Abstract: A toner cartridge has first and second toner hosing portions configured to house toner. The first toner housing portion has a first bottom part that is arcuately curved. The second toner housing portion has a second bottom part that is arcuately curved. The second bottom part is next to the first bottom part and is situated at a position lower than the first bottom part. A third bottom part is provided between the first bottom part and the second bottom part. The third bottom part has a toner discharge port.

Abstract: A variable compression ratio device for an internal combustion engine comprises a control shaft (7) that varies a compression ratio of the internal combustion engine in accordance with a rotational displacement, and a linear actuator (13, 16, 17, 18). A connecting link (12) connects a first point (14) offset from a rotation axis (7a) of the control shaft (7) to an actuator rod (13) of the linear actuator (13, 16, 17, 18). Thus, a bending load acting on the actuator rod (13) is reduced, and controllability of the compression ratio is improved.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine varies a compression ratio according to a rotational displacement of a control shaft which is connected to a crankshaft via links. A crankshaft bearing cap supporting the crankshaft in association with a cylinder block is fixed to the cylinder block by a first pair of joint bolts. A control shaft bearing cap which supports the control shaft is fixed to the crankshaft bearing cap by a second pair of joint bolts. A first joint bolt of the first pair of joint bolts, which is nearer to the control shaft, is disposed between the axes of the second pair of joint bolts. The supporting structure of the crankshaft is thereby enhanced.

Abstract: Provided is an aerosol cosmetic composition containing, in a pressure container, a stock solution containing (A) 0.5 to 10 wt. % of a hair styling polymer, (B) 1 to 25 wt. % of a solvent having at least 2 hydroxy groups, having a molecular weight of 62 or greater but not greater than 1000 and being in the liquid form at 30° C., (C) 0.1 to 20 wt. % of a nonionic surfactant having an HLB of from 2.8 to 20 and being in the liquid form at 30° C. and/or N-acetyl ethanolamide, and (D) ethanol and/or water, and (B) a propellant, a weight ratio of the components (A)/(B) falling within a range of from 0.42 to 2.3. In the aerosol cosmetic composition of the present invention, hair is able to acquire a soft and light finish and moreover, can be re-styled.

Abstract: A recording medium has a first area storing an audio title set. The audio title set contains a plurality of audio objects including a first audio object and a second audio object. The first audio object consists of first packs having audio data. The second audio object includes second packs having audio data and a third pack having real-time information related to the audio data in the second packs. The recording medium has a second area storing a still-picture set. The still-picture set includes a fourth pack having still-picture data related to the audio data in the first packs and the audio data in the second packs.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film magnetic head capable of suppressing an occurrence of a track erase, decreasing an influence on a magnetoresistive element caused by a magnetic flux generated from a thin film coil, and further decreasing the parasitic capacity. The thin film magnetic head has, in order in a stacked direction, a first magnetic shield layer, a magnetoresistive element, a second magnetic shield layer, a third magnetic shield layer, a main magnetic pole layer and a return yoke layer. A width in a track width direction of at least one of the first and the second magnetic shield layers is smaller than widths in a track width direction of the third magnetic shield layer and the return yoke layer.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine which varies a compression ratio by changing a top dead center position of a piston, including an engine block, the piston disposed in the engine block, a crank shaft supported by the engine block, and a plurality of links connecting the piston and the crank shaft. A first control shaft and a second control shaft respectively are supported by the engine block, each of which has a main shaft portion rotatably supported by the engine block and an eccentric portion eccentric to the main shaft portion, the eccentric portions of the first control shaft and the second control shaft deviating from axes of the respective main shaft portions in mutually different directions when viewed from an axial direction. A plurality of control links connect any one of the plurality of links connecting the piston and the crank shaft, and the first control shaft and the second control shaft.

Abstract: A digital signal recording disc has a first area storing an audio title set. The audio title set has data representing audio information and data representing a still picture. The audio title set is void of a pack of data for playback control. The first area also stores information for managing the audio title set. The digital signal recording disc is void of a second area storing a video title set and information for managing the video title set.

Abstract: A digital signal recording disc has a first area storing an audio title set. The audio title set has data representing audio information and data representing a still picture. The audio title set is void of a pack of data for playback control. The first area also stores information for managing the audio title set. The digital signal recording disc is void of a second area storing a video title set and information for managing the video title set.

Abstract: This invention provides a CIS-based thin film solar battery and a process for producing the same in which the formation of an alkali barrier layer and a metal backside electrode layer is carried out at a low cost in a short time to prevent such an unfavorable phenomenon that a light absorbing layer is separated from the interface of the light absorbing layer and the metal backside electrode layer. The CIS-based thin film solar battery (1) comprises a glass substrate (2), an alkali-free layer (7) such as silica, a metal backside electrode layer (3) having a laminate structure, a p-type CIS-based light absorbing layer (4), a high-resistance buffer layer (5), and an n-type window layer (6) stacked in that order. The layer (7), either alone or together with a first layer (3a) in the layer (3), can function as an alkali barrier layer (8) that can prevent and control the thermal diffusion of an alkali component into the light absorbing layer during the formation of the layer (4) from the substrate (2).

