Abstract: A reed contactor includes a base plane comprising two distinct conducting zones. Two shafts of the contactor have the form of blades, each of which engages a base plane at the level of one of the conducting zones. One of the beams at least is supported on the base plane by means of a foot on which it is mounted in an overhanging manner. The contactor is formed by process comprising the steps of forming successively on a substrate an alternance of levels of photoresist and of metallization. At each step, the level of upper photoresist is configured to create in its thickness free growth spaces in which metal pins are formed by galvanic growth. The levels of photoresist situated under the last level of metallization play the role of sacrificial layers and allow the formation of suspended metallic structures.

Abstract: The invention relates to a watch comprising a device for indicating the temperature (16) of the environment in which the watch is situated comprising a first series of thermochromic liquid crystal temperature sensors (18) facing a first temperature scale (20) arranged in such a way that the reading given by the sensors (18) of the first series, in combination with said scale, is directly representative of the temperature of the environment in contact with the sensors, and wherein the device differentiates the temperature indicated by the sensors according to whether the watch is worn or not worn.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor. Such motor includes a support (2), a stator (S2, S3) fixed to the support (2), piezoelectric means (10) adapted to be electrically excited so as to induce a vibratory motion in the stator (S2, S3), a rotor (R2, R3) mounted for rotation relative to the support (2), such rotor including a body on which transmission means (36) are arranged and adapted to transmit the vibratory motion of the stator (S2, S3) to the rotor (R2, R3) and in order to drive such rotor in rotation, and elastic support means (79) for the rotor on the stator, characterized in that the body of the rotor is formed by a structure (D2, D3) which is elastically deformable, at least in the direction of the stator, and which at least in part forms the support means (79). The invention is applied, for example, to a timepiece.

Abstract: Complexes of the general formula I ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3, which may be the same or different, each represent a straight or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or together with the adjacent nitrogen atom a heterocyclic radical having 5 to 7 carbon atoms; "alk" represents a straight or branched alkylene radical having 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R.sub.4 to R.sub.8, which may be the same or different, represent hydrogen, or a hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy or primary secondary or tertiary amino group, or the group -alk-N.sup.+ (R.sub.1 R.sub.2 R.sub.3) wherein "alk", R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 have the meanings given above; M represents a transition metal such as Fe, Ru or Os; X represents an anion and n is an integer corresponding to the number of positive charges of the complex.

Abstract: An electrochemical sensor having multiple measuring zones (34) that are sequentially insulatable, disposed on the circumference of an insulating disc (1) and associated with each other by peripheral current collectors (16, 17) which extend radially inward up to central zones where they form contacts (23, 24) for a measuring apparatus. The disc-sensor also has a device (6) for rotating the disc, and guide marks for positioning (11) and for isolating (7) the measuring zones (34), and may be contained in a housing (40). The invention is useful in the quantitative analysis of glucose.

Abstract: The invention concerns a microelectronic device having body (42) and abutment device (46, 47, 48) projecting from one face of the body (42) for abutment of the microelectronic device to a support member (62), the body (42) including an electrically active region (41) with a sensitive axis (51), characterised in that the abutment device (46, 47, 48) has a predetermined relationship with the sensitive axis (51) to thereby enable alignment of the sensitive axis (51) with an expected signal axis.

Abstract: A small sensor for an electrochemical measuring system composed of a measuring apparatus (50) having an electronic circuit (60), a connecting device (64), a positioning and advancing device (56, 57) and an eliminating device (59, 53). The apparatus is adapted to receive the sensor (40), which has a plurality of active, successively disposable measuring zones (34). The sensor has applications in the quantitative analysis of glucose in the blood.

Abstract: Mono, bis and tris(substituted 2,2'-bipyridine) complexes of iron, ruthenium, osmium or vanadium are described wherein the bipyridine is substituted by a hydroxy or alkoxy group, or a primary, secondary or tertiary amine group.

Abstract: A sensor for measuring the amount of a component in solution is disclosed. The sensor has a measuring electrode with at least one current collector, electrically connected to one of the electrical contacts and coated with a mixture comprising at least one oxidation-reduction enzyme specific to said component and at least one mediator transferring the electrons between said enzyme and said current collector wherein the mediator is a transition metal complex with at least one bipyridine, terpyridine or phenanthroline ligand substituted by at least one electron donor group. This sensor is particularly useful in the detection of glucose.

Abstract: A measurement sensor 1 for sensing a physical magnitude and comprising a framework 2, a seismic mass 36 displaceable relative to the framework, and a support frame 8 for the mass 36. The support frame 8 is fixed to the framework and elastically deformable along a sensing axis X.sub.s by the physical magnitude. A transducer 20 is fixed to the support frame 8 for supplying a signal representative of the physical magnitude in response to a deformation of the support frame 8. An arrangement 50, 52, 54, 56 protects the transducer 20 against a force exhibiting at least one component in a plane substantially perpendicular to the sensing axis X.sub.s. The arrangement permits a reversible displacement of the mass 36 relative to the support frame 8 in the perpendicular plane during a shock without acting upon the transducer 20, and a positioning of the mass 36 relative to the support frame 8 in the absence of the shock.

