Abstract: A battery includes a battery element, housing body, and valve device. The housing body has a laminate including a base material, barrier, and heat-sealable resin layers. The valve device is in communication with the housing body inside. A joined edge portion in which the mutually facing heat-sealable resin layers are fused together is formed in a housing body peripheral edge portion. The valve device includes first and second portions. A valve mechanism reduces the housing body internal pressure if it is increased due to gas generated in the housing body is formed in the first portion. An air passage guides gas generated in the housing body toward the valve mechanism is formed in the second portion. The first portion is located on a joined edge portion edge outer side. At least a portion of the second portion is sandwiched between the heat-sealable resin layers in the joined edge portion.

Abstract: A valve device is a valve device for attaching to a storage body. This valve device is provided with a valve device main body and an adhesive member. The valve device main body is configured to reduce pressure inside the storage body in the case where the pressure increases due to gas produced inside the storage body. The adhesive member is adhered to an outer periphery of the valve device main body, and is configured to adhere to the storage body. A hole through which the gas passes is formed in an end face of the valve device main body.

Abstract: A battery includes a battery element, a housing body, and a valve device. The housing body houses the battery element. The valve device is in communication with the inside of the housing body. Heat-sealable resin layers face each other in a peripheral edge portion of the housing body. A joined edge portion in which the mutually facing heat-sealable resin layers are fused together is formed in the peripheral edge portion of the housing body. The valve device is configured to reduce an internal pressure of the housing body if the internal pressure is increased due to gas generated in the housing body. The valve device includes a first portion that is located on an outer side of an edge of the joined edge portion and a second portion that is sandwiched between the heat-sealable resin layers in the joined edge portion.

Abstract: A battery includes a battery element, a housing body, and a valve device. The housing body is constituted by at least one laminate and includes an interior space in which the battery element is housed, a first housing portion that covers the interior space from a first side, and a second housing portion that covers the interior space from a second side. The valve device is attached to the housing body and can make interior space of housing body be in communication with an external space. A joined edge portion is formed in housing body as a result of the first and second housing portion being fused along respective peripheral edge portions. The valve device is sandwiched between the first and second housing portion in the joined edge portion, and an inner end of the valve device protrudes from an inner edge of joined edge portion toward the interior space.

Abstract: A main object of the present invention is to provide a dye-sensitized solar cell capable of improving photoelectric conversion efficiency, which is obtained at low costs, and a dye-sensitized solar cell module using the solar cell.

Abstract: A solar cell module comprises: two or more solar cell elements provided at intervals; a first colored layer provided between adjacent solar cell elements; and a diffusion layer and a second colored layer provided, on a side of a light receiving surface of the solar cell module, directly or through another layer in this order from the solar cell element side. A difference in luminance between a color of a region above the solar cell element and a color of a region above a gap between adjacent solar cell elements, in an anterior view of a surface of the diffusion layer of the solar cell module with the second colored layer removed, is up to 2.3.

Abstract: To raise the upper limit of the temperature range in which a quantum cascade laser (QCL) element for THz range operates at a single frequency. In a quantum cascade laser element in one embodiment of the present invention, each unit structure 10U in the active region 10 is provided with the first to fourth well layers 10W1-10W4 that are stacked in this order and separated from one another by at least one barrier layer 10B. During application of a first bias electric field for lasing, the structure of electronic energy levels has a reception, upper lasing, lower lasing, and depopulation levels and emits electromagnetic waves at a first frequency. During application of a second bias electric field that is weaker than the first bias electric field, the overlap integral is 0.15 or less between electronic wavefunctions for the unnecessary upper lasing and unnecessary lower lasing levels, thereby stimulated emissions of electromagnetic waves are suppressed at frequencies other than the first frequency.

Abstract: To raise the upper limit of the temperature range in which a quantum cascade laser (QCL) element for THz range operates at a single frequency. In a quantum cascade laser element in one embodiment of the present invention, each unit structure 10U in the active region 10 is provided with the first to fourth well layers 10W1-10W4 that are stacked in this order and separated from one another by at least one bather layer 10B. During application of a first bias electric field for lasing, the structure of electronic energy levels has a reception, upper lasing, lower lasing, and depopulation levels and emits electromagnetic waves at a first frequency. During application of a second bias electric field that is weaker than the first bias electric field, the overlap integral is 0.15 or less between electronic wavefunctions for the unnecessary upper lasing and unnecessary lower lasing levels, thereby stimulated emissions of electromagnetic waves are suppressed at frequencies other than the first frequency.

Abstract: A simple method that makes it possible to manufacture a highly-workable organic solar cell module having a plurality of connected organic solar cells is provided. The method includes: a first electrode substrate forming step of forming a plurality of first electrode layers on a first substrate to form a first electrode substrate; preparing a single piece of second electrode substrate-forming base material having at least a second electrode layer and capable of being cut into a plurality of second electrode substrates; a functional layer forming step; a cutting step to form a plurality of second electrode substrates; a bonding step so that the first and second electrode substrates are bonded together; and a connecting step of electrically connecting the first electrode layer of one of the organic solar cells to the second electrode layer of another organic solar cell which is adjacent to the one organic solar cell.

