Abstract: Provided is a functional unit for a bathroom that includes a functional component for a bathroom, separated from a water faucet device and fixed to a bathroom wall part; and a reforming unit that is formed integrally with the functional component for a bathroom and that includes a cartridge capable of reforming raw water flowing through a water supply passage from the water faucet device to a water discharge device. The reforming unit includes a casing that houses the cartridge, and the casing is detachably connected to the functional component.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, a toilet device includes: a washing unit washing a surface of a bowl in a toilet bowl; a water supplying unit supplying washing water to the washing unit; a silicic acid polymerization inhibiting unit adding inhibitor for silicic acid polymerization to the washing water left on the surface of the bowl after the washing of the bowl, the inhibitor inhibiting polymerization of silicic acid component in the washing water left on the surface of the bowl; and a control portion executing a control starting an operation of the silicic acid polymerization inhibiting unit before the surface of the bowl is evaporated.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sanitary ware having a photocatalyst layer which has excellent durability even in an environment where the photocatalyst layer is exposed to an acid and an alkali alternately. The sanitary ware comprises a glaze layer, an intermediate layer provided on the glaze layer, and a photocatalyst layer provided on the intermediate layer, wherein the photocatalyst layer comprises titanium oxide in the amount of 95 mass % to 75 mass % and zirconium oxide in the amount of 5 mass % to 25 mass % and the intermediate layer comprises silica in the amount of 98 mass % to 85 mass %, and titanium oxide and/or zirconium oxide in the amount of 2 mass % to 15 mass %.

Abstract: Disclosed is a photocatalyst member including a glaze layer and a photocatalyst layer provided on the glaze layer, the photocatalyst layer is good in layer strength, water resistance, or abrasion resistance. More specifically, the photocatalyst member includes a base having a glaze layer and a photocatalyst layer that is provided on the glaze layer and contains titanium oxide and zirconium titanate, wherein the content of zirconium titanate in the photocatalyst layer is 15 to 75% by mass based on the total content of titanium oxide and zirconium titanate, and the content of zirconium titanate in an area from around an interface between the photocatalyst layer and the base to an median line in the thickness of the photocatalyst layer is larger than the content of zirconium titanate in an area near the external surface of the photocatalyst layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sanitary ware having a photocatalyst layer which has excellent durability even in an environment where the photocatalyst layer is exposed to an acid and an alkali alternately. The sanitary ware comprises a glaze layer, an intermediate layer provided on the glaze layer, and a photocatalyst layer provided on the intermediate layer, wherein the photocatalyst layer comprises titanium oxide in the amount of 95 mass % to 75 mass % and zirconium oxide in the amount of 5 mass % to 25 mass % and the intermediate layer comprises silica in the amount of 98 mass % to 85 mass %, and titanium oxide and/or zirconium oxide in the amount of 2 mass % to 15 mass %.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing a sanitary ware. The sanitary ware includes a glaze layer and a photocatalyst layer provided on the glaze layer. The photocatalyst layer is an oxide film including a co-fired product of a precursor of titanium oxide and a precursor of zirconium oxide and contains 65 to 85% by mass of titanium oxide and 15 to 35% by mass of zirconium oxide. The process includes the steps of applying a solution containing at least a precursor of titanium oxide and a precursor of zirconium oxide on a surface of a sanitary ware free from a photocalyst layer, and then firing the coating to form a photocatalyst layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a photocatalyst member including a glaze layer and a photoctalyst layer provided on the glaze layer, the photocatalyst layer is good in layer strength, water resistance, or abrasion resistance. More specifically, the photocatalyst member includes a base having a glaze layer and a photocatalyst layer that is provided on the glaze layer and contains titanium oxide and zirconium titanate, wherein the content of zirconium titanate in the photocatalyst layer is 15 to 75% by mass based on the total content of titanium oxide and zirconium titanate, and the content of zirconium titanate in an area from around an interface between the photocatalyst layer and the base to an median line in the thickness of the photocatalyst layer is larger than the content of zirconium titanate in an area near the external surface of the photocatalyst layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sanitary ware including a photocatalyst layer that has a high level of water resistance and abrasion resistance while maintaining a good photocatalytic activity. The sanitary ware includes a glaze layer and a photocatalyst layer provided on the glaze layer. The photocatalyst layer is an oxide film that is a co-fired product of a precursor of titanium oxide and a precursor of zirconium oxide and contains 65 to 90% by mass of titanium oxide and 10 to 35% by mass of zirconium oxide.

