Abstract: The invention concerns a transducer constituting the sensitive member of a sensor whose frequency varies as a function of the intensity of force applied to it. The force transducer comprises a beam having length and rectangular cross-section with thickness and width and flexionally vibrating. The beam has a thickness reduced over a central portion of its length, its width remaining constant.

Abstract: A leak detection method and apparatus is characterized by the production of analog signals representative of the fluid inlet flow and fluid outlet flow of a closed or open system. The signals are compared, and a difference signal is generated which is a function of changes in the flows. This signal is processed to provide an indication of a leak within the system. By processing the analog signals, more accurate measurement of fluid differential, and thus fluid leakage, is obtained.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a metal housing having at least one side wall, and first and second end walls cooperating with the side wall to define an open-topped chamber, an inverted generally U-shaped resilient contact having first and second leg portions introduced into the chamber adjacent the first and second end walls, respectively, and a bridging portion adjacent the open top of the metal housing, the housing side wall having a bent portion for supporting the resilient contact bridging portion, the resilient contact first leg portion being connected against coplanar movement relative to the housing first end wall. The resilient contact second leg portion is biased outwardly from the first leg portion, thereby to bias a conductor introduced within the housing chamber toward engagement with a bus bar defined adjacent the housing second end wall. The housing may be formed of an electrically conductive metal, such as copper.

Abstract: A physical interface card for connection to a data bus associated with a data network node is provided. The physical interface card is adapted to perform without supervision from other data bus connected devices: byte ordering, byte alignment and byte scattering/gathering in conveying data between a data bus connected central memory block and at least one data channel associated with the physical interface card. The functionality is provided via a special function direct memory address device operating in accordance with byte ordering specifications for: data stored in the shared memory block and data conveyed via the at least one data channel. The byte alignment is enabled by direct byte addressing techniques as well as the use of an orphan counter to keep track of processed bytes. An implementation of the orphan counter as a state machine reduces processing overheads.

Abstract: A kayak paddle includes a safety mirror that is mounted on a central portion of the shaft relative to the paddle blades, whereby the user may manually position the paddle to view the area behind the user without repositioning the kayak. The safety mirror includes a frame having front and rear surfaces, and a reflective body mounted on the frame front surface. The rear surface of the mirror frame is connected with the central shaft portion by a connecting device, such as a clamping device including a pair of resilient arms, a Velcro strap arrangement, a layer of adhesive, or a screw-operated pipe clamp.

Abstract: A high speed digital counter consists of a chain of asynchronous counter cells. Each cell includes a flip-flop with a master latch and a slave latch and a clock gating circuit. The clock gating circuit derives an enable input from an output of the master latch.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for making an active optical device for coupling to optical fibers. Arrays of contacts are formed on the rear face of a substrate, which is preferably transparent, at precisely defined locations. Components are then flip-chip bonded onto the substrate using a solder alignment technique to attach the components to said substrate in precisely predetermined locations determined by the arrays of contacts. At least one of the components is a light emitter or receiver so that it can be optically coupled through the transparent substrate to an external light guide on the front face of the substrate. Preferably, a guide frame for positioning guide pins is bonded to the substrate also using a solder alignment technique.

Abstract: The method is capable of rapidly bringing a phase-locked loop subject to overshoot into lock after a phase or frequency jump. The phase-locked loop has a phase detector, a controlled oscillator, and an integrator having an output frequency setting that, with the output of said phase detector, determines a frequency setting of the controlled oscillator. The method includes the steps of storing a value for the output frequency setting of the integrator prior to the phase or frequency jump, determining when a phase hit occurs after the phase or frequency jump, and restoring the output frequency setting of the integrator to the stored value on or soon after the phase hit to reduce overshoot. In this way the degradation of PLL performance is minimized.

Abstract: There is provided a radar reflector apparatus that is mounted in a lifeboat or a small rescue boat or in a floating buoy used for salvage or search practice, or is used by itself independently, to serve as a radar wave reflector of a search radar. The radar reflector apparatus has a simple structure, and is folded when not in use, and when used, is unfolded automatically when dropped by a marine vessel or aircraft or the like.

Abstract: The invention aims at suppressing an amount of deformation of a central portion of a movable part in a micro-miniature semiconductor actuator. A boundary portion is provided between a central portion and an edge of a movable part which is axially supported in a rotatable manner by torsion bars of an actuator, the boundary portion suppressing transmission of a warp due to an influence of air resistance at the edge of the movable part or moment of inertia, or heat generated by a driving force generating portion at the edge of the movable part, to a central portion of the movable part, to suppress deformation of the central portion of the movable part.

