Abstract: To provide a temperature sensitive indicator that is capable of easily control the temperature of the temperature sensitive indicator itself and is not affected by the temperature of a finger when the temperature sensitive indicator is operated. In the temperature sensitive indicator that has: a base body; a capsule placed on the base body and filled with a heat-sensitive material; an absorbent member placed on an upper part of the capsule; a cover covering at least the capsule and the absorbent member; and capsule breaking means formed therein with a space through which the base body and the cover are inserted, the base body and the cover are pulled out through the space of the capsule breaking means, whereby the capsule is broken by the capsule breaking means.

Abstract: To provide a temperature-sensitive indicator which, when using the temperature-sensitive indicator having a capsule packed with a heat-sensitive material, enables easy rupture of the capsule, without being affected by the temperature of a finger of a user. The indicator includes: a base; a concave portion formed in the base; a capsule accommodated in the concave portion and packed with a heat-sensitive material; an absorbing member placed on the capsule; pressing means which is arranged above the absorbing member, and which is formed of a transparent heat insulating material; and a cover which covers at least the capsule and the absorbing member. By pressing on the capsule using the pressing means 6, the capsule is ruptured.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrostatic atomizer, which comprises a high-voltage applying section adapted to apply a high voltage between an atomizing electrode and a counter electrode so as to electrostatically atomize water supplied onto the atomizing electrode, wherein the high-voltage applying section is operable to set an absolute value of a voltage to be applied to the atomizing electrode smaller than an absolute value of a voltage to be applied to the counter electrode. This allows a physical object, such as an article stored in a mist-receiving space or an inner wall of a structural member defining the mist-receiving space to become less likely to be electrostatically charged, and makes it possible to avoid causing a problem about discomfort due to discharge of static charges when a user touches the physical object.

Abstract: An electrostatically atomizing unit for use in a temperature regulating appliance to add a function of generating a mist of charged minute water particles for deodorization and/or sterilization of a temperature-regulated space. The appliance has a cold space of which air is cooled by cooling means and is fed to cool the temperature-regulated space divided from the cold space by a partition. The atomizing unit has an emitter electrode which is configured to condense water from within a surrounding air. A high voltage source applies a high voltage to the emitter electrode to atomize the condensed water into the charged minute water particles which are discharged from the emitter electrode into the temperature-regulated space. The emitter electrode is provided with a cooling coupler which establishes a heat transfer relation through the partition to the cold space to cool the emitter electrode by making the use of the cooling means inherent to the appliance.

Abstract: Water is fed from a tank to a capillary carrier having an emitter end from which an ionized water particle is emitted by a voltage being applied across the emitter end and an opposed electrode. A cation exchanger is provided to remove minerals such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ from the water being fed through the capillary carrier or from the water to be fed to the carrier from the tank, thereby avoiding the ions from precipitating at the emitter end as CaCO3 or MgO in reaction with CO2 in the surrounding air, and therefore assure reliable electrostatic atomization over a long period of time.

Abstract: An electrostatic atomizing device for ejecting a mist of charged minute particles includes metal ion elution means for eluting sterilizing metal ions into a liquid to be electrostatically atomized. The metal ions are taken up by the charged minute particles, and are ejected into an environment space together with the charged minute particles, thereby eliciting a sterilizing effect. The elution amount of the metal ions is regulated by varying the voltage applied between two kinds of metal bodies.

Abstract: An electrostatically atomizing device includes an emitter electrode, an opposed electrode disposed in an opposed relation to the emitter electrode, liquid supply means for supplying a liquid to the emitter electrode, and high voltage generating means for applying a high voltage across the emitter electrode and the opposed electrode. The liquid supplied onto the emitter electrode is electrostatically charged through application of the high voltage, as a result of which charged minute liquid particles are discharged from a discharge end of the emitter electrode. The device includes detecting means for detecting a discharge condition developed between the emitter electrode and the opposed electrode, and a controller for controlling the high voltage generating means to regulate its voltage output so as to maintain a predetermined discharge condition, based on detection results by the detecting means.

Abstract: The liquid is supplied to an emitter electrode which is provided at a tip of a liquid carrier, receives a high voltage, is electrical-charged, and discharged as a mist of charged minute water particles of nanometer order from the emitter electrode. The emitter electrode discharges the mist of the charged minute water particles of micron order at the same time by a pressure which is applied to the liquid which is supplied to the tip of the emitter electrode. An electrostatically atomizing device supplies liquid to an emitter electrode of a tip of a liquid carrier, applies the high voltage to the liquid, electrically-charges the liquid, and causes the emitter electrode to discharge a mist of charged minute water particles of nanometer order. In addition, the electrostatically atomizing device applies a pressure to the emitter electrode and causes the emitter electrode to discharge a mist of the charged minute water particles of micron order.

