Abstract: An image forming method includes an ejecting step, a drying step after the ejecting step, and a particle-providing step after the drying step. The ejecting step includes ejecting aqueous ink onto a recording medium and forming an image. The drying step includes drying such that a difference between a water amount contained in the recording medium after the drying and a water amount that was contained in the recording medium before the ejecting is from 1.0 g/m2 to 4.0 g/m2. The particle-providing step includes supplying particles to the surface of a roller and, via the roller, providing the particles to a face of the recording medium at which the image has been formed.

Abstract: A matting liquid coating section supplies a matting liquid to an outer peripheral surface of a pressing roller. At the matting liquid coating section, a web, that is a non-woven fabric or the like and in which is seeped a matting liquid formed from a liquid (silicon oil or the like) in which matting agent particles are dispersed at a predetermined concentration, is trained around a first rod and a second rod, and is made to abut an outer peripheral surface of the pressing roller while running along the outer peripheral surface. The matting liquid is transferred once to the outer peripheral surface of the pressing roller, and the matting agent particles that adhere to the roller surface are again transferred onto a surface of a recording medium.

Abstract: An optical connector (10) of the present invention includes housing position correction means for correcting displacement of relative positions between plug and jack housings (13, 16); housing connection means (20, 22) which engage with each other to connect the plug and jack housings (13, 16) to each other so that a coupling state between first and second optical fibers (11, 14) can be maintained; connection release means (26, 27) capable of releasing the connected state by the housing connection means (20, 22); and frame position correction means for correcting displacement of relative positions between a frame (21) of an optical plug (12) and a connection block (34) of an optical jack (15).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to easily detect a short circuit failure in a current collector of a prismatic battery and prevent a short circuit caused by an existence of a burr generated while cutting or a spatter generated while welding the current collector to an electrode plate. A battery unit is housed in a metallic battery case. In the battery unit, current collectors having bent portions on both sides are fixed to face surfaces of an electrode plate group of a prismatic battery. The portions of the battery case, which correspond to the bent portions, are pressed in a thickness direction. Under the pressure, a short circuit inspection for a short circuit between the battery case and the current collectors of the battery unit is executed. When a projected object exists on the bent portion, a short circuit is generated between the battery case and the current collector by pressing so that a short circuit failure caused by a shape of the current collector can be detected.

Abstract: A robot hand converts the longitudinal extending and retracting motion of an actuating rod of a linear actuator into opening and closing motion of left and right first links via a link mechanism. The link mechanism includes left and right middle links composed of coil springs. When the left and right first links come in contact with an object to be gripped, the middle links elastically deform and expand, and the force gripping the object gradually increases due to the elastic deformation of the middle links. It is possible to prevent a large gripping force from acting suddenly on the object and to prevent the object from being deformed, damaged, or otherwise suffering harmful effects.

Abstract: The invention provides a reactor to be built in a power converter. In the reactor, an induction component composed of a coil being a winding of a conductor wire, a core in which interior a magnetic path is formed and an insulation bobbin positioning and engaging a wire wound part of the coil is housed in a case to be soaked with a mold resin. Inner bottom face of the case has a plurality of surfaces having not less than two different heights letting the outside bottom of the case a reference surface, and the lower end face of the core is in contact with any of the case inner bottom surfaces excluding the lowest inner bottom surface. As a result, the reactor is suitable for on-vehicle applications to achieve reduced article variation as well as a longer service life, a shorter operation time and decreased cost.

Abstract: A wave-gear-type linear-actuation mechanism comprises a flat-type wave gear; a lead screw that is a structural component of the wave gear and is formed on an outer peripheral surface of a first circular spline; and a linear-actuation cylinder threaded onto the lead screw, a linear-actuation cylinder 4 having a screw groove that is formed in an inner peripheral surface thereof. It is possible to obtain a linear-actuation mechanism whose holding force during reverse input mode (speed increasing mode) is higher than cases where a cup-type flexible screw is used.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a DC/DC power conversion apparatus that can reduce the average power consumption over a wide range of DC voltage ratios. A control circuit (120) changes a switching frequency f at which IGBTs S1 to S4 perform ON/OFF operation, in accordance with a voltage ratio k (k=V2/V1) for DC voltage conversion, based on the following expressions, such that a magnitude ?I of a current ripple flowing in a reactor Lc is a predetermined constant value irrespective of the voltage ratio k.

