Abstract: A carbonaceous electrode material for electric double layer capacitors having a large capacitor per volume, a low resistivity and a large bulk density, is provided as a carbonaceous material having a specific surface area of 800-2000 m2/g as measured by the nitrogen adsorption BET method, and an average layer-plane spacing of at most 0.36 nm as measured by the X-ray diffraction method. The carbonaceous material is preferably produced by carbonizing and activating a carbon precursor of pitch origin in an oxidizing atmosphere.

Abstract: An electric double-layer capacitor that is adapted for use in an electric vehicle, for example, and uses aluminum collector electrodes. A native oxide film is formed on each aluminum electrode. Hard granular carbon is made to penetrate through the oxide film into each aluminum electrode. The aluminum electrodes are connected with positive and negative polarizing electrodes, respectively, via the granular carbon, thus lowering the contact resistance.

Abstract: In an overcurrent protection circuit, when a control section turns on a switch in response to a signal from a microcomputer so that power is supplied from a power source to an IC card, a signal controlling section prevents the overcurrent protection circuit from functioning even if a current greater than a predetermined level is detected by a current detecting section, until a voltage of the IC card is stabilized. When the control section turns off the switch in response to a signal from the microcomputer, the power supply from the power source to the IC card is stopped, thereby preventing a malfunction of the overcurrent protection circuit, even if the microcomputer goes out of control or malfunctions.

Abstract: A current collector for use in an electric double-layer capacitor is constructed such that it is held in intimate contact with the electrodes thereby reducing the internal resistance and providing for better charging and discharging characteristics. The current collector includes an electrically conductive metal foil having a plurality of through holes defined therein and a plurality of pointed bars projecting from edges of each of the through holes perpendicularly to the electrically conductive metal foil. The pointed bars extend through electrodes disposed on opposite surfaces of the current collector. Distal end portions of the pointed bars are bent over against the outer surfaces of the electrodes. The bent distal end portions hold the electrodes under pressure against the current collector so that the current collector and the electrodes are tightly fastened together. Preferably, the electrically conductive foil includes aluminum foil and each of the electrodes contains activated carbon.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for producing active carbon suitable for use in electrodes for an organic solvent type electric double layer capacitor, comprising calcining an easily graphitizable organic substance and then subjecting the resultant carbonized product to an alkali activation treatment, wherein the alkali activation treatment comprises a first alkali activation treatment at a temperature within a first range and a second alkali activation treatment at a temperature within a second range, said temperature within the second range being higher than that of the first activation treatment, and one of both alkali activation treatments is performed after the other alkali activation treatment.

Abstract: An active carbon suitable for use in electrodes for an organic solvent type electric double layer capacitor, which is obtained by calcining an easily graphitizable organic substance and then activating the resultant carbonized product with an alkali, wherein a mode in the pore size distribution of the active carbon according to a transmission electron microscope (TEM) image analysis method falls within a range of 10-20 angstroms, and an conjunctive pore rate, which is expressed by a proportion of the total area of pores having an area not smaller than 500 square angstroms to the whole pore area in the TEM image, is at least 20%.

Abstract: A capacitor has a bottomed outer casing housing a capacitor element therein, a lid closing the bottomed outer casing and having a pair of insertion holes defined therein, and a pair of electrode terminals mounted on the lid and connected to the extension leads. The capacitor element includes a plurality of current collectors with respective extension leads extending therefrom. Each of the electrode terminals has an insert inserted in one of the insertion holes with an insulator interposed between the insert and the lid, a flange contiguous to an end of the insert and held against a surface of the lid through the insulator, a joint projecting from the flange and connected to the extension lead, and a staked member contiguous to an opposite end of the insert and crimped over an opposite surface of the lid with the insulator interposed between the staked member and the lid.

Abstract: An amorphous solid solution of V.sub.2 O.sub.5, CoO.sub.2, P.sub.2 O.sub.5, MO (wherein M represents an alkaline earth metal element) and at least one lithium compound selected from the group consisting of lithium-oxygen compounds, lithium halides and lithium oxygen acid salts is formed by melting precursor materials therefore, then the melt is put into water or pressed with metal plates to quench it, and the solid solution is heat treated above its glass transition temperature, the resulting solid solution being used as a cathode material for a lithium battery, thereby obtaining the lithium battery preventing the capacity of a carbon anode from lowering and excellent in long-term cycle stability.

