"PCI"

"Plasmacluster Technology"

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Plasmacluster Technology
A revolution in air treatment
We clean our hands and surfaces all the time, why not the air we breathe?
Proven Effectiveness of Plasmacluster Ions
Inactivation of
Viruses
Plasmacluster ions break down
and remove projecting spike-shaped
proteins of suspended viruses, and
reduce their effects.
Experiments showedA. Viruses were suspended in a 1m3 box
with a Plasmacluster ion density of
7,000 ions/cm3. The percentage of
airborne viruses inactivated was 99%
within ten minutes.
B. When the Plasmacluster ion density
was increased to 50,000 ions/cm3, the
percentage of airborne viruses inactivated
increased to 99.9% within ten minutes.
Mould spores
Mould exposed to
Plasmacluster ions
(50,000 ions/cm3)
Mould allowed to
grow naturally
Inactivation of
Mould
Plasmacluster ions cut through and
remove the cell membrane proteins
on suspended mould surfaces inhibiting
their effects.
Experiments showed:
C. Airborne mould was suspended in
a chamber with a fl oor area of 31m3.
Plasmacluster ions with a density of
3,000 ions/cm3 were emitted and measured
with an air sampler. Elimination reached a
minimum after 90 minutes.
D. Adhering mould was grown on PVC
plates for 5 days. After being exposed to
30,000 Plasmacluster ions, the mould was
reduced by up to 25% of the total.
Dead dust mite Dust mite faeces
Inactivation of
Allergens
Plasmacluster ions cut through
and remove proteins in suspended
allergens generated by dust mite
faeces and dead mites, reducing
their effects.
Experiments showed:
E. The effect of dust mite allergens in
an uncleaned room measuring 13m2,
showed that with a Plasmacluster density
of 3,000 ions/cm3, a zero increase in
allergens occurred.
Odour Reduction
Plasmacluster Technology gently
deodorises the surrounding air, leaving
air smelling clean and fresh.
Experiments showed:
F. Plasmacluster Technology is also proven
to breakdown odour components. In a
room test with a fl oor space of 20m3 and
ion density of 20,000 ions there was a
signifi cant reduction in odour after 1 hour.
Experiments conducted by public testing institutions: A. Retroscreen Virology Ltd, UK. B. Retroscreen Virology Ltd, UK. C. Ishikawa Health Service Association. D. Japan Food Research Laboratories.
E. Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, Japan. F. Japan Spinners Inspecting Foundation.
Plasmacluster Ions remove static electricity
Have you ever noticed when you walk in a room you get a slight shock when you touch the
door knob, or that your clothes make a crackling noise when you remove them? This happens
due to a static charge. Static electricity can make deposited house dust and pollen stick to
furniture, sofas and clothing. By removing the static electricity dust and pollen can not cling
to furnishings, so can then easily be removed through the Plasmacluster Air Flow System.
High Performance Filtration System
Removes micron sized dust particles
Almost all the dust in the air circulates in the
room without ever descending to the fl oor and
approximately 80% of house dust is at the
microscopic level of 0.3 to 0.5 microns.
Sharp’s aerodynamic nozzle provides a stable
and faster airfl ow, circulating air quickly
throughout the room enabling quick removal
of dust and particles, even from the far corners.
Micron Mesh Pre-Filter
Stops microscopic dust particles to facilitate the high performance of the HEPA
fi lter. This dust can easily be washed or wiped away from the fi lter without
detaching the panel.
Washable Deodorising Filter
Removes odours from the air, and can be easily washed so there is no
need to ever replace it.
Anti-Microbial HEPA Filter
Catches up to 99.97% of 0.3 micron household dust particles, providing almost perfect dust removal
and only needs to be replaced every 5 years. The KC930EKW has a combined HEPA and dust collecting
fi lter with a 99.5% dust collecting performance at 0.3 microns.
500μm
Micron Mesh fi lter
Tank
(for humidifi ng)
Tray
Rotating humidifying fi lter
(anti-microbial, anti-mould)
Dust-collecting fi lter
(Anti-microbial HEPA fi lter)
Washable
deodorizer fi lter
Rear panel
(micron pre-fi lter)
Simulated image
Shower of high-density Plasmacluster ions
1. Tested by Japan Synthetic Textile inspection Institute Foundation
2. Tested by Hiroshima University Graduate School of Advance Matter
3. Tested by the Chinese Centre for Disease control and prevention (CCDC)
Laboratory for Infectious Disease and Control
Proven Effectiveness
99.8% of allergens in dust mite droppings
are removed1
99.9% of pollen allergens are removed2
99.9% of viruses are removed2
99% of bacteria is removed3
Plasmacluster Ion Generator
For effective viral and mould control
The IGA10EKW harnesses Plasmacluster Technology at a density of 25,000 ions per cubic meter1.
Airborne viruses thrive in closed spaces, increasing the spread of fl u and other contaminants, making
us feel ill, tired and sluggish. The Plasmacluster Ion generator directly targets suspended viruses and
microbes in the air, without the need for a fi ltration system. The highly advanced air fl ow system
ensures that the Plasmaclusters are effectively distributed so viruses
and bacteria are treated throughout the room.
With a simple one-touch button operation
and no replacement fi lters the IGA10EKW,
