Abstract: A piezoelectric valve whose assembly work can be efficiently performed. A piezoelectric valve according to this invention includes a valve main body having a gas pressure chamber which receives compressed gas supplied from the outside, a plate which is disposed inside the valve main body and is fixed to the valve main body, and actuators each of which has a valve element, a piezoelectric element generating, in the form of a displacement, driving force required for operation of the valve element, and a displacement magnification mechanism for magnifying a displacement of the piezoelectric element and causing the magnified displacement to act on the valve element, are fixed to each of two surfaces of the plate, and are disposed inside the valve main body together with the plate.

Abstract: An optical granular material-sorting apparatus includes: a transfer means for transferring objects being sorted; an optical detection means for detecting, at a detection position, objects being sorted as they drop from an end of the transfer means; and a blasting means provided below the optical detection means and designed to blow away objects being sorted through blasting of air based on the result of detection by the optical detection means. The blasting means has a piezoelectric valve which is driven by a driving means to blast air based on the result of detection by the optical detection means. The driving means applies voltage to a piezoelectric element in multiple stages so as to suppress fluctuation in the amount of gas ejected from a gas release channel when the valve opens.

Abstract: An electrostatic atomizing apparatus is provided with a discharge electrode, a water feeder for supplying water to the electrode, and a high voltage supply configured to generate a high intensity electric field to electrostatically atomize the water supplied to the discharge electrode. The electrode and the high voltage supply are held by an identical circuit substrate.

Abstract: Ink for ink jet recording includes a coloring material and alkylpolyols, wherein the alkylpolyols include two or more types of first alkylpolyols having a log P value of greater than or equal to ?0.7 and less than or equal to 0.01, and a normal boiling point of greater than or equal to 180° C. and lower than or equal to 250° C., and the content of the alkylpolyols is greater than or equal to 5% by mass and less than or equal to 30% by mass.

Abstract: A ink composition for ink jet recording in which a non-absorbent or low absorbent recording medium is used includes water; a color material; a surfactant; a compound I represented by general formula (I) below; and does not substantially include alkyl polyols with a standard boiling point of 280° C. or higher; in which the surfactant is at least one type selected from a group consisting of a fluorine-based surfactant and a siloxane-based surfactant with 5 or more siloxane units. [In general formula (I), n represents an integer of 45 or higher to 230 or lower, each R1 independently represents an unmodified, an ether-modified, a polyester-modified, an epoxy-modified, an amine-modified, a carboxyl-modified, a fluorine-modified, an alkyloxy-modified, a mercapto-modified, a (meth)acryl-modified, a phenol-modified, a phenyl-modified, a carbinol-modified or an aralkyl-modified hydrocarbon group.

Abstract: A piezoelectric valve comprising: a valve main body formed in which are a gas pressure chamber that takes in compressed gas supplied from the outside as well as a gas release channel through which the compressed gas is released from the gas pressure chamber; a valve body placed in the gas pressure chamber to open and close the gas release channel; a piezoelectric element that generates, in the form of displacement, a driving force needed to operate the valve body; at least one displacement amplification mechanism that amplifies a displacement of the piezoelectric element and causes it to act upon the valve body; and a driving means for applying voltage to the piezoelectric element in order to drive the valve body to open the valve and thereby open the gas release channel; wherein such piezoelectric valve is characterized in that the driving means applies voltage to the piezoelectric element in multiple stages so as to suppress fluctuation in the amount of gas ejected from the gas release channel when the valv

Abstract: Ink for ink jet recording includes a coloring material and alkylpolyols, wherein the alkylpolyols include two or more types of first alkylpolyols having a log P value of greater than or equal to ?0.7 and less than or equal to 0.01, and a normal boiling point of greater than or equal to 180° C. and lower than or equal to 250° C., and the content of the alkylpolyols is greater than or equal to 5% by mass and less than or equal to 30% by mass.

