Abstract: A casing is provided for a reflection measurement device emitting a scanning beam and receiving an echo beam caused by reflection of the scanning beam at an object, and detecting a distance to the object in response to the received echo beam. The casing has a window for conducting a beam, and a protective member being transparent to the beam and covering the window from an inside. A predetermined range through which the beam passes is provided in the window. An interval between a lower edge of the beam pass range and a lower edge of the window is greater than an interval between opposing edges of the beam pass range and the window which differ from the lower edges thereof.

Abstract: In a connection between a motor and a position detector that together constitute a motor actuator, a connection shaft of the position detector is engaged with an outer peripheral surface of a motor output shaft, and a shaft portion of the connection shaft is engaged with an inner peripheral surface of the motor output shaft. Furthermore, radial recesses are provided to be radially outwardly recessed from the inner peripheral surface of the motor output shaft, and one of radial recesses of the motor output shaft engages with a single radial projection of the shaft portion of the connection shaft. Thus, the motor output shaft and the connection shaft are non-rotatably connected with each other, readily accurately.

Abstract: A rotor of a motor includes an engaging portion that engages an annular portion of a yoke based on movement of a rotatable shaft in a thrust direction to brake the rotatable shaft. There is provided a Belleville spring that limits the movement of the rotatable shaft in the thrust direction to prevent engagement of the engaging portion with the annular portion when a thrust load applied on the rotatable shaft is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. Furthermore, the Belleville spring allows the movement of the rotatable shaft in the thrust direction to allow the engagement of the engaging portion with the annular portion when the thrust load applied on the rotatable shaft is larger than the predetermined value.

Abstract: In a capacitance type dynamic quantity sensor, a movable electrode is connected to a support substrate through a frame shaped displacement portion. The displacement portion is composed of first and second beams and a beam connection part connecting the first and second beams at ends thereof. The support substrate has electrode pads for wire bonding involving vibration. The first and second beams can perform flexural vibration at a natural frequency with the beam connection part working as a free end. The shape of the beam connection part is adjusted so that the natural frequency at the flexural vibration is different from that of the vibration applied by the wire bonding.

Abstract: In an ABS control ECU, a power supply output circuit and a power supply monitoring unit are formed on the same chip. A power, supply terminal for the power supply output circuit is provided separately from a power supply terminal for the power supply monitoring unit. A ground terminal for the power supply output circuit is provided separately from a ground terminal for the power supply monitoring unit.

Abstract: The present invention to provides a drum brake that generates the same braking force when a vehicle moves forward and backward. A first lever is connected to a second lever by a strut. A fourth lever provided with an anchor member and a third lever for connecting the fourth lever and the first lever to the end of the fourth lever) opposite to the anchor member across a screw which is the center of swing of the fourth lever. Accordingly, when the vehicle moves forward, an anchor load is received by the anchor member and the second lever. When the vehicle moves backward, the anchor load is received by the anchor member and the first lever.

Abstract: A controlled variable-calculating apparatus and method that can easily calculate a controlled variable from one or more input variables and that can appropriately learn control characteristics for the calculation of the controlled variable. The control characteristics are represented as a surface embedded in an (n+1)-dimensional space, and are used to control one controlled variable from n variables. The control characteristics are approximated by an assemblage of flat planes corresponding to subspaces obtained by dividing an n-dimensional input space. For example, a two-dimensional input space defined by the interior temperature and the amount of sunlight is divided into 15 subspaces. Flat planes 1-15 are made to correspond to the subspaces, respectively. If the interior temperature and the amount of sunlight are entered, a decision is made as to which subspace the environmental conditions belong. The airflow is then calculated using an equation for any one of the flat planes 1-15.

Abstract: A pressure detection apparatus is manufactured by fitting an end portion of a first case into an opening portion of a second case, filling a space, which is defined between the end portion of the first case and an opening edge portion of the second case, with adhesive, and hardening the adhesive. Accordingly, variations in volume of a pressure detection chamber sealed between the first case and the second case can be reduced, resulting in decreased variations in output.

Abstract: A discharging nozzle is provided in an inside space of a metal cylinder for supplying an assist gas from an inside of the metal cylinder. The gas discharging nozzle shuts a high density energy beam intruding into the inside space of the metal cylinder through a hole, so that the energy beam is prevented from being emitted to an opposite side inner surface of the metal cylinder. Dross formed during the cut-machining is drifted and swept to the outside by an assist gas flowing out from the inside space of the metal cylinder through the hole, and is blown out by the assist gas flowing on an outside surface of the metal cylinder around the hole, thereby preventing the dross from sticking to peripheral area of the hole.

Abstract: A semiconductor acceleration sensor, which prevents an adhesion of a movable electrode to a first or second fixed electrode due to an electrostatic attracting force generated therebetween. The sensor has a weight portion and movable electrodes formed on both sides of which, and first and second fixed electrodes each engaging with the each of the movable electrodes. Each of the first and second fixed electrodes is disposed in parallel with each of the movable electrodes so that side faces thereof determine a detection interval and non-detection interval larger than the detection interval with side faces of adjoining two of the movable electrodes. Protrusions are formed on both of the side faces of each of the first and second fixed electrodes. These protrusions prevent the movable electrodes from adhering to the first or second fixed electrode in both of the detection interval and non-detection interval.

