Abstract: A particle counter includes a ceramic-made vent pipe, electric charge generating elements that generate electric charges by gaseous discharge, an electric field generating electrode, a collecting electrode, an electric field generating electrode and a removing electrode. Ground electrodes included in the electric charge generating elements are embedded in the vent pipe. Discharge electrodes included in the electric charge generating elements, the electric field generating electrodes for collection and removal, the collecting electrode, and the removing electrode are disposed along the inner wall surface of the vent pipe. The electric charge generating elements are disposed along the inner wall surface of the vent pipe.

Abstract: An ion generator configured to generate ions within a fluid passage that is at least partly defined by an electrical insulator may be provided with: a discharge electrode placed within the fluid passage; a ground electrode placed in a vicinity of the discharge electrode; a power source configured to intermittently apply a predetermined discharge voltage to the discharge electrode with respect to the ground electrode; and an antistatic electrode placed downstream relative to the discharge electrode within the fluid passage and to which a direct current voltage is applied, the direct current voltage having a same polarity as the discharge voltage.

Abstract: An ion generator may be configured to generate ions within a fluid passage that is at least partly defined by an electrical insulator, where the ion generator may include: a discharge electrode placed within the fluid passage; a ground electrode placed in a vicinity of the discharge electrode; and a power source configured to intermittently apply a predetermined discharge voltage to the discharge electrode with respect to the ground electrode. The power source may be configured to apply a base voltage to the discharge electrode with respect to the ground electrode during at least part of a time period after applying the discharge voltage, the base voltage having an opposite polarity to the discharge voltage.

Abstract: A particulate detector is used to detect particulates in gas. The particulate detector includes a housing, an electric-charge generator, a collector, a noise canceller, and a number detection unit. The housing has a gas flow path through which the gas passes. The electric-charge generator applies electric charges generated by electric discharge to the particulates in the gas that is introduced into the gas flow path to obtain charged particulates. The collector is disposed on the gas flow path downstream of the electric-charge generator in a direction of flow of the gas and collects the charged particulates. The noise canceller cancels a noise that is made due to the electric discharge of the electric-charge generator. The number detection unit detects the number of the particulates on the basis of a physical quantity that varies in response to the charged particulates collected by the collector.

Abstract: A fluid sensor may include a sensor head configured to be placed within a fluid passage; an inlet defined in an outer surface of the sensor head and configured to take in fluid into the sensor head; an outlet defined in the outer surface of the sensor head and configured to let out the fluid from the sensor head; a sensing passage extending between the inlet and the outlet within the sensor head; and a sensing unit configured to sense a characteristic of the fluid flowing through the sensing passage. The sensor head may be configured to be placed within the fluid passage such that flow velocity of the fluid along the outer surface of the sensor head is higher at a position of the outlet than at a position of the inlet.

Abstract: A particulate detector that is used to detect a particulate in gas, the particulate detector includes an electric-charge generator that applies an electric charge generated by electric discharge to the particulate in the gas that is introduced into a gas flow path to obtain a charged particulate and a first collector that collects an excess electric charge that is not applied to the particulate and a second collector that collects the charged particulate and a detection unit that corrects a second physical quantity that varies in response to the charged particulate collected by the second collector on the basis of a first physical quantity that varies in response to the excess electric charge collected by the first collector and that detects an amount of the particulate on the basis of the corrected second physical quantity.

Abstract: A fine-particle number detector includes a filter selectively removing, from among fine particles in car exhaust gas introduced into a gas passage pipe, ultrafine particles not larger than a predetermined particle size that is previously set as an upper limit within a range of 25 nm or less, a charge adding device adding charges to the fine particles in the exhaust gas having passed through the filter, and producing charged fine particles and a detection device detecting the number of fine particles in the exhaust gas having passed through the filter on the basis of an amount of charges of the charged fine particles or an amount of charges having not been added to the fine particles.

Abstract: An electric-charge generating element that generates electric charges by gaseous discharge includes a dielectric layer, a discharge electrode disposed on one surface of the dielectric layer, a ground electrode disposed on the other surface or inside of the dielectric layer and a nozzle that is disposed in the dielectric layer at a position such that the nozzle does not interfere with the discharge electrode and the ground electrode so as to penetrate through the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A shock absorber is provided with a damping force generating valve for a very low-speed range that includes: a non-seated leaf valve having a stacked structure; and an opposed part that faces the free end of a largest leaf of the leaf valve and forms an orifice with the fee end. The largest leaf and one leaf, and the largest leaf and another leaf are arranged separately from each other in the axial direction of a piston by the respective spacers. The one leaf includes a leaf element having cutout parts on the side facing the largest leaf. The another leaf includes a leaf element having cutout parts on the side facing the largest leaf.

Abstract: A shock absorber is provided with a damping force generating valve for a very low-speed range that includes: a non-seated leaf valve having a stacked structure; and an opposed part that faces the free end of a largest leaf of the leaf valve and forms an orifice with the fee end. The largest leaf and one leaf, and the largest leaf and another leaf are arranged separately from each other in the axial direction of a piston by the respective spacers. The one leaf includes a leaf element having cutout parts on the side facing the largest leaf. The another leaf includes a leaf element having cutout parts on the side facing the largest leaf.

