Abstract: An aperture apparatus includes a substrate having a lens opening, a first aperture sector having a first aperture opening, a second aperture sector having a second aperture opening, and a drive pin that is engaged in cam openings respectively formed in the first aperture sector and in the second aperture sector and that swings the first aperture sector and the second aperture sector. The first aperture sector and the second aperture sector are located in receding positions from the lens opening, when the drive pin is in an initial position. The cam openings include a swing region and a non-swing region, the swing region guiding a corresponding sector to the lens opening as the drive pin moves from the initial position, the non-swing region retaining the other sector in the receding position, when one of the first aperture sector and the second aperture sector is guided to the lens opening.

Abstract: A sector drive mechanism includes an electromagnetic actuator including a rotor having four polarities, a C-shaped stator, and a current control portion that controls current applied to a first coil and a second coil, the C-shaped stator including a first magnetic pole magnetically excited by the first coil, a second magnetic pole magnetically excited by the second coil, and a third magnetic pole magnetically excited by the first coil and the second coil, and sectors that are connected to the electromagnetic actuator to open and close a shutter opening provided in a substrate. The first coil and the second coil are driven to close the shutter opening with a fewer number of pulses applied from the current control portion than the number of the pulses to open the shutter opening.

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: There is provided an optical module having a circuit board that includes an imaging element, a lens barrel that is fixed onto the circuit board to movably accommodate a lens holder having a lens that forms an image on an imaging surface of an imaging element in a light axis direction, a cylindrical cam having a cam surface engaged with a protrusion disposed in the outside of the lens barrel and extending from a side face of the lens holder to move the lens holder, and a drive section in which an actuator drives the cylindrical cam via a gear train and also having a cover that integrally covers the lens barrel and the actuator and determines the positional relationship between the lens barrel and the drive section.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator includes a cylindrical stator made of a permanent magnet and having annular end faces magnetized to plural magnetic poles, a coil securely disposed in a hollow portion of the stator via a bobbin on which the coil is wound and which is fixed to the stator's hollow portion, a rotary shaft put through the coil in the direction of the center axis thereof in such a way as to be rotatably supported at the bobbin, and a rotor of a soft magnetic material provided in such a way as to rotate together with the rotary shaft and having plural rotor arms radially extending from both end portions of the rotary shaft and facing the respective annular end faces of the stator.

Abstract: A thermal module with heat pipe is disclosed to include a heat-dissipation plate, which has an accommodation groove that accommodates a heat pipe that is bonded to the accommodation groove with a bonding glue, and at least one retaining groove formed in the accommodation groove for retaining the bonding glue to prevent overflow of the bonding glue during its fluid state so as to improve the yield rate of the fabrication of the thermal module with heat pipe, avoid a further follow-up process, facilitate the quality control, save the cost, and keep a good looking of the finished product.

Abstract: A fastener requiring less space for the performance of the locking or unlocking action without causing an interference with other surrounding component parts is disclosed to include a locating bar, a first hook member connected to one end of the locating bar, a slide slidably coupled to the locating bar and having a relatively lower portion and a relatively higher portion, a second hook member inserted through the locating bar and the slide in a first direction, and a transverse pin inserted through the second hook member in a second direction and supported on the slide to control locking/unlocking action of the fastener.

Abstract: A direction-adjustable diffusive device is disclosed to include a heat sink, which has a rotating mechanism positioned on the outside of the heat sink, and a cowling, which has another rotating mechanism correspondingly coupled to the rotating mechanism of the heat sink, and a wind-guiding channel comprising a first wind-guiding hole facing the heat sink. The cowling uses the other rotating mechanism and the rotating mechanism for allowing the cowling to be turned about the heat sink to adjust a heat dissipation direction of the heat sink. Therefore, the cowling can use the other rotating mechanism and the rotating mechanism to rotate relatively to the heat sink, which means that the direction of the cowling can be adjusted through 360° according to the requirements to dissipate heat through the heat sink.

