Abstract: An operation device 5 includes: a base 40; an operation part 45, extending in a left-right direction; and a pair of left and right first connection parts 50, provided between the base and the operation part, and disposed apart from each other in the left-right direction. Each first connection part includes: a first end 56, connected to the base; a second end 55, connected to the operation part; a first elastic member 63, connecting the second end with respect to the first end to be displaceable in a front-rear direction; and a first distance sensor 65A, 65B, measuring a relative distance of the second end with respect to the first end in the front-rear direction.

Abstract: In an inverted pendulum vehicle, the fore and aft dimension of the vehicle in a forwardly tilted, parked position is minimized. A pivot center line of a base end of a tail wheel arm is located inside a circle centered around a center of a tail wheel and having a radius equal to a distance between the center of the tail wheel and the rotational center line of the drive disks, and with respect to a hypothetical tail wheel arm, a first line is a line extending along the hypothetical tail wheel arm when the vehicle is in the upright position, and a second line is a line extending along the hypothetical tail wheel arm when the vehicle is in the forwardly tilted, park position, the pivot center line being located on or above a bisector of an angle formed by the first line and the second line.

Abstract: In a propulsion device including a main wheel having a plurality of driven rollers fitted on and arranged circumferentially along an annular core member so as to be rotatable around tangential lines of the annular core member at respective positions thereof on the annular core member, a pair of drive disks positioned on either side of the main wheel in an individually rotatable manner, a plurality of drive rollers supported along an outer periphery of each drive disk so as to be each rotatable around a rotational center line extending in a skewed relationship to a rotational center line of the corresponding drive disk, and a drive unit for individually rotatively driving the drive disks, a plurality of guide rollers are rotatably supported by a body frame and engage at least one driven roller not engaged by any of the drive rollers from either side.

Abstract: An inverted pendulum vehicle has a vehicle body frame, a main wheel combining a plurality of driven rollers arranged along a circle, a pair of drive disks rotatably supported by the vehicle body frame around a laterally extending rotational center line, a plurality of drive rollers arranged rotatably on each drive disk along a circumferential direction and configured to engage the driven rollers of the main wheel, a drive unit for individually driving the drive disks, a control unit for controlling the drive units under an inverted pendulum control, a tail wheel arm having a base end pivotally attached to a part of the vehicle body frame around a laterally extending pivot center line, a tail wheel rotatably supported by the tail wheel arm and a skid member attached to the tail wheel arm, the skid member including a pair of side walls slanting outward toward upper edges thereof.

Abstract: In an inverted pendulum vehicle, the fore and aft dimension of the vehicle in a forwardly tilted, parked position is minimized. A pivot center line of a base end of a tail wheel arm is located inside a circle centered around a center of a tail wheel and having a radius equal to a distance between the center of the tail wheel and the rotational center line of the drive disks, and with respect to a hypothetical tail wheel arm, a first line is a line extending along the hypothetical tail wheel arm when the vehicle is in the upright position, and a second line is a line extending along the hypothetical tail wheel arm when the vehicle is in the forwardly tilted, park position, the pivot center line being located on or above a bisector of an angle formed by the first line and the second line.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine: a regenerative motor for use when the hybrid vehicle runs, the motor having characteristics such that the motor efficiency is 90% or more at a rotational speed of 75% of the maximum rotational speed of the motor when the load of the motor is 10% or more of the maximum load of the motor; and a transmission which transmits the power of the engine to a wheel drive shaft. The motor is coupled to the wheel drive shaft without being coupled to the transmission.

Abstract: In a frictional propulsion device comprising a main wheel including driven rollers rotatably supported by an annular core member about a tangential direction and a pair of drive disks each carrying a plurality of drive rollers rotatable about a rotational center line at an angle with respect to both a tangential line of the drive disk and the rotational center line of the drive disk such that the drive rollers at least partly engage the driven rollers, a diameter of a drive side contact circle is smaller than a diameter of a driven side contact circle, and the drive disks are vertically offset relative to the main wheel so that only those drive rollers adjoining the main wheel are in contact with the driven rollers.

Abstract: In a propulsion device including a main wheel having a plurality of driven rollers fitted on and arranged circumferentially along an annular core member so as to be rotatable around tangential lines of the annular core member at respective positions thereof on the annular core member, a pair of drive disks positioned on either side of the main wheel in an individually rotatable manner, a plurality of drive rollers supported along an outer periphery of each drive disk so as to be each rotatable around a rotational center line extending in a skewed relationship to a rotational center line of the corresponding drive disk, and a drive unit for individually rotatively driving the drive disks, a plurality of guide rollers are rotatably supported by a body frame and engage at least one driven roller not engaged by any of the drive rollers from either side.