Abstract: An Au plated film 12 is formed on the surface of a plate-formed metal base 13 composed of a metal less noble than Au, and the product is cut along a planned cutting line 18 reflecting a contour of a desired component, to thereby form a separator 10. Thus-formed separator 10 has the Au plated film 12 formed on the main surface 10a thereof, and has a cutting plane 16 formed as an end face 16 stretched up to the main surface 10a. The metal base 13 exposes in a part of the cutting plane 16, in a width of the exposed region of 1 mm or less. This is successful in providing a metal component for fuel cell which is satisfactory in the corrosion resistance and allows easy fabrication at low costs, a method of manufacturing the same, and also in providing a fuel cell having thus-fabricated metal component for fuel cell.

Abstract: An Au plated film 12 is formed on the surface of a plate-formed metal base 13 composed of a metal less noble than Au, and the product is cut along a planned cutting line 18 reflecting a contour of a desired component, to thereby form a separator 10. Thus-formed separator 10 has the Au plated film 12 formed on the main surface 10a thereof, and has a cutting plane 16 formed as an end face 16 stretched up to the main surface 10a. The metal base 13 exposes in a part of the cutting plane 16, in a width of the exposed region of 1 mm or less. This is successful in providing a metal component for fuel cell which is satisfactory in the corrosion resistance and allows easy fabrication at low costs, a method of manufacturing the same, and also in providing a fuel cell having thus-fabricated metal component for fuel cell.

Abstract: An Au plated film 12 is formed on the surface of a plate-formed metal base 13 composed of a metal less noble than Au, and the product is cut along a planned cutting line 18 reflecting a contour of a desired component, to thereby form a separator 10. Thus-formed separator 10 has the Au plated film 12 formed on the main surface 10a thereof, and has a cutting plane 16 formed as an end face 16 stretched up to the main surface 10a. The metal base 13 exposes in a part of the cutting plane 16, in a width of the exposed region of 1 mm or less. This is successful in providing a metal component for fuel cell which is satisfactory in the corrosion resistance and allows easy fabrication at low costs, a method of manufacturing the same, and also in providing a fuel cell having thus-fabricated metal component for fuel cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides a metallic bipolar plate for fuel cells, including: a pair of metallic plates for fuel cells each including a substrate which contains a stainless steel, an Fe—Ni based alloy or an Ni-base alloy, has a front surface and a back surface, and has a plurality of channels of a reaction gas formed on the front surface; and a brazed portion joining the back surfaces of the substrates in such a way that the pair of metallic plates are made to face each other, wherein, in the pair of metallic plates, a thin layer of a noble metal is coated on an entirety of the front surface of each of the substrates or on at least a part of a convex portion between the plurality of channels of a reaction gas on the front surface of each of the substrates, and another thin layer of a noble metal having a thickness of from 0.

Abstract: A titanium dioxide composite having a molecular recognition capacity is obtained by modifying the surface of a fine titanium dioxide particle with a hydrophilic polymer in such a manner that titanium dioxide is bonded via an ester bond to a carboxyl group of the hydrophilic polymer and immobilizing a molecule having an ability to specifically bind to a target molecule to the carboxyl residue of the hydrophilic polymer. Due to the molecule distinguishability, this titanium dioxide complex can bind specifically to an endocrine disrupting chemical, a pathogenic factor, a cancer cell and the like and decompose the same by a photocatalytic function.