Abstract: A robot hand converts the longitudinal extending and retracting motion of an actuating rod of a linear actuator into opening and closing motion of left and right first links via a link mechanism. The link mechanism includes left and right middle links composed of coil springs. When the left and right first links come in contact with an object to be gripped, the middle links elastically deform and expand, and the force gripping the object gradually increases due to the elastic deformation of the middle links. It is possible to prevent a large gripping force from acting suddenly on the object and to prevent the object from being deformed, damaged, or otherwise suffering harmful effects.

Abstract: A receptacle (20) detachably accommodating a connector plug (34) connected to optical fibers (32) is rotatably supported by a shaft (14) provided in an installation table (10). The receptacle (20) is biased by a leaf spring (16) for biasing opposite ends of the shaft (14) in one direction. A locking/unlocking mechanism for selectively locking or unlocking the receptacle (20) connected with the connector plug (34) relative to the installation table (10) and a locking mechanism fixing portion (12) includes a locking nib (30Ra) of a lock releasing button (30R), a locking nib (30La) of a lock releasing button (30L), locking nib receiving portions (12na, 12nb) and a coil spring (31).

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a camera module comprising a sensor substrate, a lens holder, a lens, and an infrared light cut filter unit. The sensor substrate has a solid-state imaging device and a light receiving unit receiving infrared light. The lens holder is mounted on the sensor substrate so as to cover the solid-state imaging device and the light receiving unit. The lens is arranged in the lens holder. The infrared light cut filter unit is arranged in the lens holder.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wave-type linear motion mechanism including a hydraulic pressure chamber for applying a retention force in the axial direction to a rigid screw member which moves in a linear fashion. Regulating valves are provided in the hydraulic pressure chamber, and these regulating valves open during the rotation of a wave generator so that no hydraulic pressure is exerted on the rigid screw member which moves in a linear fashion. During the rotation of the wave generator the regulating valves close to establish an airtight state in the hydraulic pressure chamber, and a hydraulic pressure is exerted as a retention force on the rigid screw member. Although restricted by the meshing strength between the rigid screw member and a flexible screw member and the buckling strength of the flexible screw member, the retention force of the wave-type linear motion mechanism is able to be increased.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a rigid internal gear of a wave gear device in which an internally toothed portion formed with internal teeth and a gear main body portion are joined integrally, the method including preforming an internal teeth-forming ring or disc for forming the internally toothed portion by using a first aluminum alloy powder; manufacturing a forging in which the internal teeth-forming ring or disc is placed in a forging die and is integrally formed on its outer side with the gear main body portion using a second aluminum alloy powder, the first aluminum alloy powder being harder and having higher abrasion resistance than the second aluminum alloy powder; and applying post-processing including cutting teeth to the forging.

Abstract: A method for the formation of a luminescent layer having a uniform thickness in a desired pattern and an organic electroluminescent device that can realize high-quality display and is highly reliable. The luminescent layer is formed by providing a blanket having a resin film having a surface tension of not less than 35 dynes/cm as a surface layer and an ink for a luminescent layer, having a viscosity (ink temperature 23° C.) in the range of 5 to 200 cP as measured at a shear rate of 100/sec, and containing a solvent having a surface tension of not more than 40 dynes/cm and a boiling temperature in the range of 150 to 250° C., filling the ink into cells in a gravure form, allowing the blanket to receive the ink from the cells, and transferring the ink on the blanket onto a luminescent layer forming face.

