Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit and a controller. The refrigerant circuit includes a main circuit and a bypass circuit. The bypass circuit is connected, by a pipe, to each of a plurality of parallel outdoor heat exchangers via a defrosting refrigerant pressure-reducing device, a defrosting flow passage switching device, and a backflow prevention device. The controller switches a flow passage for use in introduction of refrigerant using the defrosting flow passage switching device, to select one of the plurality of parallel outdoor heat exchangers as a defrosting target to be defrosted; and supplies defrosting refrigerant whose pressure is reduced by the defrosting refrigerant pressure-reducing device to the selected one of the plurality of parallel outdoor heat exchangers.

Abstract: A projector according to the invention includes: a plurality of illumination systems, each of which is configured so as to include a solid-state light source, that emit light of different wavelengths; a liquid-crystal panel that modulates the light emitted from the plurality of illumination systems; wavelength plates, provided one-to-one for the respective illumination systems in the respective optical paths between each of the plurality of illumination systems and the liquid-crystal panel, whose retardations are set to ¼ the central wavelength of the light emitted from the corresponding illumination systems; and a projection optical system that projects the light modulated by the liquid-crystal panel.

Abstract: A method of driving a liquid crystal device having an optically compensated bend mode and including an image display area including a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged in a row direction in which a plurality of scanning lines extend and in a column direction in which a plurality of data lines extend. The method includes performing an initial transition of a liquid crystal alignment from a splay alignment to a bend alignment. The initial transition includes inversion driving for driving the plurality of pixels by using, among a plurality of inversion driving modes, one inversion driving mode for inverting relative polarities of voltages applied to the plurality of pixels, and different inversion driving for switching the inversion driving mode in the inversion driving to a different inversion driving mode before driving the plurality of pixels.

Abstract: A sustained release nifedipine-containing press coated tablet, which comprises (A) a core comprising nifedipine and a hydrophilic gel-forming high molecular substance, wherein the dissolution of the nifedipine from the core is designed to be delayed: and (B) an outer shell coating said core, which comprises (i) (a) nifedipine and (b) a disintegration suppression substance comprising a pH-independent water-insoluble polymer, wherein the combined contents of (a) and (b) are in the range of 8 to 22% by weight based on the total weight of the outer shell, and (ii) a hydrophilic gel-forming high molecular substance selected from cellulose derivatives and polyvinyl alcohols, wherein the content thereof is in the range of 76 to 95% by weight based on the total weight of the outer shell, which is characterized in that the diameter of said tablet is 7.5 to 8.5 mm, and the thickness thereof is 4.5 to 5.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal device which includes first and second substrates which face each other and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and transitions an alignment state of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer from a spray alignment to a bend alignment to perform display or optical modulation, the liquid crystal device including: a protrusion which is provided on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate at the side of the liquid crystal layer and has a concave portion; and an alignment film which is provided on the surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate at the side of the liquid crystal layer so as to cover the surface of the protrusion including the concave portion.

Abstract: An OCB-mode liquid crystal device includes a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix on one substrate of a pair of substrates, and transferring an aligned state of liquid crystal sandwiched between the pair of substrates from spray alignment in an initial state to bend alignment to perform display. During the transfer, a voltage application operation of applying an equal voltage to a plurality of pixel electrodes corresponding to an arbitrary first row, and of applying, to two pixel electrodes adjacent to both sides of one arbitrary pixel electrode among a plurality of pixel electrodes in a second row adjacent to the first row in a column direction, both voltages which are higher than or lower than an applied voltage to the one pixel electrode is performed on at least some of the plurality of pixel electrodes arrayed in a matrix.

Abstract: A liquid-crystal device includes first and second substrates opposing each other and a liquid-crystal layer held between the first and second substrates. The liquid-crystal device modulates light by switching the orientation of liquid-crystal molecules in the liquid-crystal layer from a splay state orientation to a bend state orientation. The liquid-crystal device further includes a pixel electrode provided for the first substrate; a first opposing electrode provided for the second substrate, an electric field capable of being generated in the liquid-crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the first opposing electrode; and a second opposing electrode provided for the second substrate, an electric field capable of being generated in the liquid-crystal layer at least between the first opposing electrode and the second opposing electrode.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal device which includes first and second substrates which face each other and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and transitions an alignment state of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer from a spray alignment to a bend alignment to perform display or optical modulation, the liquid crystal device including: a protrusion which is provided on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate at the side of the liquid crystal layer and has a concave portion; and an alignment film which is provided on the surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate at the side of the liquid crystal layer so as to cover the surface of the protrusion including the concave portion.

Abstract: A method of driving a liquid crystal device having an optically compensated bend mode and including an image display area including a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged in a row direction in which a plurality of scanning lines extend and in a column direction in which a plurality of data lines extend. The method includes performing an initial transition of a liquid crystal alignment from a splay alignment to a bend alignment. The initial transition includes inversion driving for driving the plurality of pixels by using, among a plurality of inversion driving modes, one inversion driving mode for inverting relative polarities of voltages applied to the plurality of pixels, and different inversion driving for switching the inversion driving mode in the inversion driving to a different inversion driving mode before driving the plurality of pixels.

Abstract: An OCB-mode liquid crystal device includes a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix on one substrate of a pair of substrates, and transferring an aligned state of liquid crystal sandwiched between the pair of substrates from spray alignment in an initial state to bend alignment to perform display. During the transfer, a voltage application operation of applying an equal voltage to a plurality of pixel electrodes corresponding to an arbitrary first row, and of applying, to two pixel electrodes adjacent to both sides of one arbitrary pixel electrode among a plurality of pixel electrodes in a second row adjacent to the first row in a column direction, both voltages which are higher than or lower than an applied voltage to the one pixel electrode is performed on at least some of the plurality of pixel electrodes arrayed in a matrix.

Abstract: In a vacuum contact printer there are provided a winding roller to which one end of a resilient vacuum sheet is attached and a pressure roller for pressing the sheet against a glass plate. Along with the advancement of both rollers, which are rotatably supported on a pair of bearing plates movable in a longitudinal direction, the sheet automatically spreads over the glass plate, being wound off the winding roller and simultaneously being pressed by the pressure roller so that all the air kept between the sheet and the glass plate is completely expelled. In addition, a suctorial operation encourages a closer adhesion of the sheet to the glass plate, whereby a document and a sensitive material placed between them can be sufficiently in close contact with each other.