Abstract: Provided is a pneumatic tire, which is configured to be in a tire posture where the tire is assembled to an applicable rim (R) to be once filled to a specified internal pressure which is then reduced to a pressure capable of allowing the tire (1) to maintain its shape, has a land portion surface of an intermediate land portion (20, 21) positioned inward in the tire radial direction relative to a virtual arc (A) circumscribing at least part of each of a land portion surface at the center position (C) of the center land portion (17) and a land portion surface of a shoulder land portion (18, 19), in a cross section in the tire width direction, so that a step depth ? of the land portion surface of the intermediate land portion (20, 21) relative to the virtual arc (A) satisfies the following relation across the entire area of the land portion surface of the intermediate land portion (20, 21) in the tire width direction; r/400???r/100, where r is the tire radius from the tire center axis at the center position (C)

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of measuring and evaluating rigidity of a target object or mechanical output, such as force, displacement, and mechanical energy generated by a piezoelectric actuator and applied to the target object, according to only a measured value of electric quantity without use of a mechanical sensor, and a method of controlling the piezoelectric actuator, and a device using these methods. Steps of finding equivalent circuit constants of the piezoelectric actuator; applying a voltage to the piezoelectric actuator and measuring electrical quantity flowing into the piezoelectric actuator due to the applied voltage, or applying an electric charge to the piezoelectric actuator and measuring voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator due to the applied electric charge; and measuring and evaluating one or more of force, displacement, or mechanical energy generated by the piezoelectric actuator and applied to a target object, or rigidity of a target object are included.

Abstract: An optical granular material-sorting apparatus includes: a transfer means for transferring objects being sorted; an optical detection means for detecting, at a detection position, objects being sorted as they drop from an end of the transfer means; and a blasting means provided below the optical detection means and designed to blow away objects being sorted through blasting of air based on the result of detection by the optical detection means. The blasting means has a piezoelectric valve which is driven by a driving means to blast air based on the result of detection by the optical detection means. The driving means applies voltage to a piezoelectric element in multiple stages so as to suppress fluctuation in the amount of gas ejected from a gas release channel when the valve opens.

Abstract: A high voltage is applied between an emitter electrode in an atomizing barrel and an opposed electrode supported to the atomizing barrel to electrostatically atomize a liquid supplied to the emitter electrode into a mist of charged minute particles. A silencer duct is attached to the front end of the atomizing barrel for reducing noises developed when generating the mist of the charged minute particles. Accordingly, the silencer duct can absorb the noises developed around the emitter electrode and the opposed electrode at immediately downstream thereof for effectively reducing the noises.

Abstract: An electrostatically atomizing device has a housing and an electrostatically atomizing unit accommodated within the housing. The electrostatically atomizing unit includes an atomizing barrel and an emitter electrode disposed within the atomizing barrel and is configured to atomize water supplied to the emitter electrode at a tip of the emitter electrode and generate mist of charged minute water particles. Formed within the housing is an air pressure chamber which surrounds the atomizing barrel. The atomizing barrel is formed in its peripheral wall with a plurality of air inlets which are arranged circumferentially around the atomizing barrel to introduce pressurized air from the air pressure chamber for carrying the mist on the pressurized air introduced into the atomizing barrel from the plural air inlets and discharging the mist outwardly of the housing.

Abstract: An electrostatic atomization system for a vehicle includes an electrostatic atomization device that generates and emits charged micro-particle water from an emission port, a vehicle interior introduction port arranged in an instrument panel in a vehicle interior, and a communication duct that connects the emission port and the vehicle interior introduction port to emit the charged micro-particle water from the vehicle interior introduction port to the vehicle interior. The communication duct includes a first curved portion, which is arranged between the emission port and the vehicle interior introduction port and curved downward in a lower position than the vehicle interior introduction port, and a second curved portion, which is arranged between the first curved portion and the emission port and curved upward in an upper position than the first curved portion.

