Abstract: A code reading device, which converts a bar code displayed on a medium into electric signals by means of a photo-electric converter and outputs them after having decoded them into data, which can be dealt with by an information processing device, wherein there are disposed two memories for storing data decoded, respectively, at the present time and data decoded at the last time and a comparator for comparing the data stored in these memories, and decoded data are transmitted to the information processing device, only when the two data differ from each other so that the amount of outputted data is reduced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flat display holding mechanism, which comprises a guide portion provided in the main body of an apparatus such as a computer and a word processor for rotatably supporting the flat display on the main body through a link and also for guiding, when the flat display is opened, the lower portion of the flat display toward the front of the main body, and a retaining mechanism provided at a portion which moves when the flat display is opened for retaining the flat display in any desired position. With such arrangement, a display portion with a larger screen can be positioned closer to the keyboard and the flat display can be retained in any desired tilted position so that an enhanced view of the screen can be obtained.

Abstract: A clock spring connector has a fixed body; a movable body rotatably installed on the fixed body; a flexible cable wound between these fixed body and the movable body; and a lock member provided for restricting mutual rotation between the fixed body and the movable body. The clock spring connector further has an engaging portion provided on one of the fixed body and the movable body; a supporting portion having a key groove on the other of the fixed body and the movable body; and the lock member being provided with an engagement portion capable of engaging with the engaging portion and disengaging therefrom and a key capable of entering into the key groove and engaging with the supporting portion by being turned.

Abstract: A sound system for a vehicle detects the amount of noise, such as road noise, and automatically controls the audio volume in accordance with the noise amount. There are provided a plurality of tables, in which the relationships among the present volume, the noise amount and the volume increase amount of the audio signal are stored. Once one of the plurality of tables is selected by using a table selection key according to the type of the vehicle or the sound system, the volume is automatically controlled based on the characteristic of the selected table.

Abstract: A copolymer of the present invention is produced by copolymerization of an electron-donating monomer having an electron-accepting group and an electron-accepting monomer having an electron-accepting group. The copolymer thus exhibits a high dielectric constant, a low level of hygroscopicity and good adhesion.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for producing a continuous belt-like sheet of bread dough. The apparatus includes a dough hopper, vertical conveyors mounted on the facing side walls of the hopper, a dough outlet provided at the bottom of the hopper, and a pair of discharging rolls constituting part of the dough outlet, facing each other, and which are rotated so as to downwardly pass the bread dough passing therebetween. The width of the outlet and the peripheral speed of the discharging rolls are controllable so that a high-quality sheet of bread dough is continuously produced, while the gel structure of the dough is maintained uninjured.

Abstract: An optical glass for a press lens composed of 25 to 41 mol % of SiO.sub.2, 10 to 30 mol % of B.sub.2 O.sub.3, 18 to 40 mol % of PbO, 1 to 10 mol % of Na.sub.2 O, 1 to 15 mol % of K.sub.2 O, 2 to 20 mol % of Li.sub.2 O, and 0.3 to 3 mol % of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.

Abstract: A push button switch including a case, a key top fastened to the case, an elastic member disposed between the case and the key top and acting to upwards urge the key top and a contact portioned so as to confront a spring member fastened to an operation member of the key top so that the contact portion is pressed by the spring member when the key top is depressed, the push button switch comprising: a movable member disposed between the operation member of the key top and a projection wall of the case whereby the operation member and the movable member can be moved with respect to each other and the movable member and the projection wall can be moved with respect to each other.

Abstract: A focus servo control device is provided with a focus search signal generating portion for generating a focus search signal whose first half cycle is short and whose second half cycle is long, a level detecting portion for detecting the level of a focus error signal when an object lens first passes near the focus point in response to the focus search signal, a gain adjusting portion for adjusting the focus servo gain based on the detected focus signal level, and a signal switch circuit for outputting a focus error signal instead of the focus search signal when the object lens reaches the focus point or the adjacency of the focus point for a second time in response to the focus search signal. The object lens is moved to a position where the focus servo control can be performed in response to the focus search signal, and then focused on the surface of a disc in response to the focus error signal in accordance with the distance between the object lens and the disc surface.

Abstract: A push button switch has a stem having a thin flange without requiring fabrication of synthetic material, thereby realizing a push button switch having good productivity and high reliability.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for quantitatively dividing bread dough. The apparatus includes a hopper having vertical side walls. The internal space surrounded by the walls has the same horizontal sectional area at any position along the vertical walls. The apparatus also includes a pair of vertical conveyors extending along the side walls. A dough outlet is formed in the bottom wall of the hopper. A dividing device is located in close proximity to the dough outlet. When the dough is continuously and quantitatively divided by the dividing device into small pieces, the vertical conveyors are driven at a speed of X m/min. in line with the speed of the dough flowing downward on its same level. Each of the dough pieces is then conveyed toward the shaping station. Thus the dough can be quantitatively divided so that a high quality dough is obtained without the gel structure of the gluten being destroyed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an angular initialization method for orientating a direction of a cutting edge portion in a cutting plotter which cuts out a cutting medium into a desired shape sheet, in which a cutter member is continuously shifted to cut out the cutting medium along two line segments from a first line segment to a second line segment which intersect with each other at a predetermined angle, and it is possible, when the cutter member is shifting on the second line segment, to change the direction of the cutting edge portion and to securely locate the direction of the cutting edge portion to coincide with the second line segment shortly before a cutting operation is commenced, even if the cutter member is not turned to a desired cutting direction while the cutter member has been shifting on the first line segment.

