Abstract: A printer including a recording head, a flushing box and a movement mechanism is disclosed. The recording head has a nozzle-forming surface in which nozzle openings are defined and ejects a liquid through the nozzle openings. The flushing box has an opening corresponding to the nozzle openings and is capable of receiving the liquid ejected from the nozzle opening as a waste liquid. The movement mechanism moves the flushing box between a receiving position at which the flushing box is capable of receiving the waste liquid and a non-receiving position at which the flushing box is incapable of receiving the waste liquid. The receiving position is a position at which the opening is closely opposed to the nozzle-forming surface, and the non-receiving position is spaced from the receiving position.

Abstract: A battery pack 1 of the present invention includes: a plurality of lithium ion secondary batteries 10 electrically connected together in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel combination; a tray 11; and a housing 12. The lithium ion secondary batteries 10 each include an electrode assembly containing an alloy-based negative electrode active material serving as a negative electrode active material, and each have a sealed surface 10a. The lithium ion secondary battery 10 is mounted on the tray. The housing 12 accommodates the tray 11 with the lithium ion secondary battery 10 mounted thereon. Even if high-temperature contents are produced in the interior of the lithium ion secondary battery 10 in the event of internal short circuiting or overcharging, this configuration prevents the high-temperature contents from leaking out of the batter pack 1, and thus improves the safety of the battery pack 1.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head having a nozzle formation surface with a nozzle that discharges a liquid. A cleaning member wipes the nozzle formation surface to remove liquid that has adhered thereto. An absorption member of a porous material deforms under pressure and includes an absorption surface that contacts the cleaning member to absorb liquid that has adhered thereto. A pressure member moves between a pressure position, in which the pressure member applies pressure to the absorption surface of the absorption member, and a non-pressure position, in which the pressure member does not apply pressure to the absorption surface. A movement mechanism moves the pressure member from the non-pressure position to the pressure position to cause the absorption member to deform, thereby dispersing the liquid absorbed by the absorption member from the cleaning member via the absorption surface into the interior of the absorption member.

Abstract: A drive force transmission device that causes a plurality of driven members to operate in different operational areas for different operational purposes includes a lead screw and at least one movable member. The lead screw has a threaded portion formed on an outer circumferential surface of the lead screw. The lead screw is rotated about the axis of the lead screw when a drive force is generated. The at least one movable member has an engagement portion that is arranged to engage with the threaded portion of the lead screw. The movable member is moved along the axial direction of the lead screw through the engagement portion guided by the threaded portion when the lead screw rotates. While moving, the movable member associates with the driven members in a state in which the drive force is transmissible from the lead screw to the driven members and operates each of the driven members by the drive force.

Abstract: An electrode for a lithium secondary battery 100 includes a current collector 11 having a plurality of bumps 12 on a surface thereof and an active material layer 15 including an active material member 14 formed on each of the plurality of bumps 12. The plurality of bumps 12 are regularly arrayed at an interval from one another on the surface of the current collector 11; a growth direction S of the active material members 14 is tilted with respect to the normal direction D of the current collector 11; voids 16 are formed between adjoining active material members 14; a proportion which the voids 16 account for in the active material layer 14 along any arbitrary direction is 5% or more on a plane which is parallel to the surface of the current collector 11; and tensile strength of the current collector 11 per 1 ?m of height of the active material members 14 is no less than 0.3 N/mm and no more than 1 N/mm.

