Abstract: For a vehicle disc brake, a piston-side first friction pad is provided with at least one protrusion on a piston-contacting section that excludes the central axis line of the piston and the piston is provided with an engagement hole capable of engaging with the protrusion. Symmetric with the piston-side first friction pad with a brake disc therebetween, a reaction pawl-side second friction pad is provided with a protrusion. As a result, it is possible to provide a vehicle disc brake in which the first friction pad and the second friction pad are both made to have a protrusion, reducing the possibility of incorrect assembly, and the friction pads themselves are made to be used in common, facilitating product management.

Abstract: There are provided a charge/discharge control circuit and a battery apparatus to which a load having a large capacitance is connected. In the battery apparatus, the charge/discharge control circuit includes an overdischarge latch circuit providing an overdischarge latch signal, based on a discharge control signal supplied thereto and a voltage of an external negative voltage input terminal, and a logic circuit supplied with an overdischarge detection signal and the overdischarge latch signal and providing the overdischarge detection signal to a control circuit while receiving the overdischarge latch signal, to thereby enable the power supply to the load to stop in a short processing time.

Abstract: A control apparatus includes a control unit which instructs a constant temperature mode to the fuel cell unit as one of operation modes, the constant temperature mode being a mode for performing an control to cover power consumption of the auxiliaries by power supplied from the outside and an control to keep a temperature of the power generation unit constant within a prescribed temperature range. In the constant temperature mode, power output from the power generation unit is at least smaller than the power consumption of the auxiliaries.

Abstract: A seat cover, comprising: a cover main body that is formed by stitching together a plurality of covering pieces at a plurality of seam allowances, and that covers a padding material of a vehicle seat, with a portion of the plurality of seam allowances disposed at a back face side of the cover main body facing the padding material being turned over to lie along a surface of the padding material; and a low friction cloth that is attached to the back face side of the cover main body in a state straddling across the portion of the plurality of seam allowances, and that is interposed between the cover main body and the padding material, with a surface of the low friction cloth that contacts the portion of the plurality of seam allowances having a lower coefficient of friction than a coefficient of friction of the surface of the padding material.

Abstract: A fuel cell device is improved for operating conditions during a partial load operation. The fuel cell device comprises a cell stack formed by electrically connecting fuel cells for generating power by fuel gas and oxygen-containing gas; a fuel gas supply unit for supplying the fuel gas to the fuel cells; and a power adjustment unit for adjusting the amount of current that is supplied to an external load and a controller for controlling the fuel gas supply unit and the power adjustment unit. The controller adjusts, during the partial load operation of the fuel cell device and when the fuel gas supplied to the cell stack is at a low flow rate. The relationship between a fuel utilization rate of the cell stack and the amount of power generated by the cell stack can be nonlinear.

Abstract: A regulator circuit includes: a voltage detection circuit that detects a magnitude of an output voltage of an output node, and outputs a feedback voltage that indicates a result of the detection; an error amplifier circuit that compares the feedback voltage with a reference voltage, and outputs a voltage that indicates a result of the comparison; an output circuit that supplies an output current to the output node according to the voltage output by the error amplifier circuit; a current detection circuit that detects a magnitude of the output current; and a current bias circuit that supplies an output bias current to the output node, and increases or decreases the output bias current based on a result of the detection of the current detection circuit.

Abstract: A regulator circuit has a first non-operating state, a second non-operating state, and an operating state. The regulator circuit includes: a detection circuit that detects a magnitude of an output voltage of the regulator circuit, and outputs a feedback voltage that indicates a result of the detection to a feedback node; an operational amplifier circuit that compares the voltage of the feedback node with a reference voltage, and outputs a voltage that indicates a result of the comparison; and an output circuit that generates the output voltage according to the voltage output from the operational amplifier circuit. A state of the feedback node is different between the first non-operating state and the second non-operating state, and a transition time required to switch from the second non-operating state to the operating state is shorter than a transition time required to switch from the first non-operating state to the operating state.

Abstract: A swing arm extends rearwardly from an engine, and a pair of side cases is arranged leftwardly and rightwardly of the swing arm. The swing arm is supported at a body frame by a single rear shock absorber. The engine is supported at the body frame by a plurality of vibration absorbing support members. Each vibration absorbing support member has a structure in which a rubber member is arranged between an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder. The engine is attached to the inner cylinder with use of an engine support shaft, and the body frame is attached to the outer cylinder with use of an engine bracket. The rubber member has projections being in contact with an inner surface of the outer cylinder and recesses not being in contact with the inner surface of the outer cylinder. The swing arm is rigidly and pivotally connected to the engine.

Abstract: Provided is an opening/closing apparatus for a vehicle capable of protecting a cable configured to open and close an opening/closing body even when a large external force is applied to the opening/closing body. A cross-sectional shape of a cable holding groove in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of a cable guide is an arc shape configured to be in surface contact with a closing-side cable and an opening-side cable. Accordingly, a pressing force applied to the closing-side cable and the opening-side cable can be dispersed in a wide range of the closing-side cable and the opening-side cable rather than only in one part.

