Abstract: A piezoelectric material which is low in load on the environment, and also satisfies both the requirements of a high piezoelectric constant and a high mechanical quality factor. The piezoelectric material comprises a plurality of crystal grains containing Ba, Ca, Ti, Zr, Mn, and O. An average equivalent circle diameter of the crystal grains is not smaller than 1.0 ?m and not larger than 10 ?m. The crystal grains include crystal grains A each having a first domain with a width of not smaller than 300 nm and not larger than 800 nm, and crystal grains B each having a second domain with a width of not smaller than 20 nm and not larger than 50 nm.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing an oscillator, including: arranging an electrode on a piezoelectric ceramics free from being subjected to polarization treatment, to thereby provide a piezoelectric element; bonding the piezoelectric element and a diaphragm to each other at a temperature T1; bonding the piezoelectric element and a power supply member to each other at a temperature T2; and subjecting the piezoelectric ceramics to polarization treatment at a temperature T3, in which the temperature T1, the temperature T2, and the temperature T3 satisfy a relationship T1>T3 and a relationship T2>T3.

Abstract: Provided are a piezoelectric ceramics which does not contain lead, has small temperature dependence of a piezoelectric constant within an operating temperature range, and has high density, a high mechanical quality factor, a satisfactory piezoelectric constant, and a small surface roughness, and a method of manufacturing the piezoelectric ceramics. The method of manufacturing a piezoelectric ceramics is characterized by including: sintering a compact containing a raw material at 1,000° C. or more to obtain a sintered compact; abrading the sintered compact; and annealing the abraded sintered compact at a temperature of 800° C. or more and less than 1,000° C.

Abstract: A piezoelectric material having a large electromechanical coupling coefficient is provided. The material is manufactured by a method including the steps of: heating a piezoelectric material having a low-temperature side ferroelectric phase A and a high-temperature side ferroelectric phase B between which the phase of the piezoelectric material transitions according to a temperature change, from room temperature to a temperature range higher than T(B?A) at which temperature a change from the ferroelectric phase B to the ferroelectric phase A occurs in a temperature lowering process and lower than T(A?B) at which temperature a change from the ferroelectric phase A to the ferroelectric phase B occurs in a temperature rising process; starting application of an electric field to the piezoelectric material in a state where it is held within this temperature range; and continuing and finishing the electric field application at a temperature lower than T(A?B).

Abstract: A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric material layer and an electrode layer, wherein the piezoelectric material layer and the electrode layer are stacked on top of each other, the piezoelectric material layer includes a barium titanate-based material, and two coercive fields Ec1 and Ec2 of the piezoelectric element have the same sign and satisfy (|Ec2|?|Ec1|)?8 kV/cm.

Abstract: A vibrator which is constructed by bonding a piezoelectric element and an elastic body together via a bonding layer. The piezoelectric element has a piezoelectric ceramic and electrodes. The bonding layer has an unbonded region that is located close to a nodal line of a vibration in a primary out-of-plane vibration mode when the vibration is excited in the vibrator, and in the unbonded region, the piezoelectric element and the elastic body are not bonded together.

Abstract: An indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus includes a suction grille having an air inlet through which air flows in, a decorative panel to which the suction grille is mounted and having an air outlet through which the air flows out, a casing to which the decorative panel is mounted and defining an air passage between the air inlet and the air outlet, a fan located to face the suction grille in the casing and configured to cause the air to flow in through the air inlet and flow out through the air outlet, a heat exchanger located in the air passage between the fan and the air outlet in the casing and configured to exchange heat between refrigerant flowing in the heat exchanger and the air, and a refrigerant detection sensor configured to detect leakage of the refrigerant.

