Abstract: An optical information reading apparatus includes a semiconductor laser, a beam splitter, a collimating lens, a super-resolution cut-off filter, an objective lens having a high numerical aperture, and a photodetector. The super-resolution cut-off filter is disposed immediately in front of the incident side of the objective lens. The photodetector is a well-known eight-division photodetector with a signal processing circuit, reads recorded information and also outputs tracking and focusing control signals to a control circuit. The laser beam is separated into a 0-th order laser beam and ±primary laser beams, which are made incident on the objective lens, pass therethrough, and are made incident on the recording surface of a disk. The 0-th order laser beam is used to read information and to control focussing while the ±primary laser beams are used to control tracking.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes: one laser beam source for emitting two laser beams having respective optical paths parallel to each other and wavelengths different from each other; an optical-axis aligning means adapted to make the laser beams coaxial with each other; a collimating lens; a reflecting mirror; and an objective lens. A laser beam reflected at a high or low density disk takes the incoming path backward, passes through the optical-axis aligning means, is incident on a photo-detector, and converted thereby into an electrical signal. The optical-axis aligning means is structured such that one kind of dielectric multilayer film is formed on a transparent substrate, a transparent plate is attached on the one kind of dielectric multilayer film, and that another kind of dielectric multilayer film is formed on the transparent plate, and has its reflectance varied according to the wavelength of the laser beam.

Abstract: An information reading and recording apparatus includes a super-resolution cut-off filter having an annular metal reflection film at its center portion and disposed immediately before one of two objective lenses with a higher NA. When reading DVD, the one objective lens with a higher NA with the super-resolution cut-off filter disposed therebefore is positioned at the optical path. When reading CD, the other objective lens with a lower NA is positioned at the optical path. The laser beam reflected by a disk follows backward the incoming optical path to pass through a half mirror, and is received by a photodetector to be converted into an electrical signal.

Abstract: A liquid crystal element is provided as a polarization plane rotating means between a laser beam source and a beam splitter. Light emitted from the laser beam source passes through the liquid crystal element and the beam splitter, and is converted into parallel light by a collimating lens. The collimated light is incident on a first light-selection means, is reflected at a flat first reflecting surface or a concave second reflecting surface, and is then incident on a super-resolution cut-off filter as a second light-selection means. The light having passed through the second light-selection means is incident on an objective lens, and is converged onto a recording surface. The selection of the reflecting surface of the first light-selection means is determined based on an operation mode of the liquid crystal element.

Abstract: An information reading and recording apparatus in which recording media having respective recording densities different front each other, such as DVD, CD, CD-R/RW and the like, can be compatibly read and recorded only with a low-cost laser diode for low recording density. A laser beam from the laser diode is passed through a collimator lens via a half mirror, and there is provided a reflecting mirror for introducing the laser beam to one of two objective lenses, from which the laser beam is emitted towards the disk. One of the objective lenses is a lens having a high numerical aperture and the other one is a lens having a low numerical aperture. A super-resolution cut-off filter is disposed immediately before the objective lens having a high numerical aperture so that the objective lens and the super-resolution cut-off filter are placed in the optical path on reading DVD. On reading CD, the other lens is placed in the optical path.

Abstract: In order to condense the light beam on the second optical disc 1b, the opening limiting portion 20 for limiting the beam diameter is disposed between the condenser lens 14 for condensing the light beam on the first optical disc 1a and the light sources 2 and 8, so that the light beam is condensed most suitably with the condenser lens 14 when the first optical disc 1a is read. On the other hand, when the second optical disc is read, by the opening limiting portion 20 which limits the beam diameter, even if it is the light beam which corresponds to the second optical disc 1b, it is condensed most suitably with the condenser lens 14. Further, by changing the beam diffusion angle, the generation of the wave front aberration is restrained.

Abstract: An outputting apparatus comprises: a changing circuit to change a bit map font in accordance with a resolution of an outputting mechanism in the case where a resolution of the bit map font to be generated differs from the resolution of the outputting mechanism; a developing circuit to develop dot pattern information of the bit map font changed by the changing circuit; and an outputting device to output the dot pattern information developed by the developing means. The changing circuit executes a smoothing process by interpolating one dot into a zigzag portion of a character pattern. The bit map font is a down-load font.

Abstract: An electronic equipment has a central processing unit (CPU), a first memory accessable by the CPU, a first setting circuit for holding a signal representative of a rated access time of the first memory and a removable auxiliary memory which includes a second memory accessable by the CPU and a second setting circuit for holding a signal representative of a rated access time of the second memory.

Abstract: An output apparatus for receiving code data from a data source of a host computer and developing it into pattern data and outputting the data. The apparatus includes a pattern generator to generate pattern data; a memory to store the pattern data generated by the pattern generator and obtained in response to an output operation as a font cache; and a controller for controlling the memory such that when an amount of available memory is less than an amount sufficient to store data which is newly input and which has higher priority of storage than the pattern data stored in the cache, the stored pattern data is deleted and the newly input data is stored. An auxiliary character font, form data, or a macro instruction is used as data which is newly input. The pattern data of the font cache in the memory is deleted on the basis of the priority. The pattern data is a dot matrix font pattern which was developed from a nondot matrix font.

Abstract: An automatic gate apparatus is located at a station and located at regular intervals apart from other automatic gate appratus, for communicating data stored in a wireless medium which is carried by a customer and has a data memory storing the data including identification data and section information representative of a section from one to the other of the station and a transmitter transmitting the data stored in the memory. The apparatus includes a memory for storing location information representative of the location of the apparatus. The apparatus generates a first level signal so as to cause the medium, in the regular intervals from the apparatus, to transmit the identification data and the section information and receives the identification data and the section information transmitted by the transmitter of wireless medium in response to the first level signal.

