Abstract: In a double-sided document transport device having a document reverse mechanism for suppressing the occurrence of jam and deterioration of read image, after a document is transported to a reading position, it is transported to the reading position again to read a rear side thereof through a reverse path. The device has discharge rollers disposed on an upper side and pinch rollers disposed on a lower side. The discharge rollers discharge a document as well as guides it to the reverse path by reversing it while claming the rear end thereof. The pinch rollers are fixed, and the discharge rollers are separated therefrom approximately upward about a rotation shaft of a transport unit. For this purpose, the discharge rollers are pressed against the pinch rollers and separated therefrom by a cancel lever. A drive system has two transmission routes one of which is reversed through a torque limiter and the other is reversed through an electromagnetic clutch.

Abstract: A feeding method and apparatus for breeding natural enemy insects necessary for establishing a farming system that uses less or no pesticides and a rearing method for breeding natural enemy insects are provided. A feeding apparatus including a food supplying section, a feeding section, and a food introducing section via which the food supplying section and the feeding section are in communication with each other, and an attracting section made of a material having a specific color tone is designed, and is used to breed natural enemy insects.

Abstract: A sheet convey apparatus includes a main feed roller, retard roller, torque limiter, retard roller guide, a pair of bearings, and a spring. The main feed roller rotates in a predetermined direction in contact with one surface of a paper sheet, to give to the sheet a force to convey the sheet in a sheet convey direction. The retard roller is arranged to oppose the main feed roller and gives to the sheet with which the retard roller is in contact a force to convey the sheet in a direction opposite to the sheet convey direction. The torque limiter limits a torque of the retard roller and rotates the retard roller in the sheet convey direction when the torque exceeds a predetermined limit. The retard roller guide includes at least a surface inclined with respect to a plane connecting central axes of the main feed roller and retard roller at an angle in a range of 0° (exclusive) to 90° (inclusive). The inclined surface is located in the vicinity of the central axis of the retard roller.

Abstract: An image scanner apparatus is composed of a housing, an optical unit positioned in the housing, a drive mechanism driving the optical unit. The drive mechanism includes first and second wires connected to the optical unit, and a drive motor driving the first and second wires. One end of the first wire is connected to a first fixture, and one end of the second wire is connected to a second fixture. The first fixture is secured to a first wire-retaining member positioned outside the housing at a first securing position, and the first wire-retaining member retains the first fixture so that the first securing position is adjustable.

Abstract: In order to improve reliability by preventing an edge breakdown in a semiconductor photodetector having a mesa structure such as a mesa APD, the semiconductor photodetector comprises a mesa structure formed on a first semiconductor layer of the first conduction type formed on a semiconductor substrate, the mesa structure including a light absorbing layer for absorbing light, an electric field buffer layer for dropping an electric field intensity, an avalanche multiplication layer for causing avalanche multiplication to occur, and a second semiconductor layer of the second conduction type, wherein the thickness of the avalanche multiplication layer at the portion in the vicinity of the side face of the mesa structure is made thinner than the thickness at the central portion of the mesa structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor photodetection device includes a photodetection layer formed of an alternate and repetitive stacking of an optical absorption layer accumulating therein a compressive strain and a stress-compensating layer accumulating therein a compensating tensile strain, wherein the optical absorption layer has a thickness larger than a thickness of the stress-compensating layer.

Abstract: An illuminant for converting ultraviolet rays directly radiated outside from an opening of a glass tube into visible light is disposed outside a light source. The light source and the illuminant are disposed in approximately symmetrical positions sandwiching a vertical surface orthogonal to a moving direction of the light source, that is, a direction of Y and including an original reading position.

Abstract: In a double-sided document transport device having a document reverse mechanism for suppressing the occurrence of jam and deterioration of read image, after a document is transported to a reading position, it is transported to the reading position again to read a rear side thereof through a reverse path. The device has discharge rollers disposed on an upper side and pinch rollers disposed on a lower side. The discharge rollers discharge a document as well as guides it to the reverse path by reversing it while claming the rear end thereof. The pinch rollers are fixed, and the discharge rollers are separated therefrom approximately upward about a rotation shaft of a transport unit. For this purpose, the discharge rollers are pressed against the pinch rollers and separated therefrom by a cancel lever. A drive system has two transmission routes one of which is reversed through a torque limiter and the other is reversed through an electromagnetic clutch.

Abstract: A module 1 movable over the original surface 110 of the original reader 100 has a metal sheet frame 4disposed in the vicinity of its gravitational center G and having a substantially channel-like shape. A first and a second optical systems 2 and 3 and a drive source 6 assembled to be integral with a flat part 40 of the metal sheet frame 4. Thus, a reduced-size, improved quality and improved-accuracy original reader to be used for facsimile devices and image scanners is obtained.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder is mounted on a platen cover, which is located on a housing of a manuscript scanning section and movable relative to the housing to have open and shut states. The automatic document feeder is provided with: a manuscript stacker adapted to have manuscripts stacked on it; an outer frame structure having the manuscript stacker movable to attain the open and shut states; and a handle section provided integrally with the outer frame structure and disposed anteriorly to the manuscript stacker. The space between the manuscript stacker and the platen cover serves as a manuscript discharging section. The handle section is formed in a shape so as to avoid narrowing the entrance for inserting a hand into the manuscript discharging section.

