Abstract: An optical fiber connector designed so as to reduce the number of assembly steps and the number of component parts to reduce the manufacturing cost while maintaining improved characteristics under certain environmental conditions. The optical fiber connector has a sleeve fitted to a ferrule of a plug, a clamper engaged with the plug to hold the same, and a housing in which the clamper is held. The clamper is formed of a synthetic resin and has elastically-deformable leg portions and engaging portions. Engaging projections 16g to be engaged with the engaging portions of the clamper to hold the clamper in the housing are provided in the housing.

Abstract: A multi-chamber bottle includes an opening surrounded by a flange which has a spherical inner surface formed to receive a hollow member. The hollow member includes a lower opening and an upper opening. The housing is adjustable to bias the hollow member against the spherical inner surface of the flange, to seal around the opening. When closed, a portion of the hollow member blocks the opening. When open, the hollow member is in an upright position such that the opening of the bottle and the lower opening of the hollow member are aligned. A method for mixing two substances includes disposing an amount of one substance in the bottle, adjusting the hollow member to block the opening of the bottle, and disposing an amount of another substance in the hollow member. To mix the substances, the hollow member is rotated into the open position and the apparatus is shaken.

Abstract: A temperature compensated opto-electronic circuit structure including a emitter connected to one input of a comparator to provide a reference signal. A detector signal is applied to another input terminal of a comparator, and the output of the comparator is determined by a difference between the reference signal and the detector signal. As the temperature of the opto-electronic circuit increases and decreases, the reference signal is automatically adjusted due to the temperature-related forward voltage changes of the emitter.

Abstract: A driving circuit for a stepping motor comprises bridge circuits being composed of switching elements connected between a DC power source and the coils of a stepping motor, rectifier diodes connected in antiparallel to the switching elements, capacitors connected in parallel to the bridge circuits, and constant voltage diodes connected between the DC power source and junction points of the bridge circuits and the capacitors. The switching elements are constituted to be ON/OFF controlled by a predetermined exciting system, and the constant voltage diodes are set to turn conductive to form a feedback circuit even if they are in a biased state in the reverse direction when the capacitors are charged up to a voltage which is higher than the source voltage and lower than the breakdown voltage of the switching elements by the counter electromotive force induced in the coils.

Abstract: An automobile onboard television system by which a normal television picture is displayed only when the automobile is stopped, as a safety feature. An image display condition of the television is switched over in response to an image display switching signal from a microcomputer. Information as to setting of the automobile parking brake, information about the accessory input in the automobile, and information indicating a time-out of a timer circuit are supplied to the microcomputer. The microcomputer determines the logical product of this information, to supply an image display switching signal for displaying a normal picture on the television only when particular logical products are output. The driver is therefore kept from watching the television while driving, and hence from driving carelessly.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printer capable of elongating the period in which the ink ribbon can be used so that the frequency of ribbon cassette changes is reduced, the thermal transfer printer including a control unit arranged such that, if an end of an ink ribbon in the ribbon cassette mounted on a carriage is detected in a case where ribbon cassettes accommodating the same color ink ribbons are held in a plurality of cassette holding portions, the control unit causes the consumed ribbon cassette to be sent to an empty cassette holding portion and a new ribbon cassette to be selected and mounted on the carriage.

Abstract: A high-frequency amplifier has a first signal amplifier which includes a field effect transistor, and a constant-current circuit which is direct current connected, as well as cascade-connected, to the field effect transistor for maintaining a constant drain current of the field effect transistor. This constant-current circuit also acts as a second amplifier. The constant-current circuit may comprise a bipolar transistor or temperature compensation circuit. In this high-frequency amplifier, its gain and noise figure are stable against ambient temperature changes and power consumption efficiency is improved. This high-frequency amplifier is also suitable for mass production.

Abstract: A module for optical communication, adapted to prevent light from being reflected on the end surface of an optical fiber when a ferrule is inserted therein, and to increase the precision with which the positioning of an end surface of the optical fiber is performed. In the module, the circumference of an anti-reflection transparent film is held in a groove of a stopper member and is pressed against the inner circumference of an elastic sleeve. When the ferrule is inserted in the sleeve, the film adheres to the end surfaces of the optical fiber and the ferrule closely and securely. Thus, no air layer is formed between the film and the end surface of the optical fiber. Laser light is not reflected on the end surface of the optical fiber. The end surface of the ferrule adheres closely to a positioning face of the stopper member, though the film intervenes therebetween.

Abstract: An erasable programmable logic device (EPLD) includes function blocks connected by a universal interconnect matrix (UIM). The UIM includes both a cross-point circuit and a multiplexer-based (MUX-based) circuit. The cross-point circuit includes intersecting first and second conductors programmably connected by memory cells having control gates connected to the first conductors, drains connected to the second conductors, and sources connected to ground. The MUX-based circuit includes third and fourth conductors programmably connected by pass-gates having first terminals connected to the third conductors, second terminals connected to the fourth conductors, and gates connected to memory cells. The UIM further includes multiple-input multiplexers having first input lines connected to the cross-point circuit, second input lines connected to the MUX-based circuit, and output lines connected to the input lines of the function blocks.

