Abstract: A method for manufacturing a multilayered plastic pipe particularly suitable for use as an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine is provided. The method includes the steps of forming a hollow plastic core, providing at least one spacer member on the hollow plastic core, supplying a molten plastic material into a mold cavity and applying a compression force to the material inside the cavity to form an outer layer integrally on the outer peripheral surface of the hollow plastic core. The spacer member prevents the hollow plastic core in the mold cavity from being deformed when a molten plastic material is supplied into the mold cavity under pressure.

Abstract: A batch process for the high-pressure forming of metal plugs in the dielectric layers of semiconductor wafers. After holes are etched in the dielectric layer of each wafer, and a layer of a metal such as aluminum deposited over the dielectric, both the etching and the deposition being done in vacuum chamber cluster machines, the wafers are removed from the cluster machines and placed together in a high pressure chamber where they are subjected to high isostatic pressure that forces the metal into the holes.

Abstract: A method for operating a drying device which includes at least two chambers provided with bottoms for bulk material to be dried, and a means for supplying and discharging a gaseous medium to and from each chamber and wherein the bulk material is partially dried by the gaseous medium and is then transported from a first to a second chamber. The energy increase brought about by the energy supplied to the chamber by the gaseous medium, and the energy given out by the bulk material is determined for each chamber, after which the amount of moisture that has evaporated from the bulk material is determined on the basis of the energy increase and the amount of moisture expected to be present in the bulk material discharged from the device is determined on the basis of the difference between the amount of moisture present in the bulk material introduced into the device and the amount of moisture that has evaporated.

Abstract: A method for quick determination of a scan start point for an image scanner is disclosed. The image scanner includes a photo-processing device and a scanning platform for placing thereon a document to be scanned. The scanning platform is printed with a pattern mark which is located between a home position and a scan start point of the photo-processing device, and has a specified point being a predetermined first shift to the scan start point along a specific direction. According to the method, the photo-processing device moves a predetermined distance from the home position to a pre-scan position overlapping with the pattern mark, then moves a calculated distance from the pre-scan position to the specified point, and moves another predetermined distance from the specified point to the scan start point along the specific direction.

Abstract: A fabricating method for a one-piece refractory metal rocket engine chamber is described. Hollow liner sections of a platinum group metal or alloy are inserted into a chamber barrel portion to form the combustion chamber, connecting into a conical portion, a venturi throat and into a second conical portion, forming an expansion nozzle exit of the chamber. The hollow liner sections correspond to the interior shapes of the chamber portions. A refractory metal split hollow mandrel completes an assembly which is subjected to a hot isostatic pressing cycle. This HIP cycle expands the hollow mandrel, supporting the liner, outward against the chamber wall, pressure bonding the liner sections to the chamber portions. Scarfed edges of the liner sections are also bonded. The split mandrel is then chemically removed from the chamber resulting in a lined rocket engine chamber.

Abstract: A holder for an acoustic pick-up device includes a base and a neck strap. The base is adapted for mounting of the pick-up device thereon, and is formed with a strap fastener. The strap fastener includes a pair of tubular strap sleeves that define a pair of strap holes. The neck strap has two ends that are extended respectively through the holes in the strap sleeves. The neck strap is gripped fittingly and is compressible in radial directions by the strap sleeves. The base can be forced to move along the length of the neck strap when adjusting the position of the base relative to the neck strap.

Abstract: In an outboard motor including a centrifugal clutch system between the engine crankshaft and the drive shaft and including an exhaust pipe that has an outlet which is submerged under water in an operable state of the outboard motor, the exhaust pipe is provided with an exhaust vent which is positioned above water in an operable state of the outboard motor. Thus, when a reverse rotation takes place in the event of unsuccessful engine start, the exhaust vent allows atmospheric air to flow into the exhaust pipe so as to prevent the internal combustion engine from working as a suction pump and introducing water into the engine cylinder through the exhaust pipe.

Abstract: The vehicle occupant protection system can significantly reduce the peak deceleration of the vehicle occupant even with a small vehicle body. The system comprises a seat fitted with a seat belt which is supported on a vehicle body so as to be slidable in a direction of an input crash load, a first actuator for applying an acceleration of a same direction as the crash load upon detection of the vehicle crash to the seat, and a second actuator for applying an acceleration of an opposite direction from the crash load with a prescribed time delay following the detection of the vehicle crash to the seat. Thus, in case of a vehicle crash or other high deceleration situations, the seat is accelerated rearward upon the occurrence of a vehicle crash by the first actuator so that the restraining capability of the seat belt is enhanced by applying to the seat a deceleration higher than the vehicle body deceleration during an early phase of the vehicle crash.

Abstract: A driven unit driven adapted to be used in a cross fan is provided. The driven unit is driven by a motor. The main feature of the driven unit is that there is a concave region on the surface of its rotary shaft. The elastic rubber cap is embedded in the concave region and the embedded portion of the rubber cap can tightly connect the rotary shaft with the rubber cap. Therefore, the blades sleeved on the rotary shaft can be fixed in the right position without shifting. The cross fan having the driven unit of the present invention will have a relatively longer useful life.

