Abstract: A fuel cell system including a fuel supply control mechanism, which is disposed between the fuel tank and the fuel cell, capable of interrupting the supply of the fuel; and a temperature sensor provided to a circuit connecting the fuel supply control mechanism to the fuel cell for changing a resistance according to at least one of a temperature of the power generation of the fuel cell and a temperature of an electronic device supplied with electric power from the fuel cell. The fuel supply control mechanism is operated by a change in the resistance of the temperature sensor so that the supply of the fuel is interrupted. The system enables more reliably the interruption of a supply of fuel by a passive structure in a control when a temperature of a power generation portion of the fuel cell exceeds an allowable range.

Abstract: The fuel cell cartridge including: an external casing; a fuel cell body (stack), which is accommodated in the external casing and which includes at least a fuel electrode, an oxidizer electrode, and an ion conductor; and a fuel tank for storing a fuel, wherein the external casing has a penetration hole, which penetrates an inner portion of the external casing and which is in communication with outside air, and wherein an inner wall of the penetration hole is provided with at least an opening communicating with the oxidizer electrode. The fuel cell cartridge is detachably attached to an electric apparatus, and an inlet of the penetration hole of the fuel cell cartridge is situated at a position corresponding to an outside-air communicating port, which is provided in the electric apparatus and which is in communication with outside air.

Abstract: There is provided a method for stopping power generation of fuel cell system including: a fuel cell having a fuel electrode and an oxidizer electrode; a fuel container; and a fuel flow path for supplying a fuel from the fuel container to the fuel cell, which enables suppression of a pressure difference between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode during a stop state of an operation of the fuel cell, the method including the steps of, during the stop state of the operation of the fuel cell: stopping supply of the fuel from the fuel container to the fuel cell; consuming a residual fuel in the fuel flow path by short-circuiting the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode or connecting a load between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode; and opening the fuel flow path to the atmosphere.

Abstract: The fuel cell cartridge including: an external casing; a fuel cell body (stack), which is accommodated in the external casing and which includes at least a fuel electrode, an oxidizer electrode, and an ion conductor; and a fuel tank for storing a fuel, wherein the external casing has a penetration hole, which penetrates an inner portion of the external casing and which is in communication with outside air, and wherein an inner wall of the penetration hole is provided with at least an opening communicating with the oxidizer electrode. The fuel cell cartridge is detachably attached to an electric apparatus, and an inlet of the penetration hole of the fuel cell cartridge is situated at a position corresponding to an outside-air communicating port, which is provided in the electric apparatus and which is in communication with outside air.

Abstract: The fuel cell cartridge including: an external casing; a fuel cell body (stack), which is accommodated in the external casing and which includes at least a fuel electrode, an oxidizer electrode, and an ion conductor; and a fuel tank for storing a fuel, wherein the external casing has a penetration hole, which penetrates an inner portion of the external casing and which is in communication with outside air, and wherein an inner wall of the penetration hole is provided with at least an opening communicating with the oxidizer electrode. The fuel cell cartridge is detachably attached to an electric apparatus, and an inlet of the penetration hole of the fuel cell cartridge is situated at a position corresponding to an outside-air communicating port, which is provided in the electric apparatus and which is in communication with outside air.

Abstract: A recording apparatus, which operates by using a fuel cell as a power source, for performing recording with a printing material, includes a printing material storing portion for storing the printing material; a fuel tank for storing a fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell; a power generation portion of the fuel cell, for outputting electric power generated by the fuel supplied from the fuel tank to the recording apparatus; a heating portion for consuming the fuel from the fuel tank; and a control portion for performing control so that an excess amount of the fuel can be supplied to the heating portion such that when the printing material in the printing material storing portion is exhausted, the fuel in the fuel tank is also exhausted.

Abstract: A process for producing a pigment complex including the steps of dissolving a pigment in a supercritical state or subcritical state fluid and contacting the fluid containing the dissolved pigment with a polymer-containing solution.

Abstract: The hydrogen gas supply device capable of detecting that the hydrogen gas storage volume of a tank has decreased to a predetermined value or less including a plurality of tanks each filled with a hydrogen storage alloy, an information obtaining device for obtaining information on the physical quantity of the plurality of tanks different from each other in hydrogen storage volume, and a signal outputting device for outputting information signal on the remaining amount of the hydrogen gas in the tanks by determining a hydrogen gas storage status of the plurality of tanks from information on the physical quantity, and detecting the decrease of the remaining amount of the hydrogen gas in all tanks in use to a predetermined value or less from the hydrogen gas storage status of the plurality of tanks.

Abstract: A method for producing a pigment dispersion, including the steps of: preparing a fluid in a supercritical or subcritical state in which a pigment is dissolved; and introducing into a microreactor the fluid in a supercritical or subcritical state in which the pigment is dissolved and a solution containing a dispersant for dispersing the pigment in a dispersing medium, precipitating the pigment in the microreactor, and dispersing the precipitated pigment in the dispersing medium using the dispersant.

