Abstract: A semiconductor reticle transportation container includes a box and a base, the box having an opening and the base including a reticle support. The reticle is placed on the support and the box is placed on the base so that the reticle passes through the opening while being lifted off of the support by plungers contacting the lower edge of the reticle. After the box is closed, the reticle is compliantly constrained horizontally and vertically and is held away from the support.

Abstract: A system and method of cooling a CCD camera may employ a composite material housing design that allows the cold side of a TEC to be mounted relatively close to the CCD and the hot side of the TEC to be isolated from the housing cavity in which the CCD resides. An efficient heat transfer path may facilitate cooling the CCD to a predetermined or selected operating temperature and isolate the CCD from the heat loads generated by operation the TEC.

Abstract: A lens drive device capable of preventing a lens holder from inclining with respect to the optical axis direction of a lens is provided. A first gear (13), a second gear (14), a protrusion (20a), and a coil spring (6) are coaxially supported by a shaft (5), which is a fixed shaft. The rotational motion is transmitted to a two-stage gear (12) by rotating a rotor (11a) of a step motor (11) clockwise or counterclockwise. The rotational motion of the two-stage gear (12) is in turn transmitted to the first gear (13) and the second gear (14). When the first gear (13) and the second gear (14) rotate, the degree of engagement between an internally threaded portion (131a) of the first gear (13) and an externally threaded portion (141a) of the second gear (14) increases, and the second gear (14) moves upward. As the second gear (14) moves upward, a lens holder (20), urged upward by the elastic force of the coil spring (6), moves upward along the optical axis of a lens (21).

Abstract: An anti-chop system for a pneumatic paintball marker that is automatically cleaned. The anti-chop eye system includes a transmitter and receiver arranged so as to sense the presence of a paintball within a breech using a beam of light. A moving member of the paintball marker automatically wipes at least one surface of the transmitter and/or receiver to remove contaminants such as paint, grease, dirt and the like. By automatically cleaning the anti-chop eye system, the reliability of the system is improved.

Abstract: Methods and systems detect the presence of a fluid, such as water, based on a reflection of optical energy from the fluid. Methods and systems also determine the concentration of a constituent element in a mixture based on a reflection of optical energy from the mixture.

Abstract: A light quantity control device includes: a bottom board having an opening; a first blade, a supporting blade and a second blade linearly moving in opposing directions and controlling light quantity passing through the opening; and a driving lever connected to the set of blades and driving the set of blades by rotation of the driving lever. The driving lever rotates within degrees centering on a phantom line A passing through a rotational center of the driving lever and being parallel with the moving directions of the blades.

Abstract: A printer comprises a platen roller (22), a print head (12) that ejects ink from nozzle holes to a print medium held by the platen roller (22), a maintenance mechanism (13) that cleans the print head (12), and an ejected ink receptacle (18) that absorbs and holds ink ejected and discarded from the print head (12) by the spit operation. The ejected ink receptacle (18) is placed on the side of the platen roller (22) opposite to the side where the maintenance mechanism (13) exists. The ejected ink receptacle (18) comprises a replaceably provided absorbent pad. When the print operation temporarily halts, the print head (12) moves to a position where it opposes the ejected ink receptacle (18) and performs the spit operation for ejecting and discarding ink inside the nozzle.

Abstract: When an encoder (30) detects stopping of feeding of a print medium (50), a control unit (40) moves the position of a print head in a feed direction (Y direction) of the print medium (50) by a predetermined distance corresponding to deviation caused when printing is resumed. When the encoder (30) detects resumption of feeding of the print medium (50), the control unit (40) causes the print head to eject ink at a position to which the print head is moved in the feed direction, thereby resuming printing.