Abstract: A clock spring connector including a fixed member, a movable member rotatably connected to the fixed member, and a rotary plate fixedly connected to the movable member and rotatably mounted on the fixed member. The movable member includes a ceiling plate and a bottom plate connected together by an outer cylindrical portion, both the ceiling member and the movable member defining central openings. The movable member is received in the central openings such that an annular space is defined between an outer surface of the movable member and the outer cylindrical portion. A flexible cable is accommodated in the annular space and includes a first end and a second end. The first end of the flexible cable is connected to the movable member and to a support section of the rotary plate, the support section being located further from the center of rotation of the movable member than the edges of the central openings of the ceiling and bottom walls.

Abstract: A coordinate input device including a flexible upper substrate mounted on a rigid lower substrate and having a centrally-located input operating portion. The upper substrate includes a first resistance layer laminated thereon and X-axis electrodes formed on the first resistance layer on opposite sides of the input operating portion. The lower substrate includes a second resistance layer laminated thereon and Y-axis electrodes formed on the second resistance layer on opposite sides of the input operating portion. A spacer group is mounted between the upper and lower substrates to maintain a predetermined clearance, with spacers of the spacer group being having a height of 4 .mu.m or less, and being arranged at a pitch in the range of 0.3 to 1.0 mm. A position detecting circuit is provided for locating a depressed portion of the upper substrate by measuring a change in voltage caused by contact between the first and second resistance layers. A method is also provided for making the coordinate input device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a paper feeding apparatus for a printer wherein a paper feed roller can be driven to rotate with a high degree of accuracy to achieve feeding of a paper sheet with a very high degree of accuracy.

Abstract: A thin film device comprising a substrate which is magnetic and has insulation property at least on the surface, coils formed spirally in a planar configuration on the substrate, a first interlayer insulation film formed to a portion excepting for the terminal portion of the coils and a magnetic material connection portion of the substrate, a magnetic film and a second interlayer insulation film formed successively on the first interlayer insulation film excepting for the terminal portions, and bump electrodes formed in connection with the terminal portions in which a crystallite material having a composition: Fe.sub.78 Ta.sub.10 C.sub.12 is used as the magnetic film. The thin film device can be formed an a reduced size and having a large inductance value. When the device is used as a noise filter, a cut-off frequency range can be lowered.

Abstract: Accurate detection of an existing link (current road location between two road nodes) of a vehicle by an on-board navigation system. Upon each periodic detection of the position, azimuth and velocity of the vehicle by a GPS receiver, all the links within a predetermined distance of the vehicle position are extracted by looking up road data read out from a CD-ROM. For each of the links, the distance from the vehicle position, the angle with the vehicle azimuth, the angle between the vehicle azimuth and a passable direction of the link, the difference between the vehicle velocity and the speed limit for the link and the connectability with the last-detected existing link are obtained and are substituted into a predetermined existential probability evaluation function to calculate an existential probability. The link with the largest existential probability is determined to be the existing link.

Abstract: A selective disk-drive apparatus in which a plurality of cartridges are stored, each cartridge containing a disk, the apparatus including a plurality of stacked partition members which define receptacle areas therebetween, each of the partition members including a pressing member which is positioned to be received within an opening in a lower wall of the cartridge to press the disk against the inside surface of an upper wall of the cartridge to prevent the disk from rattling within the cartridge. A lowermost one of the partition members is biased upwards by a spring, and each partition member includes lugs which provide a minimum spacing between the partition members. In one embodiment the partition members are pivotally connected, and in a second embodiment, the partition members slide in vertical grooves.

Abstract: A high-frequency band amplifier system which is capable of containing the amount of ripple produced in the band passed by an SAW filter, and which is also capable of avoiding an increase in the noise factor. Such an amplifier system is constructed of a surface acoustic wave filter and a common-base connected transistor amplifier for amplifying the output from the surface acoustic wave filter.

Abstract: An assembly for cutting and shaping a bar-shaped dough body including a plurality of polyhedral cutting members disposed around an opening through which the bar-shaped dough body is extruded. The polyhedral members are rotatably mounted around the opening and are formed to cooperatively close the opening, thereby cutting the bar-shaped dough body, multiple times during each revolution of the polyhedral members. Each polyhedral member includes curved sides meeting at one or more tip edges, the tip edges of each of the polyhedral members meeting at a center of the opening when the bar-shaped dough body is cut.

Abstract: A protective device for a lighting system to be used for a motor vehicle constituting a power supply and a light source energized with the power from the power supply. The power to be supplied to the light source is controlled by a driver. The driver is input with either a signal from a PWM pulse generator or a signal from a fixed duty pulse generator for the control of power to be supplied to the light source, and the changeover of these pulse generators is operated based on a detection signal from a voltage detector which monitors the voltage of the power supply.

Abstract: A density control device including a control section connected to a display device, for controlling a display density in a screen of the display device; a main memory connected to the control section for storing an updated density data for the screen; a data memory connected to the control section and preliminarily storing proper density data corresponding to temperatures; a temperature sensor connected to the data memory for detecting an environmental temperature of the display device during its use; and a data input-output device for performing input/output of density data to/from the main memory. When a power supply of the display device is turned on, the control section controls the display density in the screen according to either the updated density data stored in the main memory or the density data stored in the data memory corresponding to the environmental temperature detected by the temperature sensor, thus setting a desired display density.

Abstract: There is provided a plunger switch capable of achieving a self-adjusting mechanism in a simple structure without loss of reliability by mounting a self-adjusting mechanism using a ratchet outside a housing space for movable and fixed contacts. The plunger switch has a switch body divided into blocks, and an attachment member which has a wire spring to be engaged with a ratchet formed on an outer wall of the switch body in order to pierce a plunger therethrough. The switch body is mounted in a predetermined mount position through the attachment member.