Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer to bear a latent electrostatic image thereon, a developing device to supply a development agent to the latent electrostatic image to obtain a visible image, a transfer roller to contact the image bearer to transfer the visible image to a recording medium, a replenishing device to replenish the developing device with the development agent when a density value read from a density detection pattern formed on the image bearer by the developing device is equal to or less than a threshold, a processing device to conduct a predetermined processing to reduce attachment of the development agent to the transfer roller, and a control device to control the number of times the predetermined processing is performed or processing time in performing the predetermined processing for the processing device, based on whether there is replenishment of the development agent to the developing device.

Abstract: Provided is a system whereby the self-driving capability or each vehicle can be improved by using not only an experience of own vehicle but also an experience of another vehicle. For example, suppose own vehicle (V1) has no experience of having traveled on a root (R). On the other hand, another vehicle (V2) has experienced traveling on the root (R). The another vehicle (V2) acquires various data pertaining to driving when traveling on the route (R), and stores the various data in an onboard storage device. The another vehicle (V2) provides information including the various data stored in the storage device to the own vehicle (V1) as experience information. The own vehicle (V1) can achieve self-driving capability at the same level as the another vehicle (V2) by performing self-driving control on the basis of the experience information of the another vehicle (V2), which has experience of having traveled on the root (R).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a recording medium by discharging liquid droplets onto the medium; and a media heater to heat the medium by contacting a rear surface of the medium opposite a surface of the medium on which the image is formed, in which the media heater includes a contact member with a contact surface having a predetermined curvature that the medium contacts, the contact member is a roller member, and the medium closely contacts the contact surface of the contact member across an entire width of the medium in a direction perpendicular to the media conveyance direction.

Abstract: An X-ray spectroscopic analysis apparatus includes: a radiation source configured to irradiate a predetermined irradiation area in the surface of a sample with an excitation beam for generating a characteristic X-ray; an analyzing crystal provided facing the irradiation area; a slit provided between the irradiation area and the analyzing crystal, the slit being parallel to the irradiation area and a predetermined crystal plane of the analyzing crystal; and an X-ray linear sensor including linear detection elements arranged in a direction perpendicular to the slit, the detection elements each having a length in a direction parallel to the slit. By detecting characteristic X-rays from different linear portions of the irradiation area for each wavelength, it is possible to perform analysis with sensitivity higher than the sensitivity of a conventional X-ray spectroscopic analysis apparatus that irradiates a point-like irradiation area with an excitation beam.

Abstract: In a hydraulically-operated multi-vane equipped valve timing control apparatus of an internal combustion engine, at least one of a plurality of vanes is equipped with a fluid-communication control mechanism FCCM, whereas the other vanes are configured as non-FCCM equipped vanes. At least one of the non-FCCM equipped vanes is configured such that a summed pressure-receiving surface area of the non-FCCM equipped at least one vane, facing a phase-retard chamber, and a summed pressure-receiving surface area of the non-FCCM equipped at least one vane, facing a phase-advance chamber, are set to differ from each other, thereby permitting a vane rotor to be biased in a specified rotation direction by the unbalanced pressure-receiving surface area configuration as well as establishment of fluid-communication between the two adjacent chambers through the fluid-communication control mechanism, when starting the engine from its stopped state where there is no hydraulic-pressure supply from an oil pump.

Abstract: A vehicle lower section structure that includes: a floor panel; a dash panel partitioning an engine compartment from a vehicle cabin; a front side member that extends in a vehicle body front-rear direction on a vehicle body front side of the dash panel, and that is disposed along a lower face of the floor panel on a vehicle body rear side of the dash panel; a rocker extending in the vehicle body front-rear direction; a torque box that extends in the vehicle width direction, that is joined to the lower face of the floor panel between the front side member and the rocker in bottom face view, and that forms a closed cross-section profile together with the floor panel; and a bulkhead running along the vehicle body front-rear direction inside the torque box and sectioning the inside of the torque box in the vehicle width direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a recording medium by discharging liquid droplets onto the medium; and a media heater to heat the medium by contacting a rear surface of the medium opposite a surface of the medium on which the image is formed, in which the media heater includes a contact member with a contact surface having a predetermined curvature that the medium contacts, the contact member is a roller member, and the medium closely contacts the contact surface of the contact member across an entire width of the medium in a direction perpendicular to the media conveyance direction.

Abstract: A geographic coordinate encoding device including a processing unit, wherein the processing unit performs: a first encoding process of determining, from among a plurality of areas obtained by hierarchically dividing a geographic range, an area specified by geographic coordinates of at least two points detected by a sensor, and encoding data representing the determined area; and an output process of outputting data representing a relationship between the specified area and the coordinates of the at least two points, along with code data encoded by the first encoding process.

Abstract: Provided are: an optical waveguide that relatively easily expands a spot size and that can suppress an increase in optical coupling loss with another optical waveguide element; and an optical component and variable-wavelength laser that use the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide is provided with: a cladding member; and a core layer that is disposed within the cladding member and that is formed as an elongated body having a rectangular cross-sectional shape from a material having a higher refractive index than the material configuring the cladding member. Here, the cross-sectional shape of the core layer is characterized in having a rectangular shape in which the length in the lateral direction is at least 10 times the length in the vertical direction.

