Abstract: Provided is an optical pickup apparatus that stably operates by accurately detecting a fluctuation in a light amount of a laser beam caused by movement of a collimating lens. In an optical pickup apparatus of the present invention, part of a laser beam emitted from a laser device is transmitted through a reflective mirror and detected by a laser beam FMD. An output of the laser device is adjusted based on the output from the FMD. Even when a collimating lens moves during the operation of the apparatus, the change in the light amount of the laser beam caused by the movement is immediately detected by the FMD and the output of the laser device is adjusted. Thus, the light amount of the laser beam radiated on an optical information recording medium is kept constant along a time axis. Accordingly, the optical pickup apparatus can stably perform reading and writing.

Abstract: An exhaust heat regeneration system includes: an evaporator for cooling engine cooling water; an expansion device for expanding the refrigerant heated through the evaporator so as to generate a driving force; a condenser for cooling the refrigerant passing through the expansion device to condense the refrigerant; and a pump for pressure-feeding the refrigerant cooled through the condenser to the evaporator, in which: the expansion device is coupled to the pump by a shaft, and the expansion device and the pump are housed within the same casing to constitute a pump-integrated type expansion device; and the pump includes a high-pressure chamber through which the refrigerant to be discharged to the evaporator flows, the high-pressure chamber being provided on the expansion device side, or a low-pressure chamber through which the refrigerant flowing from the condenser flows, the low-pressure chamber being provided on the expansion device side.

Abstract: A printer includes printing unit provided on a conveying path of a recording sheet and sheet feed unit provided on the downstream and upstream sides of the printing unit in a conveying direction of a recording sheet. The printer includes a platen roller, a first sheet feed roller, a second sheet feed roller, a first branch transmission gear group, a second branch transmission gear group, and thrust amount adjusting unit. A tooth trace of one of the gears of each of the first and second branch transmission gear groups has an inclination angle with respect to an axial direction, and the first and second branch transmission gear groups are formed of first and second idler gears including inclined gear portions of which inclined directions of tooth traces are the same as each other.

Abstract: A driving block includes a plurality of magnetic-field generating elements and a driving signal generating section, and the magnetic field generated by the plurality of magnetic-field generating elements is detected by a plurality of magnetic-field detecting elements. A shape calculating block calculates a shape of an insertion portion of an endoscope based on a frequency component corresponding to a frequency of the driving signal in a detection signal detected by the plurality of magnetic-field detecting elements. Oscillation frequency of the reference clock for deciding the frequency of the driving signal is changeably set by the frequency setting section, and the reference clock with oscillation frequency set by the frequency setting section is supplied to both of the driving block and the shape calculating block.

Abstract: Providing an absorption pad which shows remarkable water absorptivity and can shorten a detection time when employed for an immunoassay apparatus. A water absorption pad for the immunoassay apparatus, containing 50% by weight or more of silicon-containing particles wherein a moisture absorptivity is 30% or less at a humidity of 60% or less and a moisture absorptivity is 40% or more at a humidity of 90% or more, a strip for an immunoassay using said absorption pad as a suction part, and an immunoassay apparatus including said strip for the immunoassay.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sanitary washing apparatus includes a nozzle including a jetting port and configured to squirt water from the jetting port and to cause the water to impinge on female private parts. The nozzle is operable to switch between a first jetting and a second jetting. The first jetting squirts the water from the jetting port to cause the water to impinge on a first range of the female private parts, and the second jetting squirts the water from the jetting port more diffusively than the first jetting to cause the water to impinge evenly on a second range wider than the first range without moving the jetting port. The water is squirted so that flow velocity in the first range of the first jetting is slower than flow velocity in the second range of the second jetting.

Abstract: A shower bathing apparatus is described as including a seat and a first water discharger provided rearward and upward in relation to the seat. The first water discharger is configured to discharge water in a direction forward of the seat. A water discharge direction from the first water discharger and a positional relationship between the first water discharger and the seat may be adjustable so that the water discharged from the first water discharger is able to reach the seat or forward of the seat. The water discharged from the first water discharger may further flow from above a seat occupant's shoulder to the seat occupant's leg.