at a recommended room size of 10m2 is
ideal for home offi ces and bedrooms. For
more information about the Sharp range
of Plasmacluster Ion Generators, please
visit www.plasmacluster.co.uk.
Built in Humidifi er
The Plasmacluster Air Purifi er Range comes with a built in
humidifi er, to help you keep your indoor environment at the
optimum humidity.
This constantly senses the room’s moisture conditions to
automatically maintain the room humidity at 60°1, which can
prevent nose and throat dryness and limits viral activity. The
humidifi er is equipped with an anti microbial and anti mould fi lter
fi lter for peace of mind use.
In addition to this Plasmacluster Technology can also help to
preserve the skins natural moisture2.
1. The effectiveness of humidity depends on the season as well as the size and temperature of the room.
2. Contracted clinical trial: Soiken Inc.
Easy to use functionality
With built in sensor checks for dust, odour and humidity,
as well as simple and easy to use controls, it is easy to
manage the air quality within your home. The control
panel is equipped with separate options for using the air
purifi er with or without the humidifi er, as well as clean
light indicators to help you effectively maintain the
fi ltration system.
Clean Very dirty
(KC-860E)
Humidifying fi lter
disc rotating
Humidifying Humidifying stops
Humidifying fi lter
disc rotating stops
1. When used in recommended room size
ONE
Release
Plasmacluster
ions
High density Plasmacluster is
patented technology that mirrors
the positive and negative ion
sterilisation process found in the
natural world.
The ion-generating unit uses a high
voltage to enable an electrical discharge,
generating the ions and surrounding them
in water to ensure their longevity.
When airborne these positive and negative
ions fasten to the surfaces of suspended
microbes, forming highly oxidising
hydroxide (OH) radicals and instantly
removing the hydrogen (H) from the
surface proteins. This results in the physical
breakdown of the surface membrane of the
microbe, rendering it inactive.
OH radicals and H combine together to
form water (H20) and simply return to
the atmosphere.
TWO
Attack
airborne
microbes
THREE
Return to the
air as water
Sharp’s Powerful Plasmacluster
Air Purifi cation Process Explained:
The Sharp Plasmacluster range provides you with a cleaner and healthier environment, quietly and effi ciently.
The Air Purifi er range, ideal for allergy sufferers, combines Plasmacluster Technology alongside a high-tech
fi ltration system to break down viruses and remove dust, pollen and odours.
The Plasmacluster Ion Generator has been engineered with a higher density of Plasmacluster ions for targeted
viral, bacterial and mould control.
How does Plasmacluster Technology work?
Are you concerned
about mould build up?
Plasmacluster technology breaks down
airborne mould spores1 effectively
suppressing mould growth on rubber
window frames and diffi cult to clean
areas. Unpleasant odours caused by
mould build up are reduced.
Are you concerned about pollen or
household dust allergens?
Plasmacluster technology breaks down dust mite allergens
in the atmosphere2 while eliminating the build up of static
electricity on furniture, sofas and clothing, effectively removing
stuck on allergens.
The powerful extraction and fi ltration
system works to fi lter out excess dust
particles and pollen that are circulating
in the air.
Are you concerned about indoor
odours?
The Plasmacluster range works to remove unpleasant pet and
household odours that can accumulate in closed spaces as well
as breaking down adhering odours on furnishings and clothing4.
Recommended model choice:
Sharp Plasmacluster Generator
Recommended model choice:
Sharp Plasmacluster Generator
Recommended model choice:
Sharp Plasmacluster Air Purifi ers
Recommended model choice:
Sharp Plasmacluster Air Purifi ers
While the Plasmacluster range can inactivate suspended viruses and other contaminants it can not create a completely sterile
environment. Sharp does not guarantee it’s ability to prevent microbial infection. The Plasmacluster ion generating units in the
IGA10EKW will need to be replaced periodically to enable continuous stable emission of high-density Plasmacluster ions. After
approximately 17,500 hours, roughly 2 years when operated continuously for 24 hours a day, an indicator lamp will fl ash advising
that the Plasmacluster ion-generating unit needs to be replaced. The unit will stop operating after about 19,000 hours (2 years
and 2 months) if the Plasmacluster ion generator is not replaced. The Plasmacluster ion generating unit may need to be replaced
sooner when used in some environments or locations (such as locations of suspended cooking oil droplets or other oil components,
dusty or humid locations, or locations where sprays or chemicals are used). © 2009 Sharp Electronics (UK) Ltd. All rights reserved.
™ Plasmacluster is a trademark of the Sharp Corporation.
*The target fl oor surface areas for which the emitted ion density can be measured at around the centre of the room, approx. 1.2 meters from the fl oor. The numbers of ions will vary according to operation mode.
Head Offi ce and General Enquiries
Tel. 020 8734 2000 Fax. 020 8734 2400
Head Offi ce postal address
Sharp Electronics (UK) Ltd, 4 Furzeground Way,
Stockley Park, Uxbridge UB11 1EZ
www.sharp.co.