Abstract: A simple method that makes it possible to manufacture a highly-workable organic solar cell module having a plurality of connected organic solar cells is provided. The method includes: a first electrode substrate forming step of forming a plurality of first electrode layers on a first substrate to form a first electrode substrate; preparing a single piece of second electrode substrate-forming base material having at least a second electrode layer and capable of being cut into a plurality of second electrode substrates; a functional layer forming step; a cutting step to form a plurality of second electrode substrates; a bonding step so that the first and second electrode substrates are bonded together; and a connecting step of electrically connecting the first electrode layer of one of the organic solar cells to the second electrode layer of another organic solar cell which is adjacent to the one organic solar cell.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a dye-sensitized solar cell module that can appropriately prevent the occurrence of internal short-circuit in its individual dye-sensitized solar cells, achieves high power generation efficiency, has excellent workability, and can be produced with high productivity. The dye-sensitized solar cell module has a first electrode base material having one first base material and a plurality of first electrode layers formed in a pattern on the first base material, a plurality of second electrode base materials each having at least a second electrode layer, a plurality of porous layers provided either on the first electrode layers of the first electrode base material or on the second electrode layers of the second electrode base materials and containing a dye-sensitizer-supported fine particle of a metal oxide semiconductor, and a plurality of solid electrolyte layers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dye-sensitized solar cell module that can appropriately prevent the occurrence of internal short-circuit in its individual dye-sensitized solar cells and which achieves high power generation efficiency, and has excellent workability. The solar cell module is structured such that contact between the first and second electrode layers in any one of the dye-sensitized solar cells is prevented and therefore internal short-circuit is less likely to occur. Further, the use of such dye-sensitized solar cells makes it possible for the dye-sensitized solar cell module according to the present invention to achieve high performance.

Abstract: A main object of the present invention is to provide a high quality dye-sensitized solar cell module which prevents a discrepancy in the position of a pair of base materials, and does not easily allow the occurrence of connection failure or internal short circuit, and a method for producing a dye-sensitized solar cell module which allows easy production of the dye-sensitized solar cell module. To attain the object, the present invention discloses a dye-sensitized solar cell module comprising: a pair of resin substrates having flexibility, and two or more dye-sensitized solar cells formed between the pair of resin substrates, wherein a fixing member is disposed between adjacent dye-sensitized solar cells, and the fixing member is formed so as to penetrate through from an external side of one of the resin substrates to an external side of the other resin substrate.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a first detecting unit, a second detecting unit, a control unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a recording medium by using coloring materials of a plurality of colors based on image information. The first detecting unit detects whether or not the first given number of the first housing units are installed to the apparatus. The second detecting unit detects whether or not the second given number of the second housing unit and the third given number of the first housing unit are installed to the apparatus.

Abstract: A main object of the present invention is to provide a dye-sensitized solar cell capable of improving photoelectric conversion efficiency, which is obtained at low costs, and a dye-sensitized solar cell module using this.

Abstract: A main object of the present invention is to provide a dye-sensitized solar cell capable of improving photoelectric conversion efficiency, which is obtained at low costs, and a dye-sensitized solar cell module using the solar cell.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus has a head unit with a fine structure. The head unit includes a fine imprint pattern layer including fine concavities and convexities, a resin layer on a face of the fine imprint pattern layer opposite to a face where the concavities and convexities are formed, a first pressurizing base member on a face of the resin layer opposite to a face contacting the fine imprint pattern layer, and a second pressurizing base member on a face of the first pressurizing base member opposite to a face contacting the resin layer. The resin layer has a modulus of elasticity smaller than that of the fine imprint pattern layer, and the first pressurizing base member has a modulus of elasticity smaller than that of the resin layer. A light source or a heat source may be further provided. The head unit may be light permeable. A replacement layer may be further provided for replacement.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a conductive base material for dye-sensitized solar cell and a transparent conductive base material for dye-sensitized solar cell which, when used as electrode base materials of a dye-sensitized solar cell, have high resistance to corrosion by iodide ions contained in an electrolyte layer and can prevent a reduction in the fill factor and conversion efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cell to achieve high power generation efficiency, a dye-sensitized solar cell and a dye-sensitized solar cell module using such conductive base materials. To attain the object, provided is the conductive base material for dye-sensitized solar cell comprising: a first metal layer made of a metal having a specific resistance of 6×10?6 ?·m or less; and a second metal layer formed on the first metal layer, made of any one of metals of Ti, Cr, Ni, Mo, Ta, W, Nb, and Pt, and having a thickness of 500 nm or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a replaceable constituent element; an information storage unit that holds information indicating a type of the constituent element received by a user interface; and a life calculation controller that, when at least one piece of the information stored in the information storage unit indicates a particular type, performs control to suppress calculation of a life of the constituent element.

Abstract: Provided is a fine structure which allows the formation of a highly accurate metallic replica mold. The structure is resistant to breakage even in the presence of foreign particles or bumps and causes a smaller transfer failure region even when applied to an undulating object to be transferred. Also provided is a stamper for imprinting, which conforms to local bumps of a substrate to be transferred, causes, if any, a smaller pattern transfer failure region, and has satisfactory durability. The fine structure includes a supporting member; and a pattern layer having a fine asperity pattern formed on a surface thereof. The pattern layer is made from a resin through curing of a resin composition containing a cationic-polymerization catalyst and two or more organic components having different functional groups, and the supporting member and the pattern layer each transmit light having a wavelength of 365 nm or longer.