Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes a transmitting and a receiving probe. The transmitting probe includes a first contact part having a first convex cylindrical surface in line contact with the curved surface, and a transmitting element configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave to the first surface. The receiving probe includes a second contact part having a second convex cylindrical surface, and a receiving element configured to receive an ultrasonic wave incident from the second surface. The transmitting element is provided along a first attachment surface perpendicular to a first transmitting virtual line that passes a first contact position and is slanted away from the receiving probe with respect to the line. The receiving element is provided along a second attachment surface perpendicular to a second receiving virtual line that passes a second contact position and is slanted away from the transmitting probe with respect to the second line.

Abstract: A rolling bearing test includes: a hermetic container configured to allow atmosphere gas to be introduced therein; a rotary shaft housed in the hermetic container and fitted into the rolling bearing; a pair of shaft support portions fixed to a fixing portion provided in the hermetic container and configured to rotatably support the rotary shaft at both sides of the rolling bearing in an axial direction, respectively; a drive device configured to drive the rotary shaft; a holding portion configured to hold the outer ring of the rolling bearing to avoid rotation of the outer ring; a first load application mechanism configured to apply an axial load between the inner ring and the outer ring of the rolling bearing; and a second load application mechanism.

Abstract: A rolling bearing test includes: a hermetic container configured to allow atmosphere gas to be introduced therein; a rotary shaft housed in the hermetic container and fitted into the rolling bearing; a pair of shaft support portions fixed to a fixing portion provided in the hermetic container and configured to rotatably support the rotary shaft at both sides of the rolling bearing in an axial direction, respectively; a drive device configured to drive the rotary shaft; a holding portion configured to hold the outer ring of the rolling bearing to avoid rotation of the outer ring; a first load application mechanism configured to apply an axial load between the inner ring and the outer ring of the rolling bearing; and a second load application mechanism.

Abstract: A fatigue estimating method of estimating a degree of fatigue of a metallic material includes: estimating a fatigue portion in which fatigue appears in a section of the metallic material, obtaining a crystal grain size of each of a plurality of crystal grains in a measurement area set in the fatigue portion, based on crystal misorientation in the measurement area, obtaining a fatigue portion existence rate indicating an existence proportion of particular crystal grains of which the crystal grain size is within a predetermined numeral range, in the measurement area, and obtaining an estimated degree of fatigue of the metallic material, based on at least one of the fatigue portion existence rate, and a change rate of the fatigue portion existence rate before and after fatigue of the metallic material.

Abstract: A fatigue level estimation method includes estimating a fatigue portion in a metal material, measuring a distribution of a misorientation in the fatigue portion, obtaining a specific area ratio of the fatigue portion based on the distribution of the misorientation in the fatigue portion, and obtaining an estimated fatigue level of the metal material based on at least one of the specific area ratio of the fatigue portion and a degree of change in the specific area ratio of the fatigue portion. The specific area ratio of the fatigue portion is a ratio of a specific area existing in a measurement area of the fatigue portion.

Abstract: A washing machine includes a washing and water-extracting tub, agitating blades disposed rotatably in the tub, a motor for rotating the tub or the agitating blades and a control unit for controlling operation of the motor and determining a quantity of clothes on the basis of a resistance of the clothes exerted on the agitating blades by the rotation of the agitating blades. The washing machine determines the quantity of clothes plural times while a water level is changed from a low water level to a high water level and makes calculation on the basis of the plurality of determination values to determine a kind of clothes or the quality of cloth so that the washing operation is controlled on the basis of the quantity of clothes and the determined quality of cloth.

Abstract: An electrophotography printer includes a drum formed of a non-magnetic cylindrical body having an outer circumferential surface to which a photosensitive material is applied, end brackets attached to opposite ends of the drum, and a drum shaft for transmitting a driving torque to the drum. A connection structure between the drum and the drum shaft includes end bracket shafts provided on the end brackets, a hole formed in the drum shaft so as to be capable of engaging with one of the end bracket shafts, parallel pins provided on the end bracket shafts so as to be perpendicular to the axes thereof, and at least one taper groove formed in an end portion of the drum shaft. When the drum is housed, one of the parallel pins and the taper groove engage with each other while the whole of the drum is pressed toward the drum shaft by an elastic member, thereby reducing the non-uniformity of the rotation of the drum.

