Abstract: A laser beam output from a semiconductor laser light source 1 is transmitted through a cover glass 2 in the optical axis Z direction, is incident on a molded lens 4 in a state of divergent rays, is converted into convergent rays by the molded lens 4, and is applied onto a recording face 5 of the optical recording medium. A diaphragm 3 is arranged. An area of each lens surface onto which a luminous flux of the laser beam restricted by the diaphragm 3 is applied corresponds to an effective area. The following expression (1) is satisfied: d1?d0?0.04 mm ??(1) where d0 denotes an effective aperture of one of the lens surfaces, and d1 denotes an outer diameter of the one of the lens surfaces.

Abstract: An objective lens is formed as an objective lens element with a diffractive surface on one side. The objective lens focuses a collimated light beam of a first wavelength diffracted by the objective lens onto a first recording medium, a collimated light beam of a second wavelength diffracted by the objective lens onto a second recording medium, and a diverging light beam of a third wavelength diffracted by the objective lens onto a third recording medium. The three light beams are focused at three different working distances from the objective lens and the diffraction orders of the diffracted light of two of the light beams is the same. The objective lens satisfies certain conditions related to the shortest of the three different working distances, the focal length of the objective lens element at the shortest of the three wavelengths, and the thickness of the objective lens.

Abstract: An imaging lens comprises, in order arranged from an object side: a first lens of a negative meniscus lens which is curved to be convex towards an object; a second lens of a positive lens which is curbed to be convex on an object side surface thereof; a diaphragm; a third lens which is curved to be convex towards an image; a fourth lens having a positive refractive power in the vicinity of an optical axis; and a fifth lens which is curved to be concave towards the image in the vicinity of the optical axis while being curved to convex towards the image along a circumferential edge portion on an image side surface thereof.

Abstract: A coupling optical system for coupling light into an optical fiber of an optical communications system includes a liquid that includes a dispersion of microscopic particles and two transparent media that hold the liquid between them along an optical axis. The refractive power of the liquid is variable according to the electromagnetic field applied to the liquid to vary the migration of the microscopic particles of the dispersion within the liquid. The position of a light collecting point of the coupling optical system is adjustable based on the variation in the refractive power of the liquid so that light can be efficiently coupled into optical fibers at different distances along the optical axis from the coupling optical system. At the light collecting point, the end surface of an optical fiber collects light from a light source or another optical fiber. One or more collimator lenses may help converge the light.

Abstract: An antiviral preparation comprising as an active ingredient, a phorbol derivative of formula 1: wherein is R1 —(CH2)aX(CH2)bCH3, —(CH2)cX(CH2)dYCH3, —CO(CH2)eCH3 or —(CH2)fCH3 R2 is —CO(CH2)nCH3, R3, R4 and R5 are hydrogen atom, or an aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acid residue, X and Y are O or S, and each of a-f and n is a number, and having a specific safety index S.I.=CC50/EC50 of 10 or more wherein EC50 means a concentration at which HIV-1 induced cytopathogenic effect (CPE) in MT-4 cell is inhibited by 50%, and CC50 means a concentration at which survival of MT-4 cell in a cell proliferation test is reduced by 50%. These preparations are particularly effective for human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV).

Abstract: Provided is a fire-fighting robot that can quickly start to fight a fire occurring at a hazardous location, which firefighters cannot access, and extinguish fires occurring at any location without receiving a supply of fire extinguishing water. The fire-fighting robot (1) of the present invention is self-propelled and remote-controlled via wireless or mobile communications to fight a fire. The robot includes one or more fire extinguisher storage portions (24a, 24b) for storing fire extinguishers (24c, 24d) which provide a jet of a fire-fighting agent from a jet outlet (26) by depressing a lever, a jet control portion disposed in the fire extinguisher storage portion (24a, 24b) for depressing the lever, and a jet outlet securing portion (26a) for detachably securing the jet outlet (26) of the fire extinguisher (24c, 24d).