Abstract: A wiper device wipes a nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head along a wiping direction. The nozzle surface has a plurality of nozzle openings for ejecting liquid and step. The steps are located outside of the area in which the nozzle openings are provided and extend along the wiping direction. The wiper device includes a wiper member that wipes the nozzle surface along the wiping direction. The wiper member has a first portion corresponding to the steps and a second portion corresponding to the area in which the nozzle openings are arranged. Wiping force for wiping the nozzle surface of the first portion is greater than that of the second portion.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, which reversibly inserts/extracts lithium ions includes a current collector (11) in which a concave portion (12) and a convex portion (13) are formed at least one surface thereof; and a columnar body (15) which is formed by laminating n (n?2) stages of columnar body portions which are obliquely erected on the convex portion (13) of the current collector (11) and in which a content ratio of elements sequentially vary in a longitudinal direction of the current collector (11), and has a configuration in which variation directions of content ratios of elements of odd-numbered stages of columnar body portions and even-numbered stages of columnar body portions are different from each other. At least three surfaces (13a, 13b, 13c) of the convex portion (13) in a section of the longitudinal direction are covered by the columnar body portions.

Abstract: A negative electrode for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery capable of reversible occlusion and release of lithium ions, comprising current collector (11) provided on at least one major surface thereof with depressed portion (12) and protrudent portion (13) and, superimposed on the protrudent portion (13) of the current collector (11), columnar body (15) composed of a laminate of n (n?2) layers of columnar body portions (16a,16b,16c) containing elements whose content ratio sequentially changes in the longitudinal direction of the current collector (11), wherein odd-numbered layers and even-numbered layers of the columnar body portions (16a,16b,16c) are different from each other in the direction of change of element content ratio.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus including a liquid ejection head, a liquid receiver, a liquid receiver movement mechanism, and a lid body is provided. The liquid ejection head has a nozzle surface. The nozzle surface includes a nozzle opening. The liquid ejection head ejects a liquid from the nozzle surface. The liquid receiver has an opening provided in correspondence with the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head. The liquid receiver is capable of receiving the liquid ejected as a waste liquid from the nozzle opening of the liquid ejection head through the opening of the liquid receiver. The liquid receiver movement mechanism moves the liquid receiver between a receiving position at which the opening of the liquid receiver opposes the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head and a non-receiving position spaced from the receiving position. The lid body is arranged at the non-receiving position.

Abstract: A proton conductor comprises a base material, an acidic substance and a basic substance, wherein the acidic substance has protons; at least part of the protons are dissociated by the basic substance; and at least one of the acidic and basic substances is immobilized on a surface of the base material. At least part of the acidic substance and/or at least part of the basic substance may be a polymer. A powder or a porous body having pores or through-holes can be used as the base material. An organic compound having a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part in the molecule can be used as the at least one of the acidic and basic substances.

Abstract: A positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode including an alloy-type negative electrode active material are stacked in this order, to form an electrode unit. Such electrode units are stacked with a separator interposed between each pair of the electrode units, to form a stacked electrode assembly. The stacked electrode assembly is fabricated, and the stacked electrode assembly is pressed during an initial charge and an initial discharge. As a result, a rate of increase of the thickness of the stacked electrode assembly due to a predetermined number of charge and discharge cycles becomes equal to or less than 10%. It is thus possible to obtain a lithium ion secondary battery having high capacity and high output, capable of maintaining battery performance such as charge/discharge cycle characteristics at a high level for a long time, and having long service life.

Abstract: A fuel cartridge (1) includes a fuel storage container (2), and a fuel supply port (4) for taking out a fuel stored in the fuel storage container (2). The fuel supply port (4) is provided with a fuel supply port protecting mechanism. The fuel supply port protecting mechanism includes a door (10) for opening/closing an opening (11) provided between the fuel supply port (4) and an outside, and a lock mechanism (20) for locking the door (10) so that the door (10) does not open. This can prevent, with the fuel cartridge not installed on a fuel cell, the leakage of a fuel from the fuel cartridge caused by improper handling by a user, etc.

Abstract: The negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery includes: a current collector 11 having a plurality of bumps 11a on a surface thereof; a first active material layer formed on the current collector 11; and a second active material layer 15 disposed on the first active material layer 12 and including a plurality of active material particles 14. Each of the plurality of active material particles 14 is located on a corresponding bump 11a of the current collector 11, and each of the first active material layer 12 and the plurality of active material particles 14 has a chemical composition represented as SiOx (0<x<1).

