Abstract: An oxygen concentration detecting apparatus precisely and easily performs diagnosis of a limit current type oxygen sensor. The limit current type oxygen sensor has an oxygen concentration detecting element for outputting limit current proportional to the oxygen concentration and a heater for heating the detecting element. A CPU of a microcomputer controls energization of the heater to activate the oxygen sensor. The CPU calculates element resistance based on the voltage applied to the oxygen sensor and the current detected in the sensor. In a sensor diagnosis routine, the CPU determines whether preconditions for the diagnosis have been met. If all the preconditions have been met, the CPU executes the diagnosis. That is, the CPU determines whether the element resistance is within a predetermined range. If it is below the range, the CPU determines that the sensor has high element temperature abnormality.

Abstract: An electronic parts layout determination method enables manufacture of a wide variety of electronic products with enhanced efficiency and in a short time. For all kinds of electronic parts selected for the manufacture of all of the electronic products, the electronic parts are divided into a plurality of speed groups based on the allowable rotation speed limits of mounting heads during rotation of a rotary table. The speed groups are subjected to a sequencing procedure. Electronic parts used for manufacture of each type of electronic product are then classified into groups, each group including a different kind of electronic part. The resulting parts groups are further classified into subgroups, each subgroup corresponding to one of the speed groups. These subgroups of electronic parts are arranged in a specific order and electronic parts belonging to each speed group are arranged so that a part having a low frequency of usage is placed near a neighboring speed group.

Abstract: An aluminum heat exchanger includes laminated aluminum tubes and corrugated fins, a core portion receiving respective ends of tubes into sheet metals members, and iron or stainless steel inserts having high strength receiving U-shaped folded pieces of the sheet metal members contacting the corrugated fins at the outermost portion of the core portion. The tubes and the corrugated fins are held and pressed from both sides of the core portion by the inserts and the corrugated fins are protected from coming apart during a brazing operation.

Abstract: A shoe housing 3 is connected to and rotatable together with an input shaft. A vane rotor 9 is connected to an output shaft and accommodated in shoe housing 3 so as to cause a rotation within a predetermined angles with respect to shoe housing 3. Vane rotor 9 and shoe housing 3 cooperatively define hydraulic chambers 10, 11, 12 and 13 whose volumes are variable in accordance with a rotational position of vane rotor 9 with respect to shoe housing 3. A locking member 7 is accommodated in vane rotor 9 and shiftable in a direction parallel to a rotational axis common to shoe housing 3 and vane rotor 9. And, an engaging bore 20, formed on a front plate 4 secured to shoe housing 3, receives locking member 7 through a tapered surface.

Abstract: Resin having a susceptibility to electrostatic charge which is opposite in polarity to the susceptibility to electrostatic charge of a filter sheet or member forming a filter element is impregnated into the filter member. For example, when the filter member is composed of polyester of 50-70 weight percentage and glass fiber of 5-25 weight percentage as well as pulp of 15-35 weight percentage, resin composed of phenol resin of 5-20 weight percentage and melamine resin of 80-95 weight percentage is impregnated into the filter member so that the susceptibility to electrostatic charge of the filter member can be neutralized. Thus, static electricity generated by friction between the filter element and fuel flowing therethrough can be controlled.

Abstract: A pipeline processing apparatus for performing processing operations in a succession of processing cycles, in which each cycle is composed of a succession of stages that include an instruction decoding stage for decoding an instruction associated with the cycle and an execution stage for executing an operation dependent on the instruction, and the processing cycles include a first cycle which starts at a first time and a second cycle that begins at a second time that is after the first time and that overlaps the first cycle in time. The apparatus is constructed and controlled for causing a branch instruction to be decoded in the instruction decoding stage of the first cycle; and for effecting a calculation in the execution stage of the first cycle, dependent on the branch instruction decoded in the instruction decoding stage of the first cycle.