Abstract: In a frictional propulsion device comprising a main wheel including a plurality of driven rollers rotatably supported by an annular core member about a tangential direction and a pair of drive disk each carrying a plurality of drive rollers about a rotational center line at an angle with respect to both a tangential line of the drive disk and the rotational center line of the drive disk such that the drive rollers at least partly engage the driven rollers, a diameter of a drive side contact circle is smaller than a diameter of a driven side contact circle, and the drive disks are vertically offset relative to the main wheel so that only those drive rollers adjoining the main wheel are in contact with the driven rollers. Thereby, the power efficiency of the device can be improved while minimizing the manufacturing cost and the weight of the device.

Abstract: In a frictional propulsion device comprising a main wheel including a plurality of driven rollers rotatably supported by an annular core member about a tangential direction and a pair of drive disk each carrying a plurality of drive rollers about a rotational center line at an angle with respect to both a tangential line of the drive disk and the rotational center line of the drive disk such that the drive rollers at least partly engage the driven rollers, a diameter of a drive side contact circle is smaller than a diameter of a driven side contact circle, and the drive disks are vertically offset relative to the main wheel so that only those drive rollers adjoining the main wheel are in contact with the driven rollers. Thereby, the power efficiency of the device can be improved while minimizing the manufacturing cost and the weight of the device.

Abstract: In a frictional propulsion device comprising a main wheel including driven rollers rotatably supported by an annular core member about a tangential direction and a pair of drive disks each carrying a plurality of drive rollers rotatable about a rotational center line at an angle with respect to both a tangential line of the drive disk and the rotational center line of the drive disk such that the drive rollers at least partly engage the driven rollers, a diameter of a drive side contact circle is smaller than a diameter of a driven side contact circle, and the drive disks are vertically offset relative to the main wheel so that only those drive rollers adjoining the main wheel are in contact with the driven rollers.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine: a regenerative motor for use when the hybrid vehicle runs, the motor having characteristics such that the motor efficiency is 90% or more at a rotational speed of 75% of the maximum rotational speed of the motor when the load of the motor is 10% or more of the maximum load of the motor; and a transmission which transmits the power of the engine to a wheel drive shaft. The motor is coupled to the wheel drive shaft without being coupled to the transmission.

Abstract: An infusion catheter having a catheter shaft with a distal end, an inflatable and contractible balloon provided adjacent the distal end but spaced therefrom, a blood passage with two openings for passing blood through the balloon, and first and second lumens. The first lumen communicating with the balloon to inflate and contract the balloon, and the second lumen including a medicine discharge port located between the balloon and one opening of the blood passage to supply medicine to a lesion part of a blood vessel.

Abstract: A thermoplastic resin is emulsified by feeding a thermoplastic resin composition obtained by melting and mixing 80 to 98 wt. % of the resin with 2 to 20 wt. % of poly(vinyl alcohol) in a biaxial extruder, supplying water from at least one supply port downstream from the melting zone and kneading the molten composition with water in the biaxial extruder.

Abstract: A large size container made of laminate including a layer (A) of modified polyolefin modified with 0.005 to 1.0 wt. % unsaturated carboxylic acid and a layer (B) of a mixture of (i) 50 to 95 wt. % polyamide and (ii) 5 to 50 wt. % polyolefin modified with 0.01 to 1.0 wt. % unsaturated carboxylic acid.

Abstract: A solid-state electronic imaging device is provided that is capable of a transfer and a reverse transfer of signal electric charge. When conducting the reverse transfer of the signal electric charge, a reverse transfer signal is supplied to each set of a predetermined number of consecutive electrodes so that the reverse transfer will be produced at a high speed.

Abstract: In an imaging device having an electronic shutter, a shooting operation is achieved by the use of a CCD sensor, and a pre-shooting operation is conducted which accumulates signal electric charge such that the signal electric charge is discharged through a reverse transfer. In response to the amount of the signal electric charge thus discharged, the amount of exposure is determined (namely, the shutter speed and the iris value). By measuring the amount of the signal electric charge thus discharged for each predetermined range of a light receiving area, a multi-light measurement is achieved. The light receiving area has a plurality of photoelectric converter elements of the MOS capacitor type disposed therein and is subdivided into a plurality of areas which are insulated from each other. The pre-shooting operation is conducted which accumulates signal electric charge in the photoelectric converter elements such that the signal electric charge is discharged to the side of the substrate for each subdivided area.

Abstract: A solid-state color image sensor and a method for operating such an image sensor in which high resolution is provided by delaying outputs from the various pixels in the sensor array by delay times determined in accordance with the actual positions of the pixels in the row direction of the array. Pixels are read out simultaneously in groups of three, one for each of white, cyan and yellow. The delays are imposed upon two of these. The delayed and undelayed outputs are combined with sum/difference circuits to produce chrominance and luminance signals. Preferably, the pixels have hexagonally shaped light sensitive areas to maximize the light sensitivity of each pixel and hence the resolution of the device.