Abstract: A device for turning on light allowing the brightness of an inverter-type illumination apparatus to be adjusted without having to install an additional oscillation circuit. The device comprises an active converter which generates a DC voltage from the commercial AC voltage and an inverter which switches the generated DC voltage, includes a capacitor connected in parallel with a discharge tube to be lighted, and supplies a high-frequency current to the discharge tube via a resonance circuit whose resonance frequency is determined according to the equivalent impedance of the discharge tube. The active converter has a triac adjusting the DC voltage, and switching elements of the inverter perform self-oscillation under control of the phase of the resonance current flowing through the resonance circuit.

Abstract: A device for turning on light allowing the brightness of an inverter-type illumination apparatus to be adjusted without having to install an additional oscillation circuit. The device comprises an active converter which generates a DC voltage from the commercial AC voltage and an inverter which switches the generated DC voltage, includes a capacitor connected in parallel with a discharge tube to be lighted, and supplies a high-frequency current to the discharge tube via a resonance circuit whose resonance frequency is determined according to the equivalent impedance of the discharge tube. The active converter has a triac adjusting the DC voltage, and switching elements of the inverter perform self-oscillation under control of the phase of the resonance current flowing through the resonance circuit.

Abstract: A support structure of a piezoelectric vibrator greatly increase a bonding strength between a conductive bonding agent and a mounting substrate. The support structure may be provided in a piezoelectric transformer, a piezoelectric vibrator, a gyroscope, and a multilayered piezoelectric component. The mounting substrate has first to third terminal electrodes provided on both top and bottom surfaces thereof and includes first to third through holes being provided at a central portion of the terminal electrodes, respectively. After the piezoelectric transformer element is positioned on the mounting substrate such that the transformer element is spaced slightly apart from the top surface of the mounting substrate by a predetermined distance, a conductive bonding agent is applied to the node N of vibration of an input electrode of the piezoelectric transformer element and the first terminal electrode, and the first through hole is filled with the conductive bonding agent.

Abstract: A dielectric ceramic composition contains 100% by weight of main component composed of about 35 to 55% by weight of SrTiO3, about 10 to 35% by weight of PbTiO3, about 5 to 12% by weight of CaTiO3, about 8 to 25% by weight of Bi2O3 and about 5 to 13% by weight of TiO2, and about 0.02 to 0.5% by weight of MnO, about 0.05 to 2% by weight of an oxide of at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Nd, Pr, Sm, Dy, Er and Y, and about 0.02 to 0.8% by weight of CuO. The dielectric ceramic composition can provide a capacitor which exhibits a low loss and a high dielectric constant, and which can be used in the high frequency region, thereby permitting the advance in miniaturization of the capacitor.

Abstract: An illumination lighting apparatus has a resonance load circuit including a discharge tube, a power supply circuit for generating DC voltage from commercial AC voltage, and an inverter for converting the generated DC voltage into an AC voltage and supplying the AC voltage to the resonance load circuit. Further, a control circuit is provided which controls electric power supplied to the resonance load circuit in response to operating parameters of the discharge tube immediately after lighting of the discharge tube.

Abstract: A dielectric ceramic composition contains 100% by weight of main component composed of about 35 to 55% by weight of SrTiO3, about 10 to 35% by weight of PbTiO3, about 5 to 12% by weight of CaTiO3, about 8 to 25% by weight of Bi2O3 and about 5 to 13% by weight of TiO2, and about 0.02 to 0.5% by weight of MnO, about 0.05 to 2% by weight of an oxide of at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Nd, Pr, Sm, Dy, Er and Y, and about 0.02 to 0.8% by weight of CuO. The dielectric ceramic composition can provide a capacitor which exhibits a low loss and a high dielectric constant, and which can be used in the high frequency region, thereby permitting the advance in miniaturization of the capacitor.

Abstract: A piezoelectric transformer includes a piezoelectric transforming element supported at its vibrational node region N on a base plate through a resilient adhesive member. Input electrodes of the piezoelectric transforming element are electrically connected to input electrode connecting lands of the base plate through a conductive adhesive which is adapted to be freely deformed according to the vibration of the piezoelectric transforming element. An output electrode of the piezoelectric transforming element is electrically connected to an output electrode connecting land of the base plate through a lead wire or a conductive adhesive.

Abstract: In order to detect a fault which would result in heating or fuming of a discharge tube lighting circuit and to break the lighting circuit, input voltage and current are measured and multiplied to compute the input power. The discharge tube 3 is extinguished when an input power reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus which stabilizes the output by feeding it back is provided which suppresses variations of the output for abrupt variations of the input. The power supply apparatus comprises output sensing means for sensing output current and output voltage, first output control means for controlling the output with the increment or decrement of the value obtained from said output sensing means, second output control means for controlling the output from an absolute value of the input voltage, and selection means for selecting either said first output control means or said second output control means.