Abstract: Provided is a recording device that performs recording on a recording medium by repeating a pass operation of discharging ink from a recording head onto the recording medium during a main scanning operation of moving the recording head in a main scanning direction, and a sub-scanning operation of moving the recording medium relative to the recording head in a sub-scanning direction intersecting with the main scanning direction. An electronic controller stops the main scanning unit for a predetermined stop time determined based on a gap that is a distance between a head surface of the recording head and a recording surface of the recording medium supported by a support unit, prior to the pass operation.

Abstract: A fall prevention structure of an electric component cover in a refrigeration cycle apparatus includes an electric component box housing an electric component of a refrigeration cycle apparatus. The electric component box includes a casing, a side of which is open, and an electric component cover configured to cover, in an upright position, an opening of the casing and to be screwed to the casing. The electric component cover includes a catch including a backward-extending portion and an upward-extending portion. The backward-extending portion extends backward from an upper end portion of the electric component cover. The upward-extending portion extends upward from an end portion of the backward-extending portion. In a state in which the electric component cover is screwed to the casing, the catch is inserted into an insertion slot disposed in a portion extending in an up-down direction of the casing.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element, in which a piezoelectric material layer has a plurality of crystal particles and a plurality of void portions and, in at least one of two or more of the piezoelectric material layers, when the average thickness in the lamination direction of the piezoelectric material layer is defined as TP, the average circle-equivalent diameter of the plurality of crystal particles is defined as DG, the maximum length in the lamination direction of the plurality of void portions not contacting the electrode layers is defined as LV, and the average thickness of the electrode layers contacting the at least one piezoelectric material layer is defined as TE, 0.07TP?DG?0.33TP and TE?LV?0.3TP are established and the lead content is less than 1000 ppm.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic motor including an annular vibrator and an annular moving member that is brought into pressure-contact with the vibrator. The vibrator includes an annular vibrating plate and an annular piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element includes an annular lead-free piezoelectric ceramic piece, a common electrode arranged on one surface of the piezoelectric ceramic piece, and a plurality of electrodes arranged on the other surface of the piezoelectric ceramic piece. The plurality of electrodes include two drive phase electrodes, one or more non-drive phase electrodes, and one or more detection phase electrodes. A second surface of the vibrating plate includes a plurality of groove regions extending radially, and the depths of the groove regions change in a circumferential direction along a curve obtained by superimposing one or more sine waves on one another. The ultrasonic motor exhibits a sufficient drive speed while suppressing generation of an unnecessary vibration wave.

Abstract: An indoor unit includes a main body unit including a housing having an opening hole for pipe formed on a part of a side surface of the main body unit, a refrigerant pipe connection part projecting from inside to outside of the housing through the opening hole for pipe, and an attachment plate holding and fixing the refrigerant pipe connection part together with the housing to close the opening hole for pipe. The opening hole for pipe is formed over a first side surface on a side of the housing from which the refrigerant pipe connection part projects and a second side surface adjacent to the first side surface, and the attachment plate has an L shape including planes corresponding to the opening hole for pipe over the first side surface and the second side surface.

Abstract: An indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus includes a shell in which a light-receiving window is formed; a display unit attached to an inner surface of the shell; and a cover attached to the display unit, the cover covering the light-receiving window. The cover includes a first end portion, a second end portion located opposite to the first end portion, one of a first engagement portion and a first engagement-receiving portion provided at the first end portion, the first engagement-receiving portion being engaged with the first engagement portion, and one of a first lug portion and a first lug-receiving portion provided at the second end portion, the first lug-receiving portion being engaged with the first lug portion. The display unit includes the other of the first engagement portion and the first engagement-receiving portion, and the other of the first lug portion and the first lug-receiving portion.

Abstract: An indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus includes a heat-medium heat exchanger, an air vent valve, a drain pan, and a hose. The heat-medium heat exchanger is provided in a housing to cause heat exchange to be performed between a heat medium and indoor air. The air vent valve allows air to escape from a heat medium passage that allows the heat medium to flow in the heat-medium heat exchanger. The drain pan is provided below the heat-medium heat exchanger to receive condensation water generated at a surface of the heat-medium heat exchanger. The hose has flexibility, and is attached to the air vent valve, and provided to let out the air along with the heat medium from the heat medium passage to the inner space in the drain pan. The hose has a double-wall structure and an upper end portion of the hose is fixed to the air vent valve.