Abstract: A shock absorber including a piston (3) slidably fitted in a cylinder having hydraulic oil sealed therein. A flow of hydraulic oil, induced in a passage (10) and a sub-passage (29) by sliding movement of the piston in the cylinder in response to the stroke of a piston rod, is controlled by an extension main valve (14) and a compression sub-valve (15) incorporated in the extension main valve, thereby generating a damping force. The amount of deflection of a sub-disk (30) constituting the compression sub-valve when the sub-disk is opened is limited by restricting portions (21). The sub-disk is provided with communicating holes (31) to reduce a differential pressure acting on the sub-disk when opened and also to relax the concentration of stress in the sub-disk, thereby improving the durability of the sub-disk.

Abstract: Disclosed is use of an all-solid-state battery as a backup power source in at least one device selected from the group consisting of a computer, a laptop computer, a portable computer, a pocket computer, a workstation, a supercomputer, computer-peripheral hardware, and a server. This all-solid-state battery comprises a positive electrode layer comprising a positive-electrode active material that is an oriented polycrystalline body composed of lithium transition metal oxide grains oriented in a given direction; a solid electrolyte layer composed of a lithium-ion conductive material; and a negative electrode layer comprising a negative-electrode active material.

Abstract: In a particle counter and a method of counting a number of particles, the particle counter includes a casing made of a ceramic, an electric charge adder configured to add electric charges to particles in a measurement target gas supplied into the casing, a first electric charge collector configured to collect the electric charges added to the particles, and a number measuring unit configured to measure a number of the particles based on a quantity of the collected electric charges.

Abstract: A shock absorber includes a cylinder, a piston, and a piston rod. The piston includes a first valve and a second valve. The first valve includes a first leaf valve, a first valve seat portion, a second valve seat portion, and a first oil passage. The second valve includes a second leaf valve and a second oil passage. The first valve and the second valve are arranged in series.

Abstract: Disclosed is use of an all-solid-state battery as a backup power source in at least one device selected from the group consisting of a computer, a laptop computer, a portable computer, a pocket computer, a workstation, a supercomputer, computer-peripheral hardware, and a server. This all-solid-state battery comprises a positive electrode layer comprising a positive-electrode active material that is an oriented polycrystalline body composed of lithium transition metal oxide grains oriented in a given direction; a solid electrolyte layer composed of a lithium-ion conductive material; and a negative electrode layer comprising a negative-electrode active material.

Abstract: A shock absorber including a piston (3) slidably fitted in a cylinder having hydraulic oil sealed therein. A flow of hydraulic oil, induced in a passage (10) and a sub-passage (29) by sliding movement of the piston in the cylinder in response to the stroke of a piston rod, is controlled by an extension main valve (14) and a compression sub-valve (15) incorporated in the extension main valve, thereby generating a damping force. The amount of deflection of a sub-disk (30) constituting the compression sub-valve when the sub-disk is opened is limited by restricting portions (21). The sub-disk is provided with communicating holes (31) to reduce a differential pressure acting on the sub-disk when opened and also to relax the concentration of stress in the sub-disk, thereby improving the durability of the sub-disk.

Abstract: A shock absorber includes a cylinder, a piston, and a piston rod. The piston includes a first valve and a second valve. The first valve includes a first leaf valve, a first valve seat portion, a second valve seat portion, and a first oil passage. The second valve includes a second leaf valve and a second oil passage. The first valve and the second valve are arranged in series.

Abstract: A compact inductor comprises a coil, a coil-burying body, and a body for a closed magnetic circuit. The coil-burying body is a fired porous ceramic body having a first magnetic permeability, in which the coil is buried. In the coil-burying body, “a through-hole 12a passing through inside of the coil along an axis of the coil” is formed. The body for a closed magnetic circuit is a fired dense ceramic body having a second magnetic permeability greater than the first magnetic permeability. The body for a closed magnetic circuit is arranged closely/densely at an outer circumference portion of the coil-burying body and in the through-hole. A magnetic path is therefore formed mainly within the body for a closed magnetic circuit, and the magnetic flux density is reduced in an area close to the coil. Accordingly, an inductor having the excellent superimposed DC current characteristic is provided.

Abstract: A compact inductor comprises a coil, a coil-burying body, and a body for a closed magnetic circuit. The coil-burying body is a fired porous ceramic body having a first magnetic permeability, in which the coil is buried. In the coil-burying body, “a through-hole 12a passing through inside of the coil along an axis of the coil” is formed. The body for a closed magnetic circuit is a fired dense ceramic body having a second magnetic permeability greater than the first magnetic permeability. The body for a closed magnetic circuit is arranged closely/densely at an outer circumference portion of the coil-burying body and in the through-hole. A magnetic path is therefore formed mainly within the body for a closed magnetic circuit, and the magnetic flux density is reduced in an area close to the coil. Accordingly, an inductor having the excellent superimposed DC current characteristic is provided.

Abstract: A suspension system for a vehicle, comprising a plurality of suspension cylinders such as shock absorbers (10, 12, 14, 16) which correspond to respective wheels of the vehicle and which have respective hydraulic chambers (28), and a control cylinder (48; 100) having a cylinder housing (52; 104), and a piston assembly (50; 102) which is fluid-tightly and slidably fitted in the cylinder housing and which includes a plurality of pistons (70, 72, 74, 76; 110, 112, 114) and at least one connecting rod (66, 68; 116, 118) connecting the plurality of pistons. The control cylinder has a plurality of hydraulic chambers (70, 72, 74, 76; 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140) to which are respectively connected the hydraulic chambers of the plurality of suspension cylinders. The plurality of pistons of the piston assembly include at least two pistons which have respective different diameters.