Abstract: A label printer has an on-board peeling mechanism that easily replaces label paper and removing paper jams with limited space for opening and closing the printer. The label printer has a printing mechanism for printing labels while conveying label paper having a plurality of label affixed to a continuous web liner, and a peeling unit for peeling printed labels from the web liner conveyed through a curved transport path by bending the printed label paper acutely from the back side of the web liner. The peeling unit is attached to a printer cover which is mounted openably and closably to the label paper compartment in the printer housing.

Abstract: A semiconductor waveguide device includes a lower clad layer, an upper clad layer, an optical waveguide layer interposed between the lower clad layer and the upper clad layer, and a lower electrode and an upper electrode for applying a voltage to a laminated structure including the lower clad layer, the optical waveguide layer, and the upper clad layer. Light is made incident from an end face of the optical waveguide layer. The upper clad layer includes a stripe-like width-narrowed portion, and a width-broadened portion formed at a position closer to a light-incident end face than the width-narrowed portion and having a width wider than the width-narrowed portion.

Abstract: A label peeling mechanism and a label printer having a label peeling mechanism reliably print and dispense labels without problems such as paper jams. The label peeling mechanism has a web-bending guide having a convex curved surface for bending a continuous web having labels affixed to the front surface thereof to an angle of less than or equal to 90 degrees with respect to the back side of the web; an upstream web pressure guide disposed upstream in the web transportation direction from the convex curved surface of the web-bending guide opposite a upstream guide surface of the web-bending guide; and a downstream web pressure guide disposed downstream in the web transportation direction from the curved surface of the web-bending guide opposite the downstream guide surface. A plurality of ribs is disposed to the upstream web pressure guide across the web width with a gap therebetween perpendicular to the web transportation direction.

Abstract: In a label printer in which either a peeling mode or non-peeling mode can be selected as the label dispensing mode, labels are printed and thus wasted when the operator loads the label paper into a transportation path that does not match the desired dispensing mode. This problem is solved by a label printer enabling selecting as the printing configuration either a peeling configuration for peeling printed labels from the web of label paper 11, or a non-peeling configuration in which the printed labels are not separated from the web of the label paper 11. A printing configuration selection unit 27 enables selecting which printing configuration to use. To operate in the non-peeling mode, the label paper 11 is loaded into a first paper transportation path A. To operate in the peeling mode, the label paper 11 is loaded to a second paper transportation path B. A cover unit 2 can be opened and closed to enable handling the label paper, and takes the label printer off-line when the cover unit 2 is opened.

Abstract: One data processor is provided with an interface for realizing connection with the other data processor. This interface is provided with a function for connecting the other data processor as a bus master to an internal bus of the one data processor, and the relevant other data processor is capable of directly operating peripheral functions that are memory mapped to the internal bus from an external side via the interface. Accordingly, the data processor can utilize the peripheral functions of the other data processor without interruption of the program being executed. In short, one data processor can use in common the peripheral resources of the other data processor.

Abstract: A printer and an ink tank for the printer capable of precisely detecting that ink has run out in a foam type ink tank. The ink chamber and an ink passage are formed in this order between the foam containing portion and the ink outlet of a foam-type ink tank. A first filter is installed between the foam containing portion and the ink passage and used to pass bubbles therethrough, whereas a second filter having a pore diameter smaller than the pore diameter of the first filter is installed between the ink chamber and the ink passage. A rectangular prism for detecting an ink end is formed on the side of the ink chamber. When the reflective surface of the rectangular prism is exposed from an ink liquid level as bubbles are gathered in the ink chamber with ink that is running short, light is reflected from the reflective surfaces and is detected by a reflection type optical sensor on the ink-jet printer side, so that the ink end can be determined.

Abstract: A ferrous seal sliding part excellent in heat crack resistance, seizing resistance and abrasion resistance is provided. The ferrous seal sliding part having a seal sliding surface, wherein the seal sliding surface has a martensite parent phase which forms a solid solution with carbon of 0.15 to 0.6 wt % and contains a first dispersion material of at least either cementite of 5 to 70% by volume or MC-type carbide of 0.1 to 10% by volume and a second dispersion material of at least either graphite of 1 to 15% by volume or Cu alloy phase of 1 to 20% by volume dispersed therein, with a total content of the first dispersion material and the second dispersion material being 5 to 70% by volume.

Abstract: A cartridge body is formed with a chamber storing ink and a recessed portion having an ink outlet port from which ink in the chamber flows out. An elastic gasket has a first through hole and is fitted into the recessed portion. A gasket stopper has a second through hole and is fitted into the recessed portion such that the gasket is pressed against an inner face of the recessed portion. A hollowed needle having a hole at a tip end thereof is inserted into the ink outlet port while passing through the first through hole and the second through hole and while enlarging the first through hole in order to supply the ink in the chamber to an ink jet recording head via the hole.

