Abstract: A massaging apparatus (1) comprising a housing (5) having a bottom wall (11) and a suction chamber (12) bounded by chamber walls (13, 14, 15, 16) and a pump (19) for the generation of a partial vacuum inside the suction chamber (12) and thus forming a skin fold (20) which is drawn into the suction space inside the suction chamber (12), as well as at least one roller (21, 22) to be placed onto a body area (3), comprises at least in an area of at least one wall (14), preferably a chamber wall (14), an apparatus part, preferably two cylinders (32, 33), which is movable with respect to this chamber wall (14), and these cylinders (32, 33) are movable, i.e. rotatable, with respect to the chamber wall (14) by the skin of the skin fold (20) drawn into the suction chamber (12), which results in only a comparatively low friction between the chamber wall (14) and the skin of the skin fold (20).

Abstract: The system includes an appliance for personal body care, a pump and a holder. The appliance includes a treatment device for carrying out a body-care treatment under the influence of a fluid. The fluid is held in the holder and can be pumped to an outlet opening by means of the pump. The holder includes a flexible wall, and the pump is detachable from the holder and is detachable from the appliance. This combination of measures makes it possible to adapt the dimensions of the holder to an ergonomic shape of the appliance.

Abstract: In a hair-cutting apparatus (1) and in a toothed cutting device (7) for a hair-cutting apparatus (1) the toothed cutting device (7) comprises a first toothed cutter (13) and a second toothed cutter (24), which lie against one another in the area of their cuttertooth rows (18, 25) and which each have at least one supporting limb (20, 21, 46, 47) in their areas which are remote from their cutter-tooth rows (18, 25), and of which one toothed cutter (24) carries an intermediate element (48) of a low-friction material, which comprises at least one intermediate element portion (49, 50) interposed between two facing supporting limbs (20, 46, 21, 47), and furthermore it has the advantageous feature that the at least one intermediate element portion (49, 50) of the intermediate element (48) carried by the one toothed cutter (24) has a smaller dimension in the toothed cutter direction (17) than the at least one supporting limb (20, 21) of the other toothed cutter (13), which last-mentioned limb 20, 21 faces the at leas

Abstract: Light source having a luminescent layer (3,8) whose light is guided through an optical filter (5,9) comprising at least one cholesteric crystal layer (cholesteric filter).

Abstract: A housing (1) of an apparatus has a plastics wall portion (2) provided with a plastics panel (4). To make a reliable and visually acceptable connection of the panel (4) to the wall portion (2), the panel is fixed to the wall portion by means of an induction welding process. In this way the connection is resistant to chemical compounds like lotions. Therefore a metal element (8) of electric conducting material having the shape of a closed loop wire is inserted between the wall portion (2) and the panel (4) and subsequently an electromagnetic field is applied in close proximity to the element. Preferably such panel (4) can be used to cover an opening (11) in the wall portion (2) for a display (10) and/or a switch (15) function. To make the housing watertight the element (8) between the panel (4) and the wall portion (2) should surround the opening (3,11).

Abstract: A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp with a discharge vessel (10) having first and second end portions (11). The discharge vessel encloses a discharge space provided with a filling of mercury and an inert gas in a gastight manner. Each end portion (11) supports an electrode (20) which is arranged in the discharge space and secured to current supply conductors (30A, 30B) which are passed through the end portion (11) so as to project outside the discharge vessel (10). A segment (31A) of at least one current supply conductor (30A), which extends between the end portion (11) and the electrode (20), is covered with an amalgam. The region (35A) is situated at a distance da from the end portion (11). The amalgam can be relatively easily applied in the discharge lamp according to the invention.

Abstract: An electrically resistive structure comprising a substrate (11) which is provided on at least one side with a first resistive film (13) and a second resistive film (17), the materials of these first and second films (13, 17) being mutually different, whereby an anti-diffusion film (15) is disposed between the first and second films (13, 17). The presence of such an anti-diffusion film (15) allows annealing of the resistive structure without significant degradation of its resistive properties. Suitable alloy materials for use in such an anti-diffusion film (15) include WTi, and particularly WTiN. Appropriate exemplary materials for the first resistive film (13) and second resistive film (17) include SiCr and CuNi alloys, respectively.