Abstract: A piezoelectric material including a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1); Bi; and Mn, wherein the content of Bi is 0.1-0.5 mol % with respect to 1 mol of the metal oxide, the content of Mn is 0.3-1.5 mol % with respect to 1 mol of the metal oxide, and the piezoelectric material satisfies (L4?L5)/L5?0.05 and (L8?L9)/L9?0.05 when the lengths of twelve Bi—O bonds with Bi that is located at a 12-fold site with respect to O in a perovskite-type unit cell as a starting point are taken to be L1 to L12 in length order: (Ba1-xM1x)(Ti1-yM2y)O3??(1) wherein 0?x?0.2, 0?y?0.1, and M1 and M2 are mutually different metal elements which have a total valence of +6 and are selected from other elements than Ba, Ti, Bi and Mn.

Abstract: The indoor unit of an air-conditioning unit includes: an opening; a cover; a heat medium heat exchanger; and an air processing unit. The air purge valve is positioned on a rear side in a projection direction of the opening inside the casing. The cover includes, on its one side, a single hook protruding from its cover body. The cover includes, on its side opposite to the one side, a temporarily fixing tab configured to temporarily fix the cover to the casing with the cover body closing the opening.

Abstract: Provided is a packing material which packs at least a unit main body of an air conditioner to be installed in a ceiling, the packing material including: a cover part for covering an opening part through which components inside the unit main body are exposed; and a cut and bent up part which has a slit part for inserting a protruding portion of the unit main body and fixes the cover part on the unit main body. The packing material can eliminate the need for a curing sheet and a tape for fixing the curing sheet while keeping out dust etc.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element in which, at a time when the piezoelectric element is manufactured, a piezoelectric material is prevented from being exposed to a temperature higher than a Curie temperature thereof to be depolarized, to thereby significantly decrease piezoelectric properties. The method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element includes a first step of arranging a plurality of electrodes on a piezoelectric material, electrically short-circuiting two or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, and subjecting the piezoelectric material to heat treatment, and a second step of, after the first step, electrically opening the short circuit of the two or more electrodes at a time when a temperature of the piezoelectric material decreases to less than a temperature of the piezoelectric material at a time of the heat treatment.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element that can decrease the output voltage for detection relative to the input voltage for driving without requiring a step-down circuit between a detection phase electrode and a phase comparator and an oscillatory wave motor including the piezoelectric element are provided. A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric material having a first surface and a second surface, a common electrode disposed on the first surface, and a drive phase electrode and a detection phase electrode disposed on the second surface. An absolute value d(1) of a piezoelectric constant of the piezoelectric material in a portion (1) sandwiched between the drive phase electrode and the common electrode and an absolute value d(2) of a piezoelectric constant of the piezoelectric material in a portion (2) sandwiched between the detection phase electrode and the common electrode satisfy d(2)<d(1). An oscillatory wave motor includes this piezoelectric element.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor includes an annular vibrator and an annular moving member that is brought into pressure-contact with the vibrator. The vibrator includes an annular vibrating plate and an annular piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element includes an annular lead-free piezoelectric ceramic piece, a common electrode arranged on one surface of the piezoelectric ceramic piece, and a plurality of electrodes arranged on the other surface of the piezoelectric ceramic piece. The plurality of electrodes include two drive phase electrodes, one or more non-drive phase electrodes, and one or more detection phase electrodes. A second surface of the vibrating plate includes a plurality of groove regions extending radially, and the depths of the groove regions change in a circumferential direction along a curve obtained by superimposing one or more sine waves on one another. The ultrasonic motor exhibits a sufficient drive speed while suppressing generation of an unnecessary vibration wave.