Nec Corporation

Eiji Akiyama

Yoshimi Kubo

Takashi Manako

Tsutomu Yoshitake

Yoshinori Watanabe

Hiroshi Kajitani

Yasutaka Kono

Hidekazu Kimura

Satoshi Nagao

Fujio Okumura

Osamu Ishibashi

Satoshi Tomoeda

An optical switch for switching between transmission and total reflection of incident lightapplied to electro-optical crystalby applying an electric field to electro-optical crystalto thereby change the refractive index of electro-optical crystalincludes a plurality of electrodesdisposed in electro-optical crystalto provide electrode assemblyfor applying the electric field to electro-optical crystal. Electro-optical crystalhas a refractive index changing portion (not shown) whose refractive index is changed by the electric field applied by electrode assembly, the refractive index changing portion enclosing electrode assemblyin its entirety. The refractive index changing portion has a flat refractive index boundary.

Optical switch

The operability of a fuel cell which uses a fuel cartridge housing a liquid fuel is improved. A fuel cartridgehouses a liquid fuel. The fuel cartridgeincludes a gas-liquid separation filmwhich divides a fuel housing sectioninto a liquid housing chamberand a gas housing chamber. A fuel gas, which is the vaporized liquid fuel, is housed in the gas housing chamber. A gas exhaust pipeis connected to the gas housing chamber, and the fuel gas housed in the gas housing chamberis discharged to outside the fuel cartridgevia a gas discharge port

Fuel cartridge, fuel cell and portable electrical appliance including fuel cell

A fuel cell () is mounted with a fuel cartridge () in a detachable manner. The fuel cartridge () is provided with a connecting part () and the fuel cell () is provided with a fitting part () into which the connecting part () is fitted. The fuel cell () identifies the fitted fuel cartridge ().

Fuel cell, fuel cartridge and fuel cell system

A fuel cell has a fuel electrode and an oxidizing agent electrode, a fuel supply path that supplies a liquid fuel to the fuel electrode, an oxidizing agent supply path that supplies an oxidizing agent to the oxidizing agent electrode, and an opening/closing member that, by changing its shape, opens and closes the oxidizing agent supply path. The change in the shape of the opening/closing member regulates the opening and closing of the oxidizing agent supply path.

Fuel cell

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Eiji Akiyama