Abstract: The invention aims to provide a compact peritoneal dialysis apparatus using a disposable cassette integrally formed with a diaphragm and heating portion, in which a flow path can be switched quietly and a heating ability is high. By using a disposable cassette (8) integrally formed with a diaphragm, heating portion, and flow path switching portion, a predetermined amount of dialysis fluid is heated to a predetermined temperature with the heating portion. Clamps (111-118) for opening/closing a flow path switching portion are provided in order to form flow paths through which the heated peritoneal dialysis fluid is distributed into the peritoneal cavity of a patient almost continuously and is sucked and drained from the peritoneal cavity of the patient.

Abstract: An aromatic polyester composition includes 5 to 95 wt % of an ethylene naphthalenedicarboxylate copolymer and 95 to 5 wt % of an ethylene terephthalate (co)polymer, has a compatibility between these polymers of 0.15 to 0.5, and has a melting point which lowers depending on the content of ethylene naphthalenedicarboxylate. This composition has excellent compatibility, transparency, barrier properties and heat resistance and is an excellent raw material for forming various molded products, particularly bottles. A bottle and its production process are also disclosed.

Abstract: A first heat-sensitive microcapsule of the present invention comprises a shell wall and a liquid coloring composition, and has such a temperature-breaking characteristic that the shell wall is broken by heating to a temperature equal to or higher than a boiling point of the liquid coloring composition. The first heat-sensitive microcapsule is stable to light and easy to handle. A second heat-sensitive microcapsule of the present invention comprises a shell wall, a coloring composition and a heat decomposition-type gas-developing agent, and has such a temperature-breaking characteristic that the shell wall is broken by heating to a temperature equal to or higher than a decomposition temperature of the gas-developing agent. The second heat-sensitive microcapsule can be sensitively broken even by heating in a short time.

Abstract: A communications system receives fax image data encoded with a specific facsimile data format and carrying transmission codes having no relation with image contents, converts the received fax image data into Internet-fax data in a specific format, and transfers the Internet-fax data to an Internet terminal as an in-system terminal. The communications system includes a receiver to receive the fax image data supplied via a regular communications network, a comparator to compare an encoding mode for the received fax image data and an encoding mode for the Internet-fax data for the Internet terminal, a converter to add format data for the Internet-fax data to the fax image data with no decoding of the fax image data if there is a match in the comparison, for converting the format data-added fax image data into the Internet fax data, and a transmitter to transmit the converted Internet fax data to the Internet terminal.

Abstract: At least one longitudinal end portion of a portable scanner is formed such that, a thickness, along a direction perpendicular to a bottom surface of the housing, is smaller at a position closer to the end of the housing, and is larger at a position farther from the end of the housing. In particular, a side end surface at the longitudinal end portion is formed inclined with respect to the bottom surface at an acute angle.

Abstract: In a multi-color image-forming medium, a substrate is coated with a color-developing layer, which is formed as a heat-sensitive color-developing layer containing a plurality of pressure-sensitive microcapsules uniformly distributed therein. Each microcapsule is filled with a dye exhibiting a first single-color, and features a characteristic to be broken when being subjected to a predetermined pressure. The heat-sensitive color-developing layer features a characteristic to be molten when being subjected to a first temperature, so that the microcapsules can be directly subjected to the predetermined pressure. The heat-sensitive color-developing layer further features a thermal-color-developing characteristic to develop a second single-color when being subjected to a second temperature more than the first temperature.

Abstract: There is provided a vibration generator that permits to operate by following a mechanical resonance point. The vibration generator 1 has a vibration generation portion 2 having an electromagnetic coil 13 and a magnet 11 float-fixed by a spring member 12. The electromagnetic coil 13 is square-wave driven to obtain vibration force. The vibration generator 1 comprises a driving control portion 10 for detecting a driving voltage of the electromagnetic coil 13 at a predetermined constant interval. By the driving control portion 10, a driving frequency of the electromagnetic coil 13 is made high when an induced voltage waveform of the driving voltage is of rightward increase type, and the driving frequency is made low when the induced voltage waveform is of leftward increase. This permits the driving frequency of the electromagnetic coil to be shifted to a resonance frequency of the vibration generation portion 2.

Abstract: A pump portion is provided with an impeller internal to a casing. The impeller is coupled with a rotor physically out of contact therewith and it is also supported by a controlled, magnetic bearing portion physically out of contact therewith. The impeller is rotated by a motor to discharge fluid. A position sensor detects the impeller position in levitation and in response to the sensor's output the magnetic bearing portion is controlled. The magnetic bearing portion is configured of a plurality of electromagnets formed of a magnetic pole, a yoke and a coil. The electromagnet has magnetic S and N poles each with at least yoke and coil arranged circumferentially.

Abstract: A thermal head driver system cyclically and independently drives at least two thermal heads having each a plurality of electric resistance elements. A storage system cyclically stores an image information data, the image information data cyclically being each of at least two types of image information data, respectively corresponding to the thermal heads. A selector system cyclically and correspondingly selects which thermal head should be driven in accordance with the cyclical storage of the types of image information data in the storage system, such that the electric resistance elements of the thermal head, selected by the selector system, are selectively and electrically energized in accordance with a corresponding type of image information data cyclically stored in the storage system.

Abstract: A product delivery apparatus for a vending has a rotatable product delivery drum that includes a selling product supporting face disposed outside the rotation axis of the delivery drum and which is concaved in an arc form toward the rotation axis, and a next selling product supporting face which extends concetrically with respect to the rotation axis to support a product for next sale. A product passage has an enlarged-width section for permitting the passage of the product for sale.