Abstract: There are provided a charge/discharge control circuit which is equipped with a differential amplifier configured to detect charging currents of a plurality of secondary batteries connected in parallel, and a charge control circuit configured to output an output signal of the differential amplifier to charge control terminals according to a reception of a control signal to permit the charging of each of the secondary batteries, and which is capable of charging the secondary batteries connected in parallel with uniform charging currents, and a battery apparatus equipped with the charge/discharge control circuit.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Specifically, the present invention pertains to the diagnosis of coronary artery disease using phosphatidylinositol (36:5) or lysophosphatidylinositol (20:5) as a molecular marker.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for storing, in an intermediate data memory, intermediate data generated from print data, and processing the intermediate data is provided. The image processing apparatus has a configuration in which, in a case where it is determined that a size of a work memory exceeds a block size after processing for creating a first bit map is started, and where the processing for creating the first bit map is switched to processing for creating a second bit map, when the processing for creating the first bit map is started, processing for creating a bit map is started without delay by using a bit map memory in advance from the work memory.

Abstract: This invention is related to a therapeutic agent for treating chronic kidney disease comprising a substance which inhibits the enzymatic activity of NNMT or suppresses NNMT gene expression, or a method for screening a therapeutic agent for treating chronic kidney disease which targets the NNMT enzyme or NNMT gene.

Abstract: A light modulation device detects a power of the modulated optical signal modulated by each of an I-component optical modulator and a Q-component optical modulator, synchronously-detects a component of a frequency fd from the power of the modulated optical signal, outputs a dither signal of a frequency fd/n (where n is a positive integer equal to or larger than 1) applied to a first bias voltage or a second bias voltage when adjusting the first bias voltage or the second bias voltage, outputs two dither signals having a frequency fd/m (where m is a positive integer equal to or larger than 1, where n<m), which are mutually orthogonal to each other, applied to the first and second bias voltages when adjusting a third bias voltage, and adjusting bias voltages by increasing or decreasing bias voltages based on a synchronous detection result.

Abstract: In order to provide a charge/discharge control circuit capable of controlling a charge/discharge current of secondary batteries that are connected in parallel, the charge/discharge control circuit includes: a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal to which a respective first electrode of each of secondary batteries which are connected in parallel is connected; a third power supply terminal to which second electrodes of the secondary batteries are connected; a connection circuit configured to connect the first power supply terminal and the second power supply terminal to generate an electric potential for output; and a controller configured to operate on a potential difference between the electric potential supplied from the connection circuit and an electric potential supplied from the third power supply terminal, and to control charging/discharging of the first secondary battery and the second secondary battery.

Abstract: The present invention provides a viscosity modifier composition including a compound (A) represented by the general formula (1) and a compound (B) represented by the general formula (2) at a mass ratio (A)/(B) of from 70/30 to 95/5, an emulsion composition and a water-based paint composition including the viscosity modifier composition.

Abstract: A cell unit includes a cell stack, two manifolds. The cell stack includes cells. Each cell has a elliptical columnar shape. The each cell includes an inner electrode layer, a solid oxide solid electrolyte layer, an outer electrode layer, a first portion, a second portion, a middle portion and a distribution hole. The solid oxide solid electrolyte layer is on the inner electrode layer. The outer electrode layer is on the solid oxide solid electrolyte layer. The first portion is at one end of the each cell in the length direction of the cells. The second portion is at the other end of the each cell in the length direction. The middle portion is located between the first portion and the second portion. The distribution hole passes through from the first portion to the second portion. A first manifold fixes the first portions. A second manifold fixes the second portions.

Abstract: A disc brake device for a vehicle, the disc brake device is equipped with: a piston slidably fitted into a cylinder hole provided in one arm section of a brake caliper, and capable of pressing against one friction pad; a shim plate mounted on a back plate of the one friction pad and interposed between the back plate and the piston; and a pressing device that applies pressing force to the piston while causing rotational force to act on the piston. Multiple protrusions protruding toward the piston are provided, with intervals between the protrusions, on the back plate of the friction pad facing the piston with the shim plate therebetween, and multiple engaging holes, into which the multiple protrusions are fitted, are provided on the shim plate so as to prevent the shim plate from rotating together with the piston due to the rotational force.

Abstract: Provided is a piston ring for an internal combustion engine capable of preventing aluminum cohesion for a long time under conditions with high temperature and a high load and also suppressing the wearing of a piston member. A piston ring 1 for the internal combustion engine including a piston ring body 11 having at least one of an upper side face and a lower side face coated with an aluminum cohesion resistance film 12, wherein the aluminum cohesion resistance film 12 has a first coating film 12a made of first ceramics material formed on the piston ring body and a second coating film having Vickers hardness HV smaller than that of the first ceramics material formed on the first coating film 12a.

Abstract: [Object] The purpose is to provide a cooling and heating device. [Solution] This cooling and heating device includes: a fuel cell device including a fuel cell; a heating unit which utilizes the heat of exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell; a thermoacoustic cooler (14) including a cooling unit which performs a cooling function with use of the heat of the exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell; and an exhaust gas switching unit (25) which allows the exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell to be supplied to at least one of the thermoacoustic cooler (14) and the heating unit, whereby there can be provided a cooling and heating device which effectively utilizes the exhaust gas of a fuel cell.