Abstract: A fuel injector for internal combustion engines provided with a fuel feeding channel, the feeding channel having an axis and an injection outlet; an injection valve to control the outlet; an injection valve having a shutter arranged inside the feeding channel to define, within the feeding channel, a first fuel introduction section, the shutter being movable from and to a closing position along the feeding channel, which has a second section; and an annular sealing seat arranged on the feeding channel upstream of the outlet; an elastic member for normally keeping the shutter in the closing position; an actuator mechanism connected to the shutter to displace the shutter itself from the closing position and to an opening position of the outlet; and a hydraulic resistance that is provided along the feeding channel upstream of the annular sealing seat to balance the forces acting upon the shutter.

Abstract: A method of joining pipes (3) to produce underwater pipelines (2), wherein the facing free ends (15) of two adjacent pipes (3), aligned along an axis (A), are welded to define a cutback (18); a protective sheet (22) of plastic material is extruded close to the cutback (18); and the protective sheet (22) is wound about the cutback (18).

Abstract: A method for forming solder bodies on a substrate includes: positioning a first mask plate, which is formed with at least one first through-hole, on the substrate; filling the first through-hole with a first solder paste so as to form a first solder body on the substrate; positioning a second mask plate, which is formed with at least one second through-hole and at least one recess spaced apart from the second through-hole, on the substrate in such a manner that the first solder body is received in the recess; and filling the second through-hole with a second solder paste so as to form a second solder body on the substrate.

Abstract: An amplification device, comprising a device input receiving a device input signal, an amplifier unit comprising a zero crossing detector unit, an output filter and a lead-lag compensation network. The zero crossing detector unit compares the device input signal with a reference potential and switches a pulse width modulated detector output signal between first and second voltage levels dependent on the comparison. The amplifier unit provides an actual device output signal, e.g., an amplified representation of the device input signal. The amplification device further comprises a device output providing the actual device output signal, a control loop bridging the amplifier unit and comprising a forward filter, e.g., an integrating filter, for increasing loop gain improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the actual device output signal, and a deviation detection unit detecting over modulation of the amplifier unit, so that the amplification device disables forward filter functioning upon over modulation.

Abstract: A method for realistic stitching and showing image blocks of an electronically recorded multipart image wherein relative positional offset values of the image blocks recorded with overlap are determined in a co-ordinate system in directions x and y and stored in matrix format, and the image blocks to be presented are stitched together on the basis of the stored values the method comprising: subdividing the overlaps of the individual image blocks into smaller regions with fixed relative positions; picking up at least one region most useful for the determination of the stitching; determining the offset goodness value based on the similarity of pattern of the image blocks; stitching the blocks of the image so that first the two image blocks characterized by the best offset goodness values are stitched together and the two image blocks characterized by the worst offset goodness values are stitched together last, whereas only the co-ordinates of the images figuring in a table are modified in the course of the stit

Abstract: A heat exchanger for a gas boiler for producing hot water is provided with a casing extending along a first axis and through which combustion fumes flow; a tube along which water flows, and which is housed inside the casing and coils about the first axis to form a helix made of a succession of turns; and deflecting means for directing the fumes between successive turns; the tube being provided with a first and a second fins, which extend along the length of the tube, face one another, and are tangent to the tube.

Abstract: A printed solenoid inductor delay line system comprises discrete delay sections, where the inductor is implemented in the form of a printed, spiraling solenoid, with the solenoid axis in the plane of the multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB).

Abstract: A trainable back bend monitor system for use by individuals that will monitor and sense bending as it occurs and where a threshold level of bending can be set so that the individual will be warned when that predetermined threshold, unique to that individual, has been reached so that the individual can then be warned or signaled to stop bending thereby avoiding bending conditions that can lead to bodily strain that can cause lower back pain.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed that automatically interject brain activations into video imaging activities or other activities of daily living. During a video game, for example, an interrupt causes a pause in the game and a commencement of an activity involving but not limited to bilateral portions of the body, the peripheral vision of the game-player, and a visual pursuit-type and saccadic-type action on the video screen. Alternatively, the brain activation can be merged into the content of the video game so as to be generally indistinguishable to the user. Automatic feedback from the system encourages more frequent brain activations when performance is determined to be diminished and less frequent brain activations when performance is determined to be enhanced. The combination of events in the activity is believed to engage the frontal lobes of the brain as well as other brain structures and stimulate brain health.

