Abstract: The diamter of &bgr;-titanium alloy wire is reduced by cold wire-drawing and the &bgr;-titanium alloy wire is subjected to heat treatment. The heat treatment comprises the first aging process for precipitation strengthening and the second aging process for removing processing strain. &bgr;-titanium alloy wire is heat-treated under the supply of tension at the second aging process.

Abstract: A total-focus imaging apparatus comprises a variable-focus lens unit with a focal position thereof changeable at high speeds, a CCD element, a microcomputer and a liquid-crystal display unit. The microcomputer includes an image memory, an image processing circuit and a control circuit. The variable-focus lens unit and the CCD element allow an object of observation to be photographed to generate a number of images with the focal positions thereof slightly different from each other and the image to be stored in the image memory. Pixels each brought to a focus are selected by the image processing circuit from pixels of the images to generate an image of the observation object comprising only pixels each brought to a focus. Such an image is then displayed on the liquid-crystal display unit. Thus, an image of the observation object which is all but completely brought to a focus can be presented in a semi-real-time manner.

Abstract: An image analyzing apparatus includes an image data memory for storing image data, a display for displaying an image based on image data selected from the image data stored in the image data memory and processed in a predetermined manner, a graphic data memory for storing graphic data corresponding to a plurality of patterns to be displayed on the display, a quantitative processing section for quantitatively processing image data corresponding to the images contained in regions of interest defined by the patterns, a quantitative data memory for storing quantitative data produced by the quantitative processing section, and a background management section for producing and storing background data relating to background values corresponding to noise components for each of the patterns. According to the thus constituted image analyzing apparatus, it is possible to accurately and smoothly quantitatively process and analyze an image contained in a region of interest defined by a pattern.

Abstract: A pneumatic radial tire comprises a radial carcass, a belt, and a row of many blocks having different lengths along a circumference of a ground contact region under pitch variation defined in a tread rubber of the tread portion by at least two straight main grooves and a plurality of lateral sub-grooves extending between the mutual main grooves at an inclination angle of less than 90° with respect to the circumference of the ground contact region, in which the block row satisfies such relationships that an inclination angle &phgr;L of an edge of a long-pitch block is larger than that &phgr;S of an edge of a short-pitch block and an inclination angle &agr;L of each block wall face of a long-pitch block is larger than that &agr;S of each block wall face of a short-pitch block, or further an inclination angle &bgr;S of a block wall face of a short-pitch block is larger than that &bgr;L of a block wall face of a long-pitch block.

Abstract: A method of aligning a liquid crystal includes a step of fixing on a hot plate and heating a liquid crystal cell in which a liquid crystal composed of a ferroelectric liquid crystal material sealed between electrode substrates respectively having alignment films having applied thereto a uniaxial alignment by rubbing. According to the described method, a pressure is applied to the liquid crystal cell by a roller, and a portion subjected to an application of pressure is moved by moving the roller. Further, the liquid crystal is heated within a temperature range between a phase transition temperature of SmA phase SmC* phase and a temperature 10° C. below the phase transition temperature, and the portion subjected to an application of pressure is moved in the same direction as the rubbing direction, thereby achieving the C2 orientation at higher yield.

Abstract: A controller for electric vehicles comprising a vector control inverter for controlling motors, which drive wheels of the electric vehicles, by dividing the primary current of the motors into an exciting current component and a torque current component, and controlling respective of the current components based on a respectively designated command, characterized in further comprising a dectector for detecting a wheel velocity (including a rotor frequency of the motor proportional to the wheel velocity), a detector for detecting slipping and skidding of the wheel based on a differential value (a changing rate with time) of the detected wheel velocity, a dectector for detecting re-adhesion of the wheel based on the differential value and a twice differential value of the detected wheel velocity, and an adjuster for adjusting the designated command for the torque current component in response to the detectors.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image data memory for storing image data, an image displaying section for displaying an image on a CRT, a graphic data memory for storing graphic data corresponding to patterns for defining regions of interest in the image on the CRT and a synthesized data producing section for synthesizing the image data and the graphic data to produce synthesized data, the image displaying section being adapted to display the image and pattern on the CRT based on the synthesized data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image data memory for storing image data, an image displaying section for displaying an image on a CRT, a graphic data memory for storing graphic data corresponding to patterns for defining regions of interest in the image on the CRT and a synthesized data producing section for synthesizing the image data and the graphic data to produce synthesized data, the image displaying section being adapted to display the image and pattern on the CRT based on the synthesized data.

Abstract: An image analyzing apparatus includes an image data memory for storing image data and a graphic data memory for storing graphic data, the image analyzing apparatus being adapted to displaying an image on a screen of a CRT based on image data stored in the image data memory, define a plurality of regions of interest in the image using graphic data stored in the graphic data memory and effect quantitative analysis, the image analyzing apparatus further comprising a calculation effecting section for producing quantitative data based on image data corresponding to the plurality of regions of interest, adding and/or subtracting the thus produced quantitative data and display the results of calculation on the screen of the CRT. According to the thus constituted image analyzing apparatus, it is possible to define an image region which cannot be defined by a single figure in an image reproduced based on image data as a region of interest and effecting quantitative analysis thereon.

Abstract: A variable focus lens device having a temperature compensation function whose construction is simple and which can be inexpensively manufactured. The device has a lens member including a lens container having a transparent elastic film, a transparent sealing member forming an internal volume, and a transparent liquid filling the internal volume, a stack-type piezoelectric actuator for varying the focus of the lens member by deforming the transparent elastic film by fluctuating the pressure inside the internal volume, and a tank connected to the internal volume by narrow passages. The tank and the narrow passages absorb temperature fluctuation components of the transparent liquid, which varies due to thermal expansion and contraction. The tank and the passages thereby form a temperature compensator, that, because the passages are narrow, does not react to sudden oscillating pressure components caused by the stack-type piezoelectric actuator.