Abstract: A filter element has a wavy filter portion including a plurality of ridges of a filter material, which are juxtaposed to one another and closed at their sides, and a flange portion extending along a mounting plane around the filter portion for supporting the filter portion. The flange portion is made of the same filter material extending from the filter portion, by compressing the filter material more densely than the filter portion. The filter element is manufactured by a step of preparing an intermediate product of a wavy sheet, and a step of forming the filter portion by leaving the central portion of the wavy intermediate product as in the wavy sheet, and forming the flange portion around the filter portion for supporting the filter portion, by pressing the side portions of the ridges of the wavy intermediate product along the mounting plane.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including an N-type semiconductor substrate which includes arsenic as an impurity, a first electrode formed on a main surface of the N-type semiconductor substrate, a ground surface formed on another surface of the N-type semiconductor substrate, a second electrode formed on the ground surface and ohmically-contacted with the N-type semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor element formed in the N-type semiconductor substrate and flowing current between the first electrode and the second electrode during ON-state thereof. The device has a reduced ON-resistance thereof.

Abstract: Even when a contact hole is formed before thin-film resistor formation, a contact area exposed in the contact hole is prevented from damaging. A semiconductor element is formed in a silicon semiconductor substrate and an oxide film is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Then, a contact hole is formed on the oxide film and moreover, a CrSiN film serving as a thin-film resistor and a TiW film serving as a barrier metal are formed on the oxide film. The TiW film is patterned by a mask and the CrSiN film is patterned through chemical dry etching. Finally, an Al electrode is formed on the semiconductor element and the CrSiN film through the contact hole and moreover a protective film is formed thereon.

Abstract: In an electroluminescent device comprising an insulating substrate having consecutively thereon a first electrode, a first insulating layer, a luminescent layer composed of two types or more luminescent portions differing in luminescent color which are provided in a flat panel arrangement to give a single-layered luminescent layer, a second insulating layer and a second electrode, a first dielectric film is disposed between the luminescent portions to provide an isolation layer for isolating the luminescent portions, and a second dielectric film for adjusting the luminescence threshold voltage is disposed on the light outcoupling side or on the side opposite thereto of one of said luminescent portions. Herein, the first and second dielectric films provided for isolating the luminescent portions and for adjusting the luminescence threshold voltage, respectively, are made of the same material and have a refractive index lower than that of both luminescent portions.

Abstract: An economical spark plug for an internal combustion engine which has a long service life and by which a reduction in the discharge voltage and the use of the minimum amount of a noble metal can be achieved. The spark plug has an insulator, a center electrode supported by the insulator, and an earth electrode facing to the center electrode. A narrowed portion is arranged on a tip of an electrode material of at least one of the center electrode and the earth electrode. The narrowed portion includes a projection formed by extending the electrode material and a noble metal chip firmly connected to a terminal end of the projection. The electrode material is a nickel-base heat-resisting alloy. The noble metal chip is made of a Pt--Ir alloy essentially consisting of 90-100% by weight Pt and 0-10% by weight Ir. A diameter D of the narrowed portion is in a range of 0.6-1.2 mm. A thickness t of the noble metal chip is in a range of 0.16-0.8 mm.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing EL devices in a short period of time wherein during formation of a light emitting layer composed of II, III or VI-group of elements doped with a light emitting element through a chemical vapor deposition method, water content of a transport gas that transports gasified organic metals is removed through a dehydration filter and thus, source material decomposition due to the water content is prevented and a steady supply of source materials becomes possible. By removing the water content of the transport gas, source materials can be supplied constantly even if heating temperatures exceed a temperature conventionally regarded as the temperature at which decomposition starts and thus, a light emitting layer having a practical thickness can be formed in a short period of time. Because of the high-speed film formation, the rate of the film being contaminated with impurities lessens and the light emitting layer has a luminance three times that of conventional layers.

Abstract: In an engine exhaust catalyst warm-up control, an ignition timing is delayed than normal first to raise the catalyst temperature, and then a fuel injection amount is dithered to increase and decrease alternately from a normal amount until the catalyst temperature reaches the catalyst activation completion temperature. In place of the ignition delay control, afterburning control may be employed in which fuel cut for a cylinder and fuel increase for the other cylinders are executed. Further, the catalyst warm-up control may be performed by controlling a supercharging operation and an exhaust gas recirculation operation cooperatively.

