Abstract: A focal plane shutter includes: an electromagnet; a board including an opening; a blade movable between a position where the blade recedes from the opening and a position where the blade covers at least part of the opening; and a drive lever driving the blade, and including: a spindle portion provided at its one end with a flange portion; an iron piece provided at the other end of the spindle portion and capable of being adsorbed to the electromagnet; a support portion including a through hole through which the spindle portion penetrates with a play; and a guide portion provided along the iron piece.

Abstract: A torso-covering garment for playing paintball having gripping areas to enable the user to grippably contact a gripping area of the garment with the butt stock of the gun. Each gripping area comprises a pliant, non-cushioning substrate. Common embodiments of the garment are shirts, jerseys, jackets, and vests. A method of playing paintball which comprises wearing the garment of the invention, and a method of fabricating the garment.

Abstract: A method for matching a first OPE curve (700) for a first exposure apparatus (10A) used to transfer an image to a wafer (28) to a second OPE curve (702) of a second exposure apparatus (10B). The method can include the step of adjusting a tilt of a wafer stage (50) that retains the wafer to adjust the first OPE curve. As provided herein, the first exposure apparatus (10A) has the first OPE curve (700) because of the design of the components used in the first exposure apparatus (10A), and the second exposure apparatus (10B) has a second OPE curve (702) because of the design of the components used in the second exposure apparatus (10B). Further, the tilt of the wafer stage (50) can be selectively adjusted until the first OPE curve (700) approximately matches the second OPE curve (702). With this design, the two exposure apparatuses (10A) (10B) can be used for the same lithographic process.

Abstract: A board mounted connector (100) includes an insulative housing (1) defines a top side and a bottom side; a plurality of terminals (2) combined with the insulative housing, each terminal having a contacting portion disposed above the top side of the insulative housing; and a protective cover (3) floatably associated with the insulative housing and enclosing the contacting portions of the terminals.

Abstract: A pneumatic paintball marker has, for example, a sleeve that controls the passage of air through the longitudinal barrel or opening within the marker. By sequentially filling separate chambers defined within the opening and the sleeve, the sleeve is able to translate axially through the opening in a sequential manner. When the sleeve is in a forward position, air is caused to be released through the barrel, propelling the paintball. A sear member engages the sleeve and prevents it from inadvertently moving to a forward position. Air filling the chambers returns the sleeve to the loading position.

Abstract: A blade drive device includes: a board including an optical path opening; first and second blades cooperatively defining an amount of light passing through the optical path opening to a given amount of light. The first blade includes a first opening. The second blade includes: a first cutout portion defining the amount of light in cooperation with the first opening; and a second cutout portion defining the amount of light in cooperation with the first opening. The second cutout portion overlaps the first blade when the first cutout portion and the first opening cooperatively define the amount of light.

Abstract: A system and method for rapidly and easily installing and removing ammunition reloading dies into and from an ammunition reloading press uses an adapter with a female threaded socket to receive a conventionally threaded die and sections of male screw threads arrayed around the exterior and separated by open sections corresponding to sections of female screw threads formed in a socket in the press, the adapter threads engageable with the press socket threads to secure the adapter within the press socket with less than a full rotation of the adapter, open sections in the press socket allow the adapter to enter the socket to nearly full depth without rotation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to imaging technologies, and, in particular, to an imaging system that detects relatively weak signals, over time, and that uses the detected signals to determine the positions of signal emitters. Particular embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for imaging fluorophore-labeled samples in order to produce images of the sample at resolutions significantly greater than the diffraction-limited resolution associated with optical microscopy. Embodiments of the present invention employ overlapping-emitter-image disambiguation to allow data to be collected from densely arranged emitters, which significantly decreases the data-collection time for producing intermediate images as well as the number of intermediate images needed to computationally construct high-resolution final images. Additional embodiments of the present invention employ hierarchical image-processing techniques to further resolve and interpret disambiguated images.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a paintball loader having a diverter member supported within a housing of the loader. The diverter member can limit the number of paintballs which enter an outlet passageway leading to a marker inlet. In some embodiments, diverter member can have projections and channels formed in a bottom surface thereof to control the number of paintballs that can simultaneously enter the entrance to the outlet passageway.

Abstract: A torso-covering garment for playing paintball having gripping areas to enable the user to grippably contact a gripping area of the garment with the butt stock of the gun. Each gripping area comprises a pliant, non-cushioning substrate. Common embodiments of the garment are shirts, jerseys, jackets, and vests. A method of playing paintball which comprises wearing the garment of the invention, and a method of fabricating the garment.

