Abstract: A hot water supply system wherein a flow of a refrigerant on a high-pressure side of a supercritical heat pump cycle and a flow of hot water are oppositely directed, and wherein water heated by the refrigerant on the high-pressure side is stored in heat insulating tanks of a vacuous and double structure. Water is heated with heat absorbed from the atmosphere and by the supercritical heat pump cycle having a high heat exchange efficiency &eegr;, to reduce the power required to heat the water. Therefore, hot water can be generated even in the daytime during peak power rates. Accordingly, because it is unnecessary to store hot water for daytime use in insulated tanks, system space requirements are reduced.

Abstract: A polarization apparatus is provided wherein a piezoelectric body tube 3 is wound around a first rotation drum 5 and a second rotation drum 6 and a coaxial flexible piezoelectric body 2 is polarized while the piezoelectric body tube 3 is wound. According to the polarization apparatus, polarization can be conducted except for the coaxial flexible piezoelectric body 2 of the portion containing a defect and a defect existing in the piezoelectric body tube 3 of a given length can also be detected before an outer electrode 4 is formed.

Abstract: For converting an image from an input device to an image corresponding to the color gamut of an output device, the color gamut of a color signal outside the color gamut of the output device is reduced to a color closer to the color available at the output device.

Abstract: A heat pump type hot-water supply system performs an ordinary operation for heating liquid stored in a reservoir by circulating the liquid in a heat exchanger for supplying hot water. When an outlet temperature of an exterior heat exchanger is lowered to about −5° C., the ordinary operation is switched to a defrosting operation, and an opening degree of an expansion valve is decreases as compared to that at the ordinary operation. Accordingly, hot gas discharged from a compressor radiates a decreased amount of thermal energy in the heat exchanger for supplying the hot gas. Hot gas discharged from the compressor can reach the exterior heat exchanger without lowering its temperature largely to perform defrosting of the exterior heat exchanger.

Abstract: When an output color gamut is different from an input color gamut in a picture input/output system such as DTP, the color is corrected with a predetermined function for a difference in the lightness-directional dynamic range. A three-dimensional compression is made to compress the color of areas C and D to an area (A+B), and next a two-dimensional compression (or shrinkage) is made to compress the color of the area (B+C) to the area B, for example.

Abstract: A load detection sensor unit for a bedding comprises a plurality of load detection devices and a signal processing circuit which is connectable to an external electrical unit. The signal processing circuit includes a plurality of analog switches connected to the load detection devices, a single output line connected to the analog switches, and a load resistor connected to the single output lines. The analog switches are turned on sequentially so that output signals of the load detection devices are serialized and transmitted to the external electrical unit through the single output line. The load detection devices and the signal processing circuit are formed integrally on an elastic film and connected through elastic conductors.

Abstract: A hot water supply system wherein a flow of a refrigerant on a high-pressure side of a supercritical heat pump cycle and a flow of hot water are oppositely directed, and wherein water heated by the refrigerant on the high-pressure side is stored in heat insulating tanks of a vacuous and double structure. Water is heated with heat absorbed from the atmosphere and by the supercritical heat pump cycle having a high heat exchange efficiency &eegr;, to reduce the power required to heat the water. Therefore, hot water can be generated even in the daytime during peak power rates. Accordingly, because it is unnecessary to store hot water for daytime use in insulated tanks, system space requirements are reduced.

Abstract: A hot water supply system wherein a flow of a refrigerant on a high-pressure side of a supercritical heat pump cycle and a flow of hot water are oppositely directed, and wherein water heated by the refrigerant on the high-pressure side is stored in heat insulating tanks of a vacuous and double structure. Water is heated with heat absorbed from the atmosphere and by the supercritical heat pump cycle having a high heat exchange efficiency &eegr;, to reduce the power required to heat the water. Therefore, hot water can be generated even in the daytime during peak power rates. Accordingly, because it is unnecessary to store hot water for daytime use in insulated tanks, system space requirements are reduced.

Abstract: An absorption refrigerator includes a high temperature regenerator for heating a water solution including a halogen compound to generate steam. An oxide film having thickness of 0.02-5.0 &mgr;m, one of the colors blue, purple and gray, or a hydroxyl group is formed on a surface of at least one of the high temperature regenerators and the heat exchanger.

Abstract: Image processing apparatus and method converts an image in a predetermined input system to an image corresponding to a color gamut obtained by a predetermined output system. In the image processing apparatus and method a CPU converts signals in a color space which does not depend on a device to signals CMY (consisting of cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y)) corresponding to a printer by referring to a lookup table, and outputs the signals to the printer 4 via an interface. On the lookup table stored in a ROM there are registered the values of signals CMY corresponding to the values of signals L*a*b*. The values of signals CMY within a gamut in which the value &Dgr;E of a color-difference formula are minimized are used as the values of the signals CMY corresponding to the signals L*a*b*, which are mapped outside the gamut of the signals CMY.

