Abstract: A vehicle clamp assembly has an upper end releasably clampable to a vehicle frame member, and a lower end releasably attachable to a support frame. The assembly is rotatable about a first axis substantially parallel to the support frame and is also rotatable about a second axis substantially perpendicular to both the support frame and the first axis. The assembly's base can thus be levelled with respect to the support frame before the assembly is attached to the support frame. This allows the assembly to be clamped onto a vehicle frame member, irrespective of the frame member's orientation relative to the support frame.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for forming a bit line of a semiconductor device which can easily perform a contact process of the semiconductor device, by forming parallel rows of I-shaped active regions, a plug poly and a ladder-type bit line. The spacing between adjacent active regions is maintained at the minimum line width. Two word lines of minimum line width and separated by the minimum line width are formed on the active region. The word lines are perpendicular to the active regions. A plug poly is formed on the active region between the word lines. A bit line contact plug is formed over the plug poly and a device isolation region. A bit line of minimum line width contacts the bit line contact plug and aligned generally parallel to the word lines is formed in a ladder-type configuration. That is, one side the lower portion of the contact plug contacts the plug poly, and the upper portion of the other side of the contact plug contacts the bit line.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus comprises: a chamber; a cooling plate and a heating plate disposed within the chamber vertically spaced from each other; plural lift pins used to support a material to be treated; a supporting member for supporting the plural lift pins; and an elevator member to which the supporting member is attached through a joint so that the supporting member can be selectively made rotatable and can be fixed at any inclined angle, wherein distances of tips of each of the lift pins from the heating or cooling plate are initially adjusted to be uniform through inclination of the supporting member while the tips contact the heating or cooling plate, after which the supporting member is fixed in an adjusted inclined angle and then the material to be treated is lifted up with the plural lift pins to closely approach the heating or cooling plate during heat treatment.

Abstract: A hot tub or spa (100) has a vanishing or overflow edge (110) not readily visible to a user. Water from the main holding area (101) overflows the edge (110) into a catch basin (102). A reservoir (120) holds a constant head of water to provide to a pump (112) and also allows for the holding of increased amounts of water displaced by users who are using the hot tub (100). Water flowing over the vanishing edge (110) flows into the catch basin (102) and thence to the reservoir (120) and pump (112) where the water is recirculated into the spa (100).

Abstract: A solid and liquid separation device includes a housing provided with a heater so that liquid contained in the housing will not freeze. A filter net layer may divide the housing into an upper space and a lower space. A conveying assembly includes a plurality of connecting rods each having a scraper and a brush. The scraper may contact the filter net layer for driving solids, and the brush may remove solids attached on the filter net layer. A squeeze assembly includes a cylinder provided with a threaded rod that may be rotated to output the solids. A liquid spraying assembly includes a water pumping member for delivering water liquid through a conveying pipe to be sprayed toward the filter net layer through a plurality of nozzles.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for handwriting recognition including a hand-held device including at least one accelerometer providing an acceleration indicating output, computation circuitry receiving the acceleration indicating output and providing a velocity indicating output and a handwritten multiple character recognizer receiving the velocity indicating output and providing a multiple character recognition output indication.

Abstract: A water pump for a spa or the like has a pump water inlet, a pump water outlet and an impeller driving water from said inlet to said outlet. The impeller provides the water axially introduced at the pump water inlet with a radial component which delivers the water to a large plenum chamber surrounding the impeller and which plenum chamber has an increasing cross sectional area as the water moves from the pump water inlet to a plenum chamber outlet thereby reducing backpressure in the water. The plenum chamber terminates with the plenum water outlet located closely to the impeller and a smooth transition area defines the area extending from the plenum chamber outlet to the pump water outlet. The water outlet preferably extends so that the water has a directional component which is generally parallel to the direction of the water entering the pump through the pump water inlet.

Abstract: A computer having a built-in mouse rack moving back and forth from the housing of the computer is provided. The built-in mouse rack can be implemented either as a drawer or as a motor-driven sliding rack. The built-in mouse rack may be used with an industrial computer under the circumstances where the workspace for a mouse is not available.

Abstract: Water circulation apparatus for use in a spa or the like utilises a turbine or axial flow pump for pumping the water from a water inlet to the jets or other exhaust openings within the spa and under the water surface. Cooling air from ambient surroundings is used to cool a motor providing power to the pump. The motor and pump are located within a component compartment and exhaust openings exhaust the cooling air passing through the motor where it may be used for heating towels. The component compartment may be sealed thereby to allow heated air to escape only from the exhaust openings.

Abstract: A system and method of disabling utility service supplied to a building during and after an earthquake. A shock sensor for sensing seismic activity is provided and a seismic activity threshold is established. Seismic activity is sensed over time and the seismic activity sensed is compared to the seismic activity threshold. When seismic activity exceeds the seismic activity threshold, utility service is cut off to the building.

Abstract: A torsion board comprising a platform for supporting a user, a ground contacting member for maintaining the torsion board generally in a fixed position and orientation with respect to a ground surface and a resilient interconnecting member mounted between the ground contacting member and the platform to permit pivoting of the platform about first, second and third orthogonal axes, said first axis being generally coincident with a gravitational axis along which gravitational forces act upon said user.