Abstract: A heat dissipating module including a first heat sink, a second heat sink, a connector, a pivot and a heat pipe is provided. The first heat sink is disposed on a circuit board and contacts a heat source. The second heat sink has a first pivotal hole and a limiting opening. The connector has a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion. The first connecting portion is fixedly connected to the first heat sink. The second connecting portion has a limiting protrusion and a second pivotal hole corresponding to the first pivotal hole. The pivot passes through the first pivotal hole and the second pivotal hole and is pivotally connected to the connector and the second heat sink. The limiting protrusion protrudes into the limiting opening to limit the rotation angle of the second heat sink relative to the connector.

Abstract: An actuator includes: a coil for excitation; a rotor rotatably supported; a stator effecting a magnetic force on the rotor for rotation, the stator having first and second leg portions arranged side by side; and first and second coil frames each having a body portion and a pair of flange portions provided at an end of the body portion. The first coil frame is assembled onto the first leg portion. The second coil frame is assembled onto the second leg portion. The first and second coil frames are connected via a connecting portion bendable. The body portions are arranged not to be sandwiched between the first and second leg portions. Each of the body portions covers a halfway or less of each of peripheral surfaces of the first and second leg portions of the stator.

Abstract: A lens barrier module including a substrate in which an opening is defined, sectors opening the opening when picking up an image and closing the opening when not picking up the image, and a motor provided at the substrate and driving the sectors.

Abstract: A cable assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing defining a supporting portion with an upper surface and a pair of fixing portions disposed at two sides of the supporting portion with a top surface higher than the upper surface, and a receiving space defined by the supporting portion and the pair of fixing portions; a flexible flat cable supported by the supporting portion of the insulative housing and received into the receiving space; an upper shell assembled to the insualtive housing and defining a main body portion covering to the flexible flat cable and a pair of positioning portions respectively attached to the pair fixing portions thereof, the upper shell having a recessed main body portion relative to the pair of fixing portions and received into the receiving space; and a pair of latch members respectively mounted on the pair of fixing portions.

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: An imaging lens enables a large focal depth and low error sensitivity. The imaging lens satisfies “0.016<?/f<0.018,” where ? is the absolute value of longitudinal chromatic aberrations at F curve and C curve wavelengths, and f is the combined focal distance of the entire compound imaging lens. A first, a second, and a third lens are disposed sequentially, the first lens disposed toward an object, and the third lens disposed toward an image surface. The first lens has a positive refraction, a meniscus shape, and a convex surface facing the object. The second lens has a meniscus shape with a concave surface facing the object. The third lens has a convex-type shape facing the object; and a concave-type aspherical shape facing the image surface, providing a negative refraction in a radially central portion and a positive refraction in a radially peripheral portion.

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 different magnetic poles in a circumferential direction thereof, and rotated by a magnetic force generated 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 rotor and the outputting member are jointed by welding and a welding portion of the rotor lies in a boundary of the magnetic poles thereof.

Abstract: A coil bobbin includes: a body portion around which a coil is wound and having a cylindrical shape; a pair of flange portions formed at both ends of the body portion respectively; and terminal portions which are formed in the pair of flange portions, respectively, the terminal portions being around which respective ends of the coil are wound. The pair of flange portions have thicker portions and thinner portions, respectively, different from each other in thickness. The pair of flange portions is formed to gradually reduce a thickness from the thicker portions toward the thinner portions, respectively. The terminal portions are formed in the thicker portions, respectively.

Abstract: A series of cell fill valves are interconnected by a series of hoses and T-connections, one to each battery cell. Each cell fill valve is controlled by a ball in a seat in a single fill opening. The ball is controlled by a float on a pivotable lever arm with an end finger which holds the ball up to admit water with the float down and allows the ball to lower onto the seat as the cell fills causing the float to rise to a shutoff level when the cell is filled to a desired level.

Abstract: A microscope stage with a flexural axis may exhibit predictable flexure characteristics and limited cross-coupling translations. Z motion of a Z plate proximate to a Z actuator may be substantially linear, while a distal side of the Z plate may be allowed to rotate about a hinge axis associated with a flexural component.