Abstract: An electronic camera having therein a CCD (image sensing device). A lens barrel is mounted on a camera body thereof. As focusing means, this camera has therein a ranging unit in an active AF manner and a contrast detector in a contrast AF manner using subject light from the lens barrel. A grip portion is arranged at the left side (as seen from the subject) of the camera body. A peak portion is arranged over the grip portion. A ranging window for the ranging unit is arranged over the peak portion. When the camera body is held, it is possible to prevent fingers from moving to the front of the ranging window and covering the window by the peak portion. Even if the lens barrel has a large aperture, it is also possible to arrange the ranging unit on the front portion of the camera body.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a ceramic oscillator capable of controlling the oscillation frequency with a high accuracy is disclosed. In this method, a mother substrate is polarized, electrodes in discrete ceramic oscillator units are formed, the mother substrate is cut into discrete ceramic oscillator units, an outer package is applied to each of the ceramic oscillators, and thus a ceramic oscillator as a finished product is achieved. Herein, the polarization processing for the mother substrate is executed by finishing the application of a high DC voltage, when the antiresonant frequency fa of the mother substrate in a thickness vibration mode is measured while the voltage is applied to the mother substrate, and the antiresonant frequency fa which is being measured has reached a target value of the antiresonant frequency of the mother substrate during polarization corresponding to a target oscillation frequency of the ceramic oscillator as a finished product.

Abstract: A focusing apparatus includes a filter unit for performing frequency filtering processing on an image pickup signal, and a focus position detecting unit for detecting a focus position based on the contrast value of the image pickup signal having undergone the frequency filtering processing by the filter unit. The filter unit has a first filter for normal position detection, and a second filter for infinity position detection having a frequency characteristic different from that of the first filter, and selects the first filter or the second filter.

Abstract: A slider and suspension of a hard disk drive are joined with a low modulus epoxy adhesive. The slider and suspension are set in a bonding jig while they are moving from process to process or subjected to a thermosetting treatment in a controlled temperature chamber. The slider and suspension must be kept bound together with the bonding jig until the adhesive is cured through a thermal treatment. The low modulus epoxy adhesive is cured with heat from a laser beam. In addition, a resistance value of the head disposed at the slider is measured so as to monitor the temperature of the head, thereby deciding both output and irradiation time of the laser beam for obtaining a desired strength of the bond within a predetermined temperature range.

Abstract: An integrated lead suspension includes a solder ball that is placed between a lead wiring pad provided on a flexure of the suspension, and a bonding pad provided on a slider of a head gimbal section. The lead wiring pad and bonding pad are soldered by melting the solder ball. As a result, there is provided a recessed section into which a solder ball is placed by way of surface raised sections, using gravitational force, in the vicinity of the center line of the surface of the lead wiring pad. In this way the position of the solder ball is not displaced from the center line when a bonding pad and lead wiring pad are connected by means of a solder ball.

Abstract: A video camera obtains a capture scope obtained through finder optics of a single-lens reflex camera and indicated by a view frame mask. A PC detects the position corresponding to the capture scope from the captured image captured by the image pickup device of the single-lens reflex camera, generates the information designating the position, and stores the information in the single-lens reflex camera. The system controller of the single-lens reflex camera extracts a part of the area in the captured image captured by the image pickup device, and records the image of the area in a memory card.

Abstract: An integrated lead suspension includes a solder ball that is placed between a lead wiring pad provided on a flexure of the suspension, and a bonding pad provided on a slider of a head gimbal section. The lead wiring pad and bonding pad are soldered by melting the solder ball. As a result, there is provided a recessed section into which a solder ball is placed by way of surface raised sections, using gravitational force, in the vicinity of the center line of the surface of the lead wiring pad. In this way the position of the solder ball is not displaced from the center line when a bonding pad and lead wiring pad are connected by means of a solder ball.

Abstract: A DC voltage is applied to a piezoelectric body for polarization treatment in the air and in an atmosphere with a temperature equal to or higher than an aging temperature, and then, the piezoelectric body is aged at the aging temperature. The polarization degree is determined based on the frequency characteristic while the piezoelectric body is polarized. The application of the DC voltage is stopped at the time when the measured polarization degree reaches a set level. The set level is determined based on a correlation between the polarization degree obtained immediately before the application of the DC voltage is stopped and the stable polarization degree obtained after the aging and the ordinary temperature restoration following the stop of the voltage application.

Abstract: A method of forming a cylindrical portion of a sheet metal member having a center hole, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of holding a sheet metal material having a boss portion between rotating dies, rotating the sheet metal material with the rotating dies, and pressing a cylindrical portion formed at an outer periphery of the base plate of the sheet metal material by means of a forming roller, thereby forming the cylindrical portion.

Abstract: A method of polarization-treating a piezoelectric body, which is constructed such that current flows through the piezoelectric body in response to application of a DC voltage to the piezoelectric body, includes the steps of measuring current flowing through the piezoelectric body, and stopping the application of the DC voltage at the time when the measured current value reaches a set level. The polarization degree is controlled based on the current value by utilization of a correlation between the current and the polarization degree during polarization. With this method, a desired polarization degree is obtained, and dispersion of the polarization is reduced.

