Abstract: Unintentional damage of a power supply device during assembling of the device is avoided to increase workability of the assembling. The power supply device includes secondary battery cells each including an electrode terminal, a battery holder holding the cells, and a circuit board including a control circuit mounted thereon and electrically connected to the cells to control charging and discharging. A method of manufacturing the device includes connecting, to a board-side ground terminal disposed on the board, a battery-side ground terminal drawn outside from the holder as a ground of a total output of the cells electrically connected in series and/or parallel, mounting the board on a surface of the holder, and connecting, to respective one or more board-side intermediate terminals disposed on the board, one or more battery-side intermediate terminals disposed on the holder being electrically connected to at least one of the cells.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor storage device includes a lower electrode layer, a lower insulator, an upper electrode layer and an upper insulator along a first direction. The device further includes a first insulator provided on a side of a second direction of the upper electrode layer, and a second insulator provided between the upper electrode layer and the lower/upper/first insulator. The device further includes a charge storage layer, a third insulator and a semiconductor layer sequentially provided on a side of the second direction of the first insulator. A side face of the first insulator on a side of the upper electrode layer has a convex shape, the charge storage layer includes a first portion having a first thickness, and a second portion having a second thickness less than the first thickness, and the first portion is in contact with the first insulator.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.

Abstract: A power supply controlling apparatus includes a first power supply unit that supplies DC power to a load using power supplied from a commercial power supply, a power detecting unit that detects an input voltage and an input current input from the commercial power supply to the first power supply unit, and a control unit that controls the input current to be a constant current having an upper limit current value in response to the input voltage by controlling DC power supplied to the load from the first power supply unit based on the input voltage and the input current which are detected by the power detecting unit.

Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat pad; a backboard disposed on a back side of the seat pad; and a seat cover covering the seat pad and the backboard. The seat cover includes a pair of covering pieces adjacent to each other on the backboard-side, and a slide fastener that connects the covering pieces. When the slide fastener is closed with use of a slider, an end portion of the slide fastener is projected from an edge end of the seat cover in a state where the slider is disposed in the end portion of the slide fastener. The backboard is provided with an insertion portion. When the end portion of the closed slide fastener is disposed on a reverse side of the seat cover, the end portion of the slide fastener and the slider are inserted in and locked to the insertion portion.

Abstract: A power supply controlling apparatus includes a first power supply unit that supplies DC power to a load using power supplied from a commercial power supply, a power detecting unit that detects an input voltage and an input current input from the commercial power supply to the first power supply unit, and a control unit that controls the input current to be a constant current having an upper limit current value in response to the input voltage by controlling DC power supplied to the load from the first power supply unit based on the input voltage and the input current which are detected by the power detecting unit.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.

Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat pad; a backboard disposed on a back side of the seat pad; and a seat cover covering the seat pad and the backboard. The seat cover includes a pair of covering pieces adjacent to each other on the backboard-side, and a slide fastener that connects the covering pieces. When the slide fastener is closed with use of a slider, an end portion of the slide fastener is projected from an edge end of the seat cover in a state where the slider is disposed in the end portion of the slide fastener. The backboard is provided with an insertion portion. When the end portion of the closed slide fastener is disposed on a reverse side of the seat cover, the end portion of the slide fastener and the slider are inserted in and locked to the insertion portion.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.

Abstract: An electric power supplying device includes a main power supply that supplies electric power to each component of an apparatus, an auxiliary power supply that supplies electric power to an assisted component in the apparatus, the assisted component requiring power supply during start-up time of the apparatus and having a whose start-up time being equal to or longer than a predetermined period of time, a discharging control circuit that controls the auxiliary power supply to cause the auxiliary power supply to output a voltage, the output voltage being lower than a voltage output by the main power supply and being equal to or more than a lower limit voltage of a voltage range that the assisted component is operable, and a power supply prevention circuit that prevents the auxiliary power supply from supplying power to a component other than the assisted component in the apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to fix an image on a recording medium by heating the recording medium, multiple heat storing devices to store heat generated at the fixing device, an electric generating element to generate power by converting the heat into power, and a switch to switch connection and disconnection between the electric generating element and at least one of the multiple heat storing devices.

Abstract: An electric power supplying device includes a main power supply that supplies electric power to each component of an apparatus, an auxiliary power supply that supplies electric power to an assisted component in the apparatus, the assisted component requiring power supply during start-up time of the apparatus and having a whose start-up time being equal to or longer than a predetermined period of time, a discharging control circuit that controls the auxiliary power supply to cause the auxiliary power supply to output a voltage, the output voltage being lower than a voltage output by the main power supply and being equal to or more than a lower limit voltage of a voltage range that the assisted component is operable, and a power supply prevention circuit that prevents the auxiliary power supply from supplying power to a component other than the assisted component in the apparatus.

Abstract: A commercial AC power shutdown detecting apparatus includes a photocoupler including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, a lighting circuit that flows a pulsating current through the light-emitting element of the photocoupler to turn on and off light of the light-emitting element, a charging-discharging circuit including a capacitor and a resistor that charges the capacitor via the resistor when the light-emitting element is turned off, and discharges the capacitor via the light-receiving element and the a resistor when the light-emitting element is turned on, and a comparing circuit that compares a voltage value between capacitor terminals with a predetermined voltage value intermediate between a maximum voltage value between the capacitor terminals when the light-emitting element repeats turning light on and off and the consistent DC voltage value, and outputs a shutdown detection signal if the voltage value between the capacitor terminals exceeds the predetermined voltage value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heat-generating component, a power generation device including a thermoelectric element, a heat radiation device, a cooling device, a temperature detector that detects a temperature increase of the heat-generating component, and a controller. The heat radiation device includes a first radiator plate interposed between the heat-generating component and a surface of the thermoelectric element and a second radiator plate attached to another surface of the thermoelectric element. The cooling device cools the first radiator plate. The controller controls operations of the cooling device and the power generation device by operating the cooling device if the detected temperature increase reaches at least a predetermined threshold value, and causing the power generation device to generate power without operating the cooling device to cool the first radiator plate passively if the detected temperature increase falls below the predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heat generator configured to generate heat in the image forming apparatus; a converter including a capacitor to convert AC power supplied from an external power supply into DC power for a load unit; a thermoelectric transducer configured to convert the generated heat into DC power for the load unit; a detector configured to detect a voltage of the AC power; and a controller configured to cause the converter to continue supplying the DC power to the load unit when a first elapsed time elapsed since the detected voltage drops below a rated voltage is shorter than a first time period shorter than an upper limit of a period of time over which the capacitor is dischargeable, and cause the thermoelectric transducer to supply the DC power to the load unit when the first elapsed time exceeds the first time period.

Abstract: An activation control apparatus includes a voltage fluctuation obtainer to obtain voltage fluctuation amplitude of an external power source at a given voltage, the voltage fluctuation caused when activating an apparatus using the external power source; a voltage fluctuation detector to detect the voltage fluctuation of the external power source at the given voltage; an activation controller to determine whether the voltage fluctuation amplitude obtained by the voltage fluctuation obtainer at the given voltage of the external power source, detected by the voltage fluctuation detector, is within a preset allowable voltage fluctuation range, and to control activation of the apparatus using the external power source based on a result of the voltage fluctuation determination made by the activation controller.