Abstract: A piezo-electric actuator operated press in which piezo-electric actuators are employed as punch driving sources, and, with a workpiece held between an upper and lower die set, the punches are driven by the piezo-electric actuators to punch the workpiece; the punches and the piezo-electric actuators are built in the respective die sets, and the movable one of the die sets is coupled to a die shifting mechanism, so that it is driven to a die opening position or a die closing position, whereby the workpiece can be smoothly fed in and taken out of the press.

Abstract: In blanking a metal foil on a press comprising a pair of dies, a pair of punches, and a pair of piezoelectric actuators for driving the punches with are all arranged above and below the metal foil, the punches are vertically vibrated by the piezoelectric actuators, so that, while the punches being held abutted against both surfaces of the metal foil clamped between the dies, a half blanking operation and a reverse blanking operation are carried out alternately, whereby the metal foil is cut along the shearing surface through low cyclic fatigue without formation of burrs.

Abstract: An image data output apparatus is connected to an image scanner and a data processor (host computer). The image data output apparatus includes interfaces, a data converter, a video signal generator, an LBP engine unit, and the like. Multi-level image data scanned by the image scanner is converted by the data converter into data having a desired data format corresponding to the data processor. The converted data is output to the data processor through the corresponding interface. Meanwhile, the scanned image data is also supplied to the video signal generator and is converted to a drive signal for driving a semiconductor laser of the LBP engine unit.

Abstract: A refrigerator having a pressurizing device, a coldness generating device for generating coldness by expanding a portion of operating fluid which has been pressurized by the pressurizing device and a fluid passage through which the operating fluid is, via a device to be cooled, again circulated to the pressurizing device after the residual portion of the operating fluid has been cooled by the coldness generating device. A regenerator type heat exchanger is disposed in the fluid passage through which the operating fluid passes, and a switch device switches the flow of the operating fluid in the fluid passage to the reverse direction at a predetermined time period.

Abstract: An image data output apparatus of this invention is connected to an image scanner and a data processor (host computer). The image data output apparatus includes interfaces, a data converter, a video signal generator, an LBP (Laser Beam Printer) engine unit, and the like. Multi-level image data scanned by the image scanner is converted by the data converter into data having a desired data format corresponding to the data processor. The converted data is output to the data processor through the corresponding interface. Meanwhile, the scanned image data is also supplied to the video signal generator and is converted to a drive signal for driving a semiconductor laser of the LBP (Laser Beam Printer) engine unit.

Abstract: Uninspected bundles of paper sheets are supplied to each of a plurality of pre-processors in units of bundles. Each pre-processor removes a band from the uninspected bundle, prints a serial number in association with the received paper sheets on the band, and holds the band. A number of reusable paper sheets from which the band is removed are counted by and stored in a corresponding inspection device. Each inspection device stores the serial number printed on the band by the preprocessor. In each inspection device, the paper sheets to be re-inspected are sorted by a separator card in units of bundles and stored as rejectable notes in a rejectable note cassette. A center console receives data such as a count result, band number, cassette number, card number, and the like, from each inspection device, and sequentially stores these data in units of inspection devices.

Abstract: A liquid-spraying nozzle has a bottom-equipped nozzle body which includes an inner peripheral face formed at an inner bottom portion of the body and coaxial or substantially coaxial with a nozzle axis and a laterally-elongated orifice defined normal or substantially normal to the nozzle axis when viewed from the direction of the nozzle axis. The invention is characterized by a large-diameter peripheral face formed upstream of the inner peripheral face and having a larger inner diameter than the inner peripheral face, a stepped portion formed between the inner peripheral face and the large-diameter peripheral face, and a pair of elongated grooves disposed along the nozzle axis and at positions opposing to each other across a longitudinal center of the orifice of the inner peripheral face. Each elongated groove has a downstream end relative to the spraying direction with an arcuate cross section extending to the vicinity of the orifice and an upstream end opened at the stepped portion.

Abstract: An electronic equipment has a central processing unit (CPU), a first memory accessable by the CPU, a first setting circuit for holding a signal representative of a rated access time of the first memory and a removable auxiliary memory which includes a second memory accessable by the CPU and a second setting circuit for holding a signal representative of a rated access time of the second memory.

Abstract: An ink jet printing head comprises a cavity plate, a nozzle plate and a vibration plate. The cavity plate is formed with ink pressurizing chambers and the nozzle plate is formed with ink nozzles that are perpendicular to the ink pressurizing chambers. Piezoelectric elements are fixedly attached to external portions of the vibration plate corresponding to the ink pressurizing chambers for deforming the oscillatory plate upon the application of voltage. An ink distribution plate may be interposed between the cavity plate and the nozzle plate. The plates are superposed on each other to form an integral body which constitutes the printing head. The printing head is used in a known printing apparatus. With this arrangement, high printing quality can be achieved at a high printing head carriage speed.

Abstract: A descaling nozzle having a straightening passage incorporating a straightener, a constricted passage communicating with a downstream side of the straightening passage and a jetting passage communicating with a dowstream side of the constricted passage. The jetting passage has a jetting opening at a bottom of a groove defined at a top end face thereof in the direction of diameter of the same. Axes of the straightening, constricted and jetting passages are aligned on the same straight line. The straightening passage has the same radius through its whole or substantially whole length and the constricted passage has a radius tapering from its upstream end to its downstream end or to a vicinity of the same.