Abstract: A star-shaped coupler for distributing the light signal emitted by any one of input-output devices among the other devices is disposed among these devices. The coupler comprises a plurality of single-core optical fibers for branching purposes. Each one end of those branching fibers whose number is less than the number of the input-output devices by one is bound together and is opposed to the end surface of the output single-core fiber for one of the input-output devices. The other end surfaces of the branching fibers are opposed to their respective end surfaces of the input single-core fibers for the other input-output devices. The end surfaces of the output fibers for the other input-output devices are connected with the end surfaces of the input fibers through the branching fibers. The other ends of the branching fibers which are opposed to their respective end surfaces of the input fibers are bound together to form bound portions corresponding to the input fibers.

Abstract: An optical switch comprising an optical fiber member having its light sending end surface and light receiving surface bound closely in contact along a flat side of their ends, and a reflecting surface which is provided at the end surface of a swinging lever for switching ON and OFF the light reflecting condition where the light sent from the sending end surface is guided or not guided to the receiving end surface.

Abstract: A magnetic head assembly is provided which comprises a carriage on which a magnetic head is mounted and an arm connected pivotably via a leaf hinge spring to the carriage. In each portion on the sides of a base end portion of the arm putting widthwisely the leaf hinge spring therebetween, a supporting portion abutting on the carriage and a mechanism for preventing twisting of the leaf hinge spring are provided, whereby pivoting of the arm is effected with the supporting portion serving as the pivot center.

Abstract: A slide-action switch in which a fixed contact is provided on an insulating wafer has a projection for raising and holding a movable contact away from the surface of the wafer when the movable contact slides to its open circuit position so as to eliminate a high voltage arcing path formed by metal powder left on the surface of the wafer. The metal powder is created by the sliding action of the movable contact against the fixed contact.

Abstract: A construction for positioning photosensor devices, comprises an attachment having a circular hole, a first photosensor device such as a light-emitting element including a substantially semispherical body having a maximum diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the circular hole, a second photosensor device such as a photodetector element disposed in confronting relation to the circular hole, the semispherical body being partly fitted in the circular hole, thereby providing coaxial alignment between the first and second photosensor devices.

Abstract: An air conditioner control system for adjusting the mixing ratio of warm and cool winds by controlling the opening angle of the air mixing door of an air conditioner. The control system includes a base board formed with for wiring patterns and a contact lever made swingable on a common point shared with the base board and carrying a pair of sliding contacts for sliding into selective contact with the wiring patterns. The contact lever is adapted to engage with a control knob, and the base board is connected to a motor actuator. The air mixing door is opened or closed in accordance with the movement of the control knob so that the base board may accordingly be swung in the lever moving direction.

Abstract: A waveguide filter for use in a communication system that treats microwaves or millimetric waves comprises waveguides of a U-shaped cross section and a support on which the waveguides are longitudinally connected in series. Two inductor plates bear on each of the waveguides to form a waveguide resonator. Each inductor plate has first and second planes meeting at right angles. Thus, each inductor plate assumes an L-shaped form. Each first plane covers the corresponding longitudinal U-shaped end of the waveguides. Each second plane covers half of the corresponding open bottom of the waveguides, and has a tongue formed by two notches. This tongue can be bent and inserted into the corresponding waveguide to adjust the center frequency of the passband of the bandpass filter formed by the waveguide filter.

Abstract: In a brushless motor, a magnetizing member for rotation driving with N-poles and S-poles arranged alternately is formed on a flat plane portion of a rotor magnet, and a member for detecting the rotational speed with N-poles and S-poles arranged alternately at a smaller pitch and a magnetizing member for detecting the rotational position arranged at a spacing angle of 180.degree. are formed on a circumferential surface of the rotor magnet. Stator coils are located opposite the magnetizing member for rotation driving, and a detecting substrate surrounds the outer circumference of the rotor magnet. The detecting substrate is provided with a rotational speed detecting pattern (FG) and a rotational position detecting pattern (PG), and a pair of lead patterns are connected to both ends of the rotational speed detecting pattern and inclined with respect to the rotational direction, so as to cancel distorting signals from the position poles.

Abstract: In a brushless motor, a rotor magnet is rotatably supported and comprises a main magnetizing member for rotation driving with N-poles and S-poles alternately arranged, and a subsidiary magnetizing member for detecting the rotatonal speed with N-poles and S-poles alternately arranged at smaller pitch than that of the main magnetizing member. A stationary plate is provided with stator coils opposed to the main magnetizing member for rotation driving and a detecting substrate having a pattern in opposition to the subsidiary magnetizing member. A pair of leads connected to the pattern of the detecting substrate are arranged at the same angle as the angular interval of two consecutive magnetic poles with the same polarity in the main magnetizing member for rotation driving or at an angle corresponding to an integer multiple of the angular interval. This results in phase cancellation of distorting signals from the driving poles.