Abstract: The liquid supplied to an emitter electrode located at a tip of an atomization nozzle receives the high-voltage and electrically charged. The mist of the charged minute water particles of nanometer sizes is generated from the emitter electrode. A pressure regulating means regulates a pressure applied to the liquid on the tip of the emitter electrode. Therefore, the mode of generating the mist of the charged minute water particles of nanometer sizes or the mode of generating the mist of the charged minute water particles of nanometer and micron size is selected.

Abstract: A liquid stored in the liquid storing means within a housing is supplied to a carrier. A high voltage applied to a discharge end of the carrier and an opposed electrode to emit tiny ionized liquid particles. At leas part of the liquid storing means is detachable to the housing for easy replenishment of the liquid.

Abstract: A carrier is used to carry a liquid, and a high voltage is applied between a discharge end of the carrier and an opposed electrode to emit ionized liquid particles. The carrier has a liquid collecting end opposite to the discharge end to feed the steam of the liquid from a steam generator, condensing the liquid therearound, and feeding the condensed liquid to the discharge end. Accordingly, even when the liquid contains cations such as those of Ca and Mg, the steam of the liquid can extremely reduce the content of these impurities, avoiding the precipitation of the impurities at the discharge end of the carrier to assure stable electrostatic atomization.

Abstract: Charged fine particulate water is provided, which has a nanometer particle size, for example, a particle size of 3 to 100 nm, and contains radicals such as hydroxyl radicals and superoxides. This charged fine particulate water can be generated by applying an electric-field intensity of 700 to 1200 V/mm between a pair of electrodes, while supplying water between the electrodes. By allowing the thus obtained charged fine particulate water to diffuse into an indoor space, it is possible to effectively remove bad odor components/bacteria from the indoor space.

Abstract: A washing machine comprises a wash tub having an opening, a door for covering the opening, and an electrostatic atomizer. The electrostatic atomizer is configured to produce mist of charged fine water particles by means of electrostatic atomization to spray the mist into the wash tub and thereby perform elimination and deodorization with respect to laundry in the wash tub.

Abstract: An electronically controlled thermostat control method is obtained which makes it possible to eliminate the response delay from the time that the required cooling water temperature is set to the time that the actual cooling water temperature reaches the set water temperature by controlling the flow rate, and to realize high cooling water temperature tracking characteristics with a high degree of precision at a low cost.

Abstract: A lock gate door (1) includes a pair of door bodies (2, 3); a pair of spherical bearings (6) for a lock gate door for rotatably supporting lower corner portions (4) of the door bodies (2, 3), respectively; and a pair of supporting portions (7) for rotatably supporting upper corner portions (5) of the door bodies (2, 3), respectively. The spherical bearing (6) includes a convex curved body (22) having a spherical surface (21) and a concave curved seat (24) having a toroidal curved surface (23) which slidably contacts the convex curved body (22), and is disposed on a downstream (16) side of a waterway (9) with respect to the supporting portion (7) in such a manner as to incline a rotational axis (C).

Abstract: Water is fed from a tank to a capillary carrier having an emitter end from which an ionized water particle is emitted by a voltage being applied across the emitter end and an opposed electrode. A cation exchanger is provided to remove minerals such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ from the water being fed through the capillary carrier or from the water to be fed to the carrier from the tank, thereby avoiding the ions from precipitating at the emitter end as CaCO3 or MgO in reaction with C02 in the surrounding air, and therefore assure reliable electrostatic atomization over a long period of time.

Abstract: Charged fine particulate water is provided, which has a nanometer particle size, for example, a particle size of 3 to 100 nm, and contains radicals such as hydroxyl radicals and superoxides. This charged fine particulate water can be generated by applying an electric-field intensity of 700 to 1200 V/mm between a pair of electrodes, while supplying water between the electrodes. By allowing the thus obtained charged fine particulate water to diffuse into an indoor space, it is possible to effectively remove bad odor components/bacteria from the indoor space.

Abstract: A liquid stored in the liquid storing means within a housing is supplied to a carrier. A high voltage applied to a discharge end of the carrier and an opposed electrode to emit tiny ionized liquid particles. At leas part of the liquid storing means is detachable to the housing for easy replenishment of the liquid.

Abstract: A carrier is used to carry a liquid, and a high voltage is applied between a discharge end of the carrier and an opposed electrode to emit ionized liquid particles. The carrier has a liquid collecting end opposite to the discharge end to feed the steam of the liquid from a steam generator, condensing the liquid therearound, and feeding the condensed liquid to the discharge end. Accordingly, even when the liquid contains cations such as those of Ca and Mg, the steam of the liquid can extremely reduce the content of these impurities, avoiding the precipitation of the impurities at the discharge end of the carrier to assure stable electrostatic atomization.

Abstract: An electronically controlled thermostat control method is obtained which makes it possible to eliminate the response delay from the time that the required cooling water temperature is set to the time that the actual cooling water temperature reaches the set water temperature by controlling the flow rate, and to realize high cooling water temperature tracking characteristics with a high degree of precision at a low cost.