Abstract: An alkali ion-absorbing/desorbing carbon material excellent in absorption and desorption of alkali ions and useful for an electrode material for a secondary battery or an anode material of a lithium battery is obtained by heat treatment at 300.degree. to 1000.degree. C. of an organic polymer having an aromatic structure, wherein the monomers of the aromatic organic polymer are linked together by o-bonding or m-bonding, or wherein the aromatic organic polymer has a branched structure or a crosslinked structure. The carbon material has a randomly stacked, condensed aromatic ring structure.

Abstract: An organic polymer compound such as poly(p-phenylene) is heat treated under an atmosphere of an inert gas such as argon at 500.degree. to 1,500.degree. C., preferably in the vicinity of a carbonization temperature (the range from the carbonization temperature to the carbonization temperature+300.degree. C.) to obtain a carbon material having properties of both a carbon substance and an organic substance.

Abstract: A very small and thin transformer to be used as incorporated in an electronic device for the civil life. In this transformer, a coil is wound on a coil bobbin in which core sheets are incorporated as laminated. This laminated core is provided with an insulating cover for insulation. However, when a gap is produced between the core sheets, an adverse influence will be produced on the electric characteristics of the transformer. Therefore, in case the insulating cover is applied to cover the laminated core, the insulating cover having a resiliency will press the core sheets in the laminating direction to prevent a gap from being produced between the core laminations.

Abstract: A cathode material for a lithium battery comprising an amorphous solid solution comprising V.sub.2 O.sub.5, CoO.sub.2, P.sub.2 O.sub.5 and MO, wherein M represents an alkaline earth metal element and CoO.sub.2 is contained in an amount of 0 to 10 mol % based on V.sub.2 O.sub.5, which is produced by melting a mixture of V.sub.2 O.sub.5, CoO.sub.2, P.sub.2 O.sub.5 and MO to form a melt, wherein CoO.sub.2 is contained in an amount of 0 to 10 mol % based on V.sub.2 O.sub.5, and then putting the melt into water or pressing the melt with metal plates to pulverize it.

Abstract: A thin type transformer has a coil bobbin with a coil wound on a flat and hollow barrel part of the bobbin, and a core mounted to the bobbin with a central leg portion of the core passed through the barrel part. Further, a pair of core cover members adapted to be mutually fittable while enclosing the core are mounted to the transformer as fitted and coupled to each other through engaging parts of the cover members, whereby constituent elements can be simplified while improving effectively the assembling and mass-producing ability.

Abstract: A mechanical quantity sensor element making use of a stress-magneto effect of noncrystalline magnetic alloy. This mechanical quantity sensor element is manufactured by coupling a piece of noncrystalline magnetic alloy having positive magnetostriction with another material such as, for example, thermo-setting resin at a temperature exceeding an operating temperature range of the mechanical quantity sensor element, and then cooling them to the operating temperature range. Due to a difference in a coefficient of thermal expansion between the piece and the material, compression strain is preliminarily given to the noncrystalline magnetic alloy piece, and the mechanical quantity sensor element has an excellent linearity and a wide detectable range for mechanical quantities.

Abstract: A plasma processing method and an apparatus for carrying out the method in which a processing gas is introduced into a processing chamber, and periodically an amplitude modulated or frequency-modulated high-frequency voltage is applied to plasma generating means, to generate a discharge plasma and to carry out predetermined processing by the plasma.

Abstract: A mechanical quantity sensor element making use of a stress-magneto effect of noncrystalline magnetic alloy. This mechanical quantity sensor element is manufactured by coupling a piece of noncrystalline magnetic alloy having positive magnetostriction with another material such as, for example, thermo-setting resin at a temperature exceeding an operating temperature range of the mechanical quantity sensor element, and then cooling them to the operating temperature range. Due to a difference in a coefficient of thermal expansion between the piece and the material, compression strain is preliminarily given to the noncrystalline magnetic alloy piece, and the mechanical quantity sensor element has an excellent linearity and a wide detectable range for mechanical quantities.

Abstract: The phase of a reproduction reference signal RS output from a decoder, which decodes the count value of the counter, is compared with that of an arriving horizontal synchronizing signal TH by a phase comparator. Based on this comparison result, a phase discriminating circuit discriminates whether the phase of the reproductionreference signal RS is advanced, delayed or in-phase with the arriving horizontal synchronizing signal TH. Based on this phase discrimination result, the dividing ratio setting circuit sets the dividing ratio of the counter such that the reproduction reference signal TH is pulled in with the arriving horizontal synchronizing signal TH.

Abstract: A sampling pulse generator receives a plurality of clock signals having the same frequency and phase differences. An additional signal, which may be a clock-run-in signal is also inputted to the generator. Phase relationship data are constructed and assembled and an optimum one of the clock signals is selected and outputted based on the phase data.