Abstract: A resin member fitting structure including a first resin member, which is a rectangular hollow tube, has at least one inner wall surface. A second resin member, which is a hollow or solid rectangular tube, has at least one outer wall surface fitted to the at least one inner wall surface of the first resin member. The inner wall surface of the first resin member and the outer wall surface of the second resin member come into contact with each other and define at least one set of fitting surfaces. The second resin member has a hygroscopic expansion coefficient that is smaller than that of the first resin member. The at least one fitting surface includes a plurality of recess-projection engagement structures spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction that intersects a longitudinal direction of the first and second resin members.

Abstract: A water-activated cell comprises an acidic medium including an acidic substance and having a first electrode disposed therein, a basic medium including a basic substance and having a second electrode disposed therein, which basic medium is disposed adjacent to or near the acidic medium, a first reaction substance including a first active material that causes an oxidation reaction at the first electrode, a second reaction substance including a second active material that causes a reduction reaction at the second electrode, and a water-injecting device for injecting water or an aqueous solution into an area where the acidic medium, the basic medium, the first reaction substance, and the second reaction substance exist together, so as to initiate a discharging reaction by the acidic substance, the basic substance, the first active material, and the second active material.

Abstract: A black color material includes a squarylium compound represented by the following formula (1); and a blue color material:

Abstract: The present invention provides a toner including a binder resin and metal particles containing Au, Ag, Cu, Pt, or an alloy thereof having a volume average particle diameter of from about 1 nm to about 300 nm, or an average maximum length of from about 10 nm to about 200 nm. The invention also provides a novel toner including metal particles which absorb light at plasmon frequencies.

Abstract: A vehicle control device has first and second transmission circuits that communicate by radio with a portable unit and also has a control section that, when the portable unit is confirmed to be correct, engages in a permission mode that permits the start of an engine. The first and second transmission circuits transmit first and second request signals from first and second transmission antennas to first and second communicatable areas respectively. When a back door is detected to be open, the control section does not permit the start of the engine even if an ID code signal is returned from the portable unit in response to the second request signal.

Abstract: A display medium includes: a first substrate having transparency and provided with a transparent electrode on one face thereof, a member having a plurality of penetration holes, the member being placed on a surface of the transparent electrode, the penetration holes penetrating the member from the transparent electrode surface side, the ratio of the length of each of the penetration holes to the largest hole diameter being two or more; a second substrate placed so as to face the transparent electrode side of the first substrate; an electrolytic solution containing a metal ion and placed so as to fill a space between the first and second substrates; and a counter electrode placed in a position so as to be insulated from the transparent electrode and in contact with the electrolytic solution.

Abstract: A secondary battery comprising a power generating part and a charging part, wherein the power generating part comprises an acidic medium in which a first electrode is disposed and a basic medium in which a second electrode is disposed; the acidic medium and the basic medium are disposed adjacent to each other; at least one of the acidic medium or the basic medium includes at least one reactive substance; and the charging part comprises a reactive substance regenerating device which regenerates the reactive substance from power-generation products produced by electric power generation in the power generating part.

Abstract: A colorant comprising an aggregate of a molecule having a squarylium skeleton and having a maximum absorption wavelength at about 500 nm to about 600 nm in a molecular dispersion state.

Abstract: A cell comprising an acidic medium, a first electrode which is disposed in the acidic medium, a basic medium which is kept in contact with the acidic medium, and a second electrode which is disposed in the basic medium, wherein the acidic medium contains a first substance which causes a reaction of removing electrons from the first electrode, accompanied by hydrogen ions contained therein, and the basic medium contains a second substance which causes a reaction of donating electrons to the second electrode, accompanied by hydroxide ions contained therein, and a method of power generation using the cell.

Abstract: A water-activated cell comprises an acidic medium including an acidic substance and having a first electrode disposed therein, a basic medium including a basic substance and having a second electrode disposed therein, which basic medium is disposed adjacent to or near the acidic medium, a first reaction substance including a first active material that causes an oxidation reaction at the first electrode, a second reaction substance including a second active material that causes a reduction reaction at the second electrode, and a water-injecting device for injecting water or an aqueous solution into an area where the acidic medium, the basic medium, the first reaction substance, and the second reaction substance exist together, so as to initiate a discharging reaction by the acidic substance, the basic substance, the first active material, and the second active material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sensor including an acidic medium; a first electrode disposed in the acidic medium; a basic medium adjacent to or close to the acidic medium; a second electrode disposed in the basic medium; and a detector for detecting one of voltage and current that is generated between the first and second electrodes by a first substance which causes a reaction of removing electrons from the first electrode with hydrogen ions contained in the acidic medium, and a second substance which causes a reaction of supplying electrons to the second electrode with hydroxide ions contained in the basic medium, and provides a method of detecting a substance using the sensor.

