Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting and locating leaks in internal pressure vessels. A method generally includes forming a pressurizing cavity external to and adjacent an internal pressure vessel. A pressurized fluid is injected into the pressurizing cavity to cause pressurized fluid to flow from the pressurizing cavity through a leak into the internal pressure vessel. The internal pressure vessel is monitored to detect leakage of pressurized fluid into the internal pressure vessel.

Abstract: An electro-optical device comprising, a first board and a second board superposed on each other; a seal 6 for bonding the first board and the second board at the periphery of a display area; a plurality of connection terminals 71 provided on an overhang of the first board which extends from the second board; and a plurality of connection wires 70 provided on the first board and interconnecting the display area and the plurality of connection terminals 71. The distance between adjacent connection wires 119b is set to be smaller inside the seal 6 than outside the seal 6. This prevents the occurrence of corrosion in the connection wires 70 lying outside the seal 6, and shortens the distance between adjacent connection wires 70 lying inside the seal 6, thereby reducing the overall size of the liquid crystal device.

Abstract: A nose pad assembly is slidably mounted to an eyeglass frame by which a pair of multifocal lenses are held. The nose pad assembly includes a pair of oval nose pads within which elongated guide grooves are defined. Two pairs of upper and lower magnets are coaxially and fixedly mounted in the upper and lower ends of the respective nose pads. A pair of slides are slidably moved along the guide grooves and attached to a pair of pad arms of the eyeglass frame. The slides include a corresponding pair of slide magnets positioned within the respective guide grooves. The slide magnets are selectively attracted to the upper and lower magnets to hold the eyeglass frame in its upper and lower positions, respectively. A bridge member extends between the upper end of the nose pads. The bridge member is configured to resist a substantially vertical force which may be applied thereto when the eyeglass frame is moved between its upper and lower positions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for achieving a near diffraction-limited, high-average power output from a solid-state laser oscillator are provided. The solid-state laser uses multiple disk-shaped laser gain media having a large optical aperture placed in an unstable resonator. The laser gain media is provided with optical coatings for operation in the active mirror configuration and is attached to a rigid, cooled substrate, which allows it to maintain a prescribed shape even when experiencing significant thermal load. The resonator is configured so as to preferentially support low order optical modes with transverse dimensions sufficiently large to efficiently fill the gain media apertures. Resonator configurations capable of producing standing wave or traveling wave optical fields are disclosed. The resonator may include means for intracavity correction of an optical phase front by adaptive optics.

Abstract: A fuel pump module and method for mounting such to a fuel tank having a limited mounting depth, includes a reservoir, a modular flange, and a compressible coupling element, wherein the modular flange and the reservoir containing the fuel pump are connected offset to each other vertically, by means of the compressible coupling element. Upon installation in a shallow fuel tank, the offset attachment provides for the reservoir, to be biased against the bottom wall of the fuel tank without vertically interfering with the modular flange embodying various components such as vent valves or carbon canisters, which after mounting, are at least partially adjacent horizontally to the reservoir within the fuel tank.

Abstract: A vehicle air conditioner is controlled to directly lower the temperature of the interior equipment before a driver enters a vehicle, using an airflow from an air outlet. The air outlet can be placed on and/or against the interior equipment. The interior equipment can be an instrument panel, a steering wheel or a seat.

Abstract: A portable power planer for planing the top surface of a workpiece. The portable power planer includes a base, which defines a reference surface, a cutting blade, which defines a cutting plane, and a setting mechanism may be employed to prevent a distance between the reference surface and the cutting plane from being adjusted to a dimension that is smaller than a height dimension that is selected from a group of predetermined dimensions. The setting mechanism includes first and second stop members, one being coupled to the base and the other being associated with the cutting blade. One of the stop members includes a plurality of differently dimensioned sectors or contact points that may be selectively positioned inline with the other stop member to inhibit movement of the cutting blade toward the base if the dimension therebetween is equal to a dimension associated with a given one of the contact points.

Abstract: A system for monitoring equipment operating parameters of a remote system includes a monitor that communicates with a controller of the remote system, and at least one piece of equipment operable within the remote system, and that communicates with the controller. The equipment has at least one associated operating parameter. The monitor compares a present value of the associated operating parameter to a previous value to determine a difference therebetween. The difference is associated with a cost, measuring the cost of operating the equipment at the present operating parameter.

Abstract: For a phase-locked loop, disclosed is a method (and corresponding apparatus) for reducing electromagnetic interference caused by a clock signal produced by a voltage controlled oscillator, the method comprising: generating a control signal having a first type, e.g., sinusoidal, of slight variation in magnitude relative to a nominal magnitude value thereof; and providing the slightly varying control signal to a voltage-controlled oscillator (“VCO”) to obtain a clock signal exhibiting a second type, e.g., sinusoidal, of slight variation in frequency relative to a nominal frequency value thereof. The slight variation is non-negligible.

Abstract: In the liquid discharge head for discharging liquid such as ink like the ink jet head, at least a part on a surface of a piezoelectric element on the side of a liquid chamber member (ink chamber member) is composed of a nucleus forming assistance material contained layer containing a material for assisting nucleus forming for growth of plating at the time of forming the liquid chamber member on the surface by means of the electroless plating, and the liquid chamber member is formed on the nucleus forming assistance material contained layer by the electroless plating.

