Abstract: A thermoelectric power generation device includes a plurality of units that are stacked, each unit including a thermoelectric module containing at least one thermoelectric element, and a first plate and a second plate interposing the thermoelectric module therebetween, wherein a spacer is interposed between a surface of one of the first plates facing away from the corresponding thermoelectric module and a surface of the opposing second plate facing away from the corresponding thermoelectric module, the spacer contacting the first plate and the second plate and defining a fluid passage jointly with the first plate and the second plate, and wherein the fluid passages defined between the adjacent units are configured to receive supply of high temperature fluid and low temperature fluid in an alternating manner in a stacking direction of the units. The plates can be conformed to the thermoelectric module, and the stiffness of the plate can be increased.

Abstract: Thermoelectric device includes thermoelectric converter, first heat conductor, second heat conductor, first gap filler, and first sheet material. Thermoelectric converter has a thermoelectric element built-in. First and second heat conductors and face each other through thermoelectric converter. First gap filler is disposed between thermoelectric converter and first heat conductor. First sheet material is disposed between first heat conductor and first gap filler and/or between thermoelectric converter and first gap filler. First sheet material has flexibility. A surface of first sheet material opposite from first gap filler is anti-adhesive surface having lower adhesiveness than first gap filler.

Abstract: A temperature maintaining case includes a main body having a recessed storage chamber formed by a heat-insulating wall, and a lid body mounted on the main body capable of closing an opening of the storage chamber. Further, the temperature maintaining case includes: a heat storage member exposed to the storage chamber; a thermoelectric device having a first heat transferring surface and a second heat transferring surface opposite to the first heat transferring surface, the first heat transferring surface being connected to the heat storage member; a control device configured to drive and control the thermoelectric device; and a cover member mounted on the main body. The cover member is capable of selecting an exposed state and a shielded state.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module includes a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements; and a first metal substrate and a second metal substrate between which the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are sandwiched. The first metal substrate includes a plurality of divisional substrates. The plurality of divisional substrates are disposed with clearances left between each other.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module according to the present disclosure includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a peripheral thermoelectric conversion element group and a central thermoelectric conversion element group, each of which groups is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and contains a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements. The peripheral thermoelectric conversion element group is disposed in an area including peripheries of the first substrate and the second substrate, and the central thermoelectric conversion element group is disposed closer to a center of the first substrate and a center of the second substrate than the peripheral thermoelectric conversion element group. The plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements of the central thermoelectric conversion element group are disposed more densely than the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements of the peripheral thermoelectric conversion element group.

Abstract: A temperature maintaining case includes a main body having a recessed storage chamber formed by a heat-insulating wall, and a lid body mounted on the main body capable of closing an opening of the storage chamber. Further, the temperature maintaining case includes: a heat storage member exposed to the storage chamber; a thermoelectric device having a first heat transferring surface and a second heat transferring surface opposite to the first heat transferring surface, the first heat transferring surface being connected to the heat storage member; a control device configured to drive and control the thermoelectric device; and a cover member mounted on the main body. The cover member is capable of selecting an exposed state and a shielded state.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module according to the present disclosure includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a peripheral thermoelectric conversion element group and a central thermoelectric conversion element group, each of which groups is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and contains a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements. The peripheral thermoelectric conversion element group is disposed in an area including peripheries of the first substrate and the second substrate, and the central thermoelectric conversion element group is disposed closer to a center of the first substrate and a center of the second substrate than the peripheral thermoelectric conversion element group. The plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements of the central thermoelectric conversion element group are disposed more densely than the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements of the peripheral thermoelectric conversion element group.

Abstract: A carrier tape forming apparatus includes a tape paying-out unit for paying out a tape to be worked, a tape feeding unit for feeding the tape, a forming unit for effecting embossing on the tape, a perforating unit for perforating at least a feeding hole in the tape, and a tape taking-up unit for taking up the finished (embossed) tape thereabout. The apparatus includes also double-acting driving units provided as driving sources at least for the tape feeding unit, the forming unit and the tape taking-up unit, each driving unit being fluid-operated and movable along a straight path and a controller for independently controlling driving/stopping of the double-acting driving units for the forming unit and the tape taking-up unit in association with driving/stopping of said double-acting driving unit for the feeding unit.

Abstract: A carrier tape forming apparatus includes a tape paying-out unit for paying out a tape to be worked, a tape feeding unit for feeding the tape, a forming unit for effecting embossing on the tape, a perforating unit for perforating at least a feeding hole in the tape, and a tape taking-up unit for taking up the finished (embossed) tape thereabout. The apparatus includes also double-acting driving units provided as driving sources at least for the tape feeding unit, the forming unit and the tape taking-up unit, each driving unit being fluid-operated and movable along a straight path and a controller for independently controlling driving/stopping of the double-acting driving units for the forming unit and the tape taking-up unit in association with driving/stopping of said double-acting driving unit for the feeding unit.

Abstract: An image of a subject of inspection is picked up, and this image is demarcated into a plurality of areas. Density differences are found between reference pixels and a plurality of comparison pixels in the demarcated areas, and a density difference that is closest to 0 is determined as a specific density difference. The specific density difference is then applied to the reference density in the image of the subject, whereby repeated patterns in the image are erased.

