Abstract: Multiwavelength laser source transmitting a luminous flux including as many amplifier wave-guides as potential transmission wavelengths, a collimation optic system for collimating the beams transmitted by the wave-guides, a network and a retroreflector making up the network, a dispersive retroreflecting device that defines with each wave-guide, an external resonating cavity, whereas each wave-guide has an inner face and an outer face with respect to its associated cavity. A Fabry-Perot interferometer with reduced fine adjustment is placed in the cavity between the collimation optic system and the network, whereby the interferometer is tilted with respect to the axis of the cavity and forms a little selective filter, whose variation law of the wavelength transmitted in relation to the angle of incidence is identical with that of the dispersive retroreflecting device.

Abstract: Different limit surfaces are derived from the same initial arbitrary polygon mesh by sequentially combining different subdivision rules. This added freedom allows for the more efficiently modeling of objects in computer graphics including objects and characters with semi-sharp features.

Abstract: In an automobile including front and rear seats (Sf) and (Sr) disposed at a longitudinal distance on a vehicle body floor (F), rearward-extending support arms (A) are provided at lower portions of sides of the front seat (Sf). The rear seat (Sr) includes a seat portion (3) which is connected at its front end to tip portions of the support arms (A) and pivotally turnable between a predetermined tilted-down position (3H) and a standing position (3S), and a seat back (4) which is connected at its lower end to a front end of a rear floor section (Fr) and pivotally turnable between a predetermined standing position (4S) and a tilted-down position (4H).

Abstract: A process for producing crack-free shaped ceramic bodies based on Si/C/N by hot pressing of crosslinked polysilazane powder and subsequent pyrolysis of the hot-pressed shaped body employs a pressing temperature higher than the temperature maximum of the TMA curve of the optimally crosslinked polymer.

Abstract: Silicon carbide fibers having an excellent mechanical strength and a superior heat resistance can be produced by the process in which activated carbon fibers having a thickness of 1 to 30 &mgr;m and a BET specific surface area of 700 to 1500 m2/g are reacted with a silicon and/or silicon oxide gas at 1200 to 1500° C. under a reduced pressure or in an inert gas atmosphere; and the resultant SiC fibers are heat treated in the presence of a boron-containing substance and optionally a carbon-containing substance at 1700 to 2300° C. in an inert gas atmosphere, wherein the fibers may be in the form of a shaped article, for example, a sheet or honeycomb structure.

Abstract: A method for continuously stripping an unreacted monomer from a vinyl chloride paste resin latex, comprising the steps of continuously supplying the latex to a vacuum recovery vessel, wherein the latex is boiling with generation of foam, under the condition that the temperature of the latex to be supplied is higher than that of the latex in the recovery vessel, withdrawing a monomer gas generated in the recovery vessel through an exhaust line provided with a foam separator, contacting the foam entrained into the exhaust line with steam introduced to the exhaust line and/or the foam separator, thereby destroying the foam, and returning the resulting latex in the separator to the recovery vessel. The unreacted monomer can be efficiently recovered from the latex by a continuous operation, and defoaming can be achieved without deteriorating the quality and without lowering the productivity.

Abstract: A used melt receptacle 40, a holder 60 for the alignment of crystalline substrates and a melt receptacle 20 are piled up in this order along a vertically extending central axis. A plurality of melt reservoirs 21a to 21d for different kinds of melts are disposed in the melt receptacle 20 concentrically about the central axis, while a plurality of used melt reservoirs are disposed in the used melt receptacle 40 in the same way. The supply of each melt from the corresponding melt reservoir 21a to 21d to the receiving cavity 63 of the holder 60 is changed by a cover 65, in which a melt supply hole 66 is formed, rotatable together with the holder 60. The melt used for crystal growth is discharged from the holder 60 to the used melt receptacle 40 through a cover 42 having used melt dropping holes 43a to 43d. Since the melt fills the receiving cavity 63 while partially remaining in the corresponding melt reservoir 21a to 21d, neither oxide films nor microcrystals are introduced into the receiving cavity 63.

Abstract: A semiconductor device of the present invention includes an insulating layer covering a plurality of semiconductor elements formed in a semiconductor layer, an opening portion formed in the insulating layer respective conductive portions of the plurality of semiconductor elements in the insulating layer, and a conductive pattern formed in the opening portion for connecting respective conductive portions of the plurality of semiconductor elements.