Abstract: A small-sized and inexpensive air cylinder with a cushion mechanism having a simple structure is provided. Therefore, discharge outlets for discharging cushioning air are disposed in positions closer to ends of the stroke than the openings of the ports in the cylinder tube, respectively, and check valves and throttling mechanisms are arranged in parallel between discharge outlets and ports, respectively. On the outer peripheral surface of the piston, one of the piston packing rings is disposed in one position which does not pass through the opening of the port while another of the piston packing rings is disposed in another position which passes through the opening but does not pass through discharge outlet, when the piston reaches the terminal ends of the stroke.

Abstract: A photothermographic material is provided wherein when it is exposed in an exposure dose of 30 .mu.J/cm.sup.2 and thermally developed at 120.degree. C. for 20 seconds, the resulting spheres of influence have an average radius of 0.01-0.35 .mu.m. The photothermographic material produces images undergoing minimal tone variations.

Abstract: A high-frequency induction heater having a working coil for providing a high-frequency application of power to a sample is provided with a control circuit for controlling the amount of power to the working coil. A phase control member can be triggered to provide a first level of power to the sample to heat it below its combustion level, to thereby remove any exterior stains. Subsequently, a second level of power can be applied for a predetermined period of time to heat it to a combustion point whereby the combustion gases of the sample are free from any byproducts of the stain and an accurate measurement can be accomplished.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner includes a main body. A hose is connected to the main body. A motor-drive brush is provided in a floor nozzle. An extension pipe connects the floor nozzle and one end of the hose. An electric conductor is located in the extension pipe. The extension pipe includes an outer tube, an inner tube, a first electric connection terminal, a second electric connection terminal, a first conductor casing, and a second conductor casing. The first electric connection terminal is pfovided on one end of the outer tube. The second electric connection terminal is provided on one end of the inner tube. The inner tube slidably extends into the outer tube. The electric conductor is connected between the first electric connection terminal and the second electric connection terminal. The electric conductor is accommodated in the first conductor casing and the second conductor casing. The first conductor casing is provided on the outer tube. The second conductor casing is provided on the inner tube.

Abstract: A system identification apparatus includes an adaptive filter which processes a reference input signal to obtain an output signal, a subtractor which subtracts the output signal from an observation signal, a pair of mean power estimation circuits which estimate a short-term mean power and a long-term mean power of the reference input signal, respectively, and a power estimation circuit which estimates the power of the reference input signal based on the two mean powers.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for identifying a system which allow a filter coefficient to be updated accurately even if noise is mixed. The apparatus for identifying a system includes an adaptive filter for processing a reference input signal to produce an output signal, a subtractor for subtracting the output signal of the adaptive filter from an observed signal, a power estimating circuit for estimating the power of the reference input signal, and a step size determining circuit for determining a step size based on the estimated power of the reference input signal. The step size determining circuit generates a step size according to a function of the power of the reference input signal which monotonously increases if the power of the reference input signal is smaller than a threshold and monotonously decreases if the power of the reference input signal is greater than the threshold.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-channel echo cancelling art enabling proper operation even if using a microphone not generating propagation delay difference between channels. The present invention comprises: a step of calculating a power of reception signal in each reception channel and selecting a reception channel of a reception signal having the biggest power; a step of generating an echo replica corresponding to an echo in each mixed signal generated by propagation of reception signals of the reception channels based on a reception signal of the reception channel selected in the previous step; and a step of cancelling the echoes from mixed signals in which the echoes are mixed by subtracting the echo replicas from the mixed signals.

Abstract: Echo canceling method and apparatus for subtracting, from a mixed signal in which echoes produced from a plurality of reception signals are mixed with a transmission signal, a replica of the echoes in order to cancel the echoes in the mixed signal. The replica of the echoes are generated by the steps of selecting the reception signal which is leading in phase and producing a replica of the echoes from the selected reception signal by an adaptive filter. Generally, the replicas are produced by adaptive filters provided in one-to-one correspondence with the mixed signals.

Abstract: A multi-channel echo canceller comprises a set of subtractors connected respectively in communication channels for respectively receiving a signal from a respective microphone and cancelling an echo contained in it with a cancelling signal, and a set of adaptive filters associated respectively with the subtractors. Each adaptive filter has a set of vectors of filter coefficients. A time difference between propagation delays of the received signals is estimated, and a signal having the largest content of echo components is selected and applied to the adaptive filters. One of coefficient vectors is identified according to the estimated time difference and the selected signal. Each adaptive filter varies its filter coefficients of the identified vector with a correction term proportional to the output of the associated subtractor for filtering the selected signal using the coefficients of the identified vector to derive an echo replica, which is supplied to the associated subtractor as the cancelling signal.

Abstract: A multi-channel echo canceler for canceling echo generated as a result of propagation of 2-channel received signals, along a spatial acoustical path via a first and a second loudspeaker, from a transmitted signal containing a speech source signal received through a first and a second microphone and the echo. The echo canceler is capable of highly accurate delay time difference estimation and also of quick detection of the movement or change of the talker. Right after the movement or change of the talker, the filter coefficient set updating is stopped, or step size is updated. Deterioration of the echo cancellation performance does not occur that might otherwise result from delay of the detection of the movement or change of the talker or reduction of estimated delay time difference.

Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaner which includes a housing for accommodating a power-driven fan and a dust chamber, a suction head having a rotary brush for agitating dust on floors, the suction head being connected to the housing so as to enable the extracted dust to enter the dust chamber, a belt for transmitting the rotation of the fan to the rotary brush, a dust detecting sensor, and a control circuit for controlling the rotation of the fan.

Abstract: A sample analyzer to detect elements in a gaseous residue generated in an extraction furnace. The sample analyzer introduces the gaseous residue into a detector to be analyzed. The sample analyzer employs a buffer vessel having a variable internal capacity disposed between the extraction furnace and the detector. The variable capacity buffer vessel provides the capability to accurately analyze samples having wide variations in the concentration of substances to be analyzed.

Abstract: A floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner which includes a housing, and an agitator, a driving motor for the agitator, and a switch for changing over rotating directions of the motor which are accommodated in the housing, and a coupling pipe connected to the housing so as to be displaceable at least back and fourth, and communicated with a suction passage to a vacuum cleaner main body, and an associating device for transmitting the back and forth displacement of the coupling pipe to the switch. The associating device is adapted to be held at two stabilized positions with respect to a boundary dead point and provided with a movable member arranged to be displaced through quick action, to one of the stabilized positions after passing through the dead point, with the movable member being associated with the switch.

Abstract: A gas analyzer for simultaneously measuring a plurality of ingredients of a sample gas has a sample gas-introducing passage, a sample gas, flow-divider connected to the gas-introducing passage for dividing the sample gas into a plurality of gas flows in a desired flow-dividing ratio, a sample gas-diluter connected to the flow-divider for diluting the plurality of divided sample gas flows, and a plurality of gas concentration detectors, one for each gas flow, and connected in parallel with each other to said sample gas-diluter for receiving the respective diluted gas flows from the sample gas-diluter.