Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates disposed to be opposed to each other, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the pair of substrates, a lower-layer electrode disposed between one of the substrates and the liquid crystal layer, an insulating film that covers the lower-layer electrode, and an upper-layer electrode disposed on the insulating film. The lower-layer electrode includes a plurality of lower-layer electrode fingers spaced a predetermined interval apart from each other. The upper-layer electrode includes a plurality of upper-layer electrode fingers spaced a predetermined interval apart. The plurality of lower-layer electrode fingers intersects the plurality of upper-layer electrode fingers at a predetermined angle greater than 0 degrees and smaller than 90 degrees if viewed from a direction normal to the one of the substrates.

Abstract: A solar cell module includes a light guide body that guides incident light to propagate therein, and a solar cell element that receives the light propagating within the light guide body, wherein the light guide body is made of a light-transmissive base material and has a curved surface in at least a part thereof.

Abstract: A light diffusion member includes a light-transmissive base, a plurality of light diffusion portions, a connecting portion, and a light absorbing layer. The light diffusion portions are arranged on one surface of the base and have light-incident end surfaces each positioned on the side away from the base and having a larger area than a light-emergent end surface thereof. The connecting portion connects at least two adjacent ones of the plural light diffusion portions to each other, and is positioned near the light-incident end surfaces of the adjacent light diffusion portions. The light absorbing layer is formed on the one surface of the base in a region different from a region where the light diffusion portions are formed. A size from the light-incident end surface to the light-emergent end surface of the light diffusion portion is larger than a thickness of the light absorbing layer.

Abstract: A noise reduction device including a noise detection microphone including a high-frequency noise detection microphone and a low-frequency noise detection microphone for respectively detecting a high-frequency noise and a low-frequency noise generated from a noise source; a noise control unit for generating a control sound signal for cancelling a noise detected by the noise detection microphone in a control center of control space; and a loudspeaker for outputting a control sound based on the control sound signal from the noise controlling unit. The high-frequency noise microphone is disposed in a vicinity of a head portion of a user in a state in which directivity in an opposite direction with respect to the control center is added, and the low-frequency noise detection microphone is disposed outside of a sound-insulating wall.

Abstract: A light diffusing member includes a base material having a light transmitting property; a plurality of light blocking sections that are formed in a scattered manner at one surface of the base material; and a light transmissive material layer that is formed at the one surface of the base material. A thickness of the light transmissive material layer is larger than a thickness of each light blocking section. The light transmissive material layer has hollow portions in regions where the light blocking sections are formed. Each hollow portion has a shape in which a cross-section area when each hollow portion is cut at a plane that is parallel to the one surface of the base material is large on a side of the corresponding light blocking section and becomes gradually smaller with increasing distance from the corresponding light blocking section. A portion of the light transmissive material layer other than where the hollow portions are formed is a light transmitting section.

Abstract: A noise reduction device of the present invention comprises a control filter unit for generating a control sound signal to cancel out a noise, a control speaker for outputting a control sound according to the control sound signal from the control filter unit, an error microphone for detecting a residual sound by superimposing the noise upon the control sound output from the control speaker, and an obstacle detector for detecting an obstacle around the error microphone, wherein the control filter unit generates the control sound signal according to data from the error microphone and the obstacle detector.

Abstract: A solar cell module according to the invention includes a solar cell; a light guiding portion including a first fluorescent substance having a faint color and that emits light having low luminosity factor, the light guiding portion absorbing part of light incident from the outside using the first fluorescent substance and transmitting a first light beam emitted from the first fluorescent substance toward the solar cell; and a converter disposed between the light guiding portion and the solar cell, the converter converting the first light beam incident from the light guiding portion into a second light beam to which the solar cell has higher spectral sensitivity than to the first light beam and causing the second light beam to be incident on the solar cell. Thus, when the solar cell module is used as a window, the solar cell module is highly transparent and highly efficiently generates power.

Abstract: A noise reduction device is disclosed, in which noise reduction device, a controlling sound generator outputs a white noise generated by a white-noise generator, and this white noise is sensed by an error sensor for identifying an acoustic transmission function covering a path from the controlling sound generator to the error sensor. At this time, an identification controller prompts the white noise generator to generate a white noise for identifying the acoustic transmission function provided that an ambient noise level sensed by the error sensor is not greater than a given threshold.

Abstract: A light-controlling element includes an illumination unit capable of controlling an amount of emitted light, and a light guide body on which the light emitted from the illumination unit is incident. The light guide body has a function of propagating the light while totally reflecting the light inside the light guide body, and the light guide body has a function of propagating the light emitted from the illumination unit at a plurality of different propagation angles inside the light guide body. The light guide body includes a plurality of light extraction regions having a function of extracting the light to the outside. At least two of the plurality of light extraction regions have different incidence angle ranges in which the light is capable of being extracted to the outside.

Abstract: A solar cell module (1) includes a solar cell (2), a fluorescent light collecting plate (3), and reflection plates (4). The fluorescent light collecting plate (3) faces a light receiving surface through which external light (6) such as sunlight or illumination light enters the fluorescent light collecting plate (3). The solar cell (2) is provided to at least one of the end surfaces (intersecting surfaces each intersecting the light receiving surface) of the fluorescent light collecting plate (3). To the other end surfaces of the fluorescent light collecting plate (3), the reflection plates (4) are provided. The end surfaces of the fluorescent light collecting plate (3), to which end surfaces no solar cell (2) is provided, are arranged so as not to be parallel to each other.

