Abstract: A battery charge control apparatus to be installed in a vehicle includes a current regulation circuit and a controller. The vehicle is provided with a first battery, a voltage converter, a second battery, and an onboard device. The voltage converter lowers an output voltage of the first battery. The second battery is electrically charged by an output from the voltage converter and outputs a voltage lower than an output voltage of the first battery. The onboard device is operated by an output from the second battery and an output from the voltage converter. The current regulation circuit is disposed between the voltage converter and the second battery and reduces an amount of a charging current to be delivered via the voltage converter to the second battery. The controller controls the current regulation circuit on the basis of an output current from the voltage converter.

Abstract: A detection device includes a light projection unit that projects light to a detection region, a lens that focuses the light having been projected from the light projection unit and reflected by the detection region, an image sensor that includes a plurality of light receiving elements and receives the light focused by the lens for each of the light receiving elements, a distance calculation unit that calculates, on the basis of a result of light reception by the image sensor, a distance to an object present in the detection region with a TOF method for each of light reception positions at which the light receiving elements are located, and a position calculation unit that calculates a position of the object present in the detection region on the basis of the distance calculated by the distance calculation unit for each light reception position.

Abstract: A battery charge control apparatus to be installed in a vehicle includes a current regulation circuit and a controller. The vehicle is provided with a first battery, a voltage converter, a second battery, and an onboard device. The voltage converter lowers an output voltage of the first battery. The second battery is electrically charged by an output from the voltage converter and outputs a voltage lower than an output voltage of the first battery. The onboard device is operated by an output from the second battery and an output from the voltage converter. The current regulation circuit is disposed between the voltage converter and the second battery and reduces an amount of a charging current to be delivered via the voltage converter to the second battery. The controller controls the current regulation circuit on the basis of an output current from the voltage converter.

Abstract: An odor adsorbent material, an odor detection kit, and a method for using the same for rapidly identifying a facility where binding of an odor component had occurred among facilities used in a distribution route of a commodity. The odor detection kit includes at least two pieces of an odor adsorbent material, a package section that includes at least two storage sections and is configured to store the odor adsorbent material, and a sheet section. The odor detection kit is installed in a facility. At least one of the pieces of the odor adsorbent material is exposed to open space in the facility, recovered therefrom, and sealed and stored. At the time of testing, occurrence of odor emission in the facility is determined by comparing odor components adsorbed by each of the pieces of the odor adsorbent material.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a motor, a first battery, a smoothing condenser, a discharge circuit, a controller, and a collision detector. The controller allows the discharge circuit to perform high-speed discharge on at least a second condition out of a first condition and the second condition. The controller allows the discharge circuit to perform low-speed discharge on a third condition other than the first and the second conditions. The high-speed discharge includes discharging the charged charges of the smoothing condenser at a higher speed than a speed of the low-speed discharge. The first condition is a condition on which the controller senses the detection of the collision of the object by the collision detector. The second condition is a condition on which the controller senses an occurrence of abnormality that keeps the controller from sensing the detection of the collision of the object by the collision detector.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a motor, a first battery, a smoothing condenser, a discharge circuit, a controller, and a collision detector. The controller allows the discharge circuit to perform high-speed discharge on at least a second condition out of a first condition and the second condition. The controller allows the discharge circuit to perform low-speed discharge on a third condition other than the first and the second conditions. The high-speed discharge includes discharging the charged charges of the smoothing condenser at a higher speed than a speed of the low-speed discharge. The first condition is a condition on which the controller senses the detection of the collision of the object by the collision detector. The second condition is a condition on which the controller senses an occurrence of abnormality that keeps the controller from sensing the detection of the collision of the object by the collision detector.

Abstract: An odor adsorbent material, an odor detection kit, and a method for using the same for rapidly identifying a facility where binding of an odor component had occurred among facilities used in a distribution route of a commodity. The odor detection kit includes at least two pieces of an odor adsorbent material, a package section that includes at least two storage sections and is configured to store the odor adsorbent material, and a sheet section. The odor detection kit is installed in a facility. At least one of the pieces of the odor adsorbent material is exposed to open space in the facility, recovered therefrom, and sealed and stored. At the time of testing, occurrence of odor emission in the facility is determined by comparing odor components adsorbed by each of the pieces of the odor adsorbent material.

Abstract: An odor adsorbent material, an odor detection kit, and a method for using the same for rapidly identifying a facility where binding of an odor component had occurred among facilities used in a distribution route of a commodity. The odor detection kit includes at least two pieces of an odor adsorbent material, a package section that includes at least two storage sections and is configured to store the odor adsorbent material, and a sheet section. The odor detection kit is installed in a facility. At least one of the pieces of the odor adsorbent material is exposed to open space in the facility, recovered therefrom, and sealed and stored. At the time of testing, occurrence of odor emission in the facility is determined by comparing odor components adsorbed by each of the pieces of the odor adsorbent material.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery prepared from a carbon material obtained from inexpensive petroleum heavy oil, having a high capacity, and excelling in high-temperature cyclability, the carbon material, and a precursor for the carbon material can be provided. The precursor for the carbon material is obtained from certain petroleum heavy oil by holding the petroleum heavy oil under a pressure of 2.0 MPa or less at a temperature of 400-600° C. for three hours or more. The carbon material is treating the precursor with heat at 800-1,500° C. The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is obtained by using, as a negative electrode active material, a carbon material obtained by further oxidizing said carbon material at 200-1,000° C. in nitrogen, argon, or a mixture thereof containing an oxidizing gas, or in the atmospheric air.

Abstract: A method for deodorization of cork accomplished by applying steam volatilization to remove substances originating offensive odor in the cork is disclosed. The method has a first step of putting the cork into a container, a second step of supplying steam generated in a steam generator to the container, and a third step of discharging the steam along with the substance originating the offensive odor from the container. An apparatus for deodorization of cork by this method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for deodorization of cork accomplished by applying steam distillation to remove substances originating offensive odor in the cork is disclosed. The method comprises a first step of putting the cork into a container, a second step of supplying steam generated in a steam generator to the container, and a third step of discharging the steam along with the substance originating the offensive odor from the container. An apparatus for deodorization of cork by this method is also disclosed.