"Detail about Sharp Company"

Corporate Name

Sharp Corporation

head Office

22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8522, Japan

Tel. 81-6-6621-122

Management Representatives

Mikio Katayama, Director, Chairman

Takashi Okuda, President

Business ActivitiesConsumer/information products (audio-visual and communication equipment, health and environmental equipment, information equipment)

Electronic components (LCDs, solar cells, other electronic devices)

Founding

Founder, Tokuji Hayakawa, was awarded a patent for the "Tokubijo" snap buckle (he was 18 years old at the time). On September 15, 1912, he established a small metalworking shop in Matsui-cho, Honjo, Tokyo.

Origin of Company Name

Mr. Hayakawa continued to research and improve the techniques for making metal writing instruments, and in 1915, he invented a mechanical pencil that, after further improvements, would take the world by storm. In 1916, Mr. Hayakawa's mechanical pencil was named the "Ever-Ready Sharp Pencil." The present name of the company and its trademark are derived from that product.

Incorporation

In May 1935, the structure of the company was modified to become a joint-stock corporation under the name Hayakawa Metal Works Institute Co. (capitalization: 300,000 yen.)

Capital Stock

204,675 million yen

Note: Any fractional sum of less than a million yen shall be discarded.

(as of March 31, 2011)

Sales

[ Fiscal 2010 Financial Results ]

·  3,021,973 million yen (consolidated)

·  2,431,217 million yen (unconsolidated)

Employees

·  Sharp Corporation: 21,500

·  Consolidated: 56,800

·  Entire Sharp Group: 64,400 (30,900 in Japan and 33,500 overseas) (as of March 31, 2012)

History

Sharp Electronics Benelux bv is gevestigd in Houten en is een dochteronderneming van het wereldwijd opererende Sharp Corporation. 

Sharp Corporation werd in 1912 opgericht door Tokuji Hayakawa en dankt haar naam aan een van de eerste uitvindingen: de Ever Sharp pencil uit 1915. Sharp heeft haar creatieve geest voortgezet met de ontwikkeling van technologisch innovatieve producten om het leven te veraangenamen, comfort te bieden, perspectief te verbreden en productiviteit te verhogen. 

Sharp streeft er naar om producten te ontwikkelen die het leven zowel op kantoor als thuis veraangenamen. Het assortiment van Sharp valt onder te verdelen in business- en consumentenelektronica, een tweedeling die steeds vaker in elkaar overloopt, omdat de diverse productgroepen geschikt zijn voor beide kanalen.