Abstract: Surface-modified titanium dioxide particles which have a surface chemically modified with a hydrophilic polymer, wherein a carboxyl group of the hydrophilic polymer and titanium dioxide are bound through an ester bonding; and a method for producing the surface-modified titanium dioxide fine particles, which comprises mixing a dispersion comprising titanium dioxide fine particles having a particle size of 2 to 200 nm and a solution of a water-soluble polymer, heating the resultant mixture to a temperature of 80 to 220° C., to thereby bind both the components through an ester bonding, and removing an unbound water-soluble polymer, to purify the resuultant particles. The surface-modified titanium dioxide fine particles exhibit excellent dispersibility and stability in an aqueous solvent over a wide pH region including a neutral range.

Abstract: An Au plated film 12 is formed on the surface of a plate-formed metal base 13 composed of a metal less noble than Au, and the product is cut along a planned cutting line 18 reflecting a contour of a desired component, to thereby form a separator 10. Thus-formed separator 10 has the Au plated film 12 formed on the main surface 10a thereof, and has a cutting plane 16 formed as an end face 16 stretched up to the main surface 10a. The metal base 13 exposes in a part of the cutting plane 16, in a width of the exposed region of 1 mm or less. This is successful in providing a metal component for fuel cell which is satisfactory in the corrosion resistance and allows easy fabrication at low costs, a method of manufacturing the same, and also in providing a fuel cell having thus-fabricated metal component for fuel cell.

Abstract: A data processing system according to the invention comprises a system controller and a plurality of ECRs connected to the system controller. Each ECR has a keyboard for inputting sales data per slip number (kind). The ECR obtains the subtotal per kind of the input sales data. The subtotal is transmitted to the system controller. The controller receives the subtotal data per slip number which is transmitted from the ECR and stores the subtotal data per slip number. When an additional registration is performed, the ECR receives the subtotal data regarding the slip number from the system controller and adds the additionally registered sales data to this subtotal data. The controller stores this newly obtained data as the subtotal data regarding the slip number. When the subtotal data is transmitted to the ECR and the process regarding this subtotal data is being executed in the ECR, the system controller doesn't transmit this subtotal data to the other ECR until the process ends in the ECR.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of making ceramic articles which comprises the steps of shaping ceramic powder with the aid of an organic binder and firing the resulting shaped body, characterized in that a mixture of (A) 90 to 10% by weight of an isobutylene polymer and (B) 10 to 90% by weight of an acrylic polymer is used as the organic binder in an amount of 0.2 to 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the ceramic powder. The use of the aforesaid organic binder makes it possible to produce shaped bodies having high green strength and, moreover, dense fired products.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of making ceramic articles which comprises the steps of shaping a composition for the manufacture of ceramics and firing the resulting shaped body, characterized in that the composition for the manufacture of ceramics contains (a) ceramic powder; (b) an organic binder comprising one or more member selected from the group consisting of homopolymers and copolymers derived from (1) bicyclo[2.2.1]heptene-2 and its derivatives, which are respresented by the formula ##STR1## where R.sup.1 is --H, --CH.sub.3, --CO.sub.2 CH.sub.3 or --OCOCH.sub.3, R.sup.2 is --H or --OCOCH.sub.3, and R.sup.1 is --OCOCH.sub.3 when R.sup.2 is --OCOCH.sub.3, and (2) dicyclopentadiene; and (c) a plasticizer and/or (d) a hydrocarbon solvent. This method makes it possible to produce green sheets having excellent flexibility and high tensile strength, dry-pressed bodies having high green strength, and dense fired products.

Abstract: A pressure is applied by pressure means to a blood vessel from the outside, and gradually reduced, and the pressure resulting from movement of the blood pressure during the pressure reduction is converted by a pressure sensor into an electric signal. The converted output is differentiated twice, and it is detected that a first-polarity pulse, a second-polarity pulse and another first-polarity pulse are generated successively in the differentiated output waveform within a predetermined period of time. The highest blood pressure is obtained with the pressure of the pressure means at the moment of first detection of three such pulses, and the lowest blood pressure is obtained with the pressure of the pressure means when the above detection is no longer achieved. The measured values are recorded in a digital form and, at the same time, the converted output waveform is recorded.