Abstract: An image-recording composition comprising: a microcapsule enclosing a leuco-dye; a phenol color-developing agent; and a reaction-accelerating agent catalyzing a color-developing reaction between the leuco-dye and the phenol color-developing agent, the reaction-accelerating agent being an organic compound having at least two carboxyl groups. An image-recording sheet comprising a substrate and a color-developing layer disposed by applying the image-recording composition to the substrate is also provided.

Abstract: An aromatic polyester composition which comprises 5 to 95 wt % of an ethylene naphthalenedicarboxylate copolymer and 95 to 5 wt % of an ethylene terephthalate (co)polymer and has a compatibility between these polymers of 0.15 to 0.5, and whose melting point lowers depending on the content of ethylene naphthalenedicarboxylate. This composition has excellent compatibility, transparency, barrier properties and heat resistance and is an excellent raw material for forming various molded products, particularly bottles.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus suppresses several kinds of inconveniences caused by unnecessary contact of a belt-formed member with opposing members and drives the belt-formed member accurately even when the belt-formed member separated from a part of a plurality of opposing members. In an image forming apparatus having a belt-formed member supported by a plurality of supporting rollers and a plurality of opposing members located side by side in a line to oppose and contact the belt-formed member, a pivot mechanism is employed to temporarily separate the belt-formed member from a part of the opposing members for color image formation. The image forming apparatus also includes a tension roller dive mechanism to increase a relative distance between the tension roller and other supporting rollers to suppress a decrease in a tension of the belt-formed member during the above-described separation of the belt-formed member from the plurality of opposing members.

Abstract: There is provided a vibration generator 1 which is small sized but provides a sufficient vibration force and which is advantageous in assembly and packaging. A vibration generation portion of the vibration generator has a U-shaped leaf spring 2, 22 one end of which is fixed to a circuit board 6, a permanent magnet 3, 23 and an electromagnetic coil 4, 24. The permanent magnet is disposed on the leaf spring in a spaced confronting relation with the electromagnetic coil. The U-shaped leaf spring 2, 22 increase an actual length of the vibration portion to thereby lower a resonance frequency of the vibration portion so that vibration at the resonant point can be obtained and consequently a large vibration can be obtained efficiently by a small power. A power supply terminal device 30 can be provided for resiliently pressing from upward the vibration generation portion so that the power supply terminal device 30 serves not only as power source but also as a means for pressing an adhered portion of an adhesive tape.

Abstract: There is provided a fluid pump wherein in a casing at a pump unit there is provided an impeller coupled with a rotor contactless and also supported contactless by a controlled magnetic bearing unit, and rotated by a motor to output a fluid, with a position detection unit, an electromagnet or a motor stator cooled by a fluid flowing through a pump chamber.

Abstract: Thermal line head has an electrically-insulated base member, a plurality of electric resistance elements linearly formed on a surface of the base member; and an electrically-conductive wiring pattern configuration formed on the surface of the base member, the electrically-conductive wiring pattern configuration electrically activating the plurality of electric resistance elements. The electrically-conductive wiring pattern configuration is configured such that each of the electric resistance elements is surrounded by at least two pattern elements included in the electrically-conductive wiring pattern configuration.

Abstract: A decarbonating apparatus has a dehumidifying section for adsorbing humidity contained in waste gas and a decarbonating section for adsorbing CO2 contained in the dehumidified waste gas. The decarbonating section includes a decarbonating drum rotor loaded with a CO2 adsorbent having a honeycomb structure and arranged so as to adsorb CO2 contained in the waste gas, a heated gas supply pipe for supplying a heated gas so as to desorb CO2 adsorbed by the CO2 adsorbent, a purge gas supply pipe for supplying a purge gas so as to purge desorbed CO2, and a cooling gas supply pipe for supplying a cooling gas so as to regenerate the CO2 adsorbent. The decarbonating drum rotor is rotated to successively pass through the adsorption region, the desorption region, the purging region, and the regeneration region.

Abstract: An aromatic polyester composition which comprises 5 to 95 wt % of an ethylene naphthalenedicarboxylate copolymer and 95 to 5 wt % of an ethylene terephthalate (co)polymer and has a compatibility between these polymers of 0.15 to 0.5, and whose melting point lowers depending on the content of ethylene naphthalenedicarboxylate. This composition has excellent compatibility, transparency, barrier properties and heat resistance and is an excellent raw material for forming various molded products, particularly bottles. A bottle and its production process are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed method of measuring the flow of a fluid with a porous particulate ceramic tracer and an optical instrument is characterized in that spherical particles having diameters in the range of 0.5 to 150 &mgr;m are used as the tracer. Inasmuch as the tracer particles for flow measurement are spherical, the sectional area of scattered light to be detected by an optical sensor means is constant regardless of the orientation of particles. Furthermore, spherical particles have no surface irregularities that might cause concatenation so that individual particles are not agglomerated in tracking a fluid flow, thus contributing to improved measurement accuracy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel electrode for high-temperature solid electrolyte fuel cells and a process for manufacture of the electrode. The fuel electrode of the invention is a porous element composed of a high-melting metal, such as ruthenium, osmium, rhodium or iridium, or an alloy containing the metal. The process for manufacture of the fuel electrode comprises coating an electrode material with a solution or dispersion of the high-melting metal and/or its chloride, sintering the same and finally reducing the product.