Abstract: This invention provides a radial tire for aircraft comprising a belt composed of a plurality of belt layers, wherein a total strength of the belt Tbelt [N] in a circumferential direction over its full width satisfies Tbelt/WD?1.5×106 in which D [m] is an outer diameter of the tire and W [m] is a width of the tire, the belt is composed of at least two belt layers each containing organic fiber cords with an elongation in an extension direction under a load of 3.2 cN/dtex of 2.2-9.3%, a protection belt layer having a circumferential stiffness lower than that of the belt is disposed at an outside of the belt in a radial direction, a ratio of the circumferential stiffness of the protection belt layer to the circumferential stiffness of the belt is less than 0.5, and the protection belt layer is composed of organic fiber cords having a tensile strength at break of not less than 6.3 cN/dtex and a heat shrinkage factor of 0.5-5.

Abstract: In a magnetic coupler device comprising: a magnetic field generation circuit generating a magnetic field according to an input current; and a detection bridge circuit including a pair of magnetoresistance effect devices, a resistance value of each of the magnetoresistance effect devices changing by applying a magnetic field generated by said magnetic field generation circuit to each of the magnetoresistance effect devices, and having two outputs between which a voltage difference is generated according to an intensity of the magnetic field generated by said magnetic field generation circuit, by forming a geometric shape of each of said magnetic field generation circuit and said detection bridge circuit in line symmetric or point symmetric, a high S/N ratio is obtained even with high frequency.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a first line head that ejects a polymerizable ink containing an active energy radiation-polymerizable compound but substantially not containing a coloring agent onto a recording medium to form an undercoat layer, a second line head that ejects a glittering ink onto the undercoat layer to form a glittering image, a third line head that ejects a coloring ink to form a color image, a transport mechanism that transports the recording medium, an irradiation portion that irradiates the undercoat layer with active energy radiation, and a heating portion that dries the glittering ink. The first line head is disposed upstream from the second line head in the recording medium moving direction, and the third line head is disposed downstream from the second line head in the recording medium moving direction.

Abstract: An ink set is used in one or more recording media selected from a non-ink-absorbing or low ink-absorbing medium, a medium having an arithmetic surface roughness Ra of 20 ?m or more, fabric, and plain paper. The ink set contains a glitter ink which is recorded by an ink jet head and contains a glitter pigment and a polymerizable ink which contains an active energy line polymerizable compound and does not substantially contain a coloring material.

Abstract: An electrostatically atomizing kit for use in a vehicle has an atomizing unit in combination with a plurality of differently shaped deflector guides. The atomizing unit is supplied with water and electrostatically atomizing the water into charged minute water particles in the form of a mist to be carried on a conditioned air blowing into a passenger's room through a blow port. The deflector ducts are selectively detachable to the blow port, and are differently shaped to each other to deflect the conditioned air carrying the mist in different directions in order to effectively concentrate the mist carried air to a particular object or item in the passenger's room.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of measuring and evaluating rigidity of a target object or mechanical output, such as force, displacement, and mechanical energy generated by a piezoelectric actuator and applied to the target object, according to only a measured value of electric quantity without use of a mechanical sensor, and a method of controlling the piezoelectric actuator, and a device using these methods. Steps of finding equivalent circuit constants of the piezoelectric actuator; applying a voltage to the piezoelectric actuator and measuring electrical quantity flowing into the piezoelectric actuator due to the applied voltage, or applying an electric charge to the piezoelectric actuator and measuring voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator due to the applied electric charge; and measuring and evaluating one or more of force, displacement, or mechanical energy generated by the piezoelectric actuator and applied to a target object, or rigidity of a target object are included.

Abstract: Blower apparatus has: an air duct having suction and supply openings; a blower fan for creating a flow of air in the duct; and an electrostatic atomizer. The atomizer includes a hollow body exposed to the air in the duct. The body is provided therein with an electrostatic atomization chamber, and has a barrier, an inlet and an outlet. The barrier is put in the duct so that a part of the air flowing in the duct collides with the front of the barrier and thereby pressure-increased air is obtained. The inlet is located at the front side of the barrier so that the pressure-increased air can enter the chamber through the inlet. The outlet is located at the rear side of the barrier so that all the pressure-increased air higher than that of the air flowing in the duct, from the chamber can flow out into the duct.