Abstract: Provided is an air conditioner including an indoor unit provided with a microphone element for receiving voice instructions, such that a voice instruction spoken by an operator is acquired with high quality and control based on the voice instruction spoken by the operator is likely to be ensured. The air conditioner includes an indoor unit, a transmission unit, and a reception unit. The indoor unit has a main body and a microphone element. The main body has formed therein a blow-out port through which air-conditioned air is blown out toward a space to be air-conditioned. The microphone element accepts a voice instruction captured from a voice capturing portion arranged at a position that deviates from a ventilation space through which the air blown out from the blow-out port flows, in such a manner as to face the space to be air-conditioned. The transmission unit transmits the voice instruction accepted by the microphone element to an outside as a signal.

Abstract: A charging base includes: a base seat installed on a floor surface; a columnar tower part provided on the base seat; a first support provided on the tower part and capable of supporting a vertical first electric vacuum cleaner; and a second support provided on the tower part and capable of supporting a vertical second electric vacuum cleaner. An electric vacuum cleaner system includes the charging base configured as described above, the vertical first electric vacuum cleaner, and the vertical second electric vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: There is provided a surface-treated steel sheet (1) comprising: a tin-plated steel sheet (10) obtained by tin-plating a steel sheet (11); a phosphate compound layer (20) containing tin phosphate formed on the tin-plated steel sheet (10); and an aluminum-oxygen compound layer (30) on the phosphate compound layer (20), a main constituent of the aluminum-oxygen compound layer (30) being an aluminum-oxygen compound; wherein, when the 3d5/2 spectrum of tin in the aluminum-oxygen compound layer (30) is determined using an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the ratio of the integration value of the profile derived from tin oxide to the integration value of the profile derived from tin phosphate (tin oxide/tin phosphate) is 6.9 or more.

Abstract: An electrolyte solution according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises water, a lithium salt, and a polycarboxylic acid having two or more carboxylic acid groups. A secondary battery according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and the electrolyte solution.

Abstract: A rechargeable battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte solution is provided. The electrolyte solution contains water and one or more lithium salts, and the lithium salts include lithium fluorophosphate.

Abstract: A negative electrode active material for aqueous secondary batteries, said negative electrode active material being applied to an aqueous secondary battery that uses an aqueous electrolyte solution containing water and a lithium salt, wherein: the negative electrode active material contains graphite; the graphite has a C—F bond group on the surface; if I688eV is the peak intensity at around 688 eV ascribed to a C—F bond and I284eV is the peak intensity at around 284 eV ascribed to a C—C bond in the XPS spectrum of the graphite as obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the ratio of the peak intensity I688eV to the peak intensity I284eV (namely, the value of I688eV/I284eV ) is from 0.1 to 7; and the BET specific surface area is from 0.5 m2/g to 3.9 m2/g.

Abstract: Provided is a negative electrode active material that is applied in an aqueous secondary battery in which is used an aqueous electrolyte containing water and a lithium salt. The negative electrode active material contains hardly-graphitizable carbon, and the hardly-graphitizable carbon has a C—F bond group on the surface thereof. In an XPS spectrum obtained through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, when the peak intensity near 688 eV originating from C—F bonds of the hardly-graphitizable carbon is denoted by I688eV, the peak intensity near 284 eV originating from C—C bonds is denoted by I284eV, a ratio of the peak intensity I688eV to the peak intensity I284eV (value of I688eV/I284eV) is denoted by X, and the BET specific surface area (m2/g) is denoted by Y, the X and Y satisfy Y<(?0.3X+3.75), 0.1?X?5, and Y?2.

Abstract: A secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolytic solution. The negative electrode includes a carbon material electrochemically capable of absorbing and releasing lithium ions, and a solid electrolyte covering at least part of a surface of the carbon material and having lithium ion conductivity. The solid electrolyte includes a first compound represented by a general formula: LixM1Oy, where 0.5<x?9, 1?y<6, and the M1 includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, Al, Si, P, Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Ta, and La. The electrolytic solution includes a solvent and a lithium salt, and the solvent contains at least water.

Abstract: A secondary battery according to the present invention is provided with a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte solution; the electrolyte solution contains water and a lithium salt; the negative electrode contains a negative electrode active material; a silane coupling agent, which is reductively decomposed at a potential that is higher than the reductive decomposition potential of water, is adhered to the surface of the negative electrode active material; and the silane coupling agent contains fluorine as a constituent element.