Abstract: The hydrogen gas supply device capable of detecting that the hydrogen gas storage volume of a tank has decreased to a predetermined value or less including a plurality of tanks each filled with a hydrogen storage alloy, an information obtaining device for obtaining information on the physical quantity of the plurality of tanks different from each other in hydrogen storage volume, and a signal outputting device for outputting information signal on the remaining amount of the hydrogen gas in the tanks by determining a hydrogen gas storage status of the plurality of tanks from information on the physical quantity, and detecting the decrease of the remaining amount of the hydrogen gas in all tanks in use to a predetermined value or less from the hydrogen gas storage status of the plurality of tanks.

Abstract: There is provided a method for stopping power generation of fuel cell system including: a fuel cell having a fuel electrode and an oxidizer electrode; a fuel container; and a fuel flow path for supplying a fuel from the fuel container to the fuel cell, which enables suppression of a pressure difference between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode during a stop state of an operation of the fuel cell, the method including the steps of, during the stop state of the operation of the fuel cell: stopping supply of the fuel from the fuel container to the fuel cell; consuming a residual fuel in the fuel flow path by short-circuiting the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode or connecting a load between the fuel electrode and the oxidizer electrode; and opening the fuel flow path to the atmosphere.

Abstract: There is provided an inflammable substance sensor which can be installed in a small space and a fuel cell including the same. The inflammable substance sensor for informing the outside of detection of an inflammable substance includes an odorant releasing member for releasing an odorant due to a chemical reaction of the inflammable substance.

Abstract: An alkaline fuel cell, which can humidify an oxidizer depending on the temperature of a power generation part and which is small in size and is produced at a low cost. The alkaline fuel cell includes a power generation part having an anion exchange membrane disposed between a fuel electrode to which a fuel solution containing a fuel component and a water component is supplied and an oxidizer electrode to which an oxidizer is supplied, and a heating/humidifying part for heating and humidifying the oxidizer to be supplied to the oxidizer electrode. The heating/humidifying part has a water-permeable membrane for separating the oxidizer and the fuel solution such that heat and a water component of the fuel solution are transportable to the oxidizer through the water-permeable membrane.

Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell system including a fuel supply control mechanism which is disposed between the fuel tank and the fuel cell and capable of interrupting the supply of the fuel; and a temperature sensor provided to a circuit connecting the fuel supply control mechanism to the fuel cell, for changing a resistance value according to at least one of a temperature of the power generation of the fuel cell and a temperature of an electronic device supplied with electric power from the fuel cell, in which the fuel supply control mechanism is operated by a change in the resistance value of the temperature sensor so that the supply of the fuel is interrupted. The system enables more reliably interrupting a supply of a fuel by a passive structure in a control when a temperature of a power generation portion of a fuel cell exceeds an allowable range.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus, which operates by using a fuel cell as a power source, for performing recording by a printing material, including: a printing material storing portion for storing the printing material; a fuel tank for storing a fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell; a power generation portion of the fuel cell, for outputting electric power generated by the fuel supplied from the fuel tank to the recording apparatus; a heating portion for consuming the fuel from the fuel tank; and a control portion for performing control so that an excess amount of the fuel can be supplied to the heating portion such that when the printing material in the printing material storing portion is exhausted, the fuel in the fuel tank is also exhausted.

Abstract: This invention provides an information output apparatus which outputs tactile information or the like corresponding to the surface state of an object as three-dimensional information together with image information, and allows the user to easily discriminate the surface material or the like of an image object in the image information. A hybrid display unit of the information display apparatus of this invention has a structure formed by overlaying, e.g., a display panel used to display an image, and an unevenness output element group used to output the unevenness level of that image, and voltage values to be applied to respective unevenness output elements of the unevenness output element group are determined on the basis of, e.g., unevenness information stored in a memory. Therefore, material differences (smooth or rough touch) of images displayed on the display panel can be felt by touching unevenness output by the unevenness output elements.

Abstract: A method for producing a pigment dispersion, including the steps of: preparing a fluid in a supercritical or subcritical state in which a pigment is dissolved; and introducing into a microreactor the fluid in a supercritical or subcritical state in which the pigment is dissolved and a solution containing a dispersant for dispersing the pigment in a dispersing medium, precipitating the pigment in the microreactor, and dispersing the precipitated pigment in the dispersing medium using the dispersant.

Abstract: A process for producing a pigment complex including the steps of dissolving a pigment in a supercritical state or subcritical state fluid and contacting the fluid containing the dissolved pigment with a polymer-containing solution.

Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell, including: a fuel receiving portion for receiving a fuel; a reaction portion for carrying out an electricity generation reaction using the fuel; and a waste water receiving portion for receiving water as a by-product of the electricity generation reaction, in which at least part of the waste water receiving portion has a confirmation window constructed of a transparent member. The fuel cell of the present invention allows detection of a remaining volume of a fuel at a high level of visibility without providing special detection means.

Abstract: The fuel cell cartridge of the present invention is a fuel cell cartridge including: an external casing; a fuel cell body (stack) which is accommodated in the external casing and which includes at least a fuel electrode, an oxidizer electrode, and an ion conductor; and a fuel tank for storing a fuel, wherein the external casing has a penetration hole which penetrates an inner portion of the external casing and which is in communication with outside air, and wherein an inner wall of the penetration hole is provided with at least an opening communicating with the oxidizer electrode. The fuel cell cartridge is detachably attached to an electric apparatus, and an inlet of the penetration hole of the fuel cell cartridge is situated at a position corresponding to an outside-air communicating port which is provided in the electric apparatus and which is in communication with outside air.