Abstract: To provide a drive device for a self-propelled elevator which is capable of moving a car in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction with a simple configuration. The drive device for a self-propelled elevator includes: a rotating body which is rotatably coupled to a back face of a cab; and wheels which are provided on the rotating body so as to sandwich guide surfaces of a rail on a back face side of the cab, which generate, by friction between the wheels and the rail, a force that moves the cab in a vertical direction when a longitudinal direction of the rail is the vertical direction, and which generate, by a friction force between the wheels and the rail, a force that moves the cab in a horizontal direction when the longitudinal direction of the rail is the horizontal direction.

Abstract: A gap detection device includes: a measurement unit measuring the driving torque or current value of a motor when the robot is actually being operated along an arbitrary motion trajectory; a simulation unit setting an arbitrary second gap amount between pairing elements of a plurality of pairing elements, performing a simulation in which the robot operates along the same arbitrary motion trajectory, and estimating the driving torque or the current value of the motor; a feature amount calculation unit calculating a first feature amount indicating fluctuations of a value related to the measured driving torque or current value, and a second feature amount indicating fluctuations of a value related to the estimated driving torque or current value; and a gap calculation unit calculating an index related to a first gap amount on the basis of the first feature amount, the second feature amount, and the second gap amount.

Abstract: There is provided a conveying device that can support a car weight with a mechanism lighter in weight. A driving device (6) of a conveying device that lifts and lowers a loading-weight support along a rail (3) includes a wheel unit (13) and a link (14). The wheel unit (13) drives to rotate a driving wheel (15) in contact with a guide surface (11) to lift and lower the loading-weight support. The link (14) includes a first joint (17) connected to the wheel unit (13) and a second joint (18) rotatably supported by the loading-weight support. The second joint (18) is arranged in a position further apart from the guide surface (11) than the first joint (17), and above the first joint (17). The link (14) is arranged such that a straight line connecting the first joint (17) and the second joint (18) is tilted smaller than 45 degrees.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes a shift switch including a shift shaft and a rotary drive provided on an axis of the shift shaft and that rotates the shift shaft, and that switches a rotation direction of a propeller shaft. An entirety of the rotary drive is disposed below a mount, and at least a portion of the rotary drive is disposed above a lower case.

Abstract: A device and method for judging the presence or absence of an abnormal clearance between paring elements of a passive joint of a robot. The device has sections configured to: calculate a score for each motion path, wherein the score is increased when the paring elements of an objective pair collide with each other and is decreased when the paring elements of the other pair collide with each other; generate a robot motion for moving the robot along the motion path having the score not lower than a predetermined threshold; measure a drive torque or a current value of a motor when the robot is moved according to the generated robot motion; calculate an index value based on a magnitude of variation of the measured drive torque or current value; and judge as to whether the abnormal clearance exists in the objective pair, based on the index value.

Abstract: A device and method for judging the presence or absence of an abnormal clearance between paring elements of a passive joint of a robot. The device has sections configured to: calculate a score for each motion path, wherein the score is increased when the paring elements of an objective pair collide with each other and is decreased when the paring elements of the other pair collide with each other; generate a robot motion for moving the robot along the motion path having the score not lower than a predetermined threshold; measure a drive torque or a current value of a motor when the robot is moved according to the generated robot motion; calculate an index value based on a magnitude of variation of the measured drive torque or current value; and judge as to whether the abnormal clearance exists in the objective pair, based on the index value.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes a shift switch including a shift shaft and a rotary drive provided on an axis of the shift shaft and that rotates the shift shaft, and that switches a rotation direction of a propeller shaft. An entirety of the rotary drive is disposed below a mount, and at least a portion of the rotary drive is disposed above a lower case.

Abstract: A device and method for easily detecting an abnormality of a joint part of a delta-type parallel link robot having a link ball structure, by estimating a friction torque of a ball joint of the robot. A controller of the robot has: a control section configured to control the motion of the robot; a torque measurement section configured to measure or calculate, during the robot is operated, an amount of change in a drive torque, based on a current value of the motor, before and after the robot represents a specified posture where a sign of a relative angular velocity between a ball and a housing of the ball joint is changed; and a judgment section configured to judge that, when the measured amount of change in the drive torque exceeds a predetermined threshold, a friction state of the ball joint corresponding to the motor is abnormal.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes a shift rod including a first rod, a second rod, and a joint. The first rod extends in a vertical direction. The second rod extends in the vertical direction and is located below the first rod. The second rod is disposed eccentrically with respect to the first rod. When viewed in a plan view, the second rod overlaps with at least a portion of the first rod or is in contact with the first rod. The joint connects the first rod to the second rod.

Abstract: An outboard motor includes a shift rod including a first rod, a second rod, and a joint. The first rod extends in a vertical direction. The second rod extends in the vertical direction and is located below the first rod. The second rod is disposed eccentrically with respect to the first rod. When viewed in a plan view, the second rod overlaps with at least a portion of the first rod or is in contact with the first rod. The joint connects the first rod to the second rod.