Abstract: Three or more circuits, in which series-connected low-voltage and high-voltage side switches including MOSFETs including parasitic diodes are connected across positive and negative terminals of each of smoothing capacitors, are connected in series. One of elementary series circuits, each including a capacitor and an inductor, is disposed between any adjacent two of the circuits with the elementary series circuits set to have the same period of resonance. The MOSFETs of rectifier circuits are brought into an ON state simultaneously with the MOSFETs of a driving inverter circuit and brought into an OFF state earlier than the MOSFETs of the driving inverter circuit by a period of time not exceeding a time period equal to (period of resonance)/2. A resonance phenomenon of the capacitor and the inductor is used and conduction loss in the rectifier circuits is reduced in DC/DC power conversion performed through charging and discharging operation of the capacitor.

Abstract: Three or more circuits including a driving inverter circuit and rectifier circuits are connected in series, each of the circuits including a high-voltage side MOSFET and a low-voltage side MOSFET connected in series as well as a smoothing capacitor having positive and negative terminals between which the MOSFETs are connected. LC series circuits, each including a capacitor and an inductor, are disposed individually between one specific circuit and the other circuits with periods of resonance of the LC series circuits made equal to one another. In performing DC/DC power conversion through charging and discharging operation of the capacitors, a resonance phenomenon of the LC series circuits is used to improve conversion efficiency and achieve a reduction in size of the apparatus structure.

Abstract: A camera module according to one embodiment of this invention has a sensor substrate, a lens holder, and a shield being fixed to the lens holder. The lens holder is composed of a tubular portion including a lens and a top board having an opening. The lens holder is fixed by a second adhesive provided more inside than an edge of the sensor substrate. The shield has a tubular portion and a top board. The tubular portion is composed of a small-diameter portion, a step portion, and a large-diameter portion. The shield is disposed so that the step portion is in contact with a portion between the edge of the sensor substrate and the second adhesive, and, at the same time, the top board of the lens holder is located in an opening formed in the top board of the shield.

Abstract: A wave generator (4) of a wave gear device (1) is formed from a material in which only the minor axis-side portions (51, 52), which include the two end portions (51a, 52a) of an elliptical minor axis Lmin, has a larger coefficient of linear expansion than the other portions. When the temperature of a rigid cam plate (5) increases during high-speed rotational input, the minor axis-side portions (51, 52) thermally expand considerably more than the other portions do, and balls (10) other than several balls (10b) on a minor axis Lmin of a wave bearing (7) enter a tight state and form a locked state in which the wave bearing (7) rotates integrally with the rigid cam plate (5). Since the generation of agitation resistance of the lubricating agent due to the high-speed rolling movement of the balls (10) during high-speed rotational input can be avoided or reduced, a reduction of the torque transmission efficiency caused by the agitation resistance can be prevented or inhibited.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head which ejects an aqueous ultraviolet-curable ink toward a recording surface of a recording medium; a holding and drying unit including: a suction holding drum which conveys the recording medium while holding a back surface side of the recording medium by suction through suction holes formed in an outer circumferential surface of the drum; and a hot air flow drying device disposed to face the outer circumferential surface of the drum; a transfer conveyance device which is arranged at a downstream side of the holding and drying unit and conveys the recording medium while holding a leading end of the recording medium and curving the back surface side in a convex shape; and a fixing unit including an ultraviolet light irradiation device which is arranged at a downstream side of the transfer conveyance device and irradiates ultraviolet light onto the image.

Abstract: A power conversion apparatus for vehicle use having a small size and a light weight is obtained. The power conversion apparatus is provided with: a plurality of semiconductor modules in which semiconductor devices are molded with a resin, and each of which has a module body, an input terminal, and an output terminal; a heat sink of a rectangular parallelepiped shape which has cooling principal planes on opposite surfaces thereof, respectively, for cooling these semiconductor modules; and a plurality of control boards which control the driving of the semiconductor modules. Each of the semiconductor modules is arranged such that its module body has a principal plane in surface contact with one of the cooling principal planes of the heat sink, and each of the control boards is arranged in opposition to a surface of the module body at an opposed side of the principal plane thereof.