Abstract: A method controls a battery pack that includes a rechargeable battery, a control circuit that controls charge operation of the battery, and a charge control element that controls the charge current through the control circuit. In the method, even though the control circuit controls the charge control element so that the charge control element turns to OFF, in a case where the charge current is detected, the control circuit determines that abnormality occurs if detecting that the current flows at a rate not less than a first current value during a first detection period, and additionally determines that abnormality occurs if detecting a state the current flows at a rate less than the first current value for a second detection period longer than the first detection period.

Abstract: A carrier and a two-component developer are provided. A coating resin layer for coating a core material contains fine particles of titanium oxide which comprise an anatase-type crystal and a rutile-type crystal, and a carrier coating amount of the coating resin layer falls in a range of from 5% by weight to 20% by weight. In addition, a content rate of the rutile-type crystal falls in a range of from 5% to 20% on the basis of the total amount of crystal, and the weight of the fine particles of titanium oxide falls in a range of from 5% by weight to 50% by weight relative to the weight of the core material. Further, the primary particle size of the fine particles of titanium oxide falls in a range of from 40 nm to 80 nm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum degassing apparatus and a vacuum degassing method for molten glass, which can suppress generation of bubbles on an interface between molten glass and a wall face of a conduit for molten glass such as a vacuum degassing vessel, an uprising pipe or a downfalling pipe that constitute a vacuum degassing apparatus, or influence of lowering of vacuum degassing effect due to rise of the level of molten glass in the vacuum degassing vessel, and which can stably exhibit the effect of vacuum degassing.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a molten glass producing apparatus realizing simultaneously the production of a glass article of high quality and save-energy in producing molten glass, a molten glass producing method employing the molten glass producing apparatus and a method for producing a glass article. In the molten glass producing apparatus having a vacuum degassing apparatus, the melting tank is provided with a separating means for separating the area for circulating the molten glass in the melting tank into an upstream circulation flow and a downstream circulation flow, the distance from the separating means to the downstream end of the molten glass flow path in the melting tank is from 0.1 LE to 0.

Abstract: The battery pack updating method updates firmware stored in internal control circuit memory 24 via an update signal sent from a main device 1 that supplies power. When battery pack memory is updated, an AC adapter 3 is connected to the main device, and power is supplied to the main device from the AC adapter. The updating method transmits a charging and discharging blocking signal from the main device to the battery pack 2 control circuit 21 via a communication line 19. The charging and discharging blocking signal stops discharge from the battery pack 2 rechargeable battery 20, and stops charging of the rechargeable battery 20. With rechargeable battery 20 discharging and charging to and from the main device stopped by the charging and discharging blocking signal, the updating method transmits update data from the main device to the battery pack 2 control circuit 21 to update memory 24.

Abstract: The rechargeable battery abnormality detection apparatus is provided with an internal short circuit detection section (20b) that monitors rechargeable battery (1) voltage change when no charging or discharging takes place, and detects internal short circuit abnormality when battery voltage drop during a predetermined time period exceeds a preset threshold voltage; a degradation appraisal section (20d) that judges the degree of rechargeable battery degradation; and a threshold control section (20c) that incrementally increases the threshold voltage according to the degree of degradation determined by the degradation appraisal section (20d).

Abstract: A battery pack includes a switching element, a heat resistor, and a fuse. The switching element turns to ON if the battery pack becomes in an abnormal state. The heat resistor is connected to the switching element and a battery in series. Current flows through the heat resistor when the switching element turns to ON. The fuse is located in a position where the fuse is heated by the heat resistor through which the current flows. The fuse is connected to the battery in series so that the fuse is disconnected with heat by the heat resistor at high temperature. Thus, the fuse cuts off a current flow in the battery. If the battery pack is in an abnormal state, when the capacity or voltage of the battery is less than a preset capacity or voltage value, the fuse is disconnected with heat by turning the switching element to ON.

Abstract: A battery pack provided with a current cut-off device connected in series with batteries, a tamper detector to detect tampering and issue a tamper signal, and a control circuit connected to the tamper detector. If the tamper detector detects tampering with the battery pack, the control circuit switches the current cut-off device off to shut off current to the batteries, or it issues a tamper signal.

Abstract: A carrier has a thermosetting silicone resin layer formed of a core particle and a thermosetting silicone resin on the surface of the core particle, and the thermosetting silicone resin layer is formed by subjecting a thermosetting silicone resin to a thermosetting treatment at a temperature lower than the melting point of a charge control agent contained in the thermosetting silicone resin layer, and includes an inner region which contains a positively chargeable charge control agent and an outer region which does not contain any positively chargeable charge control agent. The two-component developer containing the carrier as described above is charged into a developing device in an image forming apparatus to form an image.

