Abstract: An environmental control apparatus that is installed in a room and is portable, includes a sensor unit, a determination unit, and an output unit. The sensor unit senses the air environment of the room. The determination unit determines whether the air environment of the room is within the range of a comfort zone based on information about the air environment of the room. The output unit, based on at least the information about the determination result of the determination unit, outputs information or a signal in order to make the air environment of the room fall within the range of the comfort zone.

Abstract: A specific-equipment management system is equipped with a question generator, a display unit and an input unit and manages a water heater. The water heater is equipment that requires human operation in the vicinity when used. The question generator generates question information. The question information is information regarding a question for specifying a specific-error. The “specific-error” is an error regarding the water heater and includes an error regarding the human operation. The display unit displays the question information. Response information is then inputted to the input unit by the user based on the question information displayed at the display unit. The response information is information regarding the state of the water heater or the state of the human operation. The question generator generates next question information based on the response information. The display unit then displays the next question information.

Abstract: A shift lever device having a shift lever which allows selection of an arbitrary shift range by shift operation and includes a support which rotatably supports the shift lever and includes breakable portions which break when an impact force above a preselected magnitude is applied to the shift lever. Accordingly, when an axial impact force indicative of a sudden deceleration is applied to the shift lever, the support is broken. The breakage of the support allows safer absorption of the impact force applied to the shift lever. The breakable portions may take the form of a frangible pin or bracket that pivotally supports the shift lever.

Abstract: There is provided a shift lever device which comprises a shift lever which allows selection of an arbitrary shift range by shift operation and also comprises supporting means which rotatably supports the shift lever and is broken due to axial impact force applied to the shift lever. Accordingly, when axial impact force (strong force) is applied to the shift lever, the supporting means is broken. The breakage of the supporting means allows absorption of the impact force applied to the shift lever. Namely, in the shift lever device of the present invention, the impact force applied to the shift lever is absorbed due to the breakage of the supporting means. For this reason, an absorbing ability to the impact force is improved as compared with a conventional shift lever device.

Abstract: A shift lever device includes a shift lever which allows selection of an arbitrary shift range by shift operation and which is rotatably supported by a structure that breaks when an axial impact force above a preselected magnitude is applied to the shift lever. The breakage of the supporting structure allows safer absorption of an impact force applied to the shift lever. The breakable supporting structure may take the form of a portion of a thin portion of a circular wall forming a bearing that rotatably supports the shift lever, or a frangible pin or bracket that pivotably supports the shift lever.