Abstract: A device for delivering a medicament has a membrane (7) with at least one permeable area (7b) permeable to the medicament and a reservoir space (25) which contains a solvent and the medicament at least partially dissolved therein, An adjustable and/or deformable control element (7) is disposed on the side of the membrane (7) facing the reservoir space (25) with which the access of the medicament from the reservoir space (25) to at least one permeable area (7b) of the membrane (7) can be changed. In addition an electronic device (37) is provided with which the control element (17) can be automatically controlled via a motor (37). The device permits the periodic alteration of the delivery rate of the medicament which is advantageous in many cases.

Abstract: A timepiece which includes a case (2), a horometric movement (4) housed within the case (2) and means for broadcasting an electromagnetic signal including electronic means (12) for furnishing the signal and at least one broadcasting antenna (14) coupled to the electronic means (12). Such timepiece is characterized in that the antenna (14) is arranged on a first face (20a) of a support plate (20) of basically planar form arranged in the interior of the case (2), such antenna (14) being constituted by a thin metallic layer deposited on the face (20a) of the support plate (20). This timepiece is applicable to the control of an arrangement, for example for latching and unlatching, of a door in particular.

Abstract: A non-acoustic alarm intended to equip a device supplying information such as time information. Such alarm includes motor means (24) which can be electrically driven and which are associated with a mass (26) adapted to be set in motion under the action of the motor means (24) in order to furnish a vibratory effect. Such alarm is furthermore characterized in that the motor means (24) are constituted by an electromagnetic motor (24a, 24b) fixedly mounted on a support (28) including elastic coupling elements (30) which are associated with said mass (26) which is designed to assume a quasi-linear oscillating motion relative to the electromagnetic motor (24a, 24b) when the motor is operated. The invention is particularly adapted for integration within a timepiece.

Abstract: The device comprises a piezoelectric transducer, a primary battery, and a circuit which applies a control voltage to the transducer or which short-circuits the latter depending on the state of a control signal. The control voltage is produced by a voltage increasing circuit comprising a coil, a diode and a capacitor constituted by the transducer, that are connected in series, in that order, across the terminals of the primary battery, and an oscillator responsive to the control signal to control a transistor in such a manner that it either alternately produces and cancels a short circuit across the terminals of the circuit formed by the diode and the transducer or is permanently blocked. A second transistor is also responsive to the control signal to short-circuit the transducer when the first transistor is blocked. The device is simpler, cheaper and consumes less electrical power than known devices.

Abstract: A timepiece comprising a display (2) such as a data display and a driving motor (M1, M2) for driving the display is characterized in that the driving motor comprises a piezo-electric motor directly engaging the display.

Abstract: The liquid crystal cell with an alignment layer in the form of a soluble halogenated polymer of the ethylenic substituted ethylenic cycloaliphatic or heterocycloaliphatic type which induces homeotropic or planar alignment of the crystal molecules in contact therewith depending on whether the temperature is below or above a predetermined temperature T.sub.HP. The alignment layer may be a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene with bis-2,2-trifluoromethyl-4,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxide.

Abstract: A process for measuring the position of at least one mobile wall using ultrasound and an apparatus for carrying out this process are described.The measuring process of the invention has an initialization phase during which the elemental echoes of an echo signal produced by the reflection of an ultrasonic impulse from mobile interfaces (P.sub.o,1 ; P.sub.o,2 ; P.sub.o,3 ; P.sub.o,4 ;) are processed, to determine the position of these interfaces in this echo signal and in which the temporal positions of the reference points (Z.sub.o,1 ; Z.sub.o,2) of the elemental echoes of a group of echo signals assimilated afterwards, are simultaneously tracked so as to ascertain the position of the interfaces in the most recent of the echo signals of this group, an assimilation phase in which the position of said interfaces is tracked and an organizational or processing stage for the memorized data.

Abstract: The device comprises a transducer which supplies, in response to an exciting signal, a detection signal that is representative of its angular speed, and a circuit which responds to this detection signal to supply an angular speed measurement signal. For this measurement signal to be readily usable regardless of the transducer, the circuit measures the phase difference between the detection signal and the exciting signal, this phase difference being representative of the angular speed of the transducer.

Abstract: A sensor for measuring a physical parameter is described having a frame, at least one support which is resiliently flexible under the influence of a physical parameter and which is integral with the frame, and at least one resonator integral with the support for supplying a signal representative of the physical parameter in response to flection of the support, the sensor also having an abutment and counter abutment limiting the flextion of the support, in particular before it is fixed to the frame. This sensor has applications in the measurement of a physical parameter such as, for example, acceleration.

Abstract: An optical cell having an optically active material, for example a liquid crystal is disclosed, the transparency of which is a function of the electrical voltage applied together with a control circuit, wherein said optically active material presents an electrical impedance variable with the frequency of the signal applied and said control circuit has a voltage source and means for controlling the frequency of the signal delivered by said voltage source. The cell has applications in attenuating light, notably in a sun screen or automobile rear-view mirror.