Abstract: For leak testing, a tracer gas is advanced to the outer wall (11) of the hollow test object (10) while the test object (10) is in an evacuated state. The tracer gas is discharged from a blower device (14) in the form of soap bubbles (21). When contacting the outer wall (11), the soap bubbles will burst, thus forming a cloud (27) of tracer gas immediately on the outer wall (11). By the invention, it is made easier to localize the invisible tracer gas in the ambient air. Further, the tracer gas can be used more effectively so that the costs for performing the testing process are reduced.

Abstract: A coupling device comprising a tubular body defining a channel and axially subdivided into an anchor section provided on the outside with an anchor member associated with a cover mounted on the body to have both an actuator end for actuating the anchor member and a drive end, and so as to be movable between an inactivation position and an activation position, a resilient return member urging the cover towards the activation position being mounted in a chamber defined by the cover and the body, the cover having a holder device for holding it in the inactivation position, which holder device is arranged to be declutchable when the cover is moved into a declutching position beyond its inactivation position in a direction away from the activation position, and the device including a passage for putting the chamber into communication with the well.

Abstract: A camera flash comprises a light guide arranged to extract light at least through one surface; and one or more light sources arranged, in use, to emit light into the lightguide. Each light source is an LED or a laser diode. The camera flash is connectable, in use, to drive circuitry, the drive circuitry being for driving the light source(s) to emit a pulse of light. The waveguide spreads out the light from the light source(s), so that a flash of light from the camera flash does not present a safety risk, while minimizing loss of the light from the light source(s). The camera flash can thus provide a high overall optical output, spread over an extended area (as defined by the waveguide). The lightguide may for example be disposed around a camera module of a mobile telephone camera.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a transmitting section that generates a drive signal to drive a probe in order to transmit an ultrasonic wave toward a subject to be deformed periodically under stress. A receiving section receives an echo, produced when the ultrasonic wave is reflected from the subject, at the probe to generate a received echo signal. A computing section determines a thickness change waveform, representing a variation in distance between two arbitrary measuring points on the subject, based on the received echo signal. A reference waveform generating section outputs a reference waveform. The apparatus obtains a subject's internal information by comparing the thickness change waveform and the reference waveform to each other.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus of the present invention, when performing one-side printing during a predetermined period after two-side printing, a change in a carrying velocity of a post-process apparatus is prevented and thus recording paper having passed through a fixing section is carried and output at a velocity that is lower than a velocity for normal one-side printing and that is identical with a velocity for two-side printing. Consequently, it is possible to prevent dropping of productivity of the image forming system due to a time necessary for changing the carrying velocity of the post-process apparatus and to increase an operating ratio of the image forming system, even if the post-process apparatus is designed to completely stop the carrying roller etc. when changing the carrying velocity.

Abstract: A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device 100 includes: a GaN substrate 10 with an m-plane surface 12; a semiconductor multilayer structure 20 provided on the m-plane surface 12 of the GaN substrate 10; and an electrode 30 provided on the semiconductor multilayer structure 20. The electrode 30 includes an Mg layer 32 and an Ag layer 34 provided on the Mg layer 32. The Mg layer 32 is in contact with a surface of a p-type semiconductor region of the semiconductor multilayer structure 20.

Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to a process, comprising: conducting unit operations in at least two process zones in a process microchannel to treat and/or form a non-Newtonian fluid, a different unit operation being conducted in each process zone; and applying an effective amount of shear stress to the non-Newtonian fluid to reduce the viscosity of the non-Newtonian fluid in each process zone, the average shear rate in one process zone differing from the average shear rate in another process zone by a factor of at least about 1.2.

Abstract: A mobile device for rendering or transforming three-dimensional images is disclosed. The mobile device determines a distance and/or location of a user relative to the device and adjusts the three-dimensional image to provide improved viewing of the three-dimensional image at the sensed distance and/or location.

Abstract: There is described an alkaline electroplating bath for depositing zinc alloys on substrates having an anode and a cathode, wherein the anode region and the cathode region are separated from each other by a filtration membrane.

Abstract: This invention relates to the control of electrical machines and is concerned more particularly, though not exclusively, with the control of flux switching brushless permanent magnet and switched reluctance electrical machines without a mechanical shaft position sensor. Brushless Reluctance and permanent magnet motors can be used in many applications, since they do not require the use of commutators or brushes in supplying electrical power to the rotor of the motor.

