Abstract: To generate electric power efficiently with a thermoelectromagnetic generator using the heat regenerator of a Stirling engine. When a high-temperature operating gas and a low-temperature operating gas alternately pass through a heat regenerator of a Stirling engine, the temperature of the heat regenerator increases and decreases periodically. A thermoelectromagnetic generator G integrally associated with the heat regenerator has a yoke making up a closed magnetic circuit passing through the heat regenerator, a permanent magnet for supplying magnetic fluxes to the magnetic circuit, and an induction coil responsive to changes in the magnetic fluxes of the magnetic circuit. The heat regenerator which is made of a ferromagnetic material has a Curie temperature which is present in a range of varying temperatures of the heat regenerator.

Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and a housing having an accommodation hole in which the sensor element is disposed. The housing has at an axial end thereof a cold crimped portion which cooperates with a shoulder portion of the accommodation hole to fixedly hold therebetween the sensor element. The cold crimped portion has an inward flange section, a hollow cylindrical section and a bent section between the inward flange section and the cylindrical section. The cold crimped portion is shaped so as to vary in thickness suddenly at or adjacent the bent section so that the cold crimped portion is assuredly bent at a predetermined position. A method of producing a gas sensor is also provided.

Abstract: A drive unit for a prosthetic limb for driving a prosthetic limb with comfort for a long time. A Stirling engine is composed of a displacer unit mounted at an arbitrary portion other than prosthetic limb bodies and a power cylinder unit mounted between the prosthetic limb bodies and for bending/stretching the prosthetic limb bodies and relative to each other. A compression chamber of the displacer unit is connected to an operation chamber of the power cylinder unit via a flexible pressure conduit. A combustor for heating an expansion chamber disposed in a displacer cylinder of the displacer unit is provided around a head portion of the displacer cylinder. A fuel supply device is connected to the combustor. An actuator for arbitrarily driving a displacer piston of the displacer unit is connected to the displacer piston.

Abstract: To provide a heating device for an external combustion engine, which is capable of improving the stabilization of combustion in a controlled state with a relatively small quantity of heat and for controlling the properties of an exhaust gas. An increased long-time operation of the external combustion engine is achieved by the present invention. A heating device for an external combustion engine includes a combustion housing provided for surrounding a heating portion of an external combustion engine. An fuel-air mixer is provided at one end of the combustion housing and an exhaust pipe provided at the other end of the combustion housing. An oxidation catalyst is disposed in the combustion housing for accelerating the combustion of a fuel-air mixture of fuel and air supplied through the fuel-air mixer.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus in which television channel setting processing and provider setting processing can be completed expeditiously. To this end, the information processing apparatus 4 has the function of connecting to the Internet 2 and the function of receiving television broadcast from the broadcasting stations 5-1 to 5-3. If, when the broadcast territory of using the information processing apparatus 4 is set and registered, the Internet service provider is to be set, the Internet service providers are demonstrated in the display unit of the information processing apparatus 4 beginning from those geographically closest to the user's territory.

Abstract: An information processing method and apparatus for enabling more prompt sign-up. A network management server at step S62 received am equipment serial number from an information processing apparatus and, at step s63, references a database to retrieve a received equipment serial number. If the equipment serial number has not been found, the program moves to step S16 where a command for initiating manual setting is sent to an information processing apparatus. If the equipment serial number has been found, the program moves to step S81 to verify whether or not the admittance made or admittance not as yet made, recorded in the database in association with the equipment serial number received is admittance made. If the verified result indicates admittance not as yet made, the program moves to step S82 where the network management server sends an automatic setting initiating command to the information processing apparatus.

Abstract: A sensor structure which reduces the resistance of insertion in the course of insertion of a metallic terminal member into the hollow portion of an oxygen detection element so as to enable smooth assembly and such that portions of the metallic terminal member become less susceptible to plastic deformation. An attachment portion 23c of a metallic terminal member 23 is in contact with the inner wall surface of a hollow portion 2a of an oxygen detection element 2, directly or indirectly via another member, at opposite sides thereof located along the direction of contact. Also, a gap is formed between an attachment portion 23c and the inner wall surface at opposite sides of the attachment portion 23c located along the direction of gap formation.

