Abstract: To promote mixture of fluids on a plurality of stages, flow channels include a plurality of merging portions which penetrate from a top surface to a back surface of a substrate. An end of each of the sub channels is disposed so as to overlap the main channel at each of positions separated along the direction in which the main channel extends, and each of the merging portions communicates the main channels and the ends of the sub channels with each other, thereby changing a flow direction of the second fluid flowing through the sub channels to the thickness direction of the substrate, and merges the second fluid with the first fluid flowing through the main channels.

Abstract: A belt is supported by a plurality of rollers and is driven to move in a predetermined direction. A flange member is configured to make contact with a portion of an edge surface of the belt in its width direction. A pressing member presses on a surface of the belt in its thickness direction at a position near a contact portion of the belt with the flange member.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical transmission module in which effects of conductive heat from sides of a metal case upon a thermistor are reduced, thereby allowing steady optical beam wavelengths to be obtained over a wide range of temperatures, regardless of the temperature of the usage environment. Specifically, the optical transmission module includes Peltier elements disposed inside a metal case, a metal base disposed upon the Peltier elements, a laser diode substrate disposed upon the metal base, a laser diode disposed upon the laser diode substrate, a thermistor substrate disposed upon the metal base, a thermistor disposed upon the thermistor substrate, and a thermally conductive member, disposed in the vicinity of the thermistor, that has a height greater than the height of the thermistor.

Abstract: An automotive illumination device includes a dome lamp bulb, a transistor switch, an in-vehicle unit, a door status detection unit, and a microcontroller. When user's access to an automobile has been detected by the in-vehicle unit, the microcontroller controls ON/OFF operation of the transistor switch at duty ratio of 60 percent to turn on the dome lamp bulb at brightness of 60 percent (welcome illumination state or mode). When opening of a door of the automobile has been detected by the door status detection unit during the welcome illumination, the microcontroller controls the ON/OFF operation of the transistor switch to always close the transistor switch (at duty ratio of 100 percent) to illuminate the dome lamp bulb at brightness of 100 percent.

Abstract: A flow channel structure that includes a first inlet path for a first fluid, a second inlet path for a second fluid, a merging portion that merges, in the thickness direction of a substrate, the first fluid and the second fluid, a first merged fluid channel in which both fluids merged in the merging portion flow along a top surface of the substrate, a flow direction altering portion that causes the flow direction of the fluid flowing through the first merged fluid channel to change from the top surface side of the substrate towards the back surface side thereof, and a second merged fluid channel for changing the flow direction of this fluid to flow to the downstream side so that the fluid flowing from the first merged fluid channel through the flow direction altering portion flows along the back surface of the substrate.

Abstract: An engaging member for attaching an upholstery material to a cushion member, which has a positioning member at least one lengthwise terminal end. The positioning member places the starting end of loop engaging element portion in precise position in the groove of the cushion member. The engaging member is long and flexible and bends in conformity with the complicated shape of the curved groove. The method of producing an upholstered cushion molding using the engaging member improves the working efficiency.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an exposure mechanism, a latent-image forming mechanism, at least one image forming mechanism including a development mechanism to develop the latent image, an intermediate transfer member disposed to contact the image carrier, a primary transfer mechanism to transfer a toner image on the image carrier and superimpose one toner image on another on the intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer mechanism to transfer the toner image superimposed on the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer material, an asperity detector to detect an asperity profile of a surface of the transfer material to identify a concavity of the transfer material, and a toner adhesion control mechanism to increase an amount of the toner transferred to intermediate transfer member according to the concavities in the surface of the transfer material identified by an asperity detector, after a predetermined time elapses.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure mechanism to form a latent image by exposure, a latent-image carrier to hold the latent image, a charging mechanism to charge the latent-image carrier evenly, a development device to develop a latent image on the latent-image carrier into a toner image, a transfer mechanism to transfer the toner image formed on the latent-image carrier onto a transfer material, at least one asperity profile reading mechanism to read an asperity of an entire image area of the transfer material at least in a width direction thereof onto which a toner image is to be transferred, and a control mechanism to adjust a toner adhesion amount of the toner image transferred to the transfer material in accordance with a localized asperity of a surface of the transfer material read by the asperity profile reading mechanism.

Abstract: A PSA apparatus for high-purity hydrogen gas production is provided which can recover high purity hydrogen gas at a high recovery rate from a reformed gas (hydrogen-containing gas) produced by a reforming process, for example an autothermal reforming process, and containing, as impurity components, at least CO, CO2, N2 and/or Ar, and can contribute to reducing the equipment size, hence reducing the equipment cost. The PSA apparatus for high-purity hydrogen gas B production by removing CO, CO2 and N2 by adsorption from a hydrogen containing gas A, comprises an adsorption tower 1; and an adsorbent bed 2 in the adsorption tower, wherein, on the occasion of regeneration of the adsorbent bed 2, a purge gas C is passed through in the direction opposite to the direction of passage of the hydrogen-containing gas A.