Abstract: A fixing device having a fixing belt which satisfies 42.2?ER?0.1044×D×??0.5174, where: D represents an inner diameter of the fixing belt; A represents a second inner diameter of the fixing belt; ER represents an elongation rate of the fixing belt and is formulated as ER=(A?D)/D×100; and ? represents a coefficient of kinetic friction between the fixing belt and the fixing roller. The fixing device is thus arranged so that the fixing belt is driven by the fixing roller to rotate in a state where the pressing roller is separated from the fixing belt. This makes it possible to lengthen a life of a fixing belt, to shorten a warm-up time, and to reduce power consumption in a fixing device using a belt fixing method.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a touch screen that displays a message log containing text of one or more messages that have been transmitted by the electronic device or received by the electronic device, and that displays an input field to show text for a new message undergoing composition. The electronic also includes a control circuit that is configured to receive touch input signals from the touch screen that are indicative of user touch selection of text from the message log, and without additional user input, enter the touch selected text into the input field.

Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to prion deactivating compositions and methods for using the same. The prion deactivating composition may comprise at least one prion denaturing agent and at least one prion deactivating enzyme. The invention relates to a method of cleaning and/or sterilizing a material contaminated with infectious proteins.

Abstract: Described is a boat mooring assembly and method for preventing a boat from being damaged during docking and mooring. The boat mooring assembly can be used to moor a boat while allowing the boat to adjust to rising and falling tides. The latter advantage is of particular benefit when a boat is being moored in bodies of water that experience large tidal changes.

Abstract: The video signal recording and reproducing apparatus of the invention includes: a receiving section for receiving a television signal; an image compression section for compressing an amount of information per unit time of the received continuous video signal; a writing section for intermittently writing a compressed video signal, obtained as an output of the image compression section, onto a hard disk apparatus via a magnetic head; a reading section for intermittently reading out the written compressed video signal from the hard disk apparatus via the magnetic head; a decoding section for restoring the read compressed video signal into an original video signal; a display section for displaying the restored video signal; and a control section for controlling the writing section and the reading section such that writing the video signal onto the hard disk apparatus and reading an arbitrary video signal, which was previously written onto the hard disk apparatus, from the hard disk apparatus are performed apparen

Abstract: A medical tracking and appliance control system includes a medical tracking system having a camera array and an infrared light source, and at least one medical appliance controllable via infrared signals or operative to exchange data via infrared signals. The infrared light source of the medical tracking system is operable to provide wireless control and/or data exchange with the medical appliance.

Abstract: A register cover (also referred to as a vent cover) for use in a building that has heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems that utilize air registers. The register cover completely covers the register and secures to the register using a magnet in order to substantially block the flow of forced air through the register that is covered by the register cover. In the case of a non-metallic register, a method is disclosed for retrofitting the non-metallic register by placing metallic mounts on the register in order to secure the register cover over the register with one or more magnets.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a pair of fixing sections pressed against each other and including a fixing roller having a heater lamp incorporated therein and a pressure roller; an endless belt for heating the surface of the fixing roller by bringing a heating nip portion into contact with the fixing roller; and a plurality of support rollers supporting the endless belt therearound so as to give tension, and each having a heater lamp incorporated therein. The endless belt has a thickness of 0.08 mm or more and 0.14 mm or less, and the heating nip portion is formed in an angular range of 50° or more and 90° or less around a center axis of the fixing roller.

Abstract: In a fixing device including (i) an external heat belt which abuts against a surface of a fixing roller so as to heat the fixing roller and (ii) a cleaning member which abuts against the external heat belt, a fixing temperature, which is a surface temperature of the fixing roller during a fixing process, is set per group into which recording media to be subjected to the fixing process are divided according to their widths in a direction of a rotary axis of the fixing roller, in such a way that the fixing temperature is set to a lower temperature for a group of narrower widths. This makes it possible to prevent a reduction in releasability of the fixing roller caused by a material, which is scraped off from the external heat belt by the cleaning member and then adhered to the fixing roller, thereby preventing the high-temperature offset.

Abstract: An optical system with an LED light source utilizes a base with an inverted conical shape to conduct light to a phosphor layer. The phosphor layer emits light from both upper and lower surfaces. The base and a substantially mirror image cap element facilitate efficient extraction of the phosphor-generated light from the optical system so that the output of the system is omni-directional light suitable for common lighting applications. The system is very efficient in that nearly all the light generated by the LED is transmitted to the phosphor layer, and nearly all the light emitted from the phosphor layer is output from the system.