Abstract: An insulated gate type bipolar-transistor (IGBT) incorporates an excess voltage protecting function and drain voltage fixing function in a monolithic structure. Impurity concentration ND and the thickness of an n.sup.- type drain layer (3) is set so that a depletion region propagating from a p type base layer (7) reaches a p.sup.+ type drain layer at a voltage (V.sub.DSP) lower than a voltage (V.sub.DSS) at which avalanche breakdown is caused within the IGBT element when voltage is applied between the source and the drain.

Abstract: A lead wire for a sensor has a conductor unit including at least stainless steel wires and copper wires. By setting the cross-sectional percentage of the stainless steel wires in the conductor unit within the range of 30 to 70%, it is possible to obtain a lead wire having low electrical resistance, and high flexibility, tensile strength and elasticity. There are preferred values in hardness and heat treatment of the stainless steel wires. The copper wires are preferably coated with an antioxidant film. The lead wire may include hybrid wires stranded together and obtained by integrally molding or forming stainless steel and copper. It is preferable that the lead wire is coated with an insulating coating material such as a Teflon type resin.

Abstract: A transparent thin-film EL display apparatus has a transparent thin-film EL element formed on a glass substrate. A rear substrate consisting of photochromic glass and the glass substrate on which the EL element is formed are disposed facing each other with the EL element located in between. A light-transmitting insulation material is inserted in a space between the two substrates and hermetically sealed. When the display on the EL element becomes hard to see due to light entering from the rear of the display apparatus, the photochromic glass reacts in response to the light and darkens the rear of the EL element, thereby blocking the light.

Abstract: Disclosed are an electroless copper plating solution comprising a copper ion, a copper ion-complexing agent, a reducing agent and a pH-adjusting agent, the plating solution comprising a trialkanolmonoamine or a salt thereof as a complexing agent and accelerator in an amount giving a higher copper deposition speed than the copper deposition speed obtained when the trialkanolmonoamine or salt thereof is present in an amount sufficient to complex the copper ion but not enough to function as the accelerator, and 1.2.times.10.sup.-4 to 1.2.times.10.sup.-3 mole/l of an iron ion compound as a reaction initiator and/or 1.92.times.10.sup.-4 to 1.92.times.10.sup.

Abstract: A brake hydraulic pressure detector includes a bridge circuit made up of a semiconductor sensor which generates a detection voltage in accordance with hydraulic pressure and resistors for setting the detection voltage during nonbraking to a nonzero predetermined voltage, an adder circuit for amplifying and generating the detection voltage from the bridge circuit by a predetermined gain, and an output circuit. Here, if the sensitivity of an output voltage with respect to the hydraulic pressure varies, i.e., if the gain varies for some reason, the output voltage during nonbraking also changes because the offset voltage is set to a nonzero voltage. Thus, abnormality in the sensitivity of the brake hydraulic pressure detector can be detected by monitoring the output voltage during nonbraking.

Abstract: A traverse shaft section 609 shifts in response to the rotation of a bobbin rotating section 604 with a predetermined winding pitch P1 equivalent to two to 10 times the diameter of a wire rod 520. With this shift movement of traverse shift section 609, wire rod 520 extracted from a winding nozzle section 610 shifting together with traverse shaft section 609 is wound spirally along a slant surface 530 formed by a first winding section 541 at the winding pitch P1 equivalent to two to 10 times the diameter of a wire rod 520. As a result, an advancing-side wire rod 520a and a reversing-side wire rod 520b cross over each other at opposing inclinations. Hence, it becomes possible to prevent the reversing-side wire rod 520b, when wound on the advancing-side wire rod 520a, from pulling and dislocating the advancing-side wire rod 520a from its regular winding position, thereby eliminating undesirable winding collapse.

Abstract: A modulator in a coolant recirculation line for a refrigerating apparatus. The modulator is used for storing an excess amount of the coolant recirculated in the system. The modulator has a space extending vertically, upward and a bottom end connected to the recirculating line at a position downstream of a condenser, in such a manner that only a part of the coolant passed through the condenser is introduced into the modulator to compensate for variations in the amount of coolant needed for recirculation in the system. The modulator can be arranged in the middle of the heat exchanger, and defines therein a boundary between the liquid phase and the gas phase, for a separation of the gas from the coolant, so that the portion of the heat exchanger downstream of the modulator can operate as a super cooler.