Abstract: In an apparatus for determining the contents of a battery or accumulator (10), the inductive coupling provided by the battery or accumulator (10) between an excitation coil (20) and a sense coil (30) is measured. To improve the selectivity of the apparatus magnets (41, 42) are provided that generate a quasi-static magnetic field during a measurement. The quasi-static magnetic field saturates the iron in an ornamental jacket of the battery or accumulator (10) so that the inductive coupling between excitation coil (20) and sense coil (30) is almost completely determined by the interior of the battery or accumulator (10). The inductive coupling at different frequencies, with and without the quasi-static magnetic field, yields a reliable identification. The excitation coil (20) can be energised by a current source (21, 22, 23) generating an alternating current with constant amplitude.

Abstract: A flat display device, preferably of the PALC type, in which the plasma channels are formed by etching laterally-spaced slots in a spacer plate, attaching a thin dielectric sheet over the etched spacer plate, and bonding the etched spacer plate to a transparent substrate such that each channel is formed by the portion of the substrate between flanking walls formed by the etched slots in the spacer plate, adjacent flanking walls in the spacer plate, and the overlying portion of the thin dielectric sheet. By positioning the flanking walls between channel electrode pairs, thus providing glass-to-glass interfaces, anodic bonding can be employed to assemble the three channel elements. Etching can be simplified by pre-attaching the unetched channel plate to the substrate or thin dielectric cover sheet with an intervening etch stop, and etching in situ using the etch stop to prevent etching of the substrate or thin dielectric cover sheet.

Abstract: In a hair-cutting system (1) including a hair-cutting apparatus (2) and including a comb device (3) at least the comb teeth (10) of the comb device (3) are connected to holding means (14) of the hair-cutting apparatus (2) with the aid of connecting means (13), and connecting means (13) are constructed to enable the angular position of the comb teeth (10) with respect of the hair-cutting apparatus (2) to be changed continually, and the connecting means (13) are further constructed and arranged in such a manner that when the comb teeth (10)are moved over a skin area of a person a continual contact with the skin area is guaranteed for the essential part of the contact zones (Z) of said comb teeth (10) by a continual adaptation of their angular position.

Abstract: An optical element comprising a substrate which is provided with a transparent coating (9) containing a photochromic material, the transmission of said optical element varying in the visible region in response to a variation in light. The optical element is characterized in that the coating (9) comprises an inorganic network of a silicon oxide and an organic polymer which is chemically bonded to the inorganic network via Si—C bonds. Preferably, also macroscopic particles of a metal oxide are incorporated in the network, the metal preferably being selected from the group formed by Al, Si, Ti, Zr, In and Sn. Preferably, metal-oxide particles are used whose size is above 5 nm. Such photochromic coatings (9) are scratch-resistant and demonstrate a good switching behavior. The coatings are used, for example, on display windows (3) of display devices (1) and on sunglasses. Methods of manufacturing said layers are described.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor comprising a layered structure (3) E/Fo/S/F, in which: E is an exchange-biasing layer, comprising nickel oxide; Fo is a ferromagnetic layer with a fixed magnetization, comprising cobalt; S is a spacer layer; Ff is a ferromagnetic layer with a free magnetization, whereby the material of the layer Ff has a magnetostriction constant of at most 1.5×10−6 and a crystal anisotropy of at most 1.3 J/m3. Such a structure (3) demonstrates a relatively high magneto-resistance ratio (of the order of 15%), and yet a relatively low coercivity (of the order of 0.2 kA/m). Examples of suitable materials for use in the layer Ff include Ni66Fe16Co18 and Ni72Fe21Co7.