Abstract: An input subject pattern is compared with a good product pattern that is registered beforehand, and a different portion of these is detected as a defect pattern. The detected defect pattern is classified in accordance with the features of the contour of the defect pattern.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to enable a strict and efficient inspection for a defect in a geometric pattern of a ferromagnetic thin-film layer of a master disk for magnetic recording media used in a device such as an AVHDD, in which initial information is recorded. Alignment marks 16 are formed in a plurality of positions on a circumference concentric with the recording section simultaneously with forming recording bands 14 constituting the information recording section on the master disk 10, the image of the recording bands 14 and the marks 16 on the master disk 10 is obtained, the image of recording section and non-defective product information is aligned based on the image of the marks 16, and then the images of the recording bands 14 are compared with the non-defective information to inspect the geometry pattern of the information recording section.

Abstract: A high-resolution image pickup method includes dividing each of a plurality of light-receiving pixels of an image pickup sensor for capturing image information on an inspection subject into a plurality of regions, and capturing the image information from the inspection subject for each of the divided regions, thereby finally capturing image information on the inspection subject with all the regions of the light-receiving pixels.

Abstract: A display screen inspection method according to the present invention takes a display screen of a display device as an inspection subject and makes decisions on defects of the display screen. The method includes performing a separation between display operating portions and display non-operating portions of the inspection subject present in a gray image from image data of individual pixels of the gray image obtained by picking up an image of the inspection subject, selectively extracting image data of only proper display operating portions and compressing the image data to be inspected for defects, and inspecting the selectively extracted image data for any defects.

Abstract: A method for extracting pixels constituting an intensity change formed of a collection of local intensity changes present in a gray image of an object based on a intensity data of each pixel includes the steps of: photographing the object by an image photographing device to obtain the gray image of the object represented by the intensity data of pixels; setting a partial image with a predetermined shape and a predetermined size in the image which has a target pixel whose entire periphery is surrounded by adjacent pixels; calculating intensity data belonging to a specific area composed of the target pixel and peripheral pixels and intensity data belonging to its remaining area for the partial image; obtaining a ratio of the calculating results between the intensity data belonging to the specific area and the intensity data of the remaining area, and comparing the obtained ratio with a threshold value, and then determining suitability of the target pixel as a composing factor of the intensity change based on a

Abstract: An attribute decision method includes steps of making a comparison between one feature value, selected from seven feature values, of an input pattern contained in an input image and membership functions determined from 37 standard patterns including alphanumeric characters of "0" to "9" and "A" to "Z" and a hyphen of "-" with respect to the selected feature value and then obtaining output values of the membership functions for the individual standard patterns with respect to the input pattern. The seven feature values are, when the input pattern is a mesh pattern, vertical structure vector sums, horizontal structure vector sums, up-down and left-right area differences, and a vertical cross number.

Abstract: A focus position detecting method includes: obtaining quantized two-dimensional image data including an object to be in focus with respect to an optical system by imaging the object through the optical system, defining a specified area in the two-dimensional image data; defining a partial image in the specified area, the partial image being composed of a target pixel and peripheral pixels on a line in a specified direction in which the target pixel exists; defining a left area and a right area respectively positioned on left and right sides of the target pixel on the line in the specified direction; calculating gray-level data of each pixel in the left area; calculating gray-level data of each pixel in the right area; obtaining as a gray-level ratio a ratio of calculation result of the left area to calculation result of the right area; calculating an evaluation function by means of the gray-level ratio by repeating the gray-level ratio calculating step in the specified area; obtaining a plurality of evaluatio

Abstract: A line image processing method for processing an image in which the following line or lines defectively and dispersedly exist in a line image to be shaped: a line which is connected to a line which should be disconnected therefrom to make a long line or make a branch line, lines which should connected to each other and which are separated from each other, a line which is connected to an unnecessary short line, or a line which has a short line connected thereto indicating noise, includes the steps of picking up a line image to be processed by an image pick-up device, scanning the line image to retrieve a line to be traced, tracing an arrangement direction of each pixel composing the retrieved line by means of a direction code, tracing the retrieved and traced line to an end point thereof by selecting at a branch point a direction closer to an average value of a plurality of various direction codes preceding the branch point when the branch point is detected, erasing an image of a cluster corresponding to the l

Abstract: An object extracting method of extracting a position of an object in a to-be-inspected region through an image processing, includes the steps of obtaining a plurality of density values of brightness from the to-be-inspected region, converting the density value which is larger or smaller than a preset threshold value into a specified value, integrating the density values at an X or Y coordinate on a Y or X axis, projecting the integrated density values at the X or Y axis, and extracting the position of the object present in the to-be-inspected region based on change of the integrated density values.

Abstract: A foreign matter detection device, for detecting a foreign matter on a photomask of transparent material with opaque patterns formed thereon, includes a laser source for emitting an S-polarized laser beam so as to impinge on a first surface of the photomask which reflects a P-polarized laser beam. A light source is provided to illuminate the photomask at an opposed surface to the first surface, from which a light transmits. This reflected P-polarized laser beam and transmitted light enters, through a condenser lens and a deflection plate, into a CCD in which an image representing the condition of the impinged surface is obtained. Since the P-polarized laser beam indicative of the corner edge of the pattern is offset by the transmitted light passing around the same corner edge, the pattern image is obscured and foreign matter is distinguishable in the obtained image.