Abstract: An electrical terminal block connector is provided for connecting a plurality of power supply conductors having a first cross-sectional area and a plurality of data input conductors having a smaller cross-sectional area with a plurality of output conductors having a uniform cross-sectional area. The connector includes a terminal block housing containing a chamber, first and second inlet openings communicating with the chamber for receiving the ends of the power conductors and the data conductors, respectively, and a plurality of outlet openings communicating with the chamber for connection with the ends of the output conductors, respectively. First and second connector devices are arranged in the chamber for connection with the ends of the power and data conductors, respectively, and a plurality of identical third connectors connected with the first and second connectors include tulip-shaped terminals that extend within corresponding outlet openings for connection with the output conductors, respectively.

Abstract: A socket for electrical parts detachably holds an electrical part on a mounting portion and connects the electrical part electrically to an external circuit, and comprises an alignment mechanism which moves the electrical part to an alignment position, so that connection terminals of the electrical part can be aligned with a contact pin array, even if the electrical part has a large tolerance in outside dimensions such as with a folded package.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an eye protector comprising first and second elements intended for attachment respectively to a patient's upper eye lid and to a region of the patient's cheek beneath the ye, and fastener means for releasably fastening the elements together; said fastener means being configured to resist release in response to natural eye lid motion but to release more readily when pulled apart for detachment.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a conductive bridge strap for electrically connecting together a plurality of selected bus bars respectively arranged in chambers contained in a row in the upper portion of a housing formed of synthetic plastic insulating material. Horizontal fastening screws bias the bus bars into respective engagement with conductors inserted downwardly into the chambers via top openings contained in a lid or cover for the housing, and resilient contacts are carried by the bottom portions of the bus bars for engagement by wires inserted upwardly into the chambers via bottom openings contained in the bottom of the housing. In a preferred embodiment, spaced portions of the conductive bridge strap defined by a vertical slot in the leg of the U-shaped bridge member extend within the respective chambers and are permanently secured to the associated bus bars, respectively.

Abstract: An extender for an electrical data bus including a power line and signal lines has first and second electrical connectors for connection to respective electrical connectors attached to respective electrical data buses. The electrical connectors include a data interface circuit for communication with the electrical bus, an optical transmitter and optical receiver electrically connected to the data interface circuit, and driver circuits for the optical transmitter and optical receivers. The driver circuits obtain power from the power line on the local electrical data bus. An optic fiber is connected between the optical transmitters and receivers at respective first and second electrical connectors to transfer data optically between the first and second electrical connectors and thereby extend the range of the data bus.

Abstract: A system for rotationally coupling telescopic interior and exterior shafts, which are disposed so that they can slide one within the other along a common axis, includes a first rotational coupling between the two shafts which is constituted by a rotation friction system. A second rotational coupling between the two shafts is constituted by internal and external splines. The internal splines are on the periphery of the end of the interior shaft and the external splines are on the internal face of the exterior tubular shaft so that a normal rotation torque is transmitted by friction and an exceptional rotation torque is additionally transmitted by the splines.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for comparing an infrared image of a person to a database of visual images of persons and calculating the probability that each is a match to the infrared image is characterized by extracting minutiae from the infrared image and extracting visible minutiae from the visible images. Coincident minutiae which occur in both spectra are used to scale and register the infrared and the visible images. Other minutiae are spectrum-dependent, but must obey rules relative to minutiae of the other spectrum, due to the anatomical structure of the human face and body. The primary application is for identification of persons seen in infrared surveillance imagery, using a reference database of visual images. Other applications include compression of talking head video and animation of synthetic faces. The method and apparatus can also be applied to areas of the body other than the face, to compare images from different spectra including images from medical sensors.

Abstract: The present invention refers to an apparatus and a method for forming a packaging unit consisting of an endless hose, or for sealing a prefabricated packaging unit, comprising an ultrasonic welding device including an anvil and a sonotrode, which are movable towards each other, and a means for positioning the hose material to be welded between the anvil and the sonotrode. In accordance with the present invention it is suggested that the anvil comprises two anvil parts which are movable relative to one another in the direction of the sonotrode, one of said anvil parts being implemented as a sealing anvil and the other part being implemented as a separating anvil. Hence, the apparatus according to the present invention permits the production of packaging units which end directly at the weld, i.e. in the case of which no length section of the foil material projects outwardly beyond the weld.

Abstract: The printed antenna is compact and comprises, superposed by dielectric layers, two feed lines having perpendicular microstrips, a ground plane, a first radiating element including a plurality of conductive strips perpendicular to a first coupling slot formed in the ground plane, and a second radiating element superposed on the first element and including a plurality of conductive strips crossing by superposition the first strips and perpendicular to a second coupling slot formed in the ground plane. For example, the elements radiate in the DCS-1800 and GSM radiotelephone frequency bands with perfectly orthogonal fields.

Abstract: A control device comprising a mobile component such as a lever mounted on a ball pivot, wherein the lever is displaceable in rotation around three different axes and the device comprises two arrays of photodetectors for detecting points uniformly distributed over supports with the shape of a portion of a sphere, the arrays being fixed and the supports being borne by the lever.