Abstract: A sheet convey apparatus includes a main feed roller, retard roller, torque limiter, retard roller guide, a pair of bearings, and a spring. The main feed roller rotates in a predetermined direction in contact with one surface of a paper sheet, to give to the sheet a force to convey the sheet in a sheet convey direction. The retard roller is arranged to oppose the main feed roller and gives to the sheet with which the retard roller is in contact a force to convey the sheet in a direction opposite to the sheet convey direction. The torque limiter limits a torque of the retard roller and rotates the retard roller in the sheet convey direction when the torque exceeds a predetermined limit. The retard roller guide includes at least a surface inclined with respect to a plane connecting central axes of the main feed roller and retard roller at an angle in a range of 0° (exclusive) to 90° (inclusive). The inclined surface is located in the vicinity of the central axis of the retard roller.

Abstract: An image scanner apparatus is composed of a housing, an optical unit positioned in the housing, a drive mechanism driving the optical unit. The drive mechanism includes first and second wires connected to the optical unit, and a drive motor driving the first and second wires. One end of the first wire is connected to a first fixture, and one end of the second wire is connected to a second fixture. The first fixture is secured to a first wire-retaining member positioned outside the housing at a first securing position, and the first wire-retaining member retains the first fixture so that the first securing position is adjustable.

Abstract: A capacitor (1) using a flexible substrate (2) includes a hole portion (6a) formed in a dielectric (6) to connect an upper electrode (7) to an external leader electrode (4). At least part of the hole portion (6a) extends from its lower end to upper end at an inclination between 0.1 and 20° with respect to a top surface of the external leader electrode (4). Then, an upper end corner of an inclined wall surface of the upper electrode (7), which inclines along the hole portion (6a) of the dielectric (6), has a downward inclination between 0.1 and 20°. A lower end corner of the inclined wall surface of the upper electrode (7), which inclines along the hole portion of the dielectric (6), has an upward inclination between 0.1 and 20°. As a result, stress concentration on the corners of the upper electrode (7) is drastically reduced to prevent the upper electrode (7) from cracking.

Abstract: A capacitor (1) using a flexible substrate (2) includes a hole portion (6a) formed in a dielectric (6) to connect an upper electrode (7) to an external leader electrode (4). At least part of the hole portion (6a) extends from its lower end to upper end at an inclination between 0.1 and 20° with respect to a top surface of the external leader electrode (4). Then, an upper end corner of an inclined wall surface of the upper electrode (7), which inclines along the hole portion (6a) of the dielectric (6), has a downward inclination between 0.1 and 20°. A lower end corner of the inclined wall surface of the upper electrode (7), which inclines along the hole portion of the dielectric (6), has an upward inclination between 0.1 and 20°. As a result, stress concentration on the corners of the upper electrode (7) is drastically reduced to prevent the upper electrode (7) from cracking.

Abstract: An object is to improve machinability and polishability of a brass material prepared through cold working, particularly in a brass pipe material. Before cold working, by having an &agr; phase making heat treatment step for increasing an area ratio of an &agr; phase, cold ductility can be ensured at the time of cold working. Also, after cold working, by having a &bgr; phase making heat treatment step for increasing an area ratio of a &bgr; phase, a brass material excellent in machinability and polishability can be provided.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image scanning unit which has: a CCD substrate which is mounted on a block; three groups of adjustment fastening members to position the CCD substrate in three dimensional directions orthogonal to one another; and a springy member to press each of the adjustment fastening members against receiving part of each of the adjustment fastening members; wherein the three groups of adjustment fastening members are of a first group of fastening members to conduct the focus adjustment by independently positioning the CCD substrate in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the CCD substrate at both ends of CCD in the longitudinal direction, a second group of fastening members to conduct the sub-scanning adjustment by independently positioning the CCD substrate in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the CCD substrate within the plane of the CCD substrate at both ends of CCD in the longitudinal direction, and a third group of fastening member tot conduct the main-scanning adjustment

Abstract: An illuminant for converting ultraviolet rays directly radiated outside from an opening of a glass tube into visible light is disposed outside a light source. The light source and the illuminant are disposed in approximately symmetrical positions sandwiching a vertical surface orthogonal to a moving direction of the light source, that is, a direction of Y and including an original reading position.

Abstract: A semiconductor photodetection device includes a photodetection layer formed of an alternate and repetitive stacking of an optical absorption layer accumulating therein a compressive strain and a stress-compensating layer accumulating therein a compensating tensile strain, wherein the optical absorption layer has a thickness larger than a thickness of the stress-compensating layer.

Abstract: An image scanner of the type projecting the image of a document on a one-dimensional image sensor while maintaining the length of an optical path between the image sensor and a document scanning position constant is disclosed. A stop member is fitted on one end of a wire and affixed to a rail. The wire is turned back via a driven pulley rotatably mounted on a half-speed carriage and then affixed to a full-speed carriage at a preselected point of the wire. Subsequently, the wire is again turned back by a driven pulley, and then turned back via a driven pulley rotatably mounted on the half-speed carriage. A stop member is fitted on the other end of the wire and temporarily affixed to the rail.

Abstract: A hand scanner for scanning a document by being moved by hand and sending the resulting image data to a host is disclosed. The scanner is easily movable over a document without meandering. Because the scanner includes a minimum number of parts, it is small in size and simple in configuration.