Abstract: A cooking system and more specifically, a griddle type cooking system having a heating surface wherein a temperature of the griddle heating surface is substantially uniform across the entire surface is provided. This uniform surface temperature is maintained even when food products are placed on only a portion of the cooking surface. The cooking system minimizes overcooking of an outer surface of the food product in order to substantially reduce or eliminate the generation of mutagens or carcinogens while under cooking of the food product is likewise minimized thus eliminating harmful bacteria within the food product. The cooking system includes a sealed cooking medium chamber having a substantially planar top cooking surface, a bottom surface and side walls for housing a heating medium in the form of water.

Abstract: An improved rosette for securing at least one disc shaped element having a central aperture includes a raised circular hub having a substantially cylindrical side wall, the hub projecting upward from a planar base; at least one resilient, arcuate, circumferentially extending finger integrally formed with the hub and extending along the perimeter of the hub, each finger being formed integrally with the hub at one end and free at the other end; at least one aperture defined in the base, the number of apertures corresponding to the number of fingers, the fingers being arranged so that the free ends thereof overhang the apertures for permitting the free ends to substantially unobstructedly deflect arcuately inwardly when the disc is inserted on the hub; and a radially extending protrusion on the free end of each finger projecting outwardly beyond the outside diameter of the hub.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus including a laser device for emitting a first laser beam having a first cross section having a length and a width and an optical system for modifying the first laser beam to produce a second laser beam having a virtual focus. The second laser beam has a second cross section of which length is larger than the length of the first cross section and is constant with propagation of the second laser beam. The apparatus further includes a condenser located after the virtual focus for focusing the second laser beam on a specimen to be treated, wherein said second laser beam is condensed in only a widthwise direction of the cross section, and device for moving the specimen along the widthwise direction. Specifically, laser processing apparatus may include a laser device, a vertical fly-eye lens for homogenizing an intensity along a lengthwise direction of the first cross section, a mirror for directing the laser beam and cylindrical convex lens.

Abstract: An insulated gate semiconductor device comprising an insulator substrate having provided thereon a source and a drain region; a channel region being incorporated between said source and said drain regions, said channel region comprising a polycrystalline, a single crystal, or semi-amorphous semiconductor material; and a region provided under said channel region, said region comprising an amorphous material containing the same material as that of the channel region as the principal component, or said region comprising a material having a band gap larger than said channel region. A process for fabricating the device is also disclosed.

Abstract: In fabricating a thin film transistor, an active layer comprising a silicon semiconductor is formed on a substrate having an insulating surface. Hydrogen is introduced into the active layer. A thin film comprising SiO.sub.x N.sub.y is formed to cover the active layer and then a gate insulating film comprising a silicon oxide film formed on the thin film comprising SiO.sub.x N.sub.y. Also, a thin film comprising SiO.sub.x N.sub.y is formed under the active layer. The active layer includes a metal element at a concentration of 1.times.10.sup.15 to 1.times.10.sup.19 cm.sup.-3 and hydrogen at a concentration of 2.times.10.sup.19 to 5.times.10.sup.21 cm.sup.-3.

Abstract: An aluminum film is formed as a photoreflective electrode in the side opposite to the light incident side of a solar cell by sputtering at a substrate temperature of 50.degree. to 200.degree. C. using a target, aluminum containing silicon as an impurity element at 0.1 to 6.0 weight %. An aluminum film or a silver film into which an impurity element is not added is formed on the above aluminum film, to obtain a texture structure having convex and concave shapes. When an organic resin film substrate is used, components (released as a gas by heating and a vacuum atmosphere) such as water within the organic resin film is removed after the aluminum film is formed.

Abstract: In a monolithic active matrix circuit that uses offset-gate TFTs in which the gate electrode is offset from the source and drain regions or TFTs whose gate insulating film is formed by vapor deposition, not only an active matrix circuit but also a drive circuit therefor is formed by using P-channel TFTs.

Abstract: A coreless motor device having a rotor comprised of a cylindrical coil, a coil support, a rotary shaft inserted and stabilized in the center of the coil support, and a commutator installed either on the coil support or rotary shaft is disclosed. A cylindrical field magnet is positioned on the inside of the cylindrical coil, and one end of the cylindrical field magnet is affixed at a bottom of a cylindrical housing that surrounds the outer circumference of the cylindrical coil. The rotary shaft of the motor is supported by a thrust bearing at the end of the cylindrical field magnet opposite the end that is affixed at the bottom of the cylindrical housing, and it is also supported by a multiple number of radial bearings installed at intervals on the upper part of the cylindrical housing.

Abstract: An object recognizer includes a computer system, a spatial division sensing device including a first sensor, a second sensor, and a first polarizer. An object feature generator is attached to an object and includes a plurality of object feature correspondents, and a plurality of second polarizers. By such an arrangement, the first sensor is able to detect a first signal from the second polarizers and the object feature correspondents to form a first polarized image. The second sensor co-operating with the first polarizer is able to detect a second signal from the second polarizers and the object feature correspondents to form a second polarized image. The computer system is able to execute an operation between the first image and the second image to obtain a third image, thereby determining the positions of the second polarizers on the third image so as to locate the object.

Abstract: A collapsible carton for containing articles such as prepared food and the like, including a plurality of side panels hingedly connected to one another by substantially parallel fold lines is disclosed. A bottom panel formed of a plurality of cooperating end panels hingedly connected to respective side panels and a closure for closing a top opening of the hexagonal carton with the closure being telescopically received within the top opening of the hexagonal carton and frictionally engaged with an inside surface of at least one of the side panels. Additionally, the closure may include a supplemental compartment formed therein for containing articles of a type different than that placed in the main body of the carton. In this case, a supplemental closure is provided which cooperates with the first closure for closing off the supplemental compartment.