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a nozzle for ejecting liquid and a sealing unit that seals the nozzle. The sealing unit moves between a sealing position for sealing the nozzle in a direction of movement and an off position. A slider guides the sealing unit to the sealing position by moving rectilinearly in one of two opposite directions. The slider guides the sealing unit to the off position by moving in the other of the two directions. A drive mechanism performs first and second movements for moving the slider in the one and the other directions, respectively by a drive force from a motor. A drive force transmitting unit transmits the drive force to the drive mechanism by rotating while engaging the drive mechanism. The drive force transmitting unit rotates in the same direction while transmitting the drive force as the drive mechanism performs the first and second movements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a current collector including a base portion with a flat face, primary projections projecting from the flat face, and secondary projections projecting from the top of the primary projections. The present invention also relates to a current collector including a base portion with a flat face and primary projections projecting from the flat face, wherein the roughening rate of the top of the primary projections is 3 to 20. By using such a current collector, separation of the active material from the current collector can be inhibited when using an active material that has a high capacity but undergoes a large expansion at the time of lithium ion absorption.

Abstract: The electrolyte membrane of the present invention is an electrolyte membrane (1) having ionic conductivity that includes a base material (2) and organic molecules having ion exchange groups, wherein the organic molecules are chemically bonded to the surface of the base material (2) to form an organic layer (3), and ions are conducted via the ion exchange groups in the organic layer (3). By providing this type of electrolyte membrane, it is possible to obtain an electrolyte membrane having ionic conductivity whose configuration is different to that of a conventional electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: A garment is provided which a purchaser can freely cut after purchase into any design shape and then wear, and also which has a cut-off part requiring no high-level cutting and sewing processing techniques. The garment is formed of a fray-preventing knitted fabric woven with heat-welding elastic yarn. Sizes of opening parts of the neck, side, and bottom of the garment are smaller than those of a standard product; a total length and sleeve length of the garment are larger than those of the standard product; and a body width, cuff, waist, and lower bottom edge of the garment are equal to those of the standard product. The garment can be cut into any design shape and can be used with the opening parts left cut-off.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head which ejects liquid through nozzles, a liquid container with a sloped bottom surface which receives the liquid ejected from the nozzles, an absorber disposed in the liquid container which absorbs and stores the liquid ejected from the nozzles, and a suction unit which sucks the liquid held by the absorber and discharges the liquid from the liquid container. The liquid container includes a restriction portion which restricts the flow of the liquid in the absorber due to gravity, forming collection portions in the absorber where the liquid may be collected at a plurality of positions with different elevations when the liquid container is rotated so that the bottom surface is sloped away from the horizontal plane.

Abstract: A cell according to the present invention is a fuel cell for generating an electric power by supplying one electrode with a fuel and the other electrode with an oxidant. In the fuel cell, a catalyst layer is formed on at least one surface of at least one of the one electrode and the other electrode. The catalyst layer is a layer including catalyst particles alone, a layer including a mixture of the catalyst particles and other particles, or a layer of a porous film carrying at least the catalyst particles, and a molecule including an ion-conducting functional group serving as an electrolyte is chemically bonded to a surface of at least one selected from the group consisting of the catalyst particles, the other particles and the porous film. At least one of the electrodes has a thin film electrolyte, a catalyst and an electron conducting substance, thereby suppressing the elution of the electrolyte from the catalyst layer in an electrode part and the accompanying voltage drop.

Abstract: In a case where the depressurizer is driven so as to enable removal of any of the liquid containers for replacement in a state where the pressurized fluid is supplied through the pressurized-fluid passage to the individual liquid containers, the control section controls the individual open or closed states of the pressurization passage valve corresponding to a to-be-replaced liquid container that is to be removed for replacement and the pressurization passage valve corresponding to a remaining liquid container that continues to be used to become opposite to each other.