Abstract: A route planning device plans plural routes from a current location to a destination, calculates an amount of electricity consumed by a motor during driving to the destination along each planned route in each of plural drive modes, calculates an amount of electricity consumed by electric equipment during driving to the destination along each planned route for each of plural operational settings of the electric equipment, calculates an estimated amount of charge remaining in a battery on arrival at the destination, calculates, for each of the planned routes, a total comfort level score for each of the drive modes and/or each of the operational settings of the electrical equipment, selects plural operation plans each formed from a combination of the route, drive mode, and operational setting on the basis of the calculated total comfort level score, and displays the selected operation plans on a display.

Abstract: A low profile flat printed circuit connector has a plurality of terminals supported along a support bar. The terminals are spaced apart from each other and extend lengthwise in a connector housing. The terminals have body portions that engage the support bar and body portions that extend forwardly thereof. Contact portions are joined to the body portions and extend rearwardly and terminate in free ends so that they form a series of cantilevered contacts.

Abstract: A rechargeable electric power tool includes a battery pack that is detachably provided on a housing accommodating a motor and that supplies electric power to the motor, and a tool that is driven by the motor. A standby switch and a lock-on switch are arranged at the housing. The standby switch is able to set the rechargeable electric power tool to a standby state where the rechargeable electric power tool waits for the motor to be driven. The lock-on switch is able to shift the rechargeable electric power tool from the standby state to a state where the motor is driven so as to keep the state where the motor is driven.

Abstract: Providing a driver for semiconductor switch element capable of securing a sufficient drive power and reliably turning off the semiconductor switch element. The driver includes a converter section 2 which includes a switching element Q1 and which is configured to output a desired DC voltage by switching the switching element Q1, a control section 1 configured to control the switching operation of the switching element Q1, capacitors C1A, C1B charged by the output of the converter section 2, turn-on circuits 31A, 31B configured to supply gates of a bidirectional switch element 4 using electric charges stored in the capacitors C1A, C1B with drive powers to turn-on the bidirectional switch element 4, and turn-off circuits 32A, 32B configured to discharge the capacitors C1A, C1B to turn-off the bidirectional switch element 4 in response to the halt of the switching operation of the switching element Q1 by the control section 1.

Abstract: A load control device includes a switching unit which is connected to a power source and a load in series and has a switch device having a transistor structure, a control unit configured to control start-up and stop of the load, and a gate driving unit, which is electrically insulated from the control unit and outputs a gate driving signal to the gate electrode of the switch device. The control unit controls the gate driving unit to supply a higher driving power to the gate electrode of the switch device for a predetermined period of time starting at the start-up of the load than that in a steady state.

Abstract: According to an illustrative embodiment, a lens unit is provided. The lens unit includes at least one lens having an engagement portion in a flange portion of the lens, the engagement portion having a width perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens, and the width of the engagement portion decreasing as the engagement portion is traversed in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to the optical axis of the lens.

Abstract: A fire alarm system, determining existence or nonexistence of a fire by using an ultrasound wave, comprises a sound wave generator and a sound wave detector to detect sound waves propagated through two propagation paths having different lengths each other. The system comprises a calculation means for calculating a pressure ratio between a first sound pressure, which is a sound pressure of a sound wave propagated through a first propagation path, and a second sound pressure, which is a sound pressure of a sound wave propagated through a second propagation path, and a smoke density estimator. The smoke density estimator calculates a change ratio between the pressure ratio calculated by the calculation means and a predetermined standard pressure ratio, and determines a smoke density from the change ratio based on a predetermined relational expression describing the relation between the change ratio and the smoke density, and determines existence of a fire when the smoke density exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A damper mounting structure is provided with a top buffer member and a bottom buffer member. The bottom buffer member has a protruding section that protrudes with an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the bottom buffer member. The damper mounting structure mates with the protruding section and is anchored to a vehicle body panel, and is provided with a collar formed at substantially the same height as the height of the protruding section. The corner of an opening formed on the vehicle body panel, which comes into contact with the top buffer member, is chamfered.

Abstract: A rear side connection terminal arranged along the back end edge of a housing is provided with a base part in which at least a portion is embedded in a bottom wall part of the housing, a contact arm part in a cantilever shape in which a tip end extends slanted upwards towards a front end of the housing, a contact part that is connected to a tip end of the contact arm part and that contacts with a terminal member of the card, and a contact arm support part that includes a curved part that projects rearward with a bottom side front end coupled to a back end of the base part and a top side front end coupled to a back end of the contact arm part.

Abstract: The first reading start point D of a front contact image sensor 21 and the second reading start point F of a back contact image sensor 22 are managed using a previously measured sensor-to-sensor distance L. As a result, even if there is a difference in the distance between the sensors, the first and second reading start points D and F will still be a first margin length L1 before the image reading positions A and B of the contact image sensors 21 and 22. Because the beginning of the front image information FD2 and the beginning of the back image information BD2 contained in the back-side image data BD1 in the images captured by the contact image sensors 21 and 22 match, the front image information FD2 can be extracted based on the coordinates of the back image information BD2 contained in the back-side image data BD1.