Abstract: An assist gas fuel injection mechanism for a 2-cycle internal combustion engine includes a chamber communicated to a combustion chamber through a communicating passage. A rotary valve is provided in the communicating passage for controlling the opening and closing of the communicating passage. A fuel injection device is provided in the communicating passage between the rotary valve and the chamber. With this configuration, a highly compressed gas from the chamber, and fuel from the fuel injection device, are mixed with each other, and a concentrated mixture gas is supplied to the combustion chamber through the communicating passage. It is desirable to minimize the clearance between a valve body and a housing of the rotary valve, to reduce leakage of the assist gas for injection, and to reduce the size of the assist gas fuel injection mechanism.

Abstract: A high output 2-cycle engine and a watercraft powered by the 2-cycle engine. The 2-cycle engine includes a crank case having a water jacket, and a cylinder block with a water jacket for cooling the cylinder block. Cooling water is supplied separately to the crank case water jacket and the cylinder block water jacket to increase cooling of the crank case and the cylinder block. The 2-cycle engine may be an air scavenging engine in which fresh air is supplied to the engine through the crank case, and fuel is injected into a combustion chamber by a fuel injection device. The cylinder head and the exhaust manifold of the engine may also include water jackets.

Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and a housing having an accommodation hole in which the sensor element is disposed. The housing has at an axial end thereof a cold crimped portion which cooperates with a shoulder portion of the accommodation hole to fixedly hold therebetween the sensor element. The cold crimped portion has an inward flange section, a hollow cylindrical section and a bent section between the inward flange section and the cylindrical section. The cold crimped portion is shaped so as to vary in thickness suddenly at or adjacent the bent section so that the cold crimped portion is assuredly bent at a predetermined position. A method of producing a gas sensor is also provided.

Abstract: A gas sensor including a detecting element having electrodes on first and second surfaces of an oxygen ion conductive solid-state electrolyte; a main fitting having a fitting portion to be fitted into a mounting hole formed on a wall of the pipe defining a flow path for a gas-to-be-measured for holding the detecting element in such manner that the first surface is disposed via the mounting hole at an inner position of the pipe with respect to the fitting portion; a cylindrical cover of which one end is connected to an outer position of the pipe with respect to the fitting portion of the main fitting and the other end is provided with a cylindrical sealing member having an air hole for introducing air to the second surface on one end and a through hole through which a lead connected to both electrodes of the detecting element passes on the other end; and a water repellant filter having gas permeability for closing the air hole, characterized in that the water repellant filter is formed in a sheet shape and mou

Abstract: To provide a two-cycle internal combustion engine capable of preventing the blow-by phenomenon to improve fuel economy and attain a high exhaust gas purifying performance, and increasing the responsiveness of fuel injection volume. In a two-cycle internal combustion engine, a chamber is disposed in scavenging passages for communicating a crank chamber to a combustion chamber, sealable control valves are respectively disposed in an inlet and an outlet of the chamber, and a fuel feeding system for the supply of fuel into the chamber is provided. The chamber is communicated to one scavenging passage out of a plurality of parallel scavenging passages. The combustion chamber side control valve disposed at an outlet of the chamber on the downstream side of the crank case side control valve provided at an inlet of the chamber, is positioned at the bottom portion of a scavenging passage communicated to the chamber.

Abstract: A telephone apparatus of a telephone system, including at least one server for connecting a plurality of telephone apparatuses connected to a computer network, comprises: a communication circuit means for processing data to and from said computer network; an audio input means for generating a digital audio signal from input voice; an audio compression means for compressing the audio signal from the audio input means and for supplying the compressed audio signal to the communication circuit means; and a control means for determining a compression rate of the audio compression means in response to information on the ratio of use of the computer network obtained from the server.