Abstract: A plurality of electrodes are mounted within a hood positionable over a subject's hed to form an array of concentric electrically conductive electrode rings. The rings can be applied to an outer surface of an electrically insulating liner insertable within the hood. The array preferably comprises five rings mounted within the hood to subtend a 90° arc on both sides of a central perpendicular axis of the hood. The four upper electrodes each subtend an arc of about 15° and the fifth (lower) electrode subtends an arc of about 6°, with 6° arc gaps between each pair of electrodes on either side of the central perpendicular axis. A voltage pulse signal generator's output signal is connected across the two upper electrode pairs, with alternate electrodes being connected to one of the two output terminals of the voltage pulse generator. A voltage divider applies a reduced voltage signal to the lower electrode.

Abstract: A received message remote confirmation and reception method and apparatus transmits a list of messages received by a facsimile machine to a user who is remotely located so that the user can remotely confirm and receive only a desired one of a plurality of messages received by his/her facsimile machine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic head slider including rails formed on the medium-facing surface on the magnetic disk side for generating buoyant force so that the slider flies and moves above a magnetic disk to write or read magnetic information. In the magnetic head slider, a first carbon film having corrosion resistance is provided on the surface of the rails provided on the medium-facing surface of the slider body through an adhesive layer, protrusions formed by alternately laminating an intermediate film and a second carbon film are provided on the first carbon film, and at least the outermost second carbon film of the second carbon films, which constitute each of the protrusions, has abrasion resistance.

Abstract: The motor includes the following elements: a stator-core having plural teeth, and a yoke that links the teeth, coils wound on the teeth in a concentrated winding form, and a rotor with interior permanent magnets. The rotor with interior permanent magnets includes the following elements: a rotor core having plural slits of which ends extend closely to the rotor circumference, permanent magnets positioned in the slits, non-magnetic-sections provided between the circumference of the rotor-core and respective ends of permanent magnets. This construction allows the motor to withstand persistently demagnetization, to be a smaller size with high efficiency, and to be manufactured in a highly efficient manner. The motor can be integrated as a driver into an apparatus driving unit.

Abstract: A high-density semiconductor device and semiconductor device array exhibiting high light emission efficiency which can be mass-produced at low cost with high yield is provided. An LED array comprises a structure wherein an n-type GaAs buffer layer 102 is formed on an n-type GaAs substrate 101, on which are then stacked an n-type AlzGa1−zAs layer 103, an n-type AlyGa1−yAs layer 104, a semi-insulating AlxGa1−xAs layer 105, and a semi-insulating GaAs layer 106. The energy band gaps of the AlzGa1−zAs layer 103 and AlxGa1−xAs layer 105 are at least larger than the energy band gap of the AlyGa1−yAs layer 104. A pn junction is formed by selective diffusion, having a diffusion front in the semiconductor layer having the smaller energy band gap sandwiched between the semiconductor layers having the larger energy band gaps. The outermost layer forming ohmic contact is made a p-type GaAs region formed by zinc diffusion in a semi-insulating GaAs layer.

Abstract: A water-dispersible blocked isocyanate composition, including an isocyanate group-terminated precursor and a blocking agent for blocking a free isocyanate group of the precursor, wherein the precursor includes at least an organic diisocyanate, a low-molecular glycol, and a hydrophilic surfactant having at least one active hydrogen group. The precursor also has an isocyanurate ring structure; an average functional group number (f) satisfying 2.0.ltoreq.f.ltoreq.4.2; a low-molecular glycol content (X) satisfying 0.5 wt. %.ltoreq..times..ltoreq.15 wt. %; and a hydrophilic surfactant content(Y) satisfying 0.1 wt. %.ltoreq.Y.ltoreq.50 wt. %.

Abstract: A plurality of electrodes are mounted within a hood positionable over a subject's head to form an array of concentric electrically conductive electrode rings. The rings can be applied to an outer surface of an electrically insulating liner insertable within the hood. The array preferably comprises five rings mounted within the hood to subtend a 90.degree. arc on both sides of a central perpendicular axis of the hood. The four upper electrodes each subtend an arc of about 15.degree. and the fifth (lower) electrode subtends an arc of about 6.degree., with 6.degree. arc gaps between each pair of electrodes on either side of the central perpendicular axis. A voltage pulse signal generator's output signal is connected across the two upper electrode pairs, with alternate electrodes being connected to one of the two output terminals of the voltage pulse generator. A voltage divider applies a reduced voltage signal to the lower electrode.

Abstract: A compression coil spring is used as a return spring which is stored in the housing of a clutch to urge the clutch piston in its returning direction. The effective number of turns of the compression coil spring is two or less, and the number of turns at an end-turn portion thereof is more than 0.45 and not more than 0.7. The compression coil spring is used in the compressed state throughout the operating stroke of the clutch piston. The number of turns at the end-turn portion is desirably within the range of 0.5 to 0.65, more desirably within the range of 0.55 to 0.62.