Abstract: An energy guiding chain for guiding hoses, cables or the like has numerous chain links (2), connected to one another in articulated fashion. Each chain link has opposing straps (3) with inside and outside lateral surfaces as well as narrow surfaces perpendicular to the lateral surfaces and essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the chain. At least some of the chain links have at least one cross-member (4a, 4b) connecting the opposing straps. The articulated joint includes joint elements (8) which extend between adjacent straps. The joint elements are elastically deformable in the bending direction of the chain links (1), and extend at least partially, preferably entirely, between the inside and outside lateral surfaces of the straps (3). The joint elements (8) can be located in laterally open recesses in the straps. In this manner, the energy guiding chain can travel to form a lower strand (7), a deflection zone (6) and an upper strand (5).

Abstract: An optical disk drive reads and/or writes data from/on an optical disk on which a pre-pit has been formed on at least one side edge of a data recording track. The disk drive includes light-emitting element, photodetector section, subtractor and amplifier. The light-emitting element emits a light beam and irradiates the track with the light beam. The photodetector section receives and detects the light beam reflected from the track, thereby generating first and second detection signals, carrying information about shapes of the track at the one and the other side edges thereof, respectively, based on the reflected light beam. The subtractor generates a differential signal representing a difference between the first and second detection signals. The amplifier amplifies the differential signal, output from the subtractor, by a variable amplification factor. The optical disk drive detects the pre-pit in accordance with the amplified differential signal.

Abstract: In a database synchronization process, a block of data is read from a source database at the first node. A marker is assigned to the block of data, and the marker is then written to an audit trail at the first node. The marker is sent from the audit trail to a second node having a target database. The block of data is sent from the first node to the second node without passing the block of data through the audit trail. At the second node, the block of data is stored in the target database upon receipt at the second node of the block of data and the marker assigned to the block of data. This process is repeated for additional blocks of data in the source database, wherein a marker is assigned to each subsequent block of data. In this manner, some or all of the source database may be replicated to the target database without having to store or pass any data in the source database in or through the audit trail at the first node.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device that enables data buses to operate at high speed by reducing wiring capacitance and interference noise between data bus lines is provided. A semiconductor memory device includes a read-only data bus which is formed in a first metal layer and has plural pairs of read lines precharged to an arbitrary voltage and two lines in a pair transmitting complementary read signals. A write-only data bus, which is positioned in parallel with the read-only data bus, is formed in a second metal layer different from the first metal layer and has plural pairs of write lines precharged to an arbitrary voltage, and two lines in a pair transmitting complementary write signals.

Abstract: A method for carrying out nitrogen analysis by ionization mobility spectroscopy at concentrations of few parts per billion (ppb) in argon is described. The method involves the addition of hydrogen in concentration of at least 5 ppb and lower than 100 parts per million (ppm) to the argon to be analyzed; the hydrogen addition step may be preceded by a purification operation of the argon flow to reduce the total concentration of impurities other than nitrogen to under 1 ppb.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a disk drive apparatus capable of suppressing the occurrence of undesirable vibration due to the imbalance of a disk and capable of carrying out high-rate transfer, wherein a balancer is formed so as to accommodate a predetermined number of spherical bodies in a ring-shaped track portion having a predetermined shape, and this balancer is provided so as to be rotatable integrally and coaxially with the disk. In addition, in the disk drive apparatus of the present invention, the ring-shaped track of the balancer is divided into plural tracks by partition walls or the like, and a ball used as a balance member is disposed so as to be movable on each divided track. Furthermore, the disk drive apparatus of the present invention is configured so that the disk is held on both sides or one side thereof by using four or more projections or rubber sheets.

Abstract: A flight control surface control unit controls a swinging angle of a flight control surface of an aircraft by providing a swinging force to the flight control surface and swinging the flight control surface about a pivot. The flight control surface control unit comprises an actuator mounted on an airframe of the aircraft with a final output shaft of the actuator positioned coaxially with the pivot of the flight control surface. The final output shaft of the actuator and the flight control surface are connected to each other. The flight control surface is formed with a recess in the vicinity of the pivot thereof and the actuator is accommodated in the recess.

Abstract: A process is provided for manufacturing industrial detergents and industrial detergent components in granular or agglomerate form on a dry basis in an essentially horizontally oriented fluidized bed. The finished detergent granulates or agglomerates are distinguished by a homogenous composition of the individual raw material components, including the binder and the moisture content, have a high resistance to mechanical stress, are readily dispersible in water, and are low in dust or almost dust-free. In the process a binder and/or components in the form of solutions, suspensions, or melts are added to the solid material in the fluidized bed via a spray or injection system. Through the energy introduced via the process air, drying and compacting of the agglomerate granulate forming in the injection area of the fluidized bed occur. The supply temperature of the process air is in a range of about 20° C. up to the decomposition temperature of the individual materials.

Abstract: A clamp rod (5) is vertically movably inserted into a housing (3). The housing (3) has a lower end wall (3b) formed with a detecting hole (58) substantially concentrically with an axis of the clamp rod (5). The detecting hole (58) has a peripheral surface opened to provide at least one inlet hole (71, 72) for supplying compressed air. A detecting member (62) is vertically movably fitted into the detecting hole (58). The detecting member (62) has an outer peripheral surface provided with a closing surface (68) which closes an opening portion (71a, 72a) of the inlet hole (71, 72) and with a recess (69) which communicates the opening portion (71a, 72a) with the outside air. The clamp rod (5) has a downwardly oriented projection (5a). The projection (5a) is connected to the detecting member (62) so that it can make a relative movement radially.