Abstract: The present invention provides a shower apparatus which allows a user to enjoy spray of water with a voluminous feel even when a small volume of water is discharged as well as with a comfortable stimulus sensation of an instantaneous flow rate of the spray varying greatly. The shower apparatus periodically varies a volume of air taken into an aeration unit by periodically changing a traveling direction of a water stream ejected to the aeration unit from a throttle unit and produces pulsating spray by varying the instantaneous flow rate of bubbly water discharged from a nozzle unit.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a laser light source; an objective lens; a reflection mirror; a photodetector; and a beam splitter, the beam splitter including a first reflective film configured to generate a first phase difference corresponding to a predetermined wavelength with respect to laser light, the reflection mirror including a second reflective film configured to generate a second phase difference corresponding to the predetermined wavelength with respect to the laser light, the first reflective film and the second reflective film being formed so that a combined phase difference of the first phase difference and the second phase difference becomes substantially quarter-wave with respect to the laser light.

Abstract: An optical-pickup apparatus comprising: a laser-light source including first-and-second-light-emitting points for laser lights with first-and-second wavelengths which points are disposed at positions deviating in a direction optically corresponding to an optical-disc-tracking direction; a diffraction grating including a plurality of periodic structures which are joined to be different in phase from each other in the direction and each of which includes a recess and projection repeated in a direction optically corresponding to an optical-disc-tangential direction, the diffraction grating being configured to generate main-and-sub-luminous fluxes from the laser light; a holder to hold the diffraction grating to be movable in the direction corresponding to the tracking direction; a collimating lens; an objective lens to focus the main-and-sub-luminous fluxes from the collimating lens on the same track of an optical disc; and a photodetector to be applied with reflected lights of the main-and-sub-luminous fluxes f

Abstract: A shower apparatus F1 includes a water supply unit 21; a throttle unit 22 installed downstream of the water supply unit 21 and adapted to eject passing water downstream; an aeration unit 23 provided with an opening 231 adapted to produce bubbly water by aerating the water ejected through the throttle unit 22; and a nozzle unit 24 provided with a plurality of nozzle holes 243 adapted to discharge the bubbly water, wherein a virtual water ejection straight line obtained by extending an ejection direction of the water ejected through the throttle unit 22 reaches a location where the nozzle holes 243 are formed, without interfering with inner walls of the aeration unit 23 and the nozzle unit 24.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a laser-light source that selectively emits first and second laser lights parallel with each other; a diffraction grating that includes a plurality of periodic structures joined to be different in phase from each other in a direction optically corresponding to an optical-disc-tracking direction, and generates 0th-order and ±1st-order-diffracted lights by diffracting the first or second laser light; an objective lens that focuses the 0th-order and ±1st-order-diffracted lights generated from the diffraction grating on the same track of the disc; and a photodetector to which reflected light of the 0th-order and ±1st-order-diffracted lights focused on an optical disc is applied through the objective lens, and which generates a differential-push-pull signal, a direction of a straight line connecting light-emitting points of the first and second laser lights in the laser-light source being inclined relative to the direction optically corresponding to the optical-disc-tracking

Abstract: Provided is a shower apparatus which can stably supply bubbly water through all nozzle holes and can cause water droplets of large, uniform size to land continuously on the user so as to allow the user to enjoy a shower with a voluminous feel as if the user were being showered by large drops of rain. The shower apparatus includes a water supply unit, a throttle unit adapted to eject passing water downstream, an aeration unit adapted to produce bubbly water by aerating the water ejected through the throttle unit, and a nozzle unit provided with a plurality of nozzle holes used to discharge the bubbly water, wherein the throttle unit has a flat-shaped throttle channel and water ejected through the throttle channel plunges into an air-liquid interface as a sheet-like stream, thereby producing bubbly water, which is then discharged through the nozzle hole.