Abstract: In a sheet metal member having a boss which is obtained by the method of the present invention, a cylindrical portion is formed at an outer peripheral edge, thereby allowing the member to be used as a pulley for a flat belt, a V belt or a poly-V belt. According to the present invention, when the boss is to be formed, the positional accuracies of portions other than the boss with respect to the boss are improved. The present invention includes: a boring step of opening a circular hole in a circular blank; a curving step of shaping the circular blank into a projected shape; and a bending step of restricting a radially outward spread of an outer peripheral edge portion of the circular blank which has undergone the curving step, and bending an inclined portion between the outer peripheral edge portion of the circular blank and the circular hole into a recessed shape, thereby forming the case-like boss.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vibration gyro having good detection sensitivity and good detection accuracy and which comprises four beams provided on a base portion and which are made substantially stationary, for any type of vibration used. Since the vibration stimulus and detection make use of the same vibration mode, and the beams is so configured that output signals output from the beams cancel noise output generated by externally applied vibration, it is possible that matching of the excitation to obtain a large output signal and the resonant frequency for detection can be achieved without placing great expectations on machining and assembly precision, and without affecting adversely to the performance thereof depending upon a supporting method.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a ceramic oscillator capable of controlling the oscillation frequency with a high accuracy is disclosed. In this method, a mother substrate is polarized, electrodes in discrete ceramic oscillator units are formed, the mother substrate is cut into discrete ceramic oscillator units, an outer package is applied to each of the ceramic oscillators, and thus a ceramic oscillator as a finished product is achieved. Herein, the polarization processing for the mother substrate is executed by finishing the application of a high DC voltage, when the antiresonant frequency fa of the mother substrate in a thickness vibration mode is measured while the voltage is applied to the mother substrate, and the antiresonant frequency fa which is being measured has reached a target value of the antiresonant frequency of the mother substrate during polarization corresponding to a target oscillation frequency of the ceramic oscillator as a finished product.

Abstract: In a method of polarization-treating a piezoelectric material, the maximum polarization degree &Dgr;f180max achieved by 180° rotation is determined. A residual polarization degree &Dgr;f as a target value and the maximum polarization degree &Dgr;f180max are compared. In the case of &Dgr;f≦&Dgr;f180max, a determination is made as to the temperature TA for obtaining the polarization degree &Dgr;f made up solely of the polarization degree achieved by 180° rotation. Half-polarization is carried out at the temperature TA, and aging is conducted at the temperature TA, whereby a piezoelectric material of which the ratio of the polarization achieved by 180° rotation is 100%, which is stable thermally with passage of time, and has a polarization degree &Dgr;f correctly coincident with a target value, can be obtained.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a structure of a head supporting arm for preventing a read/write head from being damaged during a heating process for bonding a slider to a flexure and a method for fabricating the head supporting arm with preventing the read/write head from being damaged during the heating process. A head supporting arm of the present invention comprises: a load beam, a flexure including a portion coupled to said load beam and a bonding portion; and a slider bonded on said bonding portion by an adhesive; wherein said bonding portion of said flexure includes an edge placed on a surface of said slider; and wherein an exposing aperture, which exposes both a portion of a surface region, including said one edge, of said bonding portion and a portion of said surface of said slider, is formed on said load beam.

Abstract: A photographic lens system for forming an object image is placed in the lens barrel of an electronic camera. In a camera body, a beam splitter for forming branched optical paths and an image sensing element for photoelectrically converting the formed object image are arranged. The beam splitter and the image sensing element are attached and disposed in the outer casing by a holding frame structure. The photographic lens system is attached and disposed in the lens barrel, which has a heat-radiating barrel made of aluminum. A heat-transfer path from the image sensing element to the heat-radiating barrel is formed by a back plate and a prism frame both made of aluminum, which are part of the holding frame structure.

Abstract: A lens barrel has a plurality of moving frames that move along the optical axis of lenses. The lens barrel comprises a first moving frame, a second moving frame, and an interlocking unit. The first moving frame moves along the optical axis. The second moving frame moves along the optical axis within a range smaller than the movable range of the first moving frame. The interlocking unit formed on the first moving frame interlocks the second moving frame with the first moving frame and moves the second moving frame responsively to the movement along the optical axis made by the first moving frame. The movable range of the first moving frame falls into a range of interlocking within which the second moving frame is moved interlocked with the first moving frame, and a range of non-interlocking within which the second moving frame is not interlocked with the first moving frame. Consequently, a moving mechanism for moving the plurality of lens frames can be simplified.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus having a main power source in a main unit thereof, a lens frame supported so that it can be moved in an optical-axis direction relative to the main unit of the imaging apparatus, a lens frame driving mechanism for advancing or with drawing the lens frame in the optical-axis direction relative to the main unit of the imaging apparatus, an actuator placed in the lens frame, and a connector included in the lens frame driving mechanism in order to electrically connect the main unit of the imaging apparatus with the actuator and supply power or a driving signal to the actuator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a sheet metal pulley for a V belt without cutting which may impair the environment of a factory. A sheet metal pulley for a V belt which is obtained by the production method of the present invention has plural valley portions around which V belts are to be wound. In the production method, an annular first valley portion which is opened in a V-like shape is formed by slitting a root portion of a cylindrical portion of a sheet metal cylindrical member and an outer periphery of a base plate portion continuous to the root portion.

Abstract: A method of forming a cylindrical portion of a cylindrical member made of a sheet metal according to the present invention relates to steps of rotating a cylindrical member fitted into rotating dies with the rotating dies while pressing the cylindrical portion against the rotating dies by the forming roller. In the present invention, a pressed portion of the cylindrical portion, pressed by a forming roller is moved from an opening end side of the cylindrical portion to a root portion side thereof according to each phase. For example, the pressed portion of the cylindrical portion pressed by the forming roller includes two sections, namely a first phase-pressed portion positioned on the opening end side of the cylindrical portion and a second phase-pressed portion positioned on the root portion side thereof.