Abstract: A spiral wound membrane module comprises a spiral wound membrane element including a separation membrane having high back pressure strength. In filtration running, raw water introduced from a raw water inlet of a pressure vessel is subjected to dead end filtration, and permeate is taken out from a permeate outlet. In washing, wash water containing a chemical having a contaminant separating function is introduced from an end of a water collection pipe through the permeate outlet for performing back wash reverse filtration with a back pressure of 0.05 to 0.3 MPa. The filtration running is temporarily stopped for maintaining the pressure vessel in a state sealed with the raw water and the permeate for a prescribed time. Thus, contaminants adhering to the membrane surface of the spiral wound membrane element are separated. A treatment system is formed by connecting units comprising spiral wound membrane modules in parallel with each other.

Abstract: A composition is provided for use in a dishwashing machine and in the form of a tablet. The composition is characterized by having at least two small parts, which are placed in or on the tablet, and in which at least one functional substance is concentrated in each case thus enabling the respective small part to be released by dissolution at a determined point in time during the dishwashing cycle. The small parts are produced by using at least two different methods.

Abstract: A traction drive speed reducer which comprises circumscribed axes 20A and 20B, a plurality of intermediate axes 30A and 30B arranged contacting around the outer periphery of the circumscribed axes, and inscribed cylinders 40A and 40B inscribing the outer periphery of the intermediate axes, and in which a supporting member 10 to rotatably support the intermediate axes is fixed, a drive motor is connected to at least one of the plurality of intermediate axes, and an output is taken from the circumscribed axis having the larger diameter than the outer diameter of the intermediate axis.

Abstract: A heat transfer apparatus with a zigzag passage is provided. The apparatus includes a pair of opposed plates 11, 12, a bent plate 21 having a wavy cross sectional shape for dividing the space between both plates into a plurality of side-by-side passages 20a, 20b, and a pair of cover members 13, 14, bonded to the bent plate 21, for forming connecting portions 20c, 20d between the side-by-side passages. One sidewall portion 23a of both sidewall portions 23a, 23b of the bent plate 21 is coupled to the cover member 13 on one end of a rectangular groove. The other sidewall portion 23b is coupled to the cover member 14 on the other end of the rectangular groove. Thus, a zigzag passage 20 is formed in which one side of the rectangular groove is folded to oppose the other side of the rectangular groove.

Abstract: The invention relates to a composition for use in a dishwasher which is provided in the form of a tablet. The inventive composition is characterized by a base composition which essentially carries out its function during the main cleaning cycle of the dishwasher, and is also characterized by at least one particle. Said particle has at least one core that comprises at least one substance which essentially carries out its function during the rinse cycle of the dishwasher. The particle also has a coating which, for the most part, completely surrounds the core(s). Said coating comprises at least one compound whose solubility increases with a declining concentration of a specific ion in the surrounding medium. The at least one particle is arranged in or on the tablet in such a way that the surface of the particle(s) is, at most, partially in direct contact with the surface of the base composition surrounding this/these particles.

Abstract: A pet shelter/incubator includes a hollow housing having an interior sufficiently large to comfortably receive at least one dog, a floor, a roof and at least one side wall extending between the floor and the roof and only partially surrounding the interior. It also includes at least one heat generator positioned within the housing to radiate into the interior and a sensor that is responsive to the presence and absence of an animal in the interior of the housing turn the heat generator on in the presence of the animal and off in its absence. The roof is removably mounted to the side wall and floor to convert the shelter into an incubator for newborn and young animals with a rigid closure to cover a door opening.

Abstract: A remote-controlled toy skateboard device comprises a skateboard with a deck and front and rear truck assemblies pivotally connected to the deck. A toy figure has a lower body portion that is fixedly connected to the deck and an upper body portion that is connected for rotation with respect to the lower body portion. A torso drive mechanism is operably connected to the upper body portion of the toy figure to rotate the upper body portion with respect to the lower body portion. A steering mechanism is operably connected with one of the truck assemblies to tilt the deck with respect to the truck assemblies to thereby steer the skateboard. A drive mechanism is also operably connected to wheels of one truck assembly to propel the skateboard. A remote-control unit is configured to generate signals to remotely control movement of the toy figure, tilt between the deck and truck assemblies, and the speed and travel direction of the skateboard.

Abstract: A diskectomy instrument includes an elongate body, a blade and a drive stem. The elongate body has a distal end, a proximal end, and a blade opening proximate the distal end. The blade is removably and movably mounted within the elongate body proximate the blade opening. The blade has a distal end, a proximal end, a sharp edge, a ramped portion and a stem mating portion. The drive stem is movably mounted within the elongate body and has a distal end, a proximal end and a blade mating portion. The drive stem is configured to slidably engage the blade when the drive stem is moved distally thereby extending the at least one blade radially outward though the at least one blade opening. The blade mating portion is configured to cooperatively engage the stem mating portion of the blade when the drive stem is moved proximally thereby retracting the blade.