Abstract: A fuel injector includes an injection nozzle with a body, in which a needle moves between a closed position, in which a first end of the needle rests on a seat, and an open position, in which the first end of the needle is lifted from the seat. The fuel injector also includes a control chamber, a control valve, and an upper guide guiding the needle axially by the second end thereof. An electric link in contact with the second end of the needle bring the needle to a predetermined electric potential. The needle is mounted in the body so as to be able to move therein while being electrically isolated from the body, except for the region of the seat, so that the needle is in electric contact with the body only in the closed position.

Abstract: A fuel injector includes fixed metal components, in particular an injector body, a solenoid actuator equipped with a retaining spring that holds a control valve stem, a control valve body including a seat for the control valve stem, a spacer between the body of the control valve and an injection nozzle, a control chamber, and an injection needle seat. The fuel injector also includes movable metal components, in particular the control valve stem and an armature thereof and an injection needle. Surfaces of the metal components that are in contact with one another are contact surfaces. Resistive surface coatings are arranged on a number of the contact surfaces. The overall electrical resistivity of the injector between the body of the solenoid actuator and the body of the injector varies by at least three distinct ohm values intermittently according to the kinetics of the injection needle of the injector.

Abstract: A fuel injector includes fixed metal components, in particular an injector body, a solenoid actuator equipped with a retaining spring that holds a control valve stem, a control valve body including a seat for the control valve stem, a spacer between the body of the control valve and an injection nozzle, a control chamber, and an injection needle seat. The fuel injector also includes movable metal components, in particular the control valve stem and an armature thereof and an injection needle. Surfaces of the metal components that are in contact with one another are contact surfaces. Resistive surface coatings are arranged on a number of the contact surfaces. The overall electrical resistivity of the injector between the body of the solenoid actuator and the body of the injector varies by at least three distinct ohm values intermittently according to the kinetics of the injection needle of the injector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a hybrid protein including the sequence of a first membrane receptor fused at its C-terminus to the N-terminus of an ion channel, and possibly containing a linker between the C-terminus of the first membrane receptor and the N-terminus part of the ion channel, the linker being absent in the natural configuration of the first membrane receptor and the ion channel, as a biosensor for: the screening of drugs modulating the activity of the first membrane receptor in its natural configuration, and/or for the in vitro diagnosis of pathologies associated with the presence or the variation of amount of a molecule modifying the activity of the first membrane receptor in its natural configuration.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an insulation defect in at least one device connected into an electrical power transmission or distribution network and having: leakage current measuring sensors (10) arranged on a ground line (19a, 19b, 19c) of the device; a measurement signal analogue/digital converter (58, 60); and a signal processing unit (14) including a comparison circuit (75) for comparing the measurement signal with a maximum threshold value representative of the maximum value of the leakage current permitted to flow in the ground line (19a, 19b, 19c), to obtain an insulation defect signal. The processing unit (14) includes a discriminator circuit (76) for discriminating, in the insulation defect signal, between a component of a useful signal and a component of a disturbance signal.

Abstract: In a multicellular radio communications network, when a mobile station satisfies a criterion for automatic intercellular handover from a source cell to a target cell, the speed of movement of the mobile station with respect to the base station of the target cell is estimated on the basis of the measured levels of the signal which the mobile station has received from this base station before the handover criterion is satisfied. Depending on the layers of the cells concerned, it is then possible to take account of this speed estimate in order to decide whether or not to trigger intercellular handovers.

Abstract: Cell selection and reselection by mobile station in a cellular mobile radio network with a plurality of layers of cells includes, when the station is in a standby state and after selection of a cell by the station, identification of a layer containing the selected cell, reselection of cells in the layer during a predetermined time-delay, cumulative counting of the number of cells reselected in the layer during that time-delay, and comparison of the cumulative number with two thresholds. The reselection, cumulative counting and comparison steps are repeated if the cumulative number is between the thresholds. Otherwise, a change of layer is effected on the basis of the comparison and the previous steps are repeated, starting from the identification step. The mobile station selects the layer most appropriate to the speed at which it is travelling.