Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus in which a shaft of a worm interlocking with rotation of a motor for steering assistance is movable in a radial direction, a pressing body for pressing the worm toward a worm wheel is provided, and the pressing body is provided with a V-shaped contact portion to abut in two circumferential positions of the shaft and an annular elastic body for restricting movement of the pressing body in a direction crossing the radial direction.

Abstract: An imaging unit images light on a light receiving element, and includes an optical path shifting element, and a lens arranged on an input side or an output side of the optical path shifting element. The optical path shifting element includes a liquid crystal layer which is applied with an electrical field in a direction approximately parallel to an in-plane direction. The liquid crystal layer is made of a chiral smectic C phase ferroelectric liquid crystal having a homeotropic alignment. The optical path shifting element shifts an optical path of the light input thereto in an optical path shifting direction.

Abstract: An optical deflection device includes an optical deflection element having a pair of transparent boards arranged in a mutually opposing manner. A liquid crystal layer is filled between the boards and forms a chiral smectic C phase. An orientation film orients liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the liquid crystal layer. Electrodes generate an electric field in a substantially parallel direction with respect to the liquid crystal layer. A first voltage application part applies, to the electrodes, an ac voltage of a deflection frequency switching the optical deflection direction of the optical deflection element. A second voltage application part applies, to the electrodes, an ac voltage of a higher frequency than the deflection frequency.

Abstract: A composite carbonaceous heat insulator which comprises a carbonaceous heat-insulating member having a bulk density of 0.1 to 0.4 g/cm3, a carbonaceous protecting layer having a bulk density of 0.3 to 2.0 g/cm3 and comprising a carbon fiber structure and a thermally decomposed carbon penetrated into the structure, and a thermally decomposed carbon coating layer having a bulk density higher than that of the carbonaceous protecting layer, wherein the above carbonaceous protecting layer is jointed to at least a part of the carbonaceous heat-insulating member to form a jointed body, and the thermally decomposed carbon coating layer is formed at least on the face of carbonaceous heat-insulating member in the surface of the jointed body; and a method for manufacturing the insulator. The heat insulator is reduced with respect to the depletion, deterioration and pulverization during the use thereof, while maintaining excellent insulating characteristics.

Abstract: An optical path deflecting element easily can realize a uniform alignment condition although liquid crystal of a large cone angle is used therein. In the optical path deflecting element, a slope region is formed between two transparent substrates arranged to have a slope angle &thgr;. A liquid crystal layer of a chiral smectic C phase is provided in the slope region. The liquid crystal is aligned in a single-stable condition where a stable condition direction and an unstable condition direction coexist. Here, the stable condition direction is the major axis direction of the liquid crystal molecules aligned in a rubbing direction, and the unstable condition is the major axis direction at time when a voltage is applied between transparent electrode films. In such a single-stable liquid crystal layer, the liquid crystal can be uniformly aligned more easily than in a case where the liquid crystal is aligned in a bistable condition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a retroviral vector containing a membrane protein having a hemagglutinin activity. The present inventors constructed a retroviral vector pseudotyped by the membrane protein having a hemagglutinin activity. This viral vector showed gene transfer at a high efficiency into host cells. In particular, it was established that genes can be transferred thereby at a high efficiency into cells into which genes can hardly be transferred by the conventional techniques, for example, blood cells and hematopoietic cells including hematopoietic stem cells, and mucous cells including mucosa epithelial cells. The viral vector of the present invention is highly useful as a vector for gene therapy.

Abstract: To provide a two-cycle combustion. engine having a two-staged piston, which is simple in structure and inexpensive and in which an undesirable blow-off phenomenon of the air-fuel mixture can be avoided effectively, the two-cycle combustion engine includes a cylinder block 1 having a two-staged cylinder bore defined therein and having a reduced diameter bore portion 1a and a large diameter bore portion 1b, and a two-staged piston 10 having a reduced diameter piston portion 10a and a large diameter piston portion 10b and drivingly accommodated within the two-staged cylinder bore. An annular auxiliary chamber 11 is defined between the two-staged cylinder bore and the reduced diameter piston portion 10a of the two-staged piston.

Abstract: To provide a two-cycle combustion engine having a two-staged piston, which is simple in structure and inexpensive and in which an undesirable blow-off phenomenon of the air-fuel mixture can be avoided effectively, the two-cycle combustion engine includes a cylinder block 1 having a two-staged cylinder bore defined therein and having a reduced diameter bore portion 1a and a large diameter bore portion 1b, and a two-staged piston 10 having a reduced diameter piston portion 10a and a large diameter piston portion 10b and drivingly accommodated within the two-staged cylinder bore. An annular auxiliary chamber 11 is defined between the large diameter bore portion 1b of the two-staged cylinder bore and the reduced diameter piston portion 10a of the two-staged piston.

Abstract: A tightly closed casing has an inside space for storing coolant gas. A block is accommodated in this casing. A motor includes a stator and a mover. A piston is connected to the mover of the motor. A movable element includes the mover of the motor and the piston. A stationary element includes the stator of the motor and the block. An elastic element has a portion fixed to the movable element and another portion fixed to the stationary element. A cylinder is shiftable in an axial direction with respect the block. A shifting device shifts the cylinder in the axial direction.

Abstract: A solid polymer fuel cell having a structure in which a film electrode composite having gas diffusion electrodes disposed on both surfaces of a solid polymer film and separators having gas channels to feed at least either a fuel gas or an oxidant gas to the electrodes are laminated repeatedly in such a manner that they contact each other, wherein the separators each comprise a carbon resin composite material and an expansion graphite layer, on at least one surface of the material, pits and projections to form the gas channels are formed, and the layer is formed on the surfaces of the material including the pits and the projections.