Abstract: The battery pack is provided with an analog front-end 2 that detects battery 1 voltage, and a micro-controller 3 connected to the analog front-end 2 that accepts analog voltage signals from the analog front-end 2 as input. The micro-controller 3 switches voltage signals input from the analog front-end 2 to determine failure of the analog front-end 2 or the micro-controller 3.

Abstract: A tester according to the present invention can conduct a test on optical devices each having a different positional relation between a position of a contact face of an external contact terminal and a direction of light emitted from a semiconductor laser element.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for preventing recurrence of psychostimulant-induced psychosis and schizophrenia. This therapeutic agent for preventing recurrence of psychostimulant-induced psychosis and schizophrenia includes a drug that amplifies serotonin signals as an active component. This therapeutic agent for preventing recurrence of psychostimulant-induced psychosis and schizophrenia includes a drug that amplifies serotonin signals as an active component. This therapeutic agent for preventing recurrence of psychostimulant-induced psychosis and schizophrenia includes a drug that amplifies serotonin signals as an active component.

Abstract: A carrier and a two-component developer are provided. A coating resin layer for coating a core material contains fine particles of titanium oxide which comprise an anatase-type crystal and a rutile-type crystal, and a carrier coating amount of the coating resin layer falls in a range of from 5% by weight to 20% by weight. In addition, a content rate of the rutile-type crystal falls in a range of from 5% to 20% on the basis of the total amount of crystal, and the weight of the fine particles of titanium oxide falls in a range of from 5% by weight to 50% by weight relative to the weight of the core material. Further, the primary particle size of the fine particles of titanium oxide falls in a range of from 40 nm to 80 nm.

Abstract: The battery pack of the present invention is provided with a current cut-off device connected in series with batteries, a tamper detector to detect tampering and issue a tamper signal, and a control circuit connected to the tamper detector. If the tamper detector detects tampering with the battery pack, the control circuit switches the current cut-off device off to shut off current to the batteries, or it issues a tamper signal.

Abstract: a battery pack includes a switching element, a heat resistor, and a fuse. The switching element turns to ON if the battery pack becomes in an abnormal state. The heat resistor is connected to the switching element and a battery in serial. Current flows through the heat resistor when the switching element turns to ON. The fuse is located in a position where the fuse is heated by the heat resistor through which the current flows. The fuse is connected to the battery in serial so that the fuse is disconnected with heat by the heat resistor at high temperature. Thus, the fuse cut a current flow in the battery. If the battery pack is in an abnormal state, when the capacity or voltage of the battery is less than a preset capacity or voltage value, the fuse is disconnected with heat by turning the switching element to ON.

Abstract: A method controls a battery pack that includes a rechargeable battery, a control circuit that controls charge operation of the battery, and a charge control element that controls the charge current through the control circuit. In the method, even though the control circuit controls the charge control element so that the charge control element turns to OFF, in a case where the charge current is detected, the control circuit determines that abnormality occurs if detecting that the current flows at a rate not less than a first current value during a first detection period, and additionally determines that abnormality occurs if detecting a state the current flows at a rate less than the first current value for a second detection period longer than the first detection period.

Abstract: Providing an optical transceiver module that reduces electric crosstalk between a light emitting device and a photodetector while providing an excellent high-frequency characteristic, and an optical transceiver including the same. According to the invention, a first metal plate having a first substrate for mounting a light emitting device and a at second metal plate having a second substrate for mounting a photodetector are provided separately and independently of each other in a resin package, thus reducing the parasitic capacitance. This provides an optical transceiver module capable of suppressing electric crosstalk where part of a high-frequency signal causes a variation in the potential at a terminal of a photodetector while improving the high frequency characteristic in driving the light emitting device with a high-frequency signal, and an optical transceiver including the same.

Abstract: A non-magnetic single component developing device that is included in combination with a photoreceptor in an image forming apparatus 1 of the electro-photographic system. The non-magnetic single component developing device includes a developing roller, a supplying roller, a doctor, a toner bath and a stirring blade. The supplying roller contains a rubber foam at least in its surface layer portion, the rubber foam including closed cells and open cells and having a foam ratio (porosity) of 0.75 to 0.85 and an average foam cell diameter of 350 to 500 ?m.

Abstract: The battery pack is provided with batteries, a charging FET device to control battery charging, a discharging FET device to control battery discharging, and a control section to control the charging FET device and the discharging FET device. If one FET device is in the ON state and the other FET device is in the OFF state, and furthermore, current flow greater than or equal to a prescribed value is detected through the body (=parasitic) diode of the OFF state FET device for greater than or equal to a prescribed time interval, the control section switches the ON state FET device to the OFF state to prevent damage to the OFF state FET device.

Abstract: A tester according to the present invention can conduct a test on optical devices each having a different positional relation between a position of a contact face of an external contact terminal and a direction of light emitted from a semiconductor laser element.