Specialties

Documentsystemen, Document Solution, LCD Monitoren / TV, Managed Print Services, Projectoren

Consumer Products

Audio-Visual

• ・TVs AQUOS
• ・Blu-ray Disc Recorders / Players
• ・Home Theater
• Home Office

• ・Calculators
• ・Facsimiles / Multifunctions
• ・Electronic Dictionaries
• ・Telephones
• Mobile

• ・Mobile Phones / Smartphones
• Home Appliances

• ・Refrigerators
• ・Superheated Steam Ovens
• ・Air Conditioners
• ・Washing Machines
• ・Vacuum Cleaners
• ・Air Purifiers
• Solar

• ・Solar
• LED Lights

• ・LED Lights
• Plasmacluster

• ・Plasmacluster

"Ten Questions for Warren Buffett"

It’s Woodstock for Capitalism time again. Berkshire Hathaway’s chairman and chief executive, Warren Buffett, and the company’s vice chairman, Charlie Munger, will address shareholders in Omaha, Neb., for five hours or so starting Saturday morning. The question-and-answer session is famously wide-ranging, though this year is likely to bring more focus on the company’s operations, with a panel of three Wall Street analysts asking their own questions, in addition to an existing panel of three journalists who screen questions from investors and others. Here, based on a decidedly unscientific canvassing of Berkshire investors and published material, are some of the questions Buffett may face:

1. Won’t you tell us more about your successor?

Buffett made headlines in February when he said in his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders that the company had settled upon an individual to take over for him when he can no longer handle the chief executive duties he has handled since 1970. But he didn’t say who the individual is, or why he chose him or her.

“I’d like to know what qualities he’s looking for in the person who could take his place as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway,” says investor Jeff Matthews, who wrote the recent book “Secrets in Plain Sight: Business and Investing Secrets of Warren Buffett.”

Beyond that, the comments by the 81-year-old Buffett haven’t ended calls for greater disclosure of the company’s succession plan – particularly since his announcement last month that he is suffering from early-stage prostate cancer.

The AFL-CIO Reserve Fund, a union-affiliated Berkshire investor, has sponsored a proposal that if passed by shareholders on Saturday would ask the board to disclose a succession-planning policy. The proposal won the support of the biggest proxy-advice firm, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc., whose backing is widely embraced by institutional investors such as pension funds. Smaller shareholders such as Philip Anthony Quinet of Carmel, Ind., want more information too. He says he would ask Mr. Buffett: “Could you at least elucidate on the ‘reason’ for this secrecy?”

2. Is Berkshire getting too big to manage?

To many casual observers, Berkshire Hathaway is Warren Buffett’s insurance company and an attached stock portfolio. But for the past decade and a half, the company has bought up properties ranging from an Israeli metalworking company (Iscar) to a Bowling Green, Ky., underwear maker (Fruit of the Loom Inc.) and a giant railroad operator (Burlington Northern Santa Fe).

This expansion could pose problems for management, both in overseeing an increasingly idiosyncratic mix and on Wall Street, which doesn’t like novelty, say some observers.

“How is an investor to analyze such a large and diverse group of companies, especially given the limited transparency that you give regarding the contribution of each of the operating businesses?” said Doug Kass, president of Seabreeze Partners Management Inc., a hedge fund company.

3. Why is the stock market ignoring Berkshire?

For most of the past four-plus decades since Mr. Buffett took control of the former textile company, both Berkshire’s book value and share price have appreciated substantially more than the broader stock market. But if Mr. Buffett is famous for that market-beating performance over time, Berkshire Hathaway doesn’t seem to be getting much credit for it right now. The company’s shares are flat this year and have lagged behind the broad Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index since 2010. They now fetch one of their lowest multiples to book value, a measure of net worth, on record. “Berkshire’s shares are attractively valued currently in our view at 1.2x book value, which approaches a historical low,” writes Jay Gelb of Barclays Capital in a recent report.

4. Has Berkshire bought back more stock, and what does its buyback plan say about the company and the investing environment?

Buffett said last fall, in response to the weakness in its stock price, that Berkshire Hathaway would do something it had never done: buy back shares. The company said it would make repurchases when shares fell below 110% of book value and then repurchased $67 million worth of its own stock in September, in a move that surely reflected Buffett’s view that the market was deeply discounting Berkshire’s true worth.

The company’s only previous brush with buybacks came in March 2000, at the height of the technology-stock bubble, when Buffett said he would buy back shares at a slightly higher book value multiple, 118%. The shift has investor Ravi Nagarajan wondering if the board might “periodically adjust the 110% of book value authorization level and, if so, will shareholders be provided with the reasons for such a shift?”