Abstract: The invention relates to a chuck for flexible manufacturing, said chuck comprising a chuck body, a central draw head guided axially in a central hole of the chuck body and connected to inner jaws radially guided in the chuck body through a straight-wedge mechanism, and outer jaws also radially guided in the chuck body and adapted to be equipped with chuck jaws for chucking a work-piece and to be engaged with coupling heads through rack teeth. The coupling heads are built in the inner jaws and guided axially therein, wherein said coupling heads comprise a double locking coupling device. The first locking stage of said coupling device includes wedge-shaped control members fixed to a control ring, whereas the second locking stage includes an additional locking member directly connected to the control ring. The chuck body is in the form of a one-piece unit, wherein the control ring is encased by the chuck body and the rear centering disc so that the control ring can be rotated there-between.

Abstract: An improved abdominal bench having a simplified structure, a more comprehensive weight system, a multi-positional foot assembly and a more streamlined frame and pivoting linkages.

Abstract: A low frequency reject filter element is formed on a printed circuit board that utilizes the fact that power transmission in a waveguide is cut-off below a certain frequency. A quasi waveguide cavity is formed in printed circuit board using the top and bottom ground plane of the stripline circuit and using conductive via holes to form the side walls of the cavity. Waveguide cavity mode is launched from the input and output striplines by shorting them to ground. Transformers and matching via hole elements may be used to improve matching. The resulting filter is compact and is highly effective in suppressing low frequency transmissions.

Abstract: Rack Interface Pods can be augmented with non-KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) functionality that can enable greater analysis of the state of the computer to which the RIP is attached. A RIP can be augmented to include a non-KVM input connection (e.g., an Intelligent Platform/Chassis control protocol input) that is used to communicate between the server and the RIP. The RIP can then multiplex the received information with the KVM signals for transmission to a PEM or to an ARI port. Video and computer environment-style data can be multiplexed across a communications medium exiting the RIP such that they can be received by a remote computer.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for pre-processing a network, wherein the network comprises nodes and edges, each edge having a length measured according to a given metric, comprises the steps of selecting a source and a target node; determining a transit node for the selection; determining a length of a shortest path between the source node and the transit node; and storing it. A method for determining the length of a shortest path in the network may use the pre-processed network to answer the shortest path query in constant time.

Abstract: A transparent-front vending machine includes an optical vend-sensing system with an article sensing subsystem arranged athwart a vend space. The article sensing subsystem has two emitter/detector arrays, each having at least one emitter and a plurality of detectors. The emitter/detector arrays are arranged so that at least some electromagnetic radiation emitted by an emitter of the first array can be detected by at least two active detectors of the second array, and at least some electromagnetic radiation emitted by an emitter of the second array can be detected by at least two active detectors of the first array so that articles falling through the vend space will interrupt electromagnetic radiation between an emitter and at least one detector. At least two emitters are active at one time.

Abstract: A file system includes a plurality of servers to store file data as segments or chunks; and first data that includes file identifiers for files for which the file data are stored as segments; and second data that maps the file identifiers to the segments to which the file identifiers correspond; and location data that identifies which of the plurality of servers stores which of the segments, the location data being keyed on segment identifiers, each segment identifier being based on the data in a corresponding segment.

Abstract: A modularized device includes a seat body, a first assembly unit, a cover, and a second assembly unit. The first assembly unit is fixed within the seat body and includes a first engaging portion. The cover removably covers the seat body. The second assembly unit is mounted on a bottom surface of the cover and is movable relative to the cover. The second assembly unit includes a second engaging portion having a shape complementary to that of the first engaging portion. The second assembly unit is movable relative to the cover to compensate an amount of deviation caused by tolerances so that the second engaging portion is adjustable to correspondingly engage the first engaging portion when the cover is secured to the seat body.

Abstract: A high definition video transmitter and receiver are disclosed. The transmitter provides high definition video to a one-point receiver or to multipoint receivers. The transmission network is asynchronous and the receiver re-synchronizes the video. The transmission can be wired or wireless.

Abstract: A vending machine includes at least one width-adjustable storage rack, the storage rack having a fixed wall and a movable wall connected to the fixed wall by at least one connecting link; and an adjustment mechanism constructed and adapted to position the movable wall relative to the fixed wall and to thereby vary an interior width between the fixed and movable walls. Two movable walls can be connected to a single fixed wall.

Abstract: An electronic receiver array for detecting microwave signals. Ultra-small resonant devices resonate at a frequency higher than the microwave frequency (for example, the optical frequencies) when the microwave energy is incident to the receiver. A microwave antenna couples the microwave energy and excites the ultra-small resonant structures to produce Plasmon activity on the surfaces of the resonant structures. The Plasmon activity produces detectable electromagnetic radiation at the resonant frequency.