Abstract: In a garment which can receive a printed circuit board having a sound synthetic chip (10), a sound outputting element (12), a switch (14), a battery (15) and the like mounted on the printed circuit board (20) and which is capable of outputting a sound or breaking the output of the sound by operating the switch (14), said garment comprises a button exposing hole (32) for exposing at least a portion of the button (14a) of said switch (14) and said sound outputting element (12) in front of it; and a moisture-proof paper (70) being positioned between an inner surface of said non-woven fabric pocket (30) and an rear surface of said printed circuit board (20).

Abstract: The vehicle occupant protection system can significantly reduce the peak deceleration of the vehicle occupant even with a small vehicle body. The system comprises a seat supported on a vehicle body so as to be slidable in a direction of an input crash load resulting from a vehicle crash; a first member connected to the seat and adapted to deform under the crash load upon occurrence of a vehicle crash; a second member connected to a main part of the vehicle body and adapted to deform under the crash load; and a stopper or an actuator for applying a forward force to the seat relative to the vehicle body with a certain time delay after the occurrence of the vehicle crash; the first member being adapted to substantially deform only after the forward force is applied to the seat upon occurrence of a vehicle crash.

Abstract: A programmable device, such as a field programmable gate array, includes at least one signature bit that is used to indicate whether the programmable device has fewer than all the logic blocks accessible to the user. The signature bit may be programmed after the manufacture of the programmable device or may be hard wired during the manufacture of the device. The programming unit recognizes the configuration of the signature bit and restricts access to particular logic blocks based on the configuration. Thus, a large programmable unit may become a smaller “virtual” programmable device by altering the configuration of the signature bit, which is recognized by the programming unit. Consequently, the manufacturer may test market programmable devices of differing sizes to determine demand without incurring the costs associated with producing a completely new product line.

Abstract: A method for reducing lateral silicide formation for a salicide process in a MOS manufacturing process is disclosed. In this method, a spacer structure is formed to be higher than a polysilicon layer of a gate structure, for example by providing a capping layer above the gate structure before the formation of the spacer structure. By this way, the distance between a silicide layer subsequently formed on the gate structure and that formed on the source/drain structure can be long enough to isolate the two silicide layers, thereby preventing the short circuit resulting from the lateral growth of silicide in the MOS structure.

Abstract: In an outboard marine drive, the engine is received in an under case, and is closed by both a fan cover and an engine cover so that the engine may be entirely covered by the engine cover jointly with the under case for a favorable aesthetic effect. However, the fan cover covers the engine closely in cooperation with the under case so that a narrow air passage is defined around the engine, and cooling air of high velocity can be continuously passed around the engine. Thus, according to the present invention, no part of the engine is exposed, but the fan cover surrounding the engine defines an appropriate gap around the engine for effectively guiding cooling air around the engine.

Abstract: Pick-up tools and other devices for handling semiconductor wafers are require to be capable of withstanding corrosive chemical substances and extreme temperatures, and the valve unit for use in such devices must meet these requirements. The valve unit is also desired to be free from electrostatic charging. To this end, the valve unit comprises a valve main body, having a valve seat defined therein, which is made of relatively electroconductive and self-lubricating material such as PTFE, and a valve case which is injection molded around the valve unit and made of a material having some electroconductivity and a high resistance against deformation such as PEEK mixed with carbon fibers. Provision of annular grooves on the outer surface of the valve main body improves the attachment between the valve main body and the valve case so as to improve both the sealing performance and the mechanical integrity of the valve unit.

Abstract: In an automatic power steering system incorporated with a power steering system and an automatic steering system, a continuous switching unit carries out a switch over between a power steering mode and an automatic steering mode in a continuous manner depending on the magnitude of the manual steering torque applied to the steering wheel. Thus, a smooth transition from one of the steering modes to the other can be accomplished without involving any absence of control.

Abstract: The programmable logic of a programmable device is sectioned into four logic regions. Each logic region includes logic elements and a programmable interconnect structure employing antifuses for programmably interconnecting selected ones of those logic elements. Programming conductors for supplying programming current to antifuses of a logic region extend across the logic region but do not extend across other logic regions. Similarly, programming control conductors that control programming transistors of the logic region extend across the logic region but do not extend across other logic regions. The programmable device structure allows four antifuses to be programmed simultaneously, one antifuse in each logic region. An antifuse can be selected for simultaneous programming from a logic region, irrespective of the other three antifuses that are or may be selected for simultaneous programming from the other three logic regions.

Abstract: Two types of programmable elements, fuses and antifuses, are disclosed for interconnecting the terminals of electronic components mounted on printed circuit boards (PCBs), multichip modules (MCMs) or in integrated circuit packages (IC packages). Both types of programmable elements can be fabricated as part of the regular processes used to fabricate PCBs, MCMs, or IC package (pin grid array). For fuses and antifuses, the material, geometry and dimensions can be varied to minimize the real estate and maximize programming efficiency (reduce programming time). Each type of programmable element, fuse or antifuse, can be separately used in matrices to form programmable board and package substrates. When both types of programmable elements are used together, more efficient placement and route architectures take advantage of the characteristics of each type of programmable element. Furthermore, combinations of both fuses and antifuses in the same structure allows the architecture to be reprogrammable.