Abstract: A vacuum casting apparatus that performs casting through decompression of a cavity includes: an ejector pin for releasing a molding from a mold; a pinhole that is a hole in which the ejector pin is slidably arranged and that has a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion that is more distant from the cavity than the small diameter portion is and is larger in diameter than the small diameter portion; and a hollow portion that is provided under an end portion, on a side where the cavity is present, of the large diameter portion.

Abstract: A vacuum casting apparatus that performs casting through decompression of a cavity includes: an ejector pin for releasing a molding from a mold; a pinhole that is a hole in which the ejector pin is slidably arranged and that has a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion that is more distant from the cavity than the small diameter portion is and is larger in diameter than the small diameter portion; and a hollow portion that is provided under an end portion, on a side where the cavity is present, of the large diameter portion.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a lens barrel assembly includes forming a lens barrel by deep drawing into a cylindrical shape, forming a lens-retaining portion that retains a lens at one of two open sides of the lens barrel, and forming a component-receiving portion that receives an electric component at the other open side of the lens barrel. The lens-retaining portion has an outer diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the component-receiving portion and a wall thickness that is larger than a wall thickness of the component-receiving portion.

Abstract: A wireless communication system includes: a main antenna for radiating an electromagnetic wave to wireless IC chips; a reflecting plate for reflecting the electromagnetic wave from the main antenna to the wireless IC chips; and a control unit which supports the wireless IC chips. The control unit causes a difference between the receiving electromagnetic wave levels of a direct wave from the main antenna and a reflected wave from the reflecting plate received by the antenna of the wireless IC chip.

Abstract: A lens barrel assembly includes a cylindrical lens barrel obtained by deep drawing a metal sheet and a lens retained by the lens barrel. The lens barrel has a lens-retaining portion for retaining the lens at one of two open sides and a component-receiving portion for receiving an electric component at the other open side, the lens-retaining portion having an outer diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the component-receiving portion and a wall thickness that is larger than a wall thickness of the component-receiving portion.

Abstract: An optical member includes a body made of an optical material and formed in a square sectional shape, and a lens disposed on at least one end face of the body so that the distances from the lens center to each of the side faces of the body are all different. The optical member is incorporated in an optical communication module as a component for coupling light from a light-emitting device to the end face of an optical fiber.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical lens device includes the steps of forming a lens barrel into the shape of a quadrangular prism having corners that have a shape having a radius of curvature or that are chamfered, and installing a lens into the lens barrel; disposing in parallel a plurality of the lens barrels in which a plurality of the lenses are installed; masking the lens at one side face of each lens barrel disposed in parallel, and the vicinity of the lens; and depositing a gold layer by sputtering on the one side face of each masked lens barrel, including the corners.

Abstract: It is to provide a radio communication system capable of performing highly reliable reading/writing communication even though the RFID tags face in the random directions. The radio communication system comprises an RFID tag used for identification, a reader/writer for performing transmission and reception of information between the RFID tag by radio waves, and a plurality of reflecting plates in a space where a plurality of RFID tags are accumulated. The reflecting plates direct traveling direction of the radio wave irradiated from the reader/writer towards the RFID tags. A part of the radio waves irradiated from an antenna of the reader/writer is directed to travel three-dimensionally towards the space by the effect of the reflecting plates. Moreover, the radio waves traveling in the same direction among the reflected radio waves by the plurality of reflecting plates together allow attenuation caused due to distance to be reduced extremely.

Abstract: To perform communication between an antenna and an RFID tag securely. There are generated an interference area with an increased electric field level and an interference area with a decreased level, due to reflections at the upper and lower reflection plates. There are two reflective faces in each reflection plate, which are joined while being shifted from each other by 1/4 wavelength of the electromagnetic wave. Since the two reflective faces are being shifted, the interference area with a decreased electric field level moves on a production line according to a move of a dolly transporting the article. Thus, even if the RFID tag on the article passes through the interference area with a decreased electric field level in a first-half section, it comes to pass the point with recovered electric field level in a latter-half section. Therefore, the antenna can communicate with the RFID tag securely.

Abstract: An optical member includes a body made of an optical material and formed in a square sectional shape, and a lens disposed on at least one end face of the body so that the distances from the lens center to each of the side faces of the body are all different. The optical member is incorporated in an optical communication module as a component for coupling light from a light-emitting device to the end face of an optical fiber.

Abstract: A holder and optical element device includes a holder having a substantially cylindrical interior shape and an optical element fitted in the holder along an inner surface of the holder. The holder may have a step on the inner surface thereof. This step has a surface that is inclined downward and inward from the interior surface of the holder. The optical element may have a convex optical surface section on a surface thereof and a flat surface section around the optical surface section, the flat surface section being disposed on the downward-inclined surface. The optical element is disposed on the inner surface of the holder in such a manner that the step is in contact with the peripheral surface of the optical element.