Abstract: A method of producing an acoustic diaphragm includes forming a workpiece having a shape of the acoustic diaphragm by using a natural material which can be carbonized by burning; forming a first film including phenol resin on a surface and an interior of the workpiece; heating the workpiece to bring the phenol resin into a high polymer state; burning the workpiece in a substantially anoxic atmosphere to carbonize the workpiece and the first film; and forming a second film including gelatin on at least one of a surface and an interior of carbonized workpiece.

Abstract: An input signal is quantized into a quantization-resultant signal. The quantization-resultant signal is compressed into a compression-resultant signal. The compression-resultant signal is formatted into a formatting-resultant signal corresponding to a predetermined format for a digital recording disc. The formatting-resultant signal includes segments corresponding to user data areas prescribed in the predetermined format. The compression-resultant signal is placed in the segments of the formatting-resultant signal. The formatting-resultant signal is encoded into an encoding-resultant signal of a CD format. The encoding-resultant signal is recorded on a recording medium.

Abstract: An input signal is quantized into a quantization-resultant signal. The quantization-resultant signal is compressed into a compression-resultant signal. The compression-resultant signal is formatted into a formatting-resultant signal corresponding to a predetermined format for a digital recording disc. The formatting-resultant signal includes segments corresponding to user data areas prescribed in the predetermined format. The compression-resultant signal is placed in the segments of the formatting-resultant signal. The formatting-resultant signal is encoded into an encoding-resultant signal of a CD format. The encoding-resultant signal is recorded on a recording medium.

Abstract: An input signal is quantized into a quantization-resultant signal. The quantization-resultant signal is compressed into a compression-resultant signal. The compression-resultant signal is formatted into a formatting-resultant signal corresponding to a predetermined format for a digital recording disc. The formatting-resultant signal includes segments corresponding to user data areas prescribed in the predetermined format. The compression-resultant signal is placed in the segments of the formatting-resultant signal. The formatting-resultant signal is encoded into an encoding-resultant signal of a CD format. The encoding-resultant signal is recorded on a recording medium.

Abstract: A piston-crank mechanism links crankpins of a crankshaft with piston pins of pistons by using a plurality of links. The piston-crank mechanism allows an upward inertia force produced near a top dead center of each piston to be smaller than a downward inertia force produced near a bottom dead center of the piston in order to reduce secondary vibration occurring during operation. In a four-cycle inline four-cylinder internal combustion engine, a total force of inertia forces exerted from adjacent cylinders to each of second and fourth crankshaft bearings becomes a downward force, which reinforces a downward force produced in response to combustion pressure. These second and fourth crankshaft bearings have a rigidity higher than the remaining crankshaft bearings.

Abstract: A recording disc has a lead-in area and a data area. A scrambled version of a SID code word is read out from the lead-in area of the disc. The SID code word represents a producer of the disc. The readout scrambled version is de-scrambled to recover the SID code word. The recovered SID code word is collated with reference SID code words to decide whether or not the disc is legitimate. Main information is read out from the data area of the disc when it is decided that the disc is legitimate. Readout of the main information from the data area of the disc is inhibited when it is decided that the disc is not legitimate.

Abstract: According to a toner cartridge of this invention, a region (R3) extending along the outer circumferential direction of a toner cartridge (50) is not tapered, and a region (R1) on the inner wall of a developing device (10) which corresponds to the region (R3) is not tapered either. This prevents the occurrence of backlash between them, and allows the shutter of the toner replenishment port of the developing device (10) to be reliably closed when the toner cartridge (50) is slid. This can therefore prevent toner from leaking and contaminating the image forming apparatus. According to a toner cartridge of this invention, a cap (60) which seals the opening portion of a casing (51) of a toner cartridge (50a) is formed from a transparent member. This allows an easy check of the color of toner from the front surface side of an image forming apparatus, and eliminates the necessity to add a new member for a color check, thereby contributing to a reduction in cost.

Abstract: A recording disc has a lead-in area and a data area. A scrambled version of a SID code word is read out from the lead-in area of the disc. The SID code word represents a producer of the disc. The readout scrambled version is de-scrambled to recover the SID code word. The recovered SID code word is collated with reference SID code words to decide whether or not the disc is legitimate. Main information is read out from the data area of the disc when it is decided that the disc is legitimate. Readout of the main information from the data area of the disc is inhibited when it is decided that the disc is not legitimate.