diameter tube portion, which have circular arc-shaped sections having arcuate angles more than 90 degrees.

Abstract: A method of reversible selective manifestation of different states of a functional element is disclosed. The functional element is composed of at least two compounds and is capable of alternatively assuming (a) a first state in which the two compounds interact to form a regular aggregate structure, or (b) a second state in which the two compounds do not interact, and at least one of the two compounds is in an aggregate or crystallized state. The respective conditions for attaining one of the two states can be reversibly and extremely speedily controlled, for instance, by use of a heat application device.

Abstract: Provided are a thin optical pick-up apparatus which can record and reproduce data to and from both high recording density disc and low recording density disc, and a thin optical disc unit using this optical pick-up apparatus. The optical pick-up apparatus comprises a short wave LDA 11, a long wave LDAB 12, a beam splitter 41, a riser prism 23 for turning an optical axis into an optical axis perpendicular to the optical disc, a composite filter 33 being integrally incorporated with the objective lens 32 while a surface of the composite filter 33 is opposed to an oblique surface of the riser prism 23 in parallel with each other.

Abstract: A pattern inspection technique using compared images is improved in that the amount of displacement between compared images can be detected precisely and with high speed, thereby making it possible to detect in high-speed and inspect particles with high sensitivity. To achieve this technique, each of an inspected image and a reference image is divided into a plurality of small regions, and the amount of displacement between the whole inspected image and the whole reference image is determined by using reliable information of displacement between the divided images of both images. In addition, the displacement-computed regions, the computation order and the image search range are previously scheduled.

Abstract: A bumper reinforcement attached to a front or a rear side of a vehicle frame as a strength member comprising: a bumper beam to be supported on the vehicle frame, and a reinforcement member attached to the bumper beam on a forward surface thereof which is upstream with respect to an impact exertion direction, wherein: the reinforcement member has a concave portion of a substantially C-shaped cross section projecting in a downstream direction reverse to the impact exertion direction, the bumper beam has a groove portion extending longitudinally of the reinforcement member on the forward surface to which the reinforcement member is attached, and the reinforcement member and the bumper beam are engaged by joining a bottom surface of the concave portion and a surface of the groove portion.

Abstract: An automobile reinforcing member wherein a pair of pipes are formed relatively from an original sheet material with a joint surface in a middle portion of the original sheet in a width direction, the fold-back faces consist of the outer side faces of the pipes extending laterally from said joint surface, the outer wall faces extending from said outer side faces of the pipes, the inner side faces of the pipes extending from said outer wall faces, the inner wall faces extending from said fold-back faces to the joint surface, and the welding portions extending from said inner wall faces. These portions are formed into lateral pipes by bending the fold-back faces, folding boundary mark between the inner wall face and the welding portion into valley-shaped, and putting those welding portions onto the joint surface situated at interval between said pipes, and then welding both of welding portions and the joint surface together to form an integrated structure.

Abstract: A process cartridge comprises a frame body, a substrate having a memory element and a cartridge electrical contact electrically connected and a cartridge pushing portion provided on the frame body. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus on which the process cartridge is loaded comprises main body electrical connecting means and main body electrical contacts. The cartridge pushing portion moves the main body electrical connecting means so that the process cartridge moves in a direction to be electrically connected with the cartridge electrical contact when the process cartridge is loaded on the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge pushing portion operates so as to give a pushing force for pushing the main body electrical contact in a direction to be electrically connected with the cartridge electrical contact. In this way, the main body electrical contact and the cartridge electrical contact can be stably reliably brought into contact.

Abstract: A method of reversible selective manifestation of different states of a functional element is disclosed. The functional element is composed of at least two compounds and is capable of alternatively assuming (a) a first state in which the two compounds interact to form a regular aggregate structure, or (b) a second state in which the two compounds do not interact, and at least one of the two compounds is in an aggregate or crystallized state. The respective conditions for attaining one of the two states can be reversibly and extremely speedily controlled, for instance, by use of a heat application device.

Abstract: A pair of chucks, which grip end portions of a cylindrical glass tube blank, are moved by a chuck moving mechanism toward each other, so that softened glass in an intermediate portion of the cylindrical glass tube blank is gathered, thereby forming a shape that is suitable for blow molding a light emitting tube portion. In the approaching movement, the position of one chuck is detected by using a laser position detector, and a result of the detection is fed back to the chuck moving mechanism, so as to control the approach distances of the chucks. The laser position detector detects the position of the chuck itself. Therefore, even when the positional relationship between the chuck and the chuck moving mechanism is varied, or backlash or deformation occurs in the chuck moving mechanism, the correct position of the chuck still is detected irrespective of such variation, backlash or deformation.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image detection system capable of picking up a high resolution image of the surface condition of a circuit pattern-formed wafer without being affected by steep pattern steps, discontinuous reflectance distributions and optically transparent substances which are formed after resist patterns are formed and removed. A defect detection apparatus using such an image detection apparatus is also provided by the invention.