Abstract: A method of driving a vibration wave motor enables proper frequency control of an AC voltage applied to the motor according to the rotational speed difference between the actual and target rotational speeds of the motor, even if frequency-rotational speed characteristics are not stored in advance. A target rotational speed of a moving member is set. A ratio of an amount of increase or decrease in a rotational speed of the moving member to an amount of update of a frequency of the AC voltage and a rotational speed difference between the target rotational speed and an actual rotational speed of the moving member are calculated. The amount of update of the frequency is calculated by dividing the calculated rotational speed difference by the calculated ratio. The frequency of the AC voltage is updated by using the calculated amount of update of the frequency.

Abstract: A lens module array comprising a spacer plate comprising (i) first and second surfaces, and (ii) an array of lens barrels, each lens barrel comprising (1) a lens opening extending inward from the first surface of the spacer plate, and (2) a sensor cavity extending inward from the second surface of the spacer plate to meet the lens opening; and (b) at least one lens positioned over each lens opening of a lens barrel, the outer circumference of the lens being attached to the spacer plate.

Abstract: A lagging for a belt conveyor pulley comprises a continuous and homogeneous rubber volume and a number of small plate-like ceramic lagging elements. The ceramic elements may be of rectangular, square, oval or circular shape in various patterns with and without grooving. The lagging is hot vulcanization bonded to the periphery of a pulley in a manner without seams or other paths for liquid or debris ingress to pulley rubber bond.

Abstract: A time stamp is a device that prints time information on a time card inserted into a time card slot. The time card slot is formed to be inclined downwardly in the depthwise direction of the time stamp at an angle of 8 to 10 degrees or so with the mount surface of the time stamp being a reference. The time stamp has a mount portion to be attached to a wall surface. The time card slot extends in a direction orthogonal to the rear surface of the time stamp.

Abstract: A novel and unique pneumatic paintball marker having a variety of novel features, the first being an on/off compressed air control valve, positioned at the front of the marker below the barrel and adjacent to an in-line pressure regulator. Major innovations have been made in reducing the size and weight of the body of the marker, along with the construction of a new bolt assembly consisting of just four components and only one moving part. An anti-chop eye electronic system insures that the paintballs are in proper position, and rubber ball detents are optionally added to hold the paintballs in place prior to firing the marker, so that the paintballs will not roll out the barrel.

Abstract: A paintball loader, more specifically a paintball loader which rapidly and forcibly feeds paintballs to a paintball marker, comprises a rotor body having at least one rotor fin, and a drive motor for rotating the rotor body in a first direction. The paintball loader has a central outlet located radially inwards of the tip of the rotor fin and an abutment body arranged to interact with the at least one rotor fin. When the rotor body is rotated, a paintball, located in a space formed between the at least one rotor fin and the abutment body, is pushed out of the paintball loader through the central outlet.

Abstract: A paintball loader which feeds paintballs to a paintball marker has a rotor body and a drive motor for rotating the rotor body. The paintball loader can include a latch member for selectively securing an upper shell member to a lower shell member. The paintball loader can include a ramp member inside the upper and lower shell members. The ramp member moves between a first or flattened position and a second or raised position to facilitate operation of the loader. The components of the loader are designed so that assembly/disassembly is performed with few, if any, tools to facilitate cleaning and/or maintenance.

Abstract: A variable focal length lens, as well as a focal length adjusting device and an imaging device using the same. A variable focal length lens has a lens, a positive electrode, and a negative electrode. A second layer and a first layer constituting the lens are formed from polyvinyl chloride with which a plasticizer has been mixed. The hardness of these layers is adjusted by adjusting the mixing quantity, plasticizer type, etc. The second layer is formed so as so cover at least a light transmission region of the first layer. When a voltage is applied between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, the second layer and first layer are deformed to be pulled to the positive electrode, and thereby the curvature of the variable focal length lens is varied to vary the focal length.

Abstract: A lens drive device includes: a lens holder holding a lens; a drive source including a rotor rotatably supported; a gear rotated by a rotation of the rotor; and a driven gear rotated by the gear. The lens holder is moved in an optical axis direction by a rotation of the driven gear. The driven gear includes a teeth portion. The teeth portion includes: a meshed portion meshing the gear; and a non-meshed portion abutting the gear to stop the rotations of the gear and the driven gear.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator includes: a coil for excitation; a stator excited with different magnetic poles by energization of the coil; a rotor magnetized with the different magnetic poles in accordance with a circumferential direction, and rotated by a magnetic force generating between the rotor and the stator; and an outputting member rotated in conjunction with the rotor and outputting rotational movement of the rotor to a first blade and a second blade. The outputting member is provided with a fitting hole press-fitted onto the rotor.