Abstract: A plurality of anode foils (7) and a plurality of cathode foils (8) respectively having connecting portions (12a, 12b) are alternately arranged with insulating separators (9) interposed therebetween. The connecting portions (12a, 12b) of the stacked electrode foils (7, 8) are respectively connected and united electrically and mechanically by friction stir welding, thereby forming a capacitor element (5). The capacitor element (5) is housed in a case (2), and the connecting portions (12a, 12b) are respectively connected to a positive electrode external terminal (4) and a negative electrode external terminal (4).

Abstract: The present invention provides a composite material and a carbonized composite material having high electric conductivities and heat conductivities, in each of which nanocarbons are uniformly mixed, and a method for producing the materials. The composite material of the present invention comprises: a high polymer, in which an atomic group including a heteroatom, such as nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur, exists in a main chain or a side chain; and nonocarbons. The carbonized composite material of the present invention is produced by burning the above described composite material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a harmful substance decomposer excelling in the capability of decomposing harmful substances. The harmful substance decomposer of the present invention is characterized in that a catalyst is supported on a silk burned product, which is obtained by burning and carbonizing a silk material at temperature of 1,000° C. or below. The harmful substance decomposer excels in the capability of absorbing, decomposing and deodorizing harmful substances, such as foul odor, waste gas, dioxin, VOC and harmful air pollutants. Specifically, since the silk material is burned at the low temperature, flexibility can be maintained so that the silk burned product becomes feasible to cope with various configurations; thus, the harmful substance decomposer can be appropriately used as, for example, filters of fan heaters, air conditioners, automobiles and other equipments.

Abstract: In a separator for use in storage battery of the invention comprising a paper sheet formed by wet process and mainly composed of glass fibers, since the fiber distribution is uniform in the longitudinal and the cross directions of the separator, and the fiber orientation is at random in the longitudinal and the cross directions of the separator, so that the gas recombination reaction is made uniform in the longitudinal and the cross directions as well as the moveability of an electrolyte during charge and discharge is also made uniform, and it can provide higher performance and stabilization of the battery performance, particularly, when it is applied to a valve regulated lead-acid battery.

Abstract: A surface light source unit includes a cold-cathode fluorescent tube, a light guide which receives light from the cold-cathode fluorescent tube and outputs the light, a back frame supporting the cold-cathode fluorescent tube and the light guide and including a projection used to position the light guide and the cold-cathode fluorescent tube, and a lamp holder including a holding portion which holds an end of the cold-cathode fluorescent tube, and a buffering portion provided between the projection and the cold-cathode fluorescent tube.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a platen, a frame for holding the platen, an installation device disposed to the frame so that the platen can be held in a substantially vertical state, and a scanning device for reading a document along the platen substantially vertically held. The reading of the document is carried out by elevating or lowering the scanning device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell, which enables to reduce production cost and has excellent cell characteristics. The fuel cell comprises a cell element 20, in which a cathode layer 24 is formed on one side of an electrolyte membrane 22 and an anode layer 26 is formed on the other side thereof, and generates an electromotive force through oxidation-reduction reaction, which occurs via the electrolyte membrane 22, between a fuel such as methane and an oxidant such as oxygen supplied, the fuel cell is characterized in that at least one of the cathode layer 24 and the anode layer 26 contains an electrode material 24a, 26b which is composed of a carbonized silk body obtained by burning a silk material and a catalyst metal supported by the carbonized silk body.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display panel including a display region in which a plurality of pixels are arrayed, and a planar light source device which illuminates the liquid crystal display panel from behind it. The planar light source includes cold cathode fluorescent tubes, a back surface cover, which is substantially rectangular and stores the cold cathode fluorescent tubes, and an upper surface cover attached to the back surface cover. The back surface cover has at least two extended portions, each having a main body portion extending from a side of the back surface cover and a lug portion protruding from the main body portion. The upper surface cover has supporting portions, each supporting at least the lug portion of each extended portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a CMOS area image sensor that makes it possible to prevent or reduce at least image quality degradation based on an inappropriate brightness distribution that is produced in the pickup image and image degradation based on image distortion that is produced in the pickup image to obtain a high-quality pickup image. A plurality of pixels arranged in a lattice shape on the imaging face of the CMOS area image sensor are constituted by a photodiode 10, a select transistor TRs for outputting accumulated electrical charge resulting from exposure from the photodiode 10, an electrical charge holding circuit comprising a capacitor C for temporarily holding the accumulated electrical charge from the photodiode 10 and a transfer transistor TRt for controlling the transfer of the accumulated electrical charge to the capacitor C; and a reset transistor TRr for discharging the residual electrical charge of the capacitor C.

Abstract: An optical amplifier includes a rare-earth doped optical fiber or rare-earth doped optical waveguide serving as an amplification medium where rare-earth ions have been doped in its core and/or clad, an excitation mechanism for exciting the amplification medium, an optical resonator that causes laser oscillation at one or more wavelength of spontaneous emission light produced and amplified in the amplification medium, a monitoring mechanism that monitors a power of at least one light selected from a power of at least one light with at least one prescribed wavelength band selected from the light inputted to the amplification medium and a power of at least one light selected from a power of at least one light with at least one prescribed wavelength band selected from the light outputted from the amplification medium, and a control unit that controls the excitation mechanism based on a value from monitoring mechanism.