Abstract: A plurality of electromagnetic wave areas is provided to form a data channel between a wireless IC chip and a main antenna. The plurality of electromagnetic wave areas is placed along a traveling direction of the wireless IC chip, and comprises an electromagnetic wave area at a first stage in which an electromagnetic wave is radiated from front of a traveling direction of the wireless IC chip, an electromagnetic wave area at a middle stage in which an electromagnetic wave is radiated in a direction intersecting with a traveling direction of the wireless IC chip, and an electromagnetic wave area at a last stage in which an electromagnetic wave is radiated from a rear of a traveling direction of the wireless IC chip.

Abstract: The wireless communication system comprises a main antenna for radiating electromagnetic waves towards the wireless IC chips; reflecting plates for forming detour paths of electromagnetic waves that are interfered with the managing targets to which the wireless IC chips are attached; and a posture control unit for controlling facing direction of the wireless IC chips with respect to the electromagnetic waves that travel the detour paths formed by the reflecting plates. The reflecting plates form the detour paths of the electromagnetic waves that are interfered with the managing targets to which the wireless IC chips are attached, so that the electromagnetic waves from the main antenna can reach the wireless IC chips through the detour paths.

Abstract: A wireless communication system includes: a main antenna for radiating an electromagnetic wave to wireless IC chips; a reflecting plate for reflecting the electromagnetic wave from the main antenna to the wireless IC chips; and a control unit which supports the wireless IC chips. The control unit causes a difference between the receiving electromagnetic wave levels of a direct wave from the main antenna and a reflected wave from the reflecting plate received by the antenna of the wireless IC chip.

Abstract: A wireless communication system includes: wireless IC chips used for identifying objects; a transceiver for transmitting and receiving information to/from the wireless IC chips by radio waves; and a radio wave direction unit for directing the traveling directions of the radio waves from the transceiver toward the wireless IC chips. The radio wave direction unit is arranged such that the radio wave reflecting surface can be developed to face a collection space where the wireless IC chips are collected. A part of the radio waves radiated from the transceiver travels stereoscopically toward the collection space S by an action of the radio wave reflecting surface.

Abstract: It is to provide a radio communication system capable of performing highly reliable reading/writing communication even though the RFID tags face in the random directions. The radio communication system comprises an RFID tag used for identification, a reader/writer for performing transmission and reception of information between the RFID tag by radio waves, and a plurality of reflecting plates in a space where a plurality of RFID tags are accumulated. The reflecting plates direct traveling direction of the radio wave irradiated from the reader/writer towards the RFID tags. A part of the radio waves irradiated from an antenna of the reader/writer is directed to travel three-dimensionally towards the space by the effect of the reflecting plates. Moreover, the radio waves traveling in the same direction among the reflected radio waves by the plurality of reflecting plates together allow attenuation caused due to distance to be reduced extremely.

Abstract: A holder and optical element device includes a holder having a substantially cylindrical interior shape and an optical element fitted in the holder along an inner surface of the holder. The holder may have a step on the inner surface thereof. This step has a surface that is inclined downward and inward from the interior surface of the holder. The optical element may have a convex optical surface section on a surface thereof and a flat surface section around the optical surface section, the flat surface section being disposed on the downward-inclined surface. The optical element is disposed on the inner surface of the holder in such a manner that the step is in contact with the peripheral surface, of the optical element.

Abstract: Methods for controlling and storing data in a cache buffer in a storage apparatus having a nonvolatile memory medium are disclosed. Memory cells are logically divided into a plurality of pages. An open status is registered in a counter for each page that has at least some (and usually all) memory cells available to store new data. A full status is registered in the counter for each page that does not have memory cells that are available to store new data. New data is stored in pages having the open status in the counter. The pages can be weighted according to the read command rate and prioritized for reading and writing purposes.

Abstract: A holder and optical element device includes a holder having a substantially cylindrical interior shape and an optical element fitted in the holder along an inner surface of the holder. The holder may have a step on the inner surface thereof. This step has a surface that is inclined downward and inward from the interior surface of the holder. The optical element may have a convex optical surface section on a surface thereof and a flat surface section around the optical surface section, the flat surface section being disposed on the downward-inclined surface. The optical element is disposed on the inner surface of the holder in such a manner that the step is in contact with the peripheral surface of the optical element.

Abstract: An optical element includes a lens holder, and an optical lens integrally held by an inner wall portion of the lens holder and having a lens optical surface at an opening in the lens holder in the direction of the optical axis of the optical lens. A projecting portion is formed in the inner wall portion of the lens holder and adjacent to the opening. An outer peripheral edge surface of the lens optical surface is placed under the projecting portion and is pressed in contact with the projecting portion over the entire periphery.