Abstract: Simultaneous actuation of switches belonging to separate columns in a switch matrix is prevented by means of opposed preventing members which slide strokes of predetermined length in opposed directions. The preventing members having competing sections formed on opposite sides of a gap which is less than twice the length of the predetermined stroke and these sections compete for space in the gap when their respective preventing members slide so that only one preventing member can slide the full length of its stroke at a time.

Abstract: A mechanism for inhibiting simultaneous locking of switches in a plurality of rows in a multi-row switch device has a member for inhibiting simultaneous locking of switches in two rows. The member has a plurality of receiving portions projectingly formed in a spaced relationship by a fixed distance and an alternate relationship on both edges thereof and located corresponding to the keys in the two rows. When one of the switches in one row is operated, the member is moved to a position in which the receiving portions thereof will inhibit the corresponding keys in the other row from being depressed. The switch device also includes bar-like locking cams extending between every two adjacent switches in each row for preventing simultaneous locking of two switches in the same row.

Abstract: A thermal printer wherein a character or symbol printed on record paper by transfer can be corrected or erased by suitably controlling the printing energy applied to a thermal head, without the necessity of provision of a specific mechanism for correcting such printed characters or symbols. The printer comprises means for applying printing energy higher than printing energy for transfer recording to said thermal head to erase a character or symbol printed on the record paper.

Abstract: Disclosed is a floating system magnetic head which comprises: a magnetic core having a gap formed therein and a coil wound thereon; a slider on which the magnetic core is fixed and which is supplied with a floating-up force by an air flow coming above a magnetic disk; a cantilever gimbal spring having a free end portion to which the slider is fixed through adhesive means and for applying a spring force to the slider against the floating-up force; and at least one hole formed in an adhesion portion of the gimbal spring to allow the adhesion means to come to the rear side of the adhesion portion through said hole to thereby increase the adhesion area between the gimbal spring and the slider.

Abstract: A disk recording-reproducing device having a carriage with a read/write head, a screw shaft to shift the carriage with an engaging element through coupling between a spiral groove of the screw shaft and the engaging element, and a stepping motor to rotate the screw shaft. The spiral groove is composed of a number of groove portions each with a straight bottom whose angle of lead is substantially zero degree that are displaced successively, circumferentially and axially. Preferably, the screw shaft has plane portions for its positioning, and a rotor of the stepping motor has magnetization points being set correspondingly to the lines of the groove portions.

Abstract: A transparent touch-sensitive panel comprising a transparent touch-sensitive switch consisting of an upper plate, a lower plate, and an insulating spacer. A transparent board has an outer peripheral portion to which the lower plate is bonded via a transparent adhesive layer. A visual display such as a liquid-crystal display is mounted on the underside of the board. An uneven surface is formed on one of the upper surface of the board and the lower surface of the lower plate which are disposed opposite to each other and through which the light emanating from the visual display is transmitted.

Abstract: A click mechanism of slide volume control ensures judgement of a center stop position of a lever by a difference in the click touches and allows many stop positions of the lever by providing holes on both sides of the lever inserting hole of the upper surface plate of the frame and providing convex portions on the ends of elastic arms of a plate spring which engage the holes.

Abstract: A cap which is in contact with an objective is fixed at the end part of case which encases a sensor, etc. Therefore, error is not generated in an optical bar code reader between the end part of cap which is in contact with the bar code given on the surface of paper and the end point of sensor.

Abstract: A switch comprising a first contact leading to one terminal, a second contact in the form of a coil spring leading to the other terminal via a receiving plate with an elongate protuberance, a wafer receiving the first and second contacts, a case mounted on the wafer so as to cover an opening thereof, and a slide reciprocably received through an guide hole of the case for bringing one end portion of the second contact into and out of engagement with the first contact. The other end of the second contact extends substantially parallel to the protuberance and is disposed against the receiving plate so as to be engageable with the protuberance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for automatically adjusting parts of the environmental settings surrounding an automobile driver such as the setting of the rear view mirrors, the seat portion, and so forth; to a predetermined optimum setting for the individual driver. The system includes operating buttons for first adjusting the settings manually to an optimum position, position detectors for sensing the position of each part of the environment, a memory unit for storing the optimum positions and a control unit for moving the respective parts from an arbitrary position to the optimum positions stored in the memory unit when a command key is depressed.

Abstract: A liquid crystalline compound represented by the following general formula: ##STR1## where m and l represent individually integers within a range: 6.ltoreq.m.ltoreq.14 and 1.ltoreq.l.ltoreq.5, the symbol * represents an asymmetric carbon atom and the compound is required to be optically active. The compound can induce the twisting arrangement when added to the TN system or phase transition type liquid crystal mixture, as well as can improve the spontaneous polarization as the index of the ferroelectric property when added to the SmC* liquid crystal mixture.