Abstract: An automotive illumination device includes a dome lamp bulb, a transistor switch, an in-vehicle unit, a door status detection unit, and a microcontroller. When user's access to an automobile has been detected by the in-vehicle unit, the microcontroller controls ON/OFF operation of the transistor switch at duty ratio of 60 percent to turn on the dome lamp bulb at brightness of 60 percent (welcome illumination state or mode). When opening of a door of the automobile has been detected by the door status detection unit during the welcome illumination, the microcontroller controls the ON/OFF operation of the transistor switch to always close the transistor switch (at duty ratio of 100 percent) to illuminate the dome lamp bulb at brightness of 100 percent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst for combustion treatment of suspended particulate matter in diesel exhaust gases, and a combustion catalyst for treating diesel exhaust gases in which a precious metal or an oxide thereof as the catalytic component is loaded on a carrier composed of oxide ceramic particles comprising ceria-zirconia or ceria-praseodymium oxide. In the present invention, depending on the carried precious metal, the carrier is preferably composed of oxide ceramic particles further comprising yttria or lanthanum oxide. The present invention provides a sufficient activity to combust suspended particulate matter in exhaust gases, and can cause combustion at a low temperature of about 300° C. It operates stably for a long period, and can burn suspended particulate matter, especially carbon microparticles.

Abstract: An endless belt is supported by a plurality of rollers. A transfer roller comes in contact with an outer surface of the belt to form a transfer nip. An auxiliary member makes contact with a recording medium on an upstream side of the transfer nip in a movement direction of the belt, to cause the recording medium to be in close contact with the outer surface of the belt. A bias applying unit applies to the auxiliary member a bias for electrostatically transferring a toner adhered to the auxiliary member to the outer surface of the belt.

Abstract: To improve the user maintainability and cost performance with respect to replacing replaceable components in an image forming apparatus using a tandem type intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a toner image forming unit configured to form a toner image having a predetermined polarity on the image carrier, an intermediate transfer body facing the image carrier, a primary transfer member configured to transfer the toner image on the image carrier onto the intermediate transfer body, a secondary transfer member configured to transfer the toner image on the intermediate transfer body onto a recording medium, and a contacting member in contact with the image carrier and configured to remove residual toner remaining on the image carrier after the toner image is transferred by the primary transfer member onto the intermediate transfer body and to pass the removed residual toner to the intermediate transfer body. A bias voltage with the same polarity as the predetermined polarity of the toner image is applied to the contacting member.

Abstract: A belt including a first roller is supported by a plurality of rollers, and is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction. An abutting member makes contact with at least one edge of the belt in its width direction. A pressing member applies a pressure on an extended surface of the belt in its thickness direction at a position near a contact portion of the belt with the abutting member and on an upstream side of the contact portion in its moving direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an exposure mechanism, a latent-image forming mechanism, at least one image forming mechanism including a development mechanism to develop the latent image, an intermediate transfer member disposed to contact the image carrier, a primary transfer mechanism to transfer a toner image on the image carrier and superimpose one toner image on another on the intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer mechanism to transfer the toner image superimposed on the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer material, an asperity detector to detect an asperity profile of a surface of the transfer material to identify a concavity of the transfer material, and a toner adhesion control mechanism to increase an amount of the toner transferred to intermediate transfer member according to the concavities in the surface of the transfer material identified by an asperity detector, after a predetermined time elapses.

Abstract: A telephone terminal includes: a main unit; an optional unit that performs an arbitrary additional communication function and detachably attached to the main unit; a distribution unit that distributes a drive power supplied through a communication network into a first channel and a second channel when a power of the telephone terminal is turned on; a first power supplying unit that supplies the first channel of the drive power to the main unit at a first timing; and a second power supplying unit that supplies the second channel of the drive power to the optional unit at a second timing shifted from the first timing.

Abstract: In mobile communication system 100 according to the present invention, mobile station 1 is camped on cell C10 established by base station B10. In the cell C10, there exist indoor cells C11-C13 and outdoor cells C21, C22 as neighboring cells. Mobile station 1 measures received levels of cells C10-C13, C21, C22 and determines cell types of the respective cells, i.e., whether each cell is an indoor cell or not, based on broadcast information M1. Mobile station 1 selects a cell as a reselection target on the basis of the received levels and cell types.

Abstract: An optical transmitter module is described. The optical transmitter module includes a lead pin for electrically connecting the inside and outside of a housing, and a flexible printed circuit board connected to the lead pin. The flexible printed circuit board has a signal pattern and two ground conductor patterns to be connected to an optical modulation element, a laser terminal pattern to be connected to a semiconductor laser, a Peltier terminal pattern to be connected to a Peltier element, and two covering conductive layers in addition to a layer on which such patterns are formed. The covering conductive layers cover all the patterns except for the signal pattern.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exposure mechanism to form a latent image by exposure, a latent-image carrier to hold the latent image, a charging mechanism to charge the latent-image carrier evenly, a development device to develop a latent image on the latent-image carrier into a toner image, a transfer mechanism to transfer the toner image formed on the latent-image carrier onto a transfer material, at least one asperity profile reading mechanism to read an asperity of an entire image area of the transfer material at least in a width direction thereof onto which a toner image is to be transferred, and a control mechanism to adjust a toner adhesion amount of the toner image transferred to the transfer material in accordance with a localized asperity of a surface of the transfer material read by the asperity profile reading mechanism.