Abstract: A separator for fuel cell includes a corrugated portion formed to have a corrugated cross section where a first groove that is concave to a first surface to form a flow path for a first fluid on the first surface and a second groove that is concave to a second surface opposite to the first surface to form a flow path for a second fluid on the second surface are arranged alternately and repeatedly. Each of the second grooves has at least one shallower groove section formed to have a less depth from the second surface than depth of a remaining groove section and provided to form a communication flow channel on the first surface side, which is arranged to communicate between two flow path spaces for the first fluid that are adjacent to each other across the shallower groove section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer to bear a latent electrostatic image thereon, a developing device to supply a development agent to the latent electrostatic image to obtain a visible image, a transfer roller to contact the image bearer to transfer the visible image to a recording medium, a replenishing device to replenish the developing device with the development agent when a density value read from a density detection pattern formed on the image bearer by the developing device is equal to or less than a threshold, a processing device to conduct a predetermined processing to reduce attachment of the development agent to the transfer roller, and a control device to control the number of times the predetermined processing is performed or processing time in performing the predetermined processing for the processing device, based on whether there is replenishment of the development agent to the developing device.

Abstract: A wind turbine blade includes: a blade body extending from a blade root along a blade longitudinal direction toward a blade tip; and a metal strip provided to cover at least a leading edge at the blade tip side of the blade body so as to suppress erosion at the leading edge of the blade body.

Abstract: A separator for fuel cell is used for a fuel cell and is placed to face a membrane electrode assembly. The separator includes a separator center area placed to face a power generation area of the membrane electrode assembly; a peripheral region extended from the separator center area toward an outer edge; a cooling medium supply manifold and a cooling medium discharge manifold provided in the peripheral region; a fluid flow path area extended from the cooling medium supply manifold through the separator center area to the cooling medium discharge manifold; a sealing gasket provided in the peripheral region and placed to surround the fluid flow path area; and a gasket for peel test provided outside of the fluid flow path area and configured to receive an external force applied as a test for evaluation of an adhesive state of the gasket. Evaluating the adhesive state of the gasket for peel test improves the yield of products in manufacture of the separators for fuel cell.

Abstract: If closing operation to the passenger's seat sub switch continues for not less than a prescribed time period Tb, a passenger's seat relay contact on a close side is turned ON. If the closing operation to the passenger's seat sub switch thereafter ends before a prescribed time period Tc elapses, the passenger's seat relay contact on the close side is kept ON. If opening operation to the passenger's seat sub switch continues for not less than the prescribed time period Tb, a passenger's seat relay contact on an open side is turned ON. If the opening operation to the passenger's seat sub switch thereafter ends before the prescribed time period Tc elapses, the passenger's seat relay contact on the open side is kept ON. The invention is applicable to an automatic window system and the like.

Abstract: A rubber gasket for a fuel cell is interposed between a first member and a second member stacked in the fuel cell. The fuel cell includes: a seat portion arranged on a surface of the first member; and a lip portion that includes a first hill portion projecting from the seat portion toward the second member and having a curved surface with a first curvature radius and a second hill portion projecting from the first hill portion toward the second member and having a curved surface with a second curvature radius smaller than the first curvature radius, and that makes elastic contact with the second member. The seat portion includes a planar inclined surface inclined with respect to the surface direction at a connecting portion leading to a bottom of the first hill portion.

Abstract: A method for inspecting a physical quantity sensor includes: applying a test drive signal while changing a voltage level, to an angular velocity sensor as a physical quantity sensor having a detection portion which performs detection vibration according to a physical quantity; detecting an output signal from the detection portion corresponding to the test drive signal, as a test detection signal; and performing pass/fail determination based on a change in the test detection signal in relation to the change in the voltage level.

Abstract: An object is to equalize the level of cooling along a top-bottom direction of a fuel cell stack. A fuel cell stack has an anode-side separator placed between a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies. The anode-side separator comprises a separator center area that is arranged to face a power generation area of the membrane electrode assembly; an outer peripheral portion that is extended from the separator center area to outer periphery and has a plurality of openings for cooling medium supply manifolds; and a rib that is firmed from a beam portion provided to separate the adjacent openings for cooling medium supply manifolds from each other, over an area between the openings for cooling medium supply manifolds and the separator center area.

Abstract: Dynamic range of a second amplifier which is provided in a subsequent stage of a synchronous detection circuit is set greater than dynamic range of a first amplifier which is provided in a preceding stage of the synchronous detection circuit, and thus, an output is prevented from being saturated.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a fuel cell module includes: forming an outer divided body having a frame shape and formed from an uncrosslinked item of solid rubber having adhesiveness in a seal member arrangement portion of a separator to produce an outer temporary assembly, and forming an inner divided body having a frame shape and formed from an uncrosslinked item of solid rubber in a peripheral edge portion of an electrode member to produce an inner temporary assembly; fitting the inner temporary assembly into a frame of the outer temporary assembly to produce a cell assembly temporary assembly; arranging a cell assembly stack, in which a plurality of the cell assembly temporary assemblies are stacked, in a forming die; and pressurizing and heating the forming die to crosslink the uncrosslinked item

Abstract: An object is to improve the durability of a seal member such as a gasket. A bottom 23 is a seal surface that comes into contact with a gasket 40 placed between the bottom 23 and an adjacent cell. A cooling water manifold 411 is a flow path for cooling water that is formed to pass through a separator for fuel cell in its thickness direction. A flange 24 is protruded from one surface of a first separator in the thickness direction to surround part of the cooling water manifold 411. An area between respective ends T1 and T2 of the flange 24 is an opening K that forms a flow path in an in-plane direction of the first separator. An inclined surface 22 located on a limit line RL of the flange 24 is formed to face the gasket 40, in order to limit the move of the gasket 40 in an adjacent cell. At the end T1 located on the limit line RL, a surface opposed to the gasket 40 is covered by a protective film 70 for protecting the gasket.