Abstract: A current feedback type discharge lamp lighting device including a switching circuit which switches an impedance of an impedance device in accordance with the number of connected discharge tubes. In the discharge lamp lighting device, a tube current for each of the connected discharge tubes is maintained constant, and the discharge lamp lighting device tends to not be effected by stray capacitance.

Abstract: A packing band having a superior weld is disclosed. The band can be made of a stretched thermoplastic resin having a flat cross section. The weld is formed by overlapping ends of the band extending in the lengthwise direction thereof. The weld portion of the band includes a plurality of welded sections separated by at least one non-welded section along the lengthwise direction of the band. The welding of the packing band can be accomplished by overlapping parts of the band in a lengthwise direction thereof; melting discontinuous portions of the parts in a pattern along the length of the band parts of a melted portion, an unmelted portion and a melted portion; and then pressing the parts together so that the melted and unmelted portions of the parts contact each other and form a weld.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus employs a liquid crystal display and a fluorescent lamp for backlighting the screen of the liquid crystal display. A lighting circuit for supplying alternating current lighting power to the fluorescent lamp receives input power from either a commercial alternating current power source or from a direct current battery. The level of the lighting power supplied to the fluorescent lamp is determined based upon a determination of whether the input power is being supplied from the commercial power source or from the battery.

Abstract: A decorative screw is manufactured by forming a three-dimensional pattern on the whole surface of the head of a screw, depositing a coating or plating film on the whole surface of the pattern and grinding the projecting areas of the pattern to provide the screw head with a decorative three-dimensional pattern.

Abstract: An excellent corrosion resistant member of a ceramic heater for semiconductor production apparatuses to be exposed to a halogen series corrosive gas is provided. The corrosion resistant member uses one of an aluminum nitride and alumina sintered body as a substrate. A ceramic heater using the corrosion resistive member is also disclosed as well as a semiconductor heating device using the ceramic heater.

Abstract: The discharge lamp operating circuit comprises two series circuits, each including two switching devices, connected in parallel with the power supply, a series circuit, including a choke coil, a first capacitor, and a parallel circuit with a discharge lamp and a second capacitor, and connected between the middle points of the one and the other series circuit, reverse-direction rectifiers connected in parallel with the corresponding switching devices, said discharge lamp operating circuit turning on and off said discharge lamp by turning on and off the switching devices alternately. In this discharge lamp operating circuit, the timing of switching the switching devices is set from the closed condition to the open condition at a time when the current flowing through the switching devices is almost at zero level.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting system including at least one switch device connected between a d.c. power supply and a discharge lamp which is turned on by a high frequency power generated through turning-on and -off of the switching device. In the discharge lighting system, the discharge lamp lighting operation is allowed to start when the d.c. power supply voltage reaches a predetermined voltage value A or over, and the discharge lamp lighting operation is stopped when the d.c. power supply voltage lowers smaller than a predetermined voltage value B, where the values A and B take a relation that B is smaller than A.

Abstract: A discharge lamp operating circuit includes at least a discharge lamp, a condenser and four switches. The condenser is charged and discharged through the discharge lamp by the turn-on and turn-off of the switches so that an AC current is caused to flow through the discharge lamp to operate the discharge lamp. A time required for the complete charging and discharging of the condenser is selected to be longer than a time scheduled for the charging and discharging of the condenser in one period. A switching frequency f.sub.0 at the time of heating of the discharge lamp and a switching frequency f at the time of operating of the discharge lamp has a relation of 2.ltoreq.f/f.sub.0 .ltoreq.10.

Abstract: A system for collecting eggs of laying hens which includes a plurality of poultry cages encaging several laying hens, egg leading slopes causing eggs to roll out the poultry cages and a conveyor belt receiving and delivering eggs rolling from the cages, having retarding structure thereon for decreasing the rolling speed of the eggs.

Abstract: A compact fluorescent lamp with a screw base having a lamp with an inner tube, an outer case which is provided at one end of the lamp and includes an operating circuit section therein and has a screw base at one end of the outer case, and a molding compound having excellent insulation and good conduction of heat which is pressed and interposed into the gap between the operating circuit section and the outer case in order to transfer the heat generated in the operating circuit section to the outer case.

Abstract: A dielectric ceramic composition comprises a main component comprising, in percent by weight, 32 to 47% SrTiO.sub.3, 26.5 to 46% PbTiO.sub.3, 8 to 16% CaTiO.sub.3, 5 to 16% Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3, and 3 to 10% TiO.sub.2 ; ZnO in an amount of 1 to 3.8% of the total composition; and SiO.sub.2 in an amount of 1 to 3.8% of the total composition. The dielectric ceramic composition having a high dielectric constant, a small voltage dependence of dielectric properties, and a low firing temperature.