Abstract: An absorption refrigerator includes a high temperature regenerator for heating a water solution including a halogen compound to generate steam. An oxide film having thickness of 0.02-5.0 &mgr;m, one of the colors blue, purple and gray, or a hydroxyl group is formed on a surface of at least one of the high temperature regenerators and the heat exchanger.

Abstract: An infant condition monitoring system has a sensor sheet including uniformly arranged plural pressure sensitive load cells. An ECU in an electronic unit connected to the sensor sheet calculates an infant's breathing signal, sleeping posture and weight data. Those signal and data are converted into data signals to modulate a carrier signal thereby. A transmitter in the electronic unit transmits a radio signal resulting from the modulation. A monitoring unit is constructed to be carried by a care provider. A receiver in the monitoring unit demodulates the received radio signal. An ECU reproduces the data signals including the breathing signal, sleeping posture and weight data, and determines a respiration rate, sleeping posture and weight. A display displays the respiration rate, sleeping posture and weight, and a speaker produces an output sound in correspondence with the breathing signal.

Abstract: Two kinds of pressure sensors using a piezoelectric composite comprising amorphous chlorinated polyethylene, crystalline chlorinated polyethylene and piezoelectric ceramic powder are disclosed. The first is a piezoelectric cable comprising an inner conductor of a metal helix, the volume within the metal helix is filled with fine insulating polymer fibers, a piezoelectric composite layer circumferentially surrounding the inner conductor, and an outer conductor of a metal film attached on a polymer membrane. The metal film is in contact with said composite layer but separated from the inner conductor and a protective jacket. The second type of pressure sensor is a planar sensor comprising a piezoelectric composite in a planar form sandwiched with conductors of two metal films attached on two polymer membranes, each metal film is in contact with the composite but separated from each other.

Abstract: A head-mounted image display apparatus includes optical visual units mounted on a laterally disposed shaft and adjustable so as to be movable toward and away from each other for establishing a correct eye spacing for a user. LCD display panels are mounted within the optical visual units so as to be vertically movable while ocular lenses onto which images displayed by the LCDs are projected via an obliquely arranged mirror are positionally fixed relative the eyes of the user such that focus adjustment will not cause image dropout and so that focus and eye spacing may be established independently of each other. Sliders provided for effecting focus and eye spacing adjustment are mounted such that frictional force is applied thereto for providing smooth but sure movement of the sliders so that a set position of the sliders may be reliably maintained. The sliders may be mounted via self a lubricating mounting to improve adjustment smoothness and slide characteristics.

Abstract: A plastic thermistor comprising a polyamide composition which comprises 100 wt. parts of a polyamide and 5.3 to 30 wt. parts of zinc iodide, or a polyamide composition which comprises a polyamide, an iodine-containing compound, and a metal oxide such as zinc oxide. Ion carrier properties of a metal iodide greatly increases temperature dependence of impedance, and the metal oxide such as zinc iodide functions as a receptor for iodide ions and prevents the formation of a metal iodide on the surfaces of metal electrodes. Furthermore, a linked cycle can be established that zinc oxide forms zinc iodide and then formed zinc iodide functions to increase the stability of half-wave current passage. Accordingly, the thermal stability of the plastic thermistor is improved for a long time, and the heat resistance stability of temperature sensors or thermosensitive heaters comprising the plastic thermistor is improved greatly.

Abstract: A head-mounted image display apparatus includes optical visual units mounted on a laterally disposed shaft and adjustable so as to be movable toward and away from each other for establishing a correct eye spacing for a user. LCD display panels are mounted within the optical visual units so as to be vertically movable while ocular lenses onto which images displayed by the LCDs are projected via an obliquely arranged mirror are positionally fixed relative the eyes of the user such that focus adjustment will not cause image dropout and so that focus and eye spacing may be established independently of each other. Sliders provided for effecting focus and eye spacing adjustment are mounted such that frictional force is applied thereto for providing smooth but sure movement of the sliders so that a set position of the sliders may be reliably maintained. The sliders may be mounted via a self lubricating mounting to improve adjustment smoothness and slide characteristics.

Abstract: In order to facilitate pupil distance adjustment, diopter adjustment and convergence adjustment, in a spectacle type display arrangement which utilizes of a pair of image generating units for projecting images on left and right eyes respectively, a pair of shafts are installed in a housing by way of a frame, and a pair of lens and mirror units are reciprocally mounted on the shafts so as to movable toward and away from each other. A slide plate which forms part of a backlight is disposed on the frame so as to be slidable in the fore-and-aft direction. A pair of shafts are disposed one above the other at the upper and lower portions of the backlight. A pair of LCD holders which form a part of the pair of image source means are supported on the shafts so as to be laterally movable toward and away from each other.