Abstract: A photo sensor has a first silicon chip and a second silicon chip mounted on the first silicon chip. Photodiodes are formed in an upper surface portion of the second silicon chip to transform light into electric signals, and circuit elements such as a transistor are formed in an upper surface portion of the first silicon chip to form a signal processing circuit, which manipulates the electric signals from the photodiodes. A metallic thin film is provided on the lower surface of the second silicon chip to cover the circuit element as a shielding film.

Abstract: A motor holder includes a motor housing segment, a plurality of radial ribs and a venturi ring segment. The motor housing segment receives and supports the motor. The radial ribs extend radially outwardly from an outer peripheral surface of the motor housing segment. The venturi ring segment is connected to radially outer ends of the radial ribs and circumferentially surrounds the motor housing segment. The motor holder further includes a plurality of oblique ribs. Each one of the oblique ribs is arranged between and is connected to each adjacent two radial ribs. Furthermore, each one of the oblique ribs is oblique to a radial direction that extends from the motor housing segment.

Abstract: An information-code-image capturing apparatus operates for emitting light toward an article moving along a carry path, and receiving reflected light and capturing an image of an information code on the article. The information-code-image capturing apparatus includes a detecting device for detecting that the article reaches a predetermined position in the carry path. An image capturing device operates for capturing the image on the basis of the reflected light when a time interval has elapsed since a moment at which the detecting device detects that the article reaches the predetermined position. A positional information calculating device n operates for calculating positional information on the basis of the image captured by the image capturing device. The positional information enables an area of the information code to be determined in the captured image.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has a dielectric strength for a gate oxide film at a trench bottom that is higher than that of side walls used for channels. An n+0 type substrate 1 having substrate plane orientation of (110) is prepared, and the side walls of a trench where channels are formed are in (100) planes. The other, non-channel forming, side walls of the trench are in (110) planes. Thus, the growth rate of the gate oxide film 7 in the non-channel forming side walls and the trench bottom is faster than that in the channel forming side walls. As a result, the film thickness at the non-channel-forming side walls and the trench bottom is greater than that of the channel-forming side walls. Accordingly, the device has high mobility, and there is no drop of dielectric strength due to partial reduction of the thickness of the gate oxide film 7. This achieves both a reduction of the ON resistance and an increase in the dielectric strength of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: A method of obtaining information that corresponds to the R—R interval of electrocardiogram from the pulse-wave of a human body. The method is comprised of steps of detecting the pulse-wave of a human body in a predetermined period, differentiating the detected pulse-wave to provide a speed-pulse-wave, measuring intervals of peaks of the speed-pulse-wave, and substituting the intervals of peaks of the speed-pulse-wave for the R—R interval of the electrocardiogram.

Abstract: A trench is formed in a silicon substrate, and an epitaxial film is formed on the substrate and in the trench. After a part of the epitaxial film formed around an opening portion of the trench is etched, another epitaxial film is formed on the substrate and in the trench. Accordingly, the trench can be filled with the epitaxial films completely. Then, the surface of the substrate is flattened.

Abstract: A filter for filtering electrical signals comprises a substrate and a plurality of resonators formed circularly to surround the center of the substrate. Each resonator has an arcuate part at a radially outermost part and a pair of linear parts extending from ends of the arcuate part in a radially inward direction. The arcuate part is located at the same distance from the center of the substrate. The linear parts of each resonator have different lengths from each other thereby to provide a sharp decrease of gain at ends of the frequency passband in a filtering response.

Abstract: There is provided a neuron which is capable of expressing an excitative coupling and a suppressive coupling by one signal by devising signals processed in the neuron to reduce a circuit area of a neural network in constructing the neural network by a digital electronic circuit. A multiplying block calculates a numerical value following a normal distribution N(wx, 1) by using a corresponding link weight w under the supposition that delay time of each pulse of an input signal follows a normal distribution of N(x, 1). Next, an adding block adds the numerical values calculated by the respective multiplying blocks one after another and a non-linear operating block counts a number of positive values within the added value obtained by the adding block. A pulse delaying block delays output pulse following a normal distribution in which delay time is 0 in average generated by a basic pulse generating block based on the result of operation of the non-linear operating block to output as an output signal.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor pressure sensor, after a reference pressure chamber is formed inside a semiconductor substrate and a diaphragm is formed from a part of the semiconductor substrate, a heat treatment is performed to form an insulation film, an element, or the like on the semiconductor substrate. At that time, a heat treatment temperature is controlled to be lower than (−430P0+1430)° C. where P0 is an internal pressure (atm) of the reference pressure chamber at a room temperature. Accordingly, crystal defects can be prevented from being produced in the diaphragm.

Abstract: In a commutator forming plate to be rounded into a cylinder which is to be cut at constant angular intervals to form a plurality of commutator segments after being filled with insulating material, a plurality of lands rising at given intervals on one surface of a plate is provided and a plurality of projecting portions protruding nearly perpendicular to a rising direction of each of the lands are formed simultaneously by forming a plurality of grooves crossing with each other on the respective lands and extending so as to intersect obliquely with respective outer peripheries of the lands.