5. Is the elephant gun still loaded?

Berkshire Hathaway had $33.51 billion in cash on hand at the end of 2011, according to regulatory filings, and the company’s healthy appetite for acquisitions is well established. Mr. Buffett said last year in his annual letter to shareholders that to keep posting strong growth, “We will need both good performance from our current businesses and more major acquisitions. We’re prepared. Our elephant gun has been reloaded, and my trigger finger is itchy.”

Since then, Berkshire has acquired lubricants company Lubrizol Corp., for $9 billion, and spent $10.9 billion on International Business Machines Corp. stock. But the promise of “major acquisitions” along the lines of Burlington Northern has eluded Mr. Buffett. The company’s only other announced acquisition over the past two years was the November 2011 takeover of Omaha World-Herald Co., publisher of Buffett’s hometown newspaper. That deal was valued at around $200 million, including debt.

6. Has Berkshire structured deals to maximize tax breaks for rich people?

Buffett’s already substantial media profile has been enhanced by his recent advocacy of the “Buffett Rule,” which would require individuals earning more than $1 million a year to pay a tax rate of at least 30%. But Berkshire’s NetJets Inc. subsidiary lobbied Congress in recent years to cut a user fee that would benefit the unit’s wealthy customers, and Mr. Matthews wonders if the company didn’t have taxes in mind when it structured one of its largest recent deals, the acquisition of Marmon Industries. Berkshire acquired 64% of the conglomerate in 2008 from the Pritzker family, which also owns a majority voting stake in Hyatt Hotels Corp., and an added 16% in 2011.

“I’ve always been curious about the structure of the Marmon Industries deal–why Berkshire has been buying it in stages over several years rather than all at once,” says Matthews. “Since nearly all friendly deals are structured to minimize cash taxes for the sellers, and since the sellers in this case were the Pritzker heirs, I’ve always wondered if Buffett agreed to do it this way to help a very rich family minimize their tax payments to the government, which goes against everything he stands for. I hope not.”

7. Is Berkshire’s business mix working?

Buffett has been warning investors in his annual letter for decades that Berkshire won’t be able to replicate the outsize returns it generated when it was smaller. But some observers wonder if the company’s manufacturing, service and retailing operations are carrying their weight. The return on assets in those segments “has been low in recent years, and was 4.6% in 2011,” says Marcelo P. Lima, managing partner of Heller House Opportunity Fund LP. He says he would ask Buffett, “What do you believe is an appropriate return for these businesses to earn on their $67 billion of assets?”

8. Does your hands-off style run the risk of allowing problems to fester?

Buffett revels in keeping a minimal staff at his company’s Omaha headquarters. He has said that while he speaks daily with some top Berkshire managers such as reinsurance chief Ajit Jain, there are others with whom he speaks rarely. As the company expands into new businesses and more far-flung locations, though, some investors wonder if there is a risk that problems that might come to light under a more formal administration might be shunted off to the side. “Given that you give your subsidiaries’ managements ‘free rein’ and typically don’t interfere, is there increased execution risk at these companies and in the aggregate?” asks Mr. Kass of Seabreeze Management.

9. Is Berkshire’s board up to the task of looking out for shareholders?

The endless debate over Berkshire’s succession planning and the related disclosure issues could renew longstanding questions about the company’s board. ISS generally lauds the company for its sober executive pay (Mr. Buffett makes $100,000 a year, which doesn’t even register on the scale measuring pay for other big-company CEOs) and the low bar shareholders may clear to change the company’s bylaws.

But it notes that only two-thirds of the company’s 12 directors are independent and were elected by shareholders, the company hasn’t split the CEO and chairman posts held by Buffett, and the failure to nominate a lead-director candidate. The average age of directors is 70, with fully half of the board 80 years old or more, according to ISS data.

Still, the company’s performance says it has worked so far – and corporate governance reform is itself hardly a project that can be called an untrammeled success. As University of Pennsylvania law professor Jill Fisch, then at Fordham, said in a 1997 paper, “The Berkshire Hathaway experience suggests that advocating universal governance standards in an effort to impose an identical model of board structure and function upon all corporations is a project that is misguided at best.”

10. What’s the best question you’ve gotten in the past year?

Buffett fields dozens of questions at the annual meeting every year, but investor Shai Dardashti, waxing philosophical, says he’d like to know what question has stumped the billionaire investor. “The answer is the question and the question is the answer,” says Mr. Dardashti.