Abstract: A secondary battery which comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolytic solution, wherein the electrolytic solution comprises water, a lithium salt, and an additive, the additive including at least one of alkaline-earth metal salts, dicarboxylic acids, carboxylic anhydrides, and organic carbonates, and the negative electrode comprises a negative active material, the negative active material having a silane coupling agent adherent to the surface thereof.

Abstract: An electrolyte solution according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises water, a lithium salt, and a polycarboxylic acid having two or more carboxylic acid groups. A secondary battery according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and the electrolyte solution.

Abstract: An aqueous rechargeable battery includes: a positive electrode including a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer provided on a surface of the positive electrode current collector; a negative electrode including a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer provided on a surface of the negative electrode current collector; and an aqueous electrolyte solution containing a lithium salt and water. The positive electrode active material layer contains one or more positive electrode active materials and one or more lithium ion-conducting solid electrolytes; and the positive electrode active materials include a lithium transition metal oxide.

Abstract: A rechargeable battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte solution is provided. The electrolyte solution contains water and one or more lithium salts, and the lithium salts include lithium fluorophosphate.

Abstract: A secondary battery includes a cathode, an anode including an active material, and non-aqueous electrolytic solution. The active material includes a center portion and a covering portion provided on part or all of the center portion. The center portion includes silicon, tin, or both as constituent elements. The covering portion includes a plurality of fibrous carbon materials. Part or all of the fibrous carbon materials extend in a direction along a surface of the center portion and are closely attached to the center portion.

Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment unit includes an exhaust gas treatment device, a bracket and a connecting pipe. The exhaust gas treatment device is mounted on a bracket. The connecting pipe is connected to the exhaust gas treatment device. The connecting pipe directs exhaust gas to the exhaust gas treatment device. The connecting pipe may include a supporting portion and a pipe portion, with the supporting portion supporting the bracket and the pipe portion being integrated with the supporting portion. Alternatively, the exhaust gas treatment unit may further include a supporting member having a supporting portion supporting the bracket and a pipe portion integrated with the supporting portion, with the pipe portion connected to the connecting pipe.

Abstract: An engine unit includes an engine, an exhaust gas treatment device and a connecting pipe. The engine has an exhaust gas port. The exhaust gas treatment device is arranged above the engine. The connecting pipe connects the exhaust gas port and the exhaust gas treatment device. The connecting pipe has an expandable-contractible bellows portion. The bellows portion has a linear form following the upward-downward direction. The lower end portion of the bellows portion is positioned lower than at least a part of the exhaust gas port.

Abstract: A secondary battery includes a cathode, an anode including an active material, and non-aqueous electrolytic solution. The active material includes a center portion and a covering portion provided on part or all of the center portion. The center portion includes silicon, tin, or both as constituent elements. The covering portion includes a plurality of fibrous carbon materials. Part or all of the fibrous carbon materials extend in a direction along a surface of the center portion and are closely attached to the center portion.

Abstract: An engine unit includes an engine, an exhaust gas treatment device and a connecting pipe. The engine has an exhaust gas port. The exhaust gas treatment device is arranged above the engine. The connecting pipe connects the exhaust gas port and the exhaust gas treatment device. The connecting pipe has an expandable-contractible bellows portion. The bellows portion has a linear form following the upward-downward direction. The lower end portion of the bellows portion is positioned lower than at least a part of the exhaust gas port.

Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment unit includes an exhaust gas treatment device, a bracket and a connecting pipe. The exhaust gas treatment device is mounted on a bracket. The connecting pipe is connected to the exhaust gas treatment device. The connecting pipe directs exhaust gas to the exhaust gas treatment device. The connecting pipe may include a supporting portion and a pipe portion, with the supporting portion supporting the bracket and the pipe portion being integrated with the supporting portion. Alternatively, the exhaust gas treatment unit may further include a supporting member having a supporting portion supporting the bracket and a pipe portion integrated with the supporting portion, with the pipe portion connected to the connecting pipe.

Abstract: A charge control device for a secondary battery controls a charge of the secondary battery including positive and negative electrodes. The device includes: a degradation degree detection and evaluation unit that detects and evaluates a degree of degradation of the secondary battery; and a charge control unit. The charge control unit controls a voltage application state to the electrode at a time of charge of the secondary battery based on an evaluation result of the degree of degradation of the second battery in the degradation degree detection and evaluation unit.