Abstract: An objective optical system for optical recording media and an optical pickup device using the objective optical system includes a holographic optical element that includes angularly-multiplexed holograms for correcting spherical aberration and/or coma aberration due to variations in substrate thicknesses of recording media and errors by tilting the holographic optical element out of the plane perpendicular to the optical axis by specified amounts. A control system determines the spherical aberration and/or coma using a control unit and outputs command signals for controlling the amount of tilt. The angularly-multiplexed holograms may change an input substantially collimated light beam to a divergent or convergent light beam except when the substrate of the optical recording media has a specified thickness. Additionally, the holographic optical element may include wavelength-multiplexed holograms to correct for chromatic aberration due to mode hopping of a semiconductor laser light source.

Abstract: The invention provides a robot apparatus not requiring any incidental equipment in a building since an autonomous behavior is enabled, and capable of coping with abnormal phenomena. The robot apparatus includes means (112) for judging an autonomous mode or an autonomous/remote collaboration mode, means (113) for executing an autonomous motion when the mode judging means judges that the mode is an autonomous mode, means (117) for judging the collaboration ratio when the mode judging means judges that the mode is an autonomous/remote collaboration mode, means (118) for executing a complete remote motion when the judged collaboration ratio is 100% remote, and means (119) for executing an autonomous/remote collaboration motion when the judged collaboration ratio is not 100% remote.

Abstract: A coupling optical system for coupling light into an optical fiber of an optical communications system includes a liquid that includes a dispersion of microscopic particles and two transparent media that hold the liquid between them along an optical axis. The refractive power of the liquid is variable according to the electromagnetic field applied to the liquid to vary the migration of the microscopic particles of the dispersion within the liquid. The position of a light collecting point of the coupling optical system is adjustable based on the variation in the refractive power of the liquid so that light can be efficiently coupled into optical fibers at different distances along the optical axis from the coupling optical system. At the light collecting point, the end surface of an optical fiber collects light from a light source or another optical fiber. One or more collimator lenses may help converge the light.

Abstract: A lens is equipped with a reference mounting surface that is abutted to a surface of a lens support member at the time of mounting the lens, wherein the reference mounting surface is arranged between a plane which is normal to the optical axis of the lens and includes a principal point on the incident light side of the lens and a plane which is normal to the optical axis of the lens and includes a principal point on the outgoing light side of the lens.

Abstract: Provided is a fire-fighting robot that can quickly start to fight a fire occurring at a hazardous location, which firefighters cannot access, and extinguish fires occurring at any location without receiving a supply of fire extinguishing water. The fire-fighting robot (1) of the present invention is self-propelled and remote-controlled via wireless or mobile communications to fight a fire. The robot includes one or more fire extinguisher storage portions (24a, 24b) for storing fire extinguishers (24c, 24d) which provide a jet of a fire-fighting agent from a jet outlet (26) by depressing a lever, a jet control portion disposed in the fire extinguisher storage portion (24a, 24b) for depressing the lever, and a jet outlet securing portion (26a) for detachably securing the jet outlet (26) of the fire extinguisher (24c, 24d).

Abstract: An objective optical system for focusing light from a light source onto optical recording media includes an objective lens formed of, arranged in order from the light source side along an optical axis, a plastic lens element having a diffractive surface on its light source side and a glass lens element having positive refractive power and an aspheric surface. The lens elements are joined to form a lens component. The objective optical system focuses incident light of three different wavelengths with two or three different numerical apertures onto three different optical recording media. Three conditions are satisfied so as to achieve optimum focusing onto three different recording media, such as a CD, a DVD, and a BD or an AOD.

Abstract: An objective optical system focuses light from a light source onto at least two different types of optical recording media having different substrate thicknesses in order to record or reproduce information on the optical recording media by using a variable refractive power element and an objective lens. The variable refractive power element may be a liquid crystal element with concentric zones that serves as a transparent plate having no convergence effect when no voltage is applied when selecting an AOD, DVD, or CD and as a converging lens when a voltage is applied when selecting a BD. Alternately, the variable refractive power element may electrically vary the refractive index of a nanoparticle dispersion or at least one liquid of a two-liquid lens element. A diffractive optical element may be used to assist in focusing light to four recording media. An optical pickup device includes the objective optical system.