Abstract: A washing machine is disclosed in which water is poured on the washing within a washing and dehydrating tank through a water supply port while turning the washing and dehydrating tank slowly, to thereby cause the water to sink into the washing before the normal washing thereof so as to reduce the bulk of the washing or prevent the floating of the washing. Thus, the regular agitating and washing of the washing are well performed.

Abstract: An alignment disk having an adjust signal recorded thereon to maintain data interchangeability of a magnetic disk drive apparatus and loadable and unloadable to and from the magnetic disk drive apparatus, and method and apparatus for verifying a tracking errors of the magnetic disk drive apparatus are disclosed; the magnetic disk drive apparatus including magnetic head means for recording and reproducing data on and from a magnetic recording medium, a head carriage for carrying the magnetic head means, and drive means for driving the head carriage radially of a track of the magnetic recording medium; the alignment disk having a set of track diameter adjust signal pairs recorded on tracks equal to or larger in number than the number of phases of a stepping motor for driving the head carriage and corresponding to at least the excitation phases of the stepping motor; the set of track diameter adjust signal pairs each having an inner track signal and an outer track signal extending inward and outward from a cente

Abstract: A washing machine is disclosed in which water is poured on the washing within a washing and dehydrating tank through a water supply port while turning the washing and dehydrating tank slowly, to thereby cause the water to sink into the washing before the normal washing thereof so as to reduce the bulk of the washing or prevent the floating of the washing. Thus, the regular agitating and washing of the washing are well performed.

Abstract: In a thermal printer having a flat platen, a flat platen support mechanism comprises a flat platen support plate, and a frame body. A projection having a curvature is provided between the flat platen support plate and the frame body. The projection having a curvature is to be swingable freely and to be movable with a slip movement. The projection is arranged on a center line of a flat platen width. When a thermal head is pressed with the flat platen, the flat platen swings smoothly. The thermal head is face contacted uniformly with the flat platen.

Abstract: A thermal head is pressed against a platen consisting of rubber through a recording paper or a heat sensitive paper. The thermal head is provided a head base, a glaze layer portion mounted on the head base, and a heating resistor portion provided on the glaze layer portion. An unit area surface pressure applied from the glaze layer portion of the thermal head to the recording paper or the heat sensitive paper is set to not less than 0.3 kg/mm.sup.2. A hardness of the rubber of the platen is adapted to about Hs 40.degree.-Hs 100.degree.. The high areas of the surface of the recording paper or the heat sensitive paper are flattened to increase the smoothness of the surface of the recording paper or the heat sensitive paper. A high quality printed product of the thermal transfer printer or the thermal printer can be obtained even when the relatively rough recording paper or the heat sensitive paper is used as the object paper.

Abstract: A thermal trasfer printer including a thermal head, and a platen positioned against the thermal head through a printing sheet. The thermal head has a substrate formed of heat insulating material, at least one glaze layer on a top surface of the substrate extending longitudinally thereof, a plurality of heat generating elements on the glaze layer, a plurality of electrodes each connected to the heat generating elements in a manner to form an opening for the heat generating elements and a protective layer for preventing the electrodes and heat generating elements from contacting the printing sheet to avoid their wear. A portion of the protective layer for protectng the heat generating elements has a height which is greater by more than 5 .mu.m than the height of a portion of the protective layer for protecting the electrodes. The width of the glaze layer transversely of the substrate is less than 200 .mu.m at a location which is 10 .mu.

Abstract: In the thermal transfer printer for printing with an ink ribbon in plural columns, a center of a flat portion formed on the platen roller of a contact portion of the thermal head and a center of the thermal head are shifted corresponding to an amount of shift of printing position as against a center of width of the ink ribbon. When the printing position is set above as against the center of width of the ink ribbon, the center of the thermal head is set above width (P) of the flat portion being formed on the platen roller of the contact portion of the thermal head. When the printing position is set below as against the center of width of the ink ribbon, the center of the thermal head is set below width of the flat portion being formed on the platen roller of the contact portion of the thermal head.