Abstract: Ferroelectric liquid crystal compositions having a large dependency of spontaneous polarization on temperature; liquid crystal display devices exhibiting a small dependency of response speed on temperature and making it possible to obtain a wide temperature margin in practical use, and fabricated by using the ferroelectric liquid crystal composition; and methods for driving the devices are provided;the compositions comprising at least one compound expressed by the following general formula (1) ##STR1## at least one compound expressed by the following general formula (2), and ##STR2## at least one compound expressed by the following general formula (3) ##STR3## wherein R.sub.1 to R.sub.6, ring A-B, A, X.sub.1, and X.sub.2 are herein defined.

Abstract: An absorption cold/hot water generating machine comprising a refrigerating cycle formed by pipe-connecting an evaporator, an absorber, a solution heat exchanger, a low-temperature generator, a condenser, a high-temperature generator, a solution pump, and a refrigerant pump; the solution pump being an inverter-driven pump; a header for receiving a return solution from the high-temperature generator; a level sensor for detecting the liquid level in the header; and control means for controlling the flow rate of the solution sent from the absorber to the high-temperature generator by controlling the operating frequency of the solution pump, thereby keeping the solution level in the header within a prescribed range; wherein the control means includes sampling mode setting means for setting a solution sampling mode in which the discharge side pressure of the solution pump is brought to over a prescribed pressure through control of the operating frequency thereof.

Abstract: A controller for an absorption cold/hot water generating machine, in which a refrigerating cycle is formed by pipe-connecting an evaporator, an absorber, a solution heat exchanger, a low-temperature generator, a condenser, and a high-temperature generator, and the solution level in a header of the high-temperature generator is kept within a prescribed range by controlling the flow rate of the solution fed from the absorber to the high-temperature generator; wherein a solution pump for feeding a solution from the absorber to the high-temperature generator is inverter-driven, and there is provided pressure difference detecting means for detecting a difference in pressure between the high-temperature generator and the absorber; and wherein there is provided control means which controls the solution pump driving frequency of the inverter as a function of a pressure difference between the high-temperature generator and the absorber.

Abstract: An air conditioning equipment is provided with an oil level equalizing system, which includes a plurality of low-pressure shell-type compressors communicating with a suction line through a plurality of branch portions, a plurality of connecting lines each communicating with a corresponding compressor shell at a location adjacent to a normal oil level in the shell, and an oil level equalizing line communicating with the plurality of connecting lines. The oil level equalizing system also includes a communication line, through which the suction line communicates with the oil level equalizing line at a location upstream of the plurality of branch portions with respect to a direction of flow of a refrigerant. This arrangement functions to increase the pressure within the oil level equalizing line to a value higher than that within the shell of each compressor.

Abstract: In a ferroelectric liquid crystal element, in order to excite a reverse electric field within the element in response to a waveform of a non-rewriting voltage, properties of the ferroelectric liquid crystal material, an element structure, driving waveforms, or other factors are adjusted so that molecules of the ferroelectric liquid crystal are allowed to switch between bistable states in response to a waveform of a rewriting voltage, while the ferroelectric liquid crystal exerts an anti-memory phenomenon in response to a waveform of a non-rewriting voltage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for adjusting vehicle wheel alignment in which a positional angle of a wheel corresponding to the characteristics of a tire can be set easily, running stability suited for an actual road surface can be obtained, and one-sided wear can be reduced.

Abstract: A camera includes a device for variably focusing and condensing an image on an optical light. The camera includes a lens in which a clear liquid is disposed between opposing transparent elastic films. Pressure is externally applied to one of the films at a predetermined position, thereby changing the ratio of curvature of the transparent elastic film. This changes the focal length of the lens, thereby producing an image wherein all positions are in focus due to the persistence of vision effect of human vision.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prevent an engaging member such as a clip from coming out and to enhance the holding force of the engaging member.In the present invention, there is provided a bracket 4 fixed to a support plate portion 2a on a front fender 2 on the body side and a locking claw 6a formed on a front grille 6 at a position corresponding to the bracket 4. The bracket 4 is provided with a mounting hole 4b engaging with a clip 10 serving as an engaging member and an engaging flange 4a engaging with the locking claw 6a. The clip 10 is inserted in the mounting hole 4b and the locking claw 6a is locked by the engaging flange 4a to mount the front grille 6 to the body without looseness. The bracket 4 is fixed not only to the front fender 2 on the body side but also to a lamp support, which is not shown.

Abstract: A fuel additive which comprises an amide compound of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.30 hydrocarbon group, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 each are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 hydrocarbon group and a group of formula (II), provided that at least one of R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 group of formula (II) R.sup.6 is a C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkylene group, R.sup.7 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkylene group, a is an integer of 1-100, b is an integer of 0-100, the sum of a and b being equal to 1-200, c is an integer of 1-3, d is an integer of 0-2, the sum of c and d being equal to 3, and X is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.30 hydrocarbon group, a group of formula (III), and a group of formula (IV), wherein formulas (II), (III) and (IV) are defined in the disclosure.

Abstract: An object of an automotive hood structure of the present invention is to increase the hood strength and make it possible to decrease the sheet thickness of a hood inner 2 without the complicated shape of a hood inner 2 around a striker 3 or the increased size of the striker 3. A reinforcement 4, comprising a top flat portion 41 and flange portions 42, and the striker 3 are disposed between a hood outer 1 and the hood inner 2. A flange portion 31a of the striker 3 is lapped on the flange portion 42 of the reinforcement 4, and welded to the hood inner 2. The top flat portion 41 is fixedly bonded to the inside surface of the hood outer 1.