Abstract: The method of producing pie dough by stretching a pie dough sheet, laminating the dough sheet by alternately folding it in two opposite directions normal to its traveling direction, stretching the laminated dough sheet, and, if necessary, repeating the laminating and stretching processes. The degree of stretching in the lateral direction of the dough sheet is adjusted to be higher than that in the lengthwise direction and the staggered slits are formed in the dough sheet in the traveling direction of the sheet so that when the pie dough is thereafter baked, fillings therein can be seen through the openings of the slits.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for cutting and shaping a spherical body of a sticky material, composed of an assembly consisting of a number of rotary polygonal members for collectively forming an enclosure at the center thereof to cut and shape the material passing through the enclosure, each of the members with curved side surfaces being associated such that the enclosure is confined through the exposed part of the curved side surfaces of the polygonal members which pivotally swing to open and close the enclosure, and that the tip of each of the polygonal members tracks the exposed curved side surface of the adjacent polygonal member to scrape off the material adhering thereto, and each of the polygonal members having a uniform thickness that is thick enough to preclude the member from wedging into the material and that decreases toward the tip thereof, so that substantially spherical products can be continuously produced without generating any difficulty caused by the material adhering to the cutting members or by

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head having a slider and electromagnetic transducers provided at an end portion on one side of the slider. The magnetic head comprises a plurality of wire connecting portions connected with the electromagnetic transducers and arranged in a row on the surface of the slider which is opposite to that surface of the slider facing a magnetic recording medium. Such a thin-film magnetic head is manufactured by preparing a pair of thin-film magnetic head preforms which each have a plurality of wire connecting portions, and which are positioned in symmetrical relation to each other with their respective wire connecting portions disposed in mutual back-to-back abutment, the mutually abutting wire connecting portions each consisting of an electrode. The preforms are then bisected so as to obtain two thin-film magnetic heads.

Abstract: An audiovisual subscription system includes means for aperiodically inverting the lines of a transmitted video signal on a frame-by-frame basis and for decrypting encrypted PCM audio information which is transmitted along with the aperiodically inverted video information.

Abstract: In a magnetic head of the metal-in-gap type, a magnetic metal layer provided in a magnetic gap comprises a plurality of thin film layers. Of the thin film layers, one which is located on the side of the magnetic gap is formed by use of a material having a comparatively higher saturation magnetic flux density whereas one which is located on the side of facing the magnetic core is formed by use of a material having a comparatively lower saturation magnetic flux density. Magnetic recording efficiency can be thereby enhanced, without a considerable increase in the thickness of the magnetic metal layer provided in the magnetic gap.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a sheet of dough, wherein powdered materials, including flour, yeast, sugar, and fats and oils, for making bread, are mixed with particles of ice, such that the particles of ice do not melt, to make them into a dough mixture. The dough mixture is formed into a continuous belt-like dough mixture having a uniform width and thickness such that the particles of ice do not melt, and then the particles of ice are melted to make the belt-like dough mixture hydrated. Finally continuous hydrated belt-like dough mixture is stretched so that a continuous sheet of dough having a gluten network is provided.

Abstract: A thermal head for a thermal-transfer or heat-sensitive printer has a silicon substrate having a projection. A porous silicon layer having a small thermal conductivity is formed on the silicon substrate so as to cover at least the projection on the silicon substrate. A heat-generating resistor layer is formed on the porous silicon oxide layer in a region above the projection of the silicon substrate. A conductor layer is formed on the heat-generating layer so as to expose the portion of the heat-generating resistor layer which is right above the projection of the silicon substrate and which serves as a heat-generating portion. The heat-generating portion and the conductor layer are covered by a protective layer.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter which is especially suitable for use in converting digital audio data into an analog signal includes a partial signal time series data generating section for dividing a unit pulse response signal into m partial signals at a predetermined time interval T before digitally and repeatedly generating each partial signal with n items of time series numerical value data, a digital data storing section for storing m items of the latest digital data generated at the predetermined time T, a digital computing section for multiplying the time series numerical value data of each partial signal by digital data stored in the storing section corresponding to the partial signal before adding the multiplication results, and a converter for converting digital numerical value data which is the output from the digital computing section into an analog.