Abstract: A wave correction clock of the present invention receives a wave signal including time information based on information defined by a pulse width of a rectangular pulse output at a predetermined period, and a period measuring section measures a signal period TRn of the rectangular pulse. A time difference measuring section obtains a time difference between the signal period TRn and an internal reference period TB where the signal period TRn is within a predetermined range, and a time difference determining section corrects generation timing of a reference pulse at the internal reference period TB from an average value of time differences obtained when the rectangular pulse where the signal period TRn is within a predetermined range is detected multiple times.

Abstract: A reticle includes an image area having one or more electrically conductive portions susceptible to damage by an electric field and an electric field sensor feature, the sensor feature adapted to be at least as susceptible to being altered by the electric field as the electrically conductive portions of the image area, the sensor feature being located in a position which is more readily viewable to show alteration than the electrically conductive portions of the image area.

Abstract: An amplitude-compensated digital-to-analog converter circuit and method of compensation. A unipolar digital-to-analog converter is provided, having a reference connection and a pair of differential, unipolar signal outputs. A sensing circuit senses the common mode component of the differential outputs and produces a common mode signal. A reference source produces a first reference signal, and a differential control amplifier compares the common mode signal to the first reference signal and applies a second reference signal applied to the reference connection of the digital-to-analog converter, thereby stabilizing the reference current for the digital-to-analog converter. The circuit includes a single signal output reference to ground and a multiple-pole low-pass filter.

Abstract: A sector drive apparatus for use in an optical apparatus, the sector drive apparatus includes a sector having a first engagement opening engaged with an operation member that reciprocates in a given range and a second engagement opening engaged with a spindle fixed to a shutter substrate, the sector opening and closing a shutter opening formed in the shutter substrate in accordance with a movement of the operation member. The operation member has an engagement pin that is engaged in the first engagement opening, the first engagement opening is substantially circular that permits the operation member to rotate, and the second engagement member is an elongate opening, and swings the sector centering around the spindle to move to a position where the shutter opening is opened and closed, when the first engagement opening moves in accordance with the movement of the operation member.

Abstract: A step motor includes a rotor having four magnetic poles, a first magnetic pole magnetically excited by a first coil, a second magnetic pole magnetically excited by a second coil, and a third magnetic pole magnetically excited by the first coil and the second coil. A gap D between the third magnetic pole and the rotor is larger than a gap d between the first magnetic pole and the rotor and the gap d between the second magnetic pole and the rotor, so that a magnetic attraction is generated between a pole of the rotor and the first magnetic pole and between another pole of the rotor and the second magnetic pole. With this step motor applied to a shutter driving mechanism of a camera, it is possible to surely retain the shutter state even when the current does not flow.

Abstract: When a sine wave is supplied from a sine wave oscillator through a resonant capacitor selection circuit, an alternating electric and magnetic field is generated on a loop coil. A magnetic intensity detection coil supplies an electromagnetic field signal to a control circuit when detecting electromagnetic intensity of the loop coil. The control circuit controls the resonant capacitor selection circuit based on the electromagnetic field signal and adjusts a maximum current to flow into the loop coil. Namely, a resonant capacitor with a suitable capacitance is selected in such a way that a resonance point (for example, 125 kHz) reaches a maximum level. Moreover, the control circuit adjusts a variable resistor to obtain a target electromagnetic field signal (intensity of electromagnetic field) in this state. Namely, automatic gain control is performed to obtain optimal electromagnetic field intensity on the loop coil.

Abstract: Electrochemical machining is used to generate the helical lobe profiles of the stator of a progressive cavity pump or motor. A thin, elastomeric liner, of uniform thickness is bonded either to the interior of the stator, or to the exterior of the rotor. Where the elastomeric liner is to be bonded to the interior of the stator, bonding is improved by electrically etching the interior of the stator during the electrochemical machining process to produce a roughened surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a garment for playing paintball which is a torso-covering garment having at least two mirror-image gripping regions each containing one or more gripping areas that bear a plurality of raised tacky protrusions on one or more portions of the garment which covers at least a portion of the torso, that is, one or more of the shoulder, chest, and abdominal areas of the torso. The garment enables the paintball player to grippably contact a gripping area of the garment with the curved rear portion of the air system tank of the paintball marker, which enhances stability and improves shooting accuracy. Further provided is a method of playing paintball which comprises wearing the garment of the invention while playing paintball.