Abstract: A two-cycle internal combustion engine includes a control valve disposed in a communicating passage for communicating the combustion chamber to a chamber portion adjacent to the combustion chamber. The control valve controls the opening and closing of the communicating passage. A fuel or an air-fuel mixture is supplied into the combustion chamber through the communicating passage. The fuel injection opening of the communicating passage has a height which is smaller than the distance between outermost side surfaces of the piston rings to reduce the amount of the air-fuel mixture or combustion gas leaking from the combustion chamber into the crank chamber through gaps between the piston and the opening. Therefore, reduction in engine output or seizure of the piston due to local temperature rise is avoided.

Abstract: To provide a 2-stroke cycle internal combustion engine for a vehicle in which less blowoff of a gas mixture occurs in a combustion chamber, fuel consumption is low and high exhaust gas purifying performance is attained. The cylinder of the internal combustion engine is slightly inclined toward the forward side of the vehicle body from its upright position. The high pressure chamber and the communication passages are arranged forwardly toward the vehicle body from the cylinder. Openings of the communicating passages toward the combustion chamber are arranged, from the scavenging port, near the combustion chamber. The intake control valve rotated from the crank chamber near the openings of the communicating passages toward the combustion chamber is arranged near the openings of the communicating passages, and the exhaust pipe and the exhaust expansion chamber communicating with the exhaust gas passage of the internal combustion engine are arranged at a rear part of the vehicle body from the cylinder.

Abstract: A telephone system including telephone terminals in computer networks connected via servers to transmit data containing at least audio data through the Internet. Upon receipt of information on a source terminal sent via a server, a destination terminal performs operations based on the information. For example, the destination terminal judges whether the source terminal is a previously specified terminal, and connects or does not connect itself to the source terminal in accordance with the judgement.

Abstract: An exhaust passage for connecting to an exhaust port of a cylinder is provided. The exhaust passage includes a first path extending in a direction generally orthogonal to the central axis of the exhaust port. A second path connects the first path and the exhaust poil and a control valve is provided in the first path. The rotational axis of the exhaust control valve is generally parallel to the direction in which the first path extends. The surface area of an opening connecting the first path and the second path is variable as the exhaust control valve rotates, so as to carry out controlled combustion and exhaust timing. This makes it unnecessary to provide a hollow section for housing an exhaust control valve and bearing at a position close to the exhaust. It is also possible to reduce the size of a cylinder block and to realize smooth flow of exhaust gases by making the inner peripheral surface of the exhaust passage smooth.

Abstract: To provide a compact two-cylinder engine in which adjacent cylinders are located close to each other. In the two-cycle engine of the present invention, the scavenging passages of scavenging ports adjacent to the exhaust ports are flat or elongate in their cross section and extend to the sides of the exhaust ports. This structure allows the cross-sectional area of the scavenging passages to be sufficient, but allows the width of the cylinder section between adjacent cylinders to be decreased. Furthermore, in the two-cycle engine of the present invention, the exhaust passages of the cylinders are arranged in the direction substantially orthogonal with the direction of alignment of the cylinders, and the exhaust control valves are positioned near the exhaust ports in order to control an opening amount of the exhaust ports.

Abstract: A telephone system using terminals in computer network connected via servers to transmit data containing at least audio data through the computer networks. A server is provided with a data base storing call-out information used to connect to a destination terminal. When a source terminal makes a call to a destination terminal, the server of the computer network searches out the connection address of the destination terminal from the data base. Then, the server calls up the destination terminal and establishes connection between the server of the computer network and the destination terminal.

Abstract: The expected performance of a jet-propelled boat is maintained, exhaust control valves are controlled and driven in an improved accuracy on the basis of the traveling speed of the jet-propelled boat. Thus, the fuel consumption is improved and the exhaust gas is purified. A two-stroke cycle engine drives a jet propulsion unit to make the jet propulsion unit suck in water and jet water therefrom to propel a hull of the boat. An exhaust control valve is disposed near the exhaust port of the engine to change the opening ratio of the exhaust port according to the operating condition of the engine. A driving mechanism for driving the exhaust control valve includes a hydraulic actuator. The power of water jetted by the jet propulsion unit represents the traveling speed of the jet-propelled boat accurately.