Abstract: A structure for mounting a heavy article 27 to a carrier body 31 via an intermediate member 20, capable of temporarily fixing the heavy article during the mounting operation, wherein the intermediate member 20 is provided in a lower part thereof with a lower attachment portion 21 having holes 26 for fixing the heavy article 27 and in an upper part thereof with upper attachment portions 23 having engagement portions 25 for being temporarily fixed to the carrier body 31 and fixation portions 24 for being firmly fixed to the carrier body 31. To fix the intermediate member 20 to the heavy article 27, the lower attachment portion 21 of the former is sandwiched between a pair of elastic members 28 made of soft material, and fastened to the heavy article 27 by fastening members 30 through the holes 26, for allowing a slight vibration of the heavy article 27.

Abstract: An organic polymer comprising a conjugated backbone for transporting negative charge carriers and having a first band gap and at least one side unit pendent from the backbone for transporting positive charge carriers and having a second band gap, wherein the structure of the organic polymer is selected so that the first and second band gaps are distinct from one another in the polymer.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring carbon dioxide production during a dough leavening process to improve the efficiency and quality of the baking process. A yeast dough is placed in an oven for rising and baking. A carbon dioxide sensor is connected to the oven to sense the carbon dioxide in the oven atmosphere, and a monitoring device monitors the signal from the carbon dioxide sensor to provide an output indicative of the substantial end of the rising stage, and may automatically control the oven to begin baking.

Abstract: A valve for controlling fluid flow through a passage defined by a valve body or a piston includes a valve disc which abuts the valve body or the piston. The valve body or the piston defines a first supporting member for the valve disc, a second supporting member for the valve disc located radially inward from the first supporting member and a third supporting member for the valve disc located between the first and second supporting members. This valve disc abuts the first and second supporting members and a clearance is defined between the valve disc and the third supporting member.

Abstract: A function liquid filling device includes: a feed unit for feeding a function liquid in a function liquid tank toward head caps coupled to function liquid droplet ejection heads through the function liquid droplet ejection heads; a detection unit for detecting that the fed function liquid reaches the head caps; and a control unit for stopping the drive of the feed unit based on a result of detection by the detection unit. The detection unit includes: a crystal oscillator disposed in the head cap and/or a waste liquid passage; and a detector for detecting the presence or absence of the function liquid based on a change in a resonance frequency of the crystal oscillator.

Abstract: A first shading region for defining a display region is arranged on a light-transmitting substrate. A cell thickness adjustment layer is arranged on the substrate inside the display region and a second shading region for defining a boundary of a plurality of pixel regions is arranged on the cell thickness adjustment layer. The cell thickness adjustment layer is selected so that the total thickness of the second shading region is not smaller than the total thickness of the first shading region. The cell gap can thus be made uniform throughout the whole display region and non-uniformity of display can be prevented.

Abstract: A pulsejet system and method requires no pulsejet internal moving parts. Each pulsejet includes a combustion chamber having an upstream inlet port joined to an inlet diffuser, boundary layer air ports enveloping the combustion chamber, and a downstream exit port joined to a discharge nozzle. Each pulsejet discharges into an ejector to increase net thrust. Each ejector includes an augmentor cell having side walls and perforated end plates. The perforated end plate between each pair of pulsejets is shared to permit the discharge thrust to equalize across the pulsejet group. Air and fuel mix in the combustion chamber and are detonated by a reflected back-pressure wave. Detonation/deflagration reverse pressure waves compressing boundary layer air flow act as a pneumatic throat to temporarily choke off inlet fresh air at the upstream inlet port. The pneumatic throat replaces the conventional mechanical valve used for this purpose.

Abstract: A system and method for carrying out a hand-off of a satellite-based communications link with a mobile platform, such as an aircraft, leaving a first coverage region and entering a second coverage region. A land-based communications link connects ground stations in each of the coverage regions for communications with one another and also with a network operations center (NOC). As the aircraft enters an area of overlap between the two coverage regions, a sequence of communications is initiated between the ground stations and also between each of the ground stations and the aircraft to ensure that new forward link and return link assignments are received by the aircraft before the aircraft relinquishes its communications link with the first ground station to begin communicating with the second ground station.

Abstract: The flux densities formed by plural electromagnet poles M1 to M12 which are arranged at a predetermined interval in a circumferential direction of a rotary body 1 at the same position in an axial direction of the rotary body 1 are gradually changed in the circumferential direction of the rotary body. Even if there is a difference between the maximum value of the flux density and the minimum value, the change of the flux densities between the adjacent electromagnet poles is small and smooth. Accordingly satisfactory detective sensitivity and detection results can be obtained.

Abstract: A surface-mount microconverter is formed by mounting a microinductor chip and a semiconductor integrated circuit chip on a circuit board. Stud terminals are arranged on the circuit board and the microinductor chip is supported on the stud terminals, and the microinductor chip and the semiconductor integrated circuit chip are superposed on the circuit board. The microconverter has an improved ability and is small and thin. The microconverter includes an effective laminated magnetic-core inductor. The inductor comprises a helical coil formed by uniting alternately superposed insulating magnetic layers and conductive pattern layers, and an annular closed magnetic path formed by the insulating magnetic layers and defining a magnetic field created by the coil. The inductor can be miniaturized in a thin chip, and a wide range in which magnetic flux density varies linearly can be secured by balancing a closed magnetic path for a magnetic field created by the coil.