Abstract: A process of manufacturing a semiconductor device with a double-recessed gate field effect transistor, comprising the formation, on a substrate (1), of an active layer (3) of a semiconductor material and a first dielectric layer (D1), and further comprising the steps of: forming a second dielectric layer (R), forming an aperture (A0) in the second dielectric layer (R), then a first opening (A1) in the first dielectric layer (D1) having a same first width, while forming a second opening (A2) in the second dielectric layer having a second width larger than the first width, and then etching a preliminary recess (A4) in the subjacent semiconductor layer through said first opening (A1) having said first width, enlarging said first opening (A1) in the first dielectric layer (D1) to form a third opening (A3) having a third width larger than the second width, and then etching the semiconductor layer through said preliminary recess (A4) to form a deeper central recess (A6) having substantially said first width while

Abstract: In an active matrix liquid crystal display device of the kind having an array of pixel electrodes supported on an insulating film provided over active matrix circuitry, comprising switching devices, e.g. TFTs, and address lines, carried on a substrate with each pixel electrode being connected to the output of a respective switching device through the insulating film, and in which a row or column drive circuit is integrated on the substrate peripherally of the array, problems due to resistance in power or signal conductor lines of the drive circuit are conveniently overcome by extending the insulating film thereover and forming supplementary conductor tracks from the conductive layer constituting the pixel electrodes, each track being connected to its associated underlying conductor line through the film. Such tracks can be of greater width and thickness than the conductor lines.

Abstract: Metal patterns (11, 11′, 11″) can be provided on a glass substrate (1) in an electroless process by modifying the substrate with a silane monolayer (3), nucleating said momolayer with a polymer-stabilized Pd sol (5) and, subsequently, locally removing the Pd nuclei and silane layer (9, 9′) with a pulsed laser. Neither a photoresist nor organic solvents are used. The method can very suitably be used for the manufacture of the black matrix on a faceplate of display devices, such as the passive plate for an LCD.

Abstract: Thin film magnetic head has magnetoresistive element (23) and flux-guiding elements (117a,117b) of a material having a relatively high magnetic permeability, and an intermediate layer between the magnetoresistive element and the flux-guiding elements, the intermediate layer (21) being electrically insulating, and having a relatively low magnetic permeability of between 1.1 and 25. The low permeability intermediate layer increases the magnetic flux between the magnetoresistive element and the flux-guiding elements, and thereby improves the efficiency of the magnetic head.

Abstract: The luminaire has a concave reflector (1) with an optical axis (3) in a plane of symmetry (2), suitable to receive an elongate light source transverse to said plane (2). The reflector (1) is composed of flat facets (10,10′) which are bounded by first parallel planes (8) which are transverse to the plane of symmetry (2), and which facets (10,10′) are arranged in rows (11,11′) by second planes (9) which are parallel to the plane of symmetry (2). The first planes (8) are at an acute angle to a light emission window (5). The reflector (1) touches the window (5) at one side of the axis (3) and is extended by a light reflecting screen (7) up to said window (5) at the opposite side of the axis (3). The luminaire can be used to illuminate sports fields, the light emission window (5) being directed downwards, has a sharp cut-off angle and prevents stray light above the horizontal.

Abstract: A thin-film capacitor comprises an electrically insulating substrate which is provided with at least two inner electrodes which are separated from each other by means of the dielectric layer. The capacitor also includes two end contacts which each electroconductively contact one of the inner electrodes. The electroconductive contact takes place via a through-connection which communicates exclusively with the main surface of the inner electrode. By virtue of this measure, it is achieved that the contact resistance between the end contacts and the inner electrodes is relatively low and reproducible. As a result, also the value of the ESR of the thin-film capacitor is low, so that the capacitor can very suitably be used for high-frequency applications.

Abstract: The display screen 3 of a cathode ray tube 1 is provided with an antistatic, light-absorbing coating 8 which consists of ATO (Sb:SnO2) particles and polypyrrole particles. The coating may be provided with additional layers of silicon dioxide to obtain an antireflective and antiglare effect.

Abstract: A magneto-resistance device comprising two layers of ferromagnetic material mutually separated by at least one interposed layer of non-ferromagnetic material, in which at least one of the layers of ferromagnetic material comprises half-metallic material, and preferably both ferromagnetic layers are principally comprised of half-metallic material.