Abstract: A device and method for easily detecting an abnormality of a joint part of a delta-type parallel link robot having a link ball structure, by estimating a friction torque of a ball joint of the robot. A controller of the robot has: a control section configured to control the motion of the robot; a torque measurement section configured to measure or calculate, during the robot is operated, an amount of change in a drive torque, based on a current value of the motor, before and after the robot represents a specified posture where a sign of a relative angular velocity between a ball and a housing of the ball joint is changed; and a judgment section configured to judge that, when the measured amount of change in the drive torque exceeds a predetermined threshold, a friction state of the ball joint corresponding to the motor is abnormal.

Abstract: A device includes a dielectric, wherein a front and a back of the dielectric for reflecting and transmitting an electromagnetic wave are defined by a first surface and a second surface, the first or second surface forming a half mirror, the first surface has a height that changes in spiral as leaving from the second surface, and the second surface has a height that changes in spiral as leaving from the first surface.

Abstract: Provided is a switch attached to an attachment object through a seal member. The switch includes an operating portion including an operating surface. The switch further includes a support portion supporting the operating portion to enable a push operation for the operating portion. The switch further includes a flange portion disposed in a direction of the push operation relative to the support portion. The switch further includes a seal holding portion disposed in the direction of the push operation relative to the flange portion. The seal holding portion has a circular shaped portion or an oval shaped portion in contact with the seal member to hold the seal member with the circular shaped portion or the oval shaped portion. The switch further includes a pawl portion disposed in the direction of the push operation relative to the seal holding portion and configured to be hooked to the attachment object.

Abstract: Provided is a switch attached to an attachment object through a seal member. The switch includes an operating portion including an operating surface. The switch further includes a support portion supporting the operating portion to enable a push operation for the operating portion. The switch further includes a flange portion disposed in a direction of the push operation relative to the support portion. The switch further includes a seal holding portion disposed in the direction of the push operation relative to the flange portion. The seal holding portion has a circular shaped portion or an oval shaped portion in contact with the seal member to hold the seal member with the circular shaped portion or the oval shaped portion. The switch further includes a pawl portion disposed in the direction of the push operation relative to the seal holding portion and configured to be hooked to the attachment object.

Abstract: A device includes a dielectric, wherein a front and a back of the dielectric for reflecting and transmitting an electromagnetic wave are defined by a first surface and a second surface, the first or second surface forming a half mirror, the first surface has a height that changes in spiral as leaving from the second surface, and the second surface has a height that changes in spiral as leaving from the first surface.

Abstract: An anode element of a solid electrolytic capacitor and a method of fabricating the anode element are improved, so that the step of manufacturing the solid electrolytic capacitor is simplified, reliability is improved, and a withstand voltage of the solid electrolytic capacitor is increased. An anode element including a metal and a coating layer formed on a surface thereof, the coating layer being composed of a hydrated oxide shown as MOx.yH2O in chemical formula (1), where M represents a valve metal and x and y represent an integer or a decimal fraction from 1 to 6, a hydroxide shown as M(OH)n in chemical formula (2), where M represents a valve metal and n represents an integer or a decimal fraction from 1 to 6, or a composite thereof, a method of manufacturing the anode element, and a solid electrolytic capacitor employing the anode element are provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a solid electrolytic capacitor wherein the anode has a dielectric oxide film of a structure less susceptible to damage due to mechanical stresses and which is diminished in leakage current and less prone to short-circuiting, and a process for fabricating the capacitor. The capacitor of the invention comprises an anode of aluminum having a dielectric oxide film formed over a surface thereof from amorphous alumina, and is characterized in that a plurality of tunnel-shaped etching pits are formed in the anode.

Abstract: An outboard motor has a throttle actuator adapted to control an amount of intake air supplied to an engine, and a shift mechanism that controls shift operation between a neutral and at least a forward gear. The throttle actuator includes a member that is adapted to interfere with the shift mechanism so as to prevent shift actuation when the throttle is opened beyond a predetermined setting. As such, shift operation is prevented at high throttle openings, but throttle operation is still enabled.

Abstract: The invention provides a solid electrolytic capacitor wherein the anode has a dielectric oxide film of a structure less susceptible to damage due to mechanical stresses and which is diminished in leakage current and less prone to short-circuiting, and a process for fabricating the capacitor. The capacitor of the invention comprises an anode of aluminum having a dielectric oxide film formed over a surface thereof from amorphous alumina, and is characterized in that a plurality of tunnel-shaped etching pits are formed in the anode.

Abstract: The invention provides a solid electrolytic capacitor wherein the anode has a dielectric oxide film of a structure less susceptible to damage due to mechanical stresses and which is diminished in leakage current and less prone to short-circuiting, and a process for fabricating the capacitor. The capacitor of the invention comprises an anode of aluminum having a dielectric oxide film formed over a surface thereof from amorphous alumina, and is characterized in that a plurality of tunnel-shaped etching pits are formed in the anode.