Abstract: Provided is a movable IV stand that allows a patient to walk safely and easily and that also provides a patient in a wheelchair with the possibility of coupling the stand to the wheelchair in a safe, reliable, speedy and flexible manner. For the ease of walking, the base of the movable IV stand has a plan-view shape which is open on the proximal side and a plurality of movable casters are attached to the bottom face thereof. For allowing the coupling to a wheelchair, a joint metal unit is provided to be height-adjustable to a lower portion of a fixed support post or the base of the movable IV stand, thus allowing flexible and movable coupling to the footrest of the wheelchair.

Abstract: A chair is provided which comprises a support, a seat arranged above the support, and a seat back tiltably connected to the support behind the seat. The seat back has an upper back supporting portion and a lower waist supporting portion. The chair further comprises a mechanism for deforming the waist supporting portion forward until the seat back tilts rearward to a predetermined intermediate tilt angle but for retarding or stopping such forward deformation when the seat back tilts rearward beyond this intermediate tilt angle. The seat may be made to move rearward as the seat back tilts rearward.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tilting control assembly for a chair. The chair comprises a support device, a seat supported above the support device, and a seat back arranged behind the seat to tilt rearwardly. The tilting control assembly comprises a tilting control spring device for elastically supporting the seat back against rearward tilting thereof via a load applying member, a displacing mechanism responsive to a downward load applied to the seat for causing the load applying member to move relative to the spring device, and a lock device for preventing the load applying member from moving reversely relative to the spring device when the seat back is rearwardly tilted.

Abstract: The present invention provides a chair tilting control assembly which comprises a fixed frame mounted on a chair leg post, a tiltable member supported by the fixed frame to tilt downward about a lateral support shaft, and a chair seat movable downward under the weight of a sitter. The tilting control assembly comprises at least one tilting control spring for elastically supporting the tiltable member at a certain support position relative thereto, and a motion converting mechanism which converts downward movement of the seat into displacement of the support position rearwardly away from the lateral support shaft.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tilting control assembly for a chair which comprises a support mechanism mounted on a chair leg post, a chair seat carried by the support mechanism, and a chair back arranged behind the seat. At least one of the seat and the back constitutes a tiltable member. The tilting control assembly comprises at least one tilting control spring for elastically supporting the tiltable member via at least one contact member, and an adjusting mechanism which is automatically responsive to the weight applied to the seat for causing relative displacement between the tilting control spring and the contact member in a manner such that the spring constant of the tilting control spring increases as the applied weight increases.

Abstract: An automatic code reading device, which is adaptable to use in object storage and retrieval apparatus, can read out the code mark affixed on an axial end surface of an object having a circular section. The device includes a housing defining a chamber in which the object should be loaded. In the housing, a read head unit for reading out the code mark and a holder for holding the drawn object are mounted. The read head unit or the holder is rotated by motor drive to scan the code mark affixed on the drawn object by the read head unit. The rotational angular extent is controlled (360.degree.+.alpha..degree.), where .alpha..degree. is at least an angular extent over which the code mark extends.The reading device is provided with a pick-up device for drawing object into the chamber and pushing out the object therefrom.

Abstract: An automatic code reading device, which is adaptable to use in object storage and retrieval apparatus, can read out the code mark affixed on an axial end surface of an object having a circular section. The device includes a housing defining a chamber in which the object should be loaded. In the housing, a read head unit for reading out the code mark and a holder for holding the drawn object are mounted. The read head unit or the holder is rotated by motor drive to scan the code mark affixed on the drawn object by the read head unit. The rotational angular extent is controlled (360.degree.+.alpha..degree.), where .alpha..degree. is at least an angular extent over which the code mark extends.The reading device is provided with a pick-up device for drawing object into the chamber and pushing out the object therefrom.