Abstract: An optical amplifier includes a rare-earth doped optical fiber or rare-earth doped optical waveguide serving as an amplification medium where rare-earth ions have been doped in its core and/or clad, an excitation mechanism for exciting the amplification medium, and a plurality of optical resonator that causes laser oscillation at a plurality of wavelengths of amplified spontaneous emission light produced in the amplification medium.

Abstract: An area image sensor (1) includes a plurality of image pick-up elements (10, 20) arranged in a matrix including a plurality of element rows and a plurality of element columns. A plurality of signal lines (L11-L14) are allocated to a respective one of the element columns. Each of the signal lines includes an output terminal to which an A/D converter (30) is connected. Each of the image pick-up elements belonging to the one element column is connected to only one of the signal lines, and each of the signal lines is connected to at least one of the image pick-up elements belonging to the one element column.

Abstract: An optical amplifier capable of holding the gain profile of the optical amplifier constant includcs a rare-earth doped optical waveguide serving as an amplification medium, a pump light source for exciting the amplification medium, one or more control light source, a monitor, and a control unit. A control method is also provided for using the amplifier for holding the gain profile of the optical amplifier constant by, for example, controlling the control light source so that the calculated gain is matched with a prescribed value or an externally decided value.

Abstract: A surface-pressure distribution sensor includes a plurality of unit detection elements placed in a sensor area of a substrate and a switch formed on the substrate. The sensor is configured to operate under an operation mode in which the unit detection elements are sequentially selected or a standby mode in which the unit detection elements are not selected. The sensor is also configured to alternate between the two modes. The switch is configured change the standby mode to the operation mode when the switch is operated on.

Abstract: New fiber lasers, spontaneous emission sources, and optical fiber amplifiers are provided. Their conventional counterparts, which have a fiber doped with thulium (Tm) ions and excited by 0.67 ?m or 0.8 ?m pumping light, have a problem in that their characteristics are deteriorated with the elapse of time. The new fiber lasers, spontaneous emission sources, and optical fiber amplifiers use 1.2 ?m light as pumping light. Alternatively, they use a pumping source for exciting the thulium from the lowest energy level 3H6 to 3H5 excitation level. As a more preferable configuration, they improve the emission efficiency at 2.3 ?m band by disclosing Tm-doped host glass.

Abstract: In view of conventional circumstances where a surface pressure distribution sensor has poor reproducibility when mass-produced, so it has been desired to stabilize sensing properties, to secure reliability, and to improve productivity and yield, the invention achieves stabilizing sensing properties, securing reliability, and improving productivity and yield by optimizing the size of the flow barrier provided inside the sealing agent and the gap, the material and location of the contact, and the tension of the common electrode film.

Abstract: An optical fiber, which has a zero-material dispersion wavelength equal to or greater than 2 ?m, and a high nonlinear susceptibility ?3 equal to or greater than 1×10?12 esu, and uses tellurite glass having sufficient thermal stability for processing into a low loss fiber, employs a PCF structure or HF structure having strong confinement into a core region. This enables light to propagate at a low loss. The size and geometry of air holes formed in the core region, and the spacing between adjacent air holes make it possible to control the zero dispersion wavelength within an optical telecommunication window (1.2-1.7 ?m), and to achieve large nonlinearity with a nonlinear coefficient ? equal to or greater than 500 W?1 km?1.

Abstract: A method for removing an acidic gas from a raw gas containing the acid gas by contacting the raw gas with an aqueous alkanol amine solution, characterized in that a composition comprising an organopolysiloxane containing a polyoxyalkylene group and a fine silica powder is caused to be present. In some embodiments, a composition comprising the above-mentioned organopolysiloxane and a fine silica powder is added appropriately according to the state of foaming in an acidic gas removing reaction system from the outside of the system, or use is made of an alkanol amine containing in advance a composition comprising the above-mentioned organopolysiloxane and a fine silica powder. In preferred embodiments, the fine silica powder has a specific surface area of 50 m2/g or more, and/or the composition comprising the above-mentioned organopolysiloxane and a fine silica powder is used in an amount of 0.1 to 5000 ppm relative to the alkanol amine.

Abstract: After first, second, and third continuous members are bonded to each other in a laminated state, they are cut together to a predetermined length for thereby producing an instant photography film unit. A predetermined number of produced instant photography film units are stacked in a stacking station, and then automatically placed into a film pack in a packaging station. An overall process of manufacturing instant photography film units that are packaged is performed automatically and efficiently.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a white light source. This white light source comprises a plurality of amplified spontaneous emission light generating sections each comprising at least an active fiber. At least two of the amplified spontaneous emission light generating sections are connected together in series. The plurality of amplified spontaneous emission light generating sections generate amplified spontaneous emission lights having at least partially overlapping wavelength ranges. Furthermore, a white light source of the present invention includes amplified spontaneous emission light generating sections each comprising at least an active fiber. At least one of the amplified spontaneous emission light generating sections comprises a mirror.