Abstract: In order to improve joint strength between a cap retainer and a conduit of a fuel feeding pipe for a vehicle having an alterable joint angle between the cap retainer and the conduit, the fuel feeding pipe for a vehicle is integrally formed by joining a cap retainer joint portion of the cap retainer and a conduit joint portion of the conduit, wherein the cap retainer joint portion has a band surface arc-shaped in cross section equivalent to a section of a sphere, the conduit joint portion has a band surface in cross section conforming in shape to the cap retainer joint portion, and the cap retainer joint portion is brought into surface contact with the conduit joint portion to join the two joint portions and join the cap retainer and the conduit.

Abstract: A photoelectric transducer comprises elements including P- and N-type regions to perform photoelectric conversion using photovoltaic effect of the P-N junction, and MOS transistors disposed around each element. A P-type well on which the MOS transistors are formed, has a higher impurity concentration than the P-type region. The P-type region has an impurity concentration distribution in which the concentration first increases gradually in the direction toward the interior, and then decreases gradually after a predetermined point of depth, and the maximum peak value of the concentration at the predetermined point is lower than the maximum peak value of the concentration of the P-type well. It becomes possible to improve sensitivity and reduce leakage current, besides, to realize a considerable reduction in cross talk with an adjacent pixel. A high-performance and highly-reliable photoelectric transducer can be obtained thus.

Abstract: An arc tube body 20 and a foil such as molybdenum foil 30 are joined with each other such that a compressive stress of 105 N/m2 or more remains at an ordinary temperature in the arc tube body 20 along a junction surface. The compressive stress is always generated on the arc tube body 20 even if a fluctuation in the stress is caused on the junction surface by the repetition of the ON/OFF of the arc tube (or a tensile stress is caused to have a very small value even if the compressive stress and the tensile stress are alternately generated). Thus, the junction strength of both members may be increased. In one embodiment, a plurality of cracks (intercrystalline cracks) may be generated on the molybdenum foil 30 by a high pressure acting during pinch seal, and quartz glass is caused to enter the cracks so that the junction strength of both members can be increased.

Abstract: An arc tube that effectively prevents a metal halide from being deposited in a light emitting tube portion, causing the change of a light emitting color or the generation of lighting failures in an arc tube.

Abstract: In an optical pickup device for emitting at least two laser beams suitable for respective optical recording mediums selectively operated on an optical disk driver so that a signal is read out from and/or recorded onto the selected one of the optical recording mediums, an anamorphic system is arranged to change a cross-sectional shape of one of the laser beams from an oval toward a circle between a divergence point and a confluence point along the one of the laser beam between an upstream common optical paths of the laser beams from the light beam source and a downstream common optical paths of the laser beams toward the objective lens, at which divergence point the laser beams from the upstream common optical path diverge from each other, and at which confluence point the laser beams converge into the downstream common optical path.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an optical pickup apparatus which restricts a generation of a coma aberration caused by an objective lens shift, maintains a high quality signal reproduction, improves an accuracy of recording position and can restrict a loss of a recording optical power, and an optical disc apparatus using the optical pickup apparatus. The optical pickup apparatus is provided with optical units having light sources radiating laser beams and optical detectors detecting reflected lights, a collimator lens converting the radiated beam into a fine divergent light and an objective lens, and the collimator lens is formed in a wavefront shape corresponding to the fine divergent light in a center area close to an optical axis, and is formed in a wavefront shape correcting a coma aberration in correspondence to an increase of a radius of the collimator lens. Further, there is provided the optical apparatus using the optical pickup apparatus.

Abstract: Provided are an integrated optical component which can prevent a detection optical system being affected by variation in working temperature, and a pick-up device using the integrated optical component. The integrated optical component for guiding a light beam emitted from a light emitting element to an optical disc, and for separating a required light beam from reflected light from the optical disc, wherein the integrated optical component includes therein a plurality of optical surfaces, and a diffraction grating for extracting light beams required from tracking control and focus control, from the reflected light is formed in any one of the optical surfaces.

Abstract: A developing device according to the present invention includes a developer carrying member, a storage portion for storing a toner to be supplied to the developer carrying member, and a regulating member disposed in contacting relation with a surface of the developer carrying member for regulating the amount of toner carried on the developer carrying member, the surface of the developer carrying member having a rubber hardness of 20 to 70 degrees, an elongation of 400 to 1200% and a volume electrical resistance of 1×104 to 1×109 &OHgr;·cm, the toner containing an organic aromatic solvent and a vinyl monomer in combined concentrations of not more than 500 ppm.