Abstract: A secondary battery comprising a power generating part and a charging part, wherein the power generating part comprises an acidic medium in which a first electrode is disposed and a basic medium in which a second electrode is disposed; the acidic medium and the basic medium are disposed adjacent to each other; at least one of the acidic medium or the basic medium includes at least one reactive substance; and the charging part comprises a reactive substance regenerating device which regenerates the reactive substance from power-generation products produced by electric power generation in the power generating part.

Abstract: A hollow graphene sheet structure has at least one pair of hollow graphene sheet materials disposed in a continuous form, in which the adjacent ends of the pair of hollow graphene sheet materials are opposed to each other with a gap.

Abstract: A method of producing with the collapsing process an optical fiber preform capable of forming an optical fiber in which an increment in transmission loss due to OH absorption is reduced, and an optical fiber preform and an optical fiber produced with the method. The method comprises reducing the amount of hydrogen atom-containing substances in a glass pipe, sealing one end of the glass pipe, and collapsing the glass pipe to obtain a solid body. One aspect of the method comprises heating the glass pipe at 550° C. or below, sealing one end of the glass pipe, and collapsing the glass pipe to obtain a solid body. The preform produced with the method has a feature in that its portion formed by the interface portion at the time of the collapsing contains OH groups at a concentration of 100 wt. ppb or below. The optical fiber produced by drawing the preform has a feature in that its OH-originated loss is less than 0.5 dB/km at a wavelength of 1.38 &mgr;m.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal display device in which the gap between its transparent substrates can be kept uniform irrespective of whether the temperature of the device is normal temperature or high temperature. The liquid crystal display device includes transparent substrates disposed in opposition to each other with a liquid crystal being interposed therebetween, and plural spacers secured to one of the transparent substrates so as to support the other transparent substrate. The plural spacers include first spacers and second spacers, and the first spacers are formed of a material whose elasticity is higher than that of the second spacers, and are larger in height than the second spacers.

Abstract: A hollow graphene sheet structure has at least one pair of hollow graphene sheet materials disposed in a continuous form, in which the adjacent ends of the pair of hollow graphene sheet materials are opposed to each other with a gap.

Abstract: There is disclosed a tap device for branching a part of transmission signals running through a transmission line to selectively transmit branched signals to subscriber terminal devices via tap output terminals, in which signal paths for leading the transmission signals to the tap output terminals can easily and securely be shielded. Substrates provided with various circuits and the like are successively fixed to a housing member provided with tap output terminals. The housing member is provided with partition walls for surrounding the signal paths to the tap output terminals from the first substrate and separating relays disposed on the substrate. A shield cover, which can separate wiring patterns for signal input to the relays and wiring patterns for signal output via the relays, is disposed between the first and the second substrates. The second substrate is fixed to the housing member via the shield cover.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device is capable of providing high-quality picture display by preventing luminance irregularity in a display screen due to the nonuniformity of a cell gap. The liquid crystal display device includes at least two or more kinds of color filters FIL formed over one of substrates, the color filters having different colors for displaying a color display, a black matrix interposed between each of the color filters, pixel-forming electrodes ITO2, an alignment control layer, a spacer SOC fixedly formed over at least one of the substrates with a height approximately equal to a desired gap between the substrates, and a bead interposed between the substrates and made of a resin material whose average grain size is slightly greater than the height of the spacer SOC.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal display device in which the gap between its transparent substrates can be kept uniform irrespective of whether the temperature of the device is normal temperature or high temperature. The liquid crystal display device includes transparent substrates disposed in opposition to each other with a liquid crystal being interposed therebetween, and plural spacers secured to one of the transparent substrates so as to support the other transparent substrate. The plural spacers include first spacers and second spacers, and the first spacers are formed of a material whose elasticity is higher than that of the second spacers, and are larger in height than the second spacers.

Abstract: A molded article comprising:(1) 70 to 99.5% by weight of a thermoplastic resin, and(2) 0.5 to 30% by weight of carbon fibers;wherein the carbon fiber comprises,(a) carbon fibers having a length of more than 1.5 mm being contained in an amount of 0.1 to 4.7% by weight,(b) carbon fibers having a length of 0.5 to 1.5 mm being contained in an amount of 0.2 to 10.7% by weight, and(c) carbon fibers having a length of less than 0.5 mm being contained in an amount of 0.2 to 14.6% by weight, wherein the weight % is based on the total amount of the thermoplastic resin and the carbon fibers.