Abstract: An electromagnetic relay has a mobile contact point attached to a contact member, a fixed contact point, a contact point spring that applies a biasing force on the contact member towards the fixed contact point, a guide that carries the contact member and said contact point spring, a coil that generates a pulling force when excited to move the guide and a returning spring that provides a biasing force for causing the guide to return. A mechanism is provided such that a load is generated on the contact member by the motion of the guide towards the fixed function against the returning spring immediately before the mobile contact point contacts the fixed contact point. This mechanism applies a contact point spring load of the contact point spring and the load as a contact pressure to the contact member for contacting the mobile contact point with the fixed contact point.

Abstract: An electromagnetic relay has a mobile contact point attached to a contact member, a fixed contact point, a contact point spring that applies a biasing force on the contact member towards the fixed contact point, a guide that carries the contact member and said contact point spring, a coil that generates a pulling force when excited to move the guide and a returning spring that provides a biasing force for causing the guide to return. A mechanism is provided such that a load is generated on the contact member by the motion of the guide towards the fixed function against the returning spring immediately before the mobile contact point contacts the fixed contact point. This mechanism applies a contact point spring load of the contact point spring and the load as a contact pressure to the contact member for contacting the mobile contact point with the fixed contact point.

Abstract: The photocatalyst according to the present invention which exhibits a high catalytic function in the visible-light range comprises an oxide composite having a heterojunction comprising a p-type oxide semiconductor and an n-type oxide semiconductor which have photocatalytic properties with each other and at least one of which has photocatalytic properties even in the visible-light range. The p-type oxide semiconductor having photocatalytic properties even in the visible-light range is exemplified by a perovskite-type oxide Ca(Zr0.95Y0.05)O3−&dgr;, and the n-type oxide semiconductor by an anatase-type titanium oxide.

Abstract: The photocatalyst according to the present invention which exhibits a high catalytic function in the visible-light range comprises an oxide composite having a junction formed by oxide semiconductors (I) and (II) which have photocatalytic properties with each other and whose energy levels of electrons at the bottom of the conduction band and energy levels of electrons at the top of the valence band in an energy band structure, based on the vacuum levels, differ from each other; at least one of the oxide semiconductors having photocatalytic properties even in the visible-light range. The oxide semiconductor (I) having photocatalytic properties even in the visible-light range is exemplified by a pyrochlore-related structural oxide Ce2Zr2O8.0, and the oxide semiconductor (II) by an anatase-type titanium oxide.