Abstract: An objective optical system for focusing light from a light source onto optical recording media includes an aperture control filter with a diffractive optical function formed as a glass plate with an aperture control structure on one side and a diffractive optical structure, such as a plastic diffractive optical element adhered to the glass plate on the other side, and an objective lens. The objective optical system focuses three light beams of three different wavelengths at three different numerical apertures onto desired positions of three different recording media with substrates of different thicknesses, such as a BD (or an AOD), a DVD, and a CD, that introduce different amounts of spherical aberration in the focused beams. The objective optical system provides compensating spherical aberration to the three light beams while keeping constant the distance between the aperture control filter with a diffractive optical function and the objective lens.

Abstract: An objective optical system for focusing light from a light source onto at least two different types of optical recording media having different substrate thicknesses in order to record or reproduce information on the optical recording media includes at least two lens groups arranged along an optical axis for focusing light of each one of two wavelengths that are the same or very nearly the same from the light source on a different one of the at least two different types of optical recording media, such as an AOD and a BD, having different substrate thicknesses. The separations of the two lens groups are different when light of each wavelength is used, and four different types of optical recording media with different substrate thicknesses may be used. An optical pickup device includes the objective optical system, the recording media, and a light source supplying the light of the two wavelengths.

Abstract: An objective optical system focuses light from a light source onto at least two different types of optical recording media having different substrate thicknesses in order to record or reproduce information onto the optical recording media by using a different light convergence or divergence effect based on a difference in the vibrational direction of the polarization of polarized incident light. This difference may be caused by passing the light through a uniaxial crystal, such as crystallized quartz, that has its optic axis arranged to use an extraordinary ray and an ordinary ray that are subject to different refractive indexes in an objective optical system even though the rays have the same wavelength. Diffractive optics may also be used to enable excellent focusing on more than two recording media. An optical pickup optical system and an optical pickup device using this optical pickup optical system include the objective optical system.

Abstract: An ultraviolet ray protection agent including a compound having an ultraviolet ray protection effect as an active ingredient. The compound is expressed by general formula I?: wherein X represents NH or O; Y? represents a vinyl group substituted by a methyl group or a phenyl group, or a phenyl group substituted by a methoxy group or a fluorine atom, or a naphthyl group; and Z represents a phenyl group substituted by a methyl group, a carboxyl group or a nitro group, or a naphthyl group. The compound represented by the general formula I? includes both novel compounds of the present invention and known compounds. The ultraviolet ray protection agent of the present invention offers outstanding ultraviolet ray protection effectiveness and is very safe.

Abstract: An objective optical system is formed of a diffractive optical element with a diffractive surface formed on a planar ‘virtual surface’ (i.e., a surface that would be planar but for the diffractive structure) and an objective lens for focusing three collimated light beams of three different wavelengths at three different numerical apertures onto desired positions of three different recording media with substrates of different thicknesses, such as an AOD, a DVD, and a CD, that introduce different amounts of spherical aberration in the focused beams. The objective optical system provides compensating spherical aberration to the three light beams while keeping equal the distance between the diffractive optical element and the objective lens, and focuses second-order diffracted light of one wavelength and first-order diffracted light of the other two wavelengths. An optical pickup device includes the objective optical system, the recording media, and a light source supplying the three light beams.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an ink discharge port of an ink jet recording head, which is provided with the ink discharge port for discharging an ink liquid droplet for adhesion thereof to a recording medium, a liquid chamber for retaining ink to be supplied to the discharge port, an ink flow path communicating with the discharge port and the liquid chamber, an energy generating element provided for a part of the ink flow path, and an ink supply port for supplying ink from outside to the liquid chamber, includes the step of processing and forming the wall face inside the ink discharge surface of the ink discharge port to a surface condition having irregularities of greater than or equal to 0.3 micrometer and less than or equal to 1 micrometer as the standard deviation value for the surface roughness thereof.

Abstract: An objective optical system includes a diffractive optical element on the light source side of an objective lens for focusing incident light of three different wavelengths with two different numerical apertures onto three different optical recording media. The diffractive optical element is formed of two lens elements made of different materials that are cemented together at a diffractive surface. Three conditions are satisfied so as to achieve optimum imaging. The diffractive surface may be shaped so that the order of the diffracted light of the shortest wavelength ?2 having the largest diffracted intensity is different from the order of the diffracted light of the second wavelength ?2 having the largest diffracted intensity, and the order of the diffracted light of the first wavelength ?1 having the largest diffracted intensity is also different from the order of the diffracted light of the third wavelength ?3 having the largest diffracted intensity.