Abstract: A method for recovering platinum group elements comprises charging into a closed electric furnace and melting, together with flux components and a reducing agent, a platinum group element-containing substance to be processed and a copper source material containing copper oxide, sinking molten metal of primarily metallic copper below a molten slag layer of primarily oxides, and enriching the platinum group elements in the molten metal sunk below, and is characterized in that molten slag whose copper content has decreased to 3.0 wt % or less is discharged from the electric furnace and that the copper source material charged into the electric furnace is a granular copper source material of a grain diameter of not less than 0.1 mm and not greater than 10 mm.

Abstract: An optical semiconductor device having high precision of optical coupling and fabricated at low cost. The device comprises a semiconductor chip used as light source 3, lens system 6 constituted from one or more resin lenses for converging light output from the semiconductor chip used as light source 3, a conductive base 2 for mounting the semiconductor chip 3 thereon, and lens support assembly 4 and 5 for maintaining a predetermined distance from the semiconductor chip 3 and supporting the resin lens 6. Deviation from the image point of the lens system 6 caused by change of the refractive index of the lens system 6 due to change in temperature is compensated for by change in the distance between the semiconductor chip 3 and the lens system 6, caused by thermal expansion of the electrically conductive base 2 and the lens support assembly 4 and 5.

Abstract: A fuel cell system that can realize generation of electrical energy with improved energy efficiency as well as with a simplified construction of the system, and a hydrogen supply device used in the fuel cell system. The fuel cell system 1 comprises a fuel cell unit 4 using hydrogen as a fuel, and a hydrogen supply device 3 to supply hydrogen gas to the fuel cell unit 4. The hydrogen supply device 3 comprises a fuel-side electrode 8 to decompose a fuel whose standard oxidation-reduction potential is equal to or less than zero, a hydrogen-production-side electrode 9 for producing hydrogen, and an electrolyte membrane 10 interposed between them. This hydrogen supply device 3 can promote a spontaneous electrolytic reaction of the fuel whose standard oxidation-reduction potential is equal to or less than zero.

Abstract: In order to provide a fuel cell that can allow the direct supply of fuel and also can effectively generate electric power with a simple structure, a cell of the fuel cell is so constructed that a proton-shift medium comprising a solid polymer membrane and the like is interposed between a fuel-side electrode and an oxygen-side electrode, and a fuel comprising a compound containing at least hydrogen and nitrogen, such as hydrazine, is supplied directly to the fuel-side electrode.

Abstract: A data processing method for compressing vertex coordinate data of a plurality of polygons approximating a three-dimensional shape of an image, an apparatus therefor, and a program recording medium therefor. Vertexes of a plurality of polygons approximating a three-dimensional shape of an image are divided into a plurality of vertex sets. A reference point is defined for each of the vertex sets. As positional information of each vertex in each of the vertex sets, differential data between the coordinates of the vertex and the coordinates of the reference point is obtained as an integer value indicating the magnitude relative to a predetermined scale value. The coordinate data of the reference point and the differential data in each of the vertex sets are compressed data.

Abstract: The present invention provides peptides represented by the following formula (A): wherein Q represents a physiologically active peptide moiety; X each represents the same or different ?-amino acid residue; M represents Gly or Cys; m represents an integer of from 5 to 8; and n represents an integer of from 0 to 3, or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The peptides of the present invention have higher stability and/or higher activity than physiologically active linear peptides to which no cyclic peptide is bonded.

Abstract: This invention relates to novel compounds represented by the general formula [I]: (wherein, R1 and R4 are the same or different, and represent hydrogen atoms, lower alkyl groups or the like; R2 and R3 are the same or different, and represent lower alkoxy groups or lower alkyl groups; R5 represents a lower alkyl group or aralkyl group optionally having substituent(s); R6 represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group; X represents O, S or NH; m represents an integer of 0 to 3; n represents an integer of 0 or 1; and Ar represents a phenyl group or heteroaryl group optionally having substituent(s)). The compounds of the invention have an antagonistic action on orexin receptors, and are useful for treatment of appetite abnormality, obesity, sleeping disorder or the like.

Abstract: A porous polyester film containing a polyester resin as a main starting material is provided. By optimizing the melt viscosity of a void-forming agent to be added, the ratio of the number of voids to film thickness can be set to 0.20 void/&mgr;m or above. As a result a lightweight polyester film can be provided, which has a high strength, superior processability and high reflectivity to visible light. This film is suitable as a material for various reflectors.

Abstract: A silicon oxide film is formed on the surfaces of a plastic substrate and contains methyl groups and methylene groups in a portion near the interface to the plastic substrate. The silicon oxide film exhibits not only excellent adhesion to the plastic substrate, softness and flexibility but also exhibits excellent gas shut-off property (gas barrier property), makes it possible to achieve excellent gas-shutoff property with a smaller film thickness than that of the conventional films, and can be mass-produced favorably.

Abstract: First and second radial magnetic bearings are provided at opposing ends of a rotary shaft, first and second protective bearings are arranged in the vicinity thereof, a third radial magnetic bearing is arranged on a side of a fan near a motor, and by the third radial magnetic bearing, negative spring element of the motor is corrected.