Abstract: A display device (1) includes a light diffusing sheet (10) and a display section (5). The display section (5) includes a backlight section, and a liquid crystal panel that serves as a liquid crystal display element section. The backlight section includes a light source such as a light emitting diode or a cold-cathode tube, and a light guide plate for guiding, to the liquid crystal display element section, light which is emitted from the light source and is subjected to internal reflection. The light diffusing sheet (10) is configured by forming, on a substrate (6), a plurality of light diffusing sections (7) each having an inverse tapered shape. In the display device (1), the light diffusing sheet (10) is provided on a front surface of the display section (5) such that the substrate (6) is located on a light exit surface side of the light diffusing sheet (10). It follows that the substrate (6) covers a forefront surface of the display device (1).

Abstract: A solar cell module (1) disclosed herein includes a solar cell (2), a fluorescence condensing plate (3), and a reflecting plate (4). The solar cell (2) is provided on at least a portion of at least one of end surfaces (that is, intersecting surfaces each intersecting with a light-obtaining surface) of the fluorescence condensing plate (3). At least one of two mutually opposite portions on each of which the solar cell (2) is absent has a bent surface. The reflecting plate (4) is provided on a surface of a portion on which the solar cell (2) is absent. With this arrangement, light that is guided toward any flat section or zigzag section on which the solar cell (2) is not placed is reflected by the reflecting plate (4) to ultimately reach the solar cell (2).

Abstract: A solar cell unit (100) of the present invention includes (i) a fluorescence converging plate (2) that contains fluorescent materials (6) for absorbing invisible light and then emitting invisible light and (ii) a solar cell (4) provided on an end surface (2a) of the fluorescence converging plate (2) so as to have a light receiving surface which faces the ends surface (2a). When the fluorescence converging plate (2) is irradiated with external light, the fluorescent materials (6) emit invisible light which is then reflected in the fluorescence converging plate (2) and thereafter converged onto the end surface (2a). The solar cell (4) carries out electric power generation by use of fluorescence converged onto the end surface (2a) of the fluorescence converging plate (2). Conversely, visible light, with which the fluorescence converging plate (2) is irradiated, is transmitted through the fluorescence converging plate (2) without being absorbed by the fluorescent materials (6).

Abstract: A lens array sheet includes a lens layer having a lens surface on which a plurality of lenses are formed in an array, and a light diffusion layer arranged at an opposite side to the lens surface of the lens layer, for diffusing light directing toward the lens layer, wherein the light diffusion layer has a light reflection portion, which is embedded in at least a part of a non-light focusing region of the lens layer, for reflecting light passing through the non-light focusing region and directing toward the lens layer.

Abstract: There is provided a suction tool for a vacuum cleaner that can easily remove dust entangled around a rotating brush with a small force in a sanitary manner with clean hands without spreading dust. The suction tool includes dust removing means 39 for removing dust adhering to a rotating brush 30, the dust removing means 39 includes a first remover that has substantially the same shape as a trough 34 between cleaning bodies 33 or between cleaning body holding portions 32 of the rotating brush 30, and is guided in an axial direction of the rotating brush 30 within the trough 34.

Abstract: A cyclonic separator and a vacuum cleaner which efficiently separates dust, collect the dust without re-scattering it and make low noise are provided. In a primary cyclone portion 10, a primary swirl chamber 12 swirls air containing dust sucked from a primary inlet 11, and thereby, separates a first dust and a second dust from the air containing dust to collect them respectively in a zero-order dust case 114 which is provided at a side of the primary swirl chamber 12 and communicates with a zero-order opening portion 113 provided at a side wall, and a primary dust case 14 provided at a lower side of the primary swirl chamber 12.

Abstract: A solar cell module (10) includes: a low refractive index material layer (1) provided on an object (4); a high refractive index material layer (2), provided on the low refractive index material layer (1), which has a higher refractive index than the low refractive index material layer (1); and a solar cell element (3) provided on that surface of the high refractive index material layer (2) which intersects that surface (counter surface facing the low refractive index material layer (1)) of the high refractive index material layer (2) which is in contact with the low refractive index material layer (1). Further, the high refractive index material layer (2) contains a fluorescent material dispersed therein.

Abstract: A solar cell module (10) of the present invention includes a light guide plate (1), a solar cell element (2) and a light diffusion section (3). The light diffusion section (3) is provided on a light-incident surface of the light guide plate (1), which light-incident surface receives sunlight. Further, the solar cell element (2) is provided on an intersecting surface (end surface) which intersects the light-incident surface of the light guide plate (1). The light diffusion section (3) is provided so that the farther away from the solar cell element (2) a position is, the larger an amount of light diffused by the light diffusion section (3) is. The light diffusion section (3) diffuses light entering the light guide plate (1), so as to enhance efficiency of gathering light to the solar cell element (2).

Abstract: A display device (1) includes: a PDLC panel (5), which covers a display surface formed by a display part (2a) and a peripheral section (4a), and which, while directly transmitting incident light when a voltage is applied, scatters incident light when no voltage is applied; and a voltage application control circuit (31), which carries out such control that when a display is carried out on the display surface, a voltage is applied from a power supply (v1) to the PDLC panel (5), and when no display is carried out on the display surface, the voltage is not applied from the power supply (V1) to the PDLC panel (5).

Abstract: In a noise reduction apparatus for controlling noise up to a predetermined upper limited frequency, a distance from a noise source to control point X is made larger than a distance obtained by subtracting a one-half wavelength from a distance, obtained by adding up a distance from the noise source to a noise detecting microphone, a distance corresponding to time as a sum of respective delay time of the noise detecting microphone, a noise controller, and a control speaker, and a distance from the control speaker to control point X, where one wavelength is a period corresponding to the upper limited frequency.