Abstract: On the outer periphery of a bearing 10 for supporting a worm 71 rotating interlocked with the rotation of a steering assist motor 6 inside the housing 8, elastic members 20 are provided to restrain the bearing 10 from moving in the radial direction thereof. The force for the restraint by the elastic members 20 is made different depending on the position in the peripheral direction thereof. A portion of the elastic member, wherein the force for restraining the movement of the bearing 10 in the radial direction is small, energizes the worm 71 to the meshing position of the worm 71 and a worm wheel 72. Another portion, wherein the force for restraining the movement is large, restrains the worm 71 from moving along the lead of the worm wheel 72. With this configuration, the elastic members 20 can reduce the amount of the backlash at the meshing portion of the worm 71 and the worm wheel 72, and can make the rotation torque applied to the meshing portion of the worm gears relatively small.

Abstract: In a linear compressor having a compression mechanism for compressing and discharging a refrigerant, an inflammable refrigerant or a natural refrigerant such as propane, isobutane, carbon dioxide or the like is used as the refrigerant while no lubricating oil is filled up, thereby improving the system efficiency and reducing the amount of refrigerant.

Abstract: A light deflection element has a pair of transparent substrates 2, 3; a chiral smectic C phase liquid crystal 5 with a homeotropic alignment filled between the pair of transparent substrates 2, 3; and at least an electric field applying device 6 for activating an electric field in the liquid crystal 5. Because a chiral smectic C phase liquid crystal is used, the problems of the conventional light deflection element, such as high cost, light loss, large size, and optical noise etc. due to its complicated structure, can be greatly improved. The conventional low response time due to the smectic A phase or the nematic liquid crystal is improved, thereby the high-speed response is possible.

Abstract: On the outer periphery of a bearing 10 for supporting a worm 71 rotating interlocked with the rotation of a steering assist motor 6 inside the housing 8, elastic members 20 are provided to restrain the bearing 10 from moving in the radial direction thereof. The force for the restraint by the elastic members 20 is made different depending on the position in the peripheral direction thereof. A portion of the elastic member, wherein the force for restraining the movement of the bearing 10 in the radial direction is small, energizes the worm 71 to the meshing position of the worm 71 and a worm wheel 72. Another portion, wherein the force for restraining the movement is large, restrains the worm 71 from moving along the lead of the worm wheel 72. With this configuration, the elastic members 20 can reduce the amount of the backlash at the meshing portion of the worm 71 and the worm wheel 72, and can make the rotation torque applied to the meshing portion of the worm gears relatively small.

Abstract: A tightly closed casing has an inside space for storing coolant gas. A block is accommodated in this casing. A motor includes a stator and a mover. A piston is connected to the mover of the motor. A movable element includes the mover of the motor and the piston. A stationary element includes the stator of the motor and the block. An elastic element has a portion fixed to the movable element and another portion fixed to the stationary element. A cylinder is shiftable in an axial direction with respect the block. A shifting device shifts the cylinder in the axial direction.

Abstract: The infrared absorption filter of the present invention has a transmittance of not higher than 30% in the near-infrared region in the wavelength range of 800 to 1100 nm; a difference of 10% or less between a maximum value and a minimum value of transmittance in the visible light region in the wavelength range of 450 to 650 nm; and a transmittance of not lower than 50% at a wavelength of 550 nm, the filter being so excellent in environmental stability that after being left to stand in the air atmosphere at a temperature of 60° C. and a humidity of 95% for 1000 hours, the filter can maintain said spectral property in said range. Consequently, when used for a plasma display or the like, the filter can absorb the unwanted infrared rays radiated from the display, resulting in preventing erroneous operation of a remote control using infrared radiation even in such a high-temperature and high-humidity environment.

Abstract: A tightly closed casing has an inside space for storing coolant gas. A block is accommodated in this casing. A motor includes a stator and a mover. A piston is connected to the mover of the motor. A movable element includes the mover of the motor and the piston. A stationary element includes the stator of the motor and the block. An elastic element has a portion fixed to the movable element and another portion fixed to the stationary element. A cylinder is shiftable in an axial direction with respect the block. A shifting device shifts the cylinder in the axial direction.

Abstract: In a solar energy generator 10 including a solar battery 11, a boosting circuit 14 for boosting DC power generated by the solar battery 11, an inverter circuit 15 for converting the DC power boosted in the boosting circuit to AC power, and a microcomputer 17 for controlling at least the boosting circuit and the inverter circuit so that AC power suitably usable as the AC power of a commercial power supply system 13 can be supplied to the commercial power supply system 13, the power to be supplied to the various kinds of equipment of the solar energy generator 10 is selectively supplied from one of the solar battery 11 and the commercial power supply system 13. The microcomputer 17 stores the operational status data of the solar energy generator 10 into an external storage device 41, and these data can be used for maintenance or trouble shooting of the solar energy generator 10.

Abstract: An electric power steering system is provided, which comprises a steering assist electric motor, and a reduction gear mechanism for reducing a rotation speed of a rotatable shaft of the electric motor. The reduction gear mechanism comprises a worm shaft driven by the rotatable shaft, and a worm wheel driven by the warm shaft. The electric power steering system further comprises a joint for coupling the rotatable shaft to the worm shaft for transmission of a driving force. Longitudinally biasing means is provided in association with the joint for longitudinally biasing the worm shaft.

Abstract: In the present invention, an IP address of a communication party is detected by analysing flow information of communication carried out by the user, and in case the IP address of the communication party is an IP address registered in advance by the user, the communication charge appropriate to the communication carried out by the user is calculated in the discount charge form. Further, in case the communication party is a communication party registered in a group of the user, the communication charge carried out by the user is calculated using the discount charge form different from the standard communication charge.