Abstract: Provided is a shower apparatus which can stably produce and supply bubbly water to nozzle holes, causing finely divided water droplets of relatively large, uniform size to land continuously on a user so as to allow the user to enjoy a shower with a voluminous feel as if the user were being showered by large drops of rain. The shower apparatus includes a water supply unit, a throttle unit adapted to eject passing water downstream, an aeration unit adapted to produce bubbly water by aerating the water ejected through the throttle unit, and a nozzle unit provided with a plurality of nozzle holes used to discharge the bubbly water, wherein an ejection speed changing means is installed in the water supply unit to at least partially vary ejection speeds of the water ejected from respective throttle channels of the plurality of throttle channels of the throttle unit.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus comprising at least: a diffraction grating configured to split first wavelength light into at least a first main beam and first sub-beam, and to split second wavelength light into at least a second main beam and second sub-beam, the diffraction grating including a diffraction surface portion corresponding to the second wavelength light; and a photodetector including a first main light-receiving unit configured to be applied with the first main beam, a first sub-light-receiving unit configured to be applied with the first sub-beam, a second main light-receiving unit configured to be applied with the second main beam, and a second sub-light-receiving unit configured to be applied with the second sub-beam, a distance between the first main light-receiving unit and first sub-light-receiving unit being changed relative to a standardized distance between the first main light-receiving unit and first sub-light-receiving unit.

Abstract: A sanitary washing apparatus includes: a washing nozzle; and a pressurizing device. The sanitary washing apparatus being configured to perform first and second jetting processes alternately jetted with a prescribed waiting time there between. In the first jetting process, the pressurizing device makes pressure of water subsequently jetted higher than pressure of water previously jetted in the first jetting process so that the water subsequently jetted overtakes and unites with the water previously jetted in the first jetting process In the second jetting process, the pressurizing device makes pressure of water subsequently jetted higher than pressure of water previously jetted in the second jetting process so that the water subsequently jetted overtakes and unites with the water previously jetted in the second jetting process.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a laser light source configured to emit a laser beam; an objective lens configured to apply the laser beam to an optical recording medium; and a beam splitter including a first reflective film configured to reflect the laser beam so as to be directed to the objective lens, the beam splitter interposed in an optical path between the laser light source and the objective lens, an incidence polarization angle of the laser beam relative to the first reflective film being set such that a P-polarization component is greater than an S-polarization component in linear polarization components of the laser beam incident on the first reflective film.

Abstract: In a case of a refrigerant amount being short when a Rankine cycle starts operating, because the pressure difference does not occur across a refrigerant pump, refrigerant cannot be injected from a bypass circuit to the Rankine cycle, and therefore super-cooling degree cannot be controlled. An exhaust heat recovery system is provided that can adjust the super-cooling degree even in the case of the pressure difference not occurring across the refrigerant pump. The system includes a refrigerant tank, for storing refrigerant, which is connected by pipes to the low-pressure circuit side and the high-pressure circuit side of the Rankine cycle through a low-pressure-side valve and a high-pressure-side valve, respectively, and a temperature adjuster for adjusting internal temperature of the refrigerant tank.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a bathtub device including a bathtub 2, a jetting unit 3, a jetting driving unit 4, and a controller 5. The bathtub includes a first bathtub wall surface and a second bathtub wall surface opposed to the first bathtub wall surface. The jetting unit is provided in the second bathtub wall surface and configured to jet a jet flow to a sole of a bather bathing in the bathtub. The jetting driving unit is connected to the jetting unit and configured to adjust jetting flow rate of the jet flow jetted from the jetting unit. The controller is configured to control the jetting driving unit. The controller is configured to control the jetting driving unit to cause the jetting unit to intermittently jet the jet flow with a strength, a leg of the bather being passively bent by the jet flow with the strength.

Abstract: An object is to provide a water discharge device in which a water sprinkling member having water discharge ports can simultaneously achieve both good rotation start-up ability and good rotation stability. A water discharge device FC is configured in such a manner that the center of gravity of a rotor constituted of a tubular body 20 and a head 40 (the water sprinkling member) is positioned near an opening 4 which is located near the center of swing at which a central axis C1 of the tubular body 20 tilted by swinging revolution and a central axis C2 of an inflow chamber 3 intersect in a state where any water is not supplied to a buffer chamber 43 of the head 40, whereas the center of gravity of the rotor is moved to a head 40 side in a state where the water is supplied to the buffer chamber 43 of the head 40.