Abstract: A start-up method for a fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell that carries out power generation by the electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and the oxygen gas in the air; a fuel gas discharge path and a fuel gas supply path that are connected to the fuel cell; a fuel gas circulation path in which the fuel gas discharge path merges with the fuel gas supply path; and a purge valve provided on the fuel gas circulation path in order to discharge the circulating fuel gas from the fuel gas circulation path. The method includes the steps of opening the purge valve at the same time that the fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell and replacing the nitrogen gas that originates in the air and is present in the fuel gas circulation path by fuel gas; and closing the purge valve after the nitrogen gas in the fuel gas circulation path has been replaced by the fuel gas.

Abstract: The usage pattern of an electric vehicle including the amount of power consumption of a battery on each day of the week is extracted from usage histories of the vehicle in a predetermined period. When the vehicle goes home after one day's operation and is connected to a charging apparatus, a charge determination unit predicts a usage pattern of the vehicle on the next day and determines whether the vehicle can operate on the next day with the remaining amount of power of a battery in the vehicle. When it is determined that the charging of the battery is necessary, the battery is charged until it reaches the target remaining amount of power. The target remaining amount of power is determined on the basis of the amount of power consumption in the predicted usage pattern so that the full charge is prevented and the number of charges is reduced.

Abstract: A control method for a print media processing apparatus that prints on a print medium based on print data supplied from a host computer, comprising converting the print data supplied from the host computer to the print media processing apparatus before a print command is asserted to print image data in a buffer based on a print data conversion command, and controlling printing in response to a print command by accessing the buffer and retrieving the print image data.

Abstract: A print media processing apparatus increases printer throughput by starting printing after setting the conveyed print medium to the printing start position, and a transportation control unit controls how far the print medium is advanced according to the length of text to be printed on the print medium. The transportation control unit advances the paper to the position where printing text of a specified length to the printing area of the paper begins.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cutting machine in which a reciprocating rod is driven by a motor and projects downward at a forward portion of a housing. The housing accommodates the motor and a cooling fan for cooling the motor, and a lower end of the rod is connected to a cutting blade for cutting a workpiece. A first blow passage is provided in the housing, and cooling air generated by the cooling fan forwardly flows in a direction intersecting the rod from a rear side of the rod.

Abstract: A start-up method for a fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell that carries out power generation by the electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and the oxygen gas in the air; a fuel gas discharge path and a fuel gas supply path that are connected to the fuel cell; a fuel gas circulation path in which the fuel gas discharge path merges with the fuel gas supply path; and a purge valve provided on the fuel gas circulation path in order to discharge the circulating fuel gas from the fuel gas circulation path. The method includes the steps of opening the purge valve at the same time that the fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell and replacing the nitrogen gas that originates in the air and is present in the fuel gas circulation path by fuel gas; and closing the purge valve after the nitrogen gas in the fuel gas circulation path has been replaced by the fuel gas.

Abstract: A start-up method for a fuel cell system that includes a fuel cell that carries out power generation by the electrochemical reaction between a fuel gas and the oxygen gas in the air; a fuel gas discharge path and a fuel gas supply path that are connected to the fuel cell; a fuel gas circulation path in which the fuel gas discharge path merges with the fuel gas supply path; and a purge valve provided on the fuel gas circulation path in order to discharge the circulating fuel gas from the fuel gas circulation path. The method includes the steps of opening the purge valve at the same time that the fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell and replacing the nitrogen gas that originates in the air and is present in the fuel gas circulation path by fuel gas; and closing the purge valve after the nitrogen gas in the fuel gas circulation path has been replaced by the fuel gas.

Abstract: A lens position detecting device 200 has a position detecting magnet 202, a magnetic force detecting sensor 204, a positional information generating means 206, etc. The position detecting magnet 202 is mounted on a rear surface of a lens holder frame 1460. The magnetic force detecting sensor 204 serves to generate a detected signal having a magnitude depending on the intensity of a magnetic force generated from the magnetic poles of the position detecting magnet 202. The magnetic force detecting sensor 204 is disposed on a straight line that passes through the position detecting magnet 202 parallel to the optical axis. The magnetic force detecting sensor 204 outputs a detected signal having a voltage corresponding (proportional) to the intensity of the magnetic force. An amplifying circuit 208 of a positional information generating means 206 amplifies the detected signal Ss from the magnetic force detecting sensor 204.

Abstract: A low profile flat printed circuit connector has a plurality of terminals supported along a support bar. The terminals are spaced apart from each other and extend lengthwise in a connector housing. The terminals have body portions that engage the support bar and body portions that extend forwardly thereof. Contact portions are joined to the body portions and extend rearwardly and terminate in free ends so that they form a series of cantilevered contacts.

Abstract: A reciprocating cutting tool includes a motion converting mechanism configured to convert rotation of a rotary member into a reciprocating motion of a slider coupled to a rod capable of mounting a blade thereon. The reciprocating cutting tool further includes a slider support mechanism including a first support mechanism and a second support mechanism disposed at different positions along a reciprocating direction of the slider and each supporting the slider such that the slider can move in the reciprocating direction. The first support mechanism includes a first member and a second member disposed on opposite sides of the slider in a holding direction perpendicular to the reciprocating direction and each slidably contacting the slider.