Abstract: A hydraulic control system for shifting an automatic transmission to desired gears by selectively coupling and uncoupling friction coupling elements which controls a shifting pressure necessary to bring a friction coupling element into coupling according to a presumed friction coefficient of the friction coupling element during shifting so as thereby to achieve an intended gear shift over an intended shifting time.

Abstract: A torque sensor comprises a magnetoelastically active element, and a magnetic sensor, such as a Hall effect sensor, responsive to the field of the magnetoelastically active portion. In the preferred embodiment, the magnetoelastically active portion comprises a ring of material endowed with an effective uniaxial magnetic anisotropy such that the circumferential direction is the easy axis, and magnetically polarized in a substantially circumferential direction. The ring is attached to the torqued member, such as a rotating shaft, so that application of a torque to the shaft is transmitted to the ring. The torque on the ring reorients the circumferential magnetic orientation of the ring, producing a helical magnetic orientation having both circumferential and axial components. A magnetic field vector sensor is mounted on a flux collector in a fixed position relative to the ring and oriented so that it responds to the field arising from the axial component of the magnetization within the ring.

Abstract: An electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal device comprises a transparent substrate and a plurality of thin film transistors for driving pixel electrodes. In order to prevent an undesirable influence of light incident on the thin film transistors, a light shielding layer is interposed between the thin film transistors and the transparent substrate. Another portion of the light-shielding layer which corresponds to the pixel electrodes, has been changed to transparent by selectively oxidizing or nitriding the layer.

Abstract: An electronic prize verification and display apparatus that provides an interactive interface with a consumer to receive information, such as an alphanumeric data sequence that includes a plurality of digits, indicative of a prize to be awarded to that consumer. The display apparatus compares the received alphanumeric data sequence with a predetermined series of winning sequences and displays a prize won by the consumer or a message encouraging the consumer to try again. The alphanumeric data sequence could be a prize code printed on a consumer product, such as a paper cup. Upon purchase of the product, a consumer would enter the prize code into the electronic prize verification and display apparatus to determine if the prize code was a winning code, and if so, the prize won. To facilitate entry of the prize code and display of an appropriate message to the consumer, the electronic prize verification and display apparatus preferably includes a keypad and liquid crystal display.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing oxide scale from the surface of hot-rolled stainless steel strip comprises uncoiling the steel strip coil, removing the coil bias and cracking the surface scale in a first scalebreaking apparatus, flattening the strip by removing edge wave and center buckle to a flatness approaching table top flat, the tolerable deviation therefrom depending upon the gauge of the strip, pre-cleaning the strip, pickling the strip in a series of turbulent flow pickle tanks using a dilute acid, such as hydrochloric acid, desirably in the presence of an acid accelerator, rinsing the pickled strip with water, vigorously brushing the pickled strip for removing adherent alloying element oxide films not removable by dilute acid pickling, drying the pickled strip, inspecting the strip, electrostatically oiling the strip and recoiling the strip.

Abstract: A coupling device for a collapsible sunshade umbrella includes a coupling base including a supporting column having a first end portion and a second end portion containing an insertion socket therein, two juxtaposed extension ears each extending outward from the outer wall of the supporting column and each formed with a plurality of locking ribs, and a pivot base including a rotary block rotatably mounted between the two extension ears and having two sides each containing a plurality of locking indents each receiving one of the plurality of locking ribs of each of the two extension ears, and a supporting tube fixedly mounted on the rotary block.

Abstract: The absolute value of the threshold voltage of a P-channel TFT is reduced by making its channel length shorter than that of an N-channel TFT by at least 20%, to thereby approximately equalize the threshold voltage absolute values of those TFTs.

Abstract: It is intended to reduce occurrences of interlayer short-circuiting due to pinholes existing in an interlayer insulating film particularly in a circuit formed on an insulating substrate. A wiring line mainly made of an anodizable metal such as aluminum, tantalum, titanium, or the like is formed on an insulating surface, and an interlayer insulating film is so formed as to cover the metal wiring line. The substrate is then immersed in an electrolyte of, for instance, ammonium tartrate. Portions of the metal wiring line which are exposed by the pinholes of the interlayer insulating film are selectively anodized by allowing a current to flow through the wiring line by using it as one of the electrodes and gradually increasing a voltage difference between the wiring line and the opposed electrode. Thus, insulation performance of the interlayer insulating film is improved.

Abstract: A telecommunications system installation and management device and method for managing, controlling, updating and monitoring telecommunications devices, such as a private branch exchange telephone switch, voice messaging system, call accounting system, central office telephone switch, router, bridge, hub, or associated peripheral telecommunications equipment. The device is capable of managing and controlling a plurality of different types of telecommunications equipment provided by various different manufacturers to thereby seamlessly integrate the equipment into an easily managed telecommunications system. A local database within the telecommunications system provides for real-time or near real-time access and modification of programming information for the telecommunications equipment and further provides for redundancy in the event that the telecommunications equipment should fail.

Abstract: A battery powered computer system monitors the address bus to determine when selected peripheral devices have not been accessed for a preset amount of time. When the preset amount of time has passed the system powers itself down and stops the system clock, placing it in a standby mode. The system is awakened by depressing a standby switch, unless there is insufficient energy in the batteries, under which circumstances an AC power source must be connected before the system can be awakened.