Abstract: Ink is reserved in a cartridge case. On this cartridge case, there are fixed an ink jet head and an electric connecting member in a stacked state. The ink jet head is constructed to include: ink supply holes adapted to be supplied with the ink from the cartridge case; ink passages communicating with the ink supply holes; nozzles formed in the leading ends of the ink passages; and ink ejecting device such as piezoelectric elements disposed to correspond to the ink passages for ejecting the ink from the nozzles. These nozzles and the ink passages are substantially perpendicular. Moreover, the stacking direction, the ink supply direction from the cartridge case to the ink supply holes, and the ink ejecting direction from the nozzles are made substantially identical. The electric connecting member is made of a flexible frame or a metal lead frame. Thus, the ink jet head is assembled merely by stacking those individual components in the common direction.

Abstract: To provide a printer in which leakage to the outside of noise produced inside the printer during printing using continuous paper is made low. A printer having a cut sheet feeder 5 which automatically feeds paper into a printing portion 4, an opening for cut paper 7 and a tractor 6 which feeds continuous paper to the printing portion to selectively use automatically-fed cut paper, manually-fed cut paper and continuous paper for printing. The printer has a paper receiving tray (manually-fed paper guide plate) 9 which can form the opening portion 7 between itself and a part 1a of the printer housing 1. The paper receiving tray is movable between a manual paper-feeding position which it forms the opening portion 7 and during manual paper-feeding guides printed cut paper into the opening portion, an automatic paper-feeding position which forms the opening portion 7 and during automatic paper-feeding receives printed cut paper, and a closed position to close off the opening 7.

Abstract: A distance measuring device for a camera projects a pulsed light beam toward a subject and converts the reflected light from the subject to a voltage which is integrated by an integrating circuit. The output of the integrating circuit is compared with a first reference voltage until the level thereof exceeds the first reference voltage, and then the output of the integrated circuit is compared with a second reference voltage until the level thereof reaches the second reference voltage. The distance to the subject is calculated depending on the number of times the integration operation is performed.

Abstract: A compact atomic absorption analyzer includes a xenon flashlamp, processing circuits, optics, electronic heating apparatus and a photomultiplier. A sample to be tested is heated using electronic (radio frequency) heating apparatus within the optics to subject the sample to thermal energy sufficient to excite the element of the sample to a level at which it will radiate its characteristic line-emission spectra. A high intensity background light having an ultraviolet component is generated by the xenon flashlamp within the optics and this spectral distribution of this light is received by the photomultiplier. The output of the photomultiplier is processed by the processing electronics, with the results of the test displayed, stored and/or downloaded to an external computer or printer.

Abstract: A hot air gun for drying a sprayed air-dryable liquid material is disclosed. The gun includes a hot air gun connected to both a source of hot pressurized air and a source of flowable air-dryable liquid material. The gun includes a body having a handle assembly and a spraying assembly. The handle assembly includes a depressible trigger and first knob for adjusting the amount of flowable liquid material in the spray and a second knob for adjusting the pattern of the spray. The spraying assembly includes a spray nozzle and control valves operably connected with the trigger for controlling the flow of pressurized hot air and liquid material. An air diverter is fitted between a port for allowing passage of air into the gun and the spray nozzle for diverting hot compressed air onto liquid material sprayed on a substrate.

Abstract: An interferometer used to measure distance to an object is provided with a laser sheath. The sheath encloses a substantial part of the measurement beam's path to provide a controlled environment which reduces environmental influences on the measured distance. The sheath is of variable length and responsive to a follower so as to maintain a sheath end nearest the object at a small distance from the object. An environmental controller controls the environment within the sheath. The environment within the sheath can be a vacuum or a suitable gas or gas mixture. A corrector can be used to compensate the interferometer's measured-distance signal for detected environmental characteristics to produce a corrected signal which indicates distance between the interferometer and the reflective surface. The apparatus and methods can be used to measure and control stage position in a projection-type wafer exposure system which is affected by variations in its atmospheric environment.

Abstract: An electroluminescent device having improved moisture resistance. The device comprises a transparent substrate having a transparent electrode layer. A luminescent layer and a dielectric layer are interposed between the transparent electrode layer and a back electrode layer. The luminescent layer comprises a resinous binder containing electroluminescent particles. The dielectric layer comprises a resinous binder containing dielectric particles. The back electrode layer comprises a resinous binder containing conductive particles. The resinous binder of at least one of the luminescent layer and the dielectric layer is made from a fluoride resin. A reaction accelerator for promoting polymerization of the fluoride resin is contained in the back electrode layer.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter for a camera comprises opening and closing blade units operable to open and close a shutter opening of the camera. Each blade unit has a leading blade and trailing blades in superposed relation to the leading blade. The leading blade and the trailing blades are supported by arm members through hollow pivot pins. The hollow pivot pins supporting the leading blade of each blade unit are covered by the trailing blades. Due to the use of hollow pivot pins, the overall weight and driving force of the blade units are effectively reduced to thereby make the shutter free of operational impact without light leakage.

Abstract: A guideless stage for aligning a wafer in a microlithography system is disclosed, and a reaction frame is disclosed which isolates both external vibrations as well as vibrations caused by reaction forces from an object stage. In the guideless stage an object stage is disclosed for movement in at least two directions and two separate and independently movable followers move and follow the object stage and cooperating linear force actuators are mounted on the object stage and the followers for positioning the object stage in the first and second directions. The reaction frame is mounted on a base structure independent of the base for the object stage so that the object stage is supported in space independent of the reaction frame. At least one follower is disclosed having a pair of arms which are respectively movable in a pair of parallel planes with the center of gravity of the object stage therebetween.

Abstract: A reduction projection system (10) characterized by large numerical aperture has an unobscured optical path without the need to resort to truncated lens elements. The system includes first and second reduction stages. The first reduction stage includes a first mirror group (20) and a first lens group (30). The second reduction stage includes a second mirror group (40) and a second lens group (50). Together, the first mirror group and the first lens group form an intermediate reduced image of the object at an intermediate image region (70). The second mirror group and the second lens group form a further reduced image at an image plane (15).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for inspecting integrated circuit probe cards in which the probe points of the probe card are scanned across a checkplate having a conductivity transition border. The impedances between the probe points and the checkplate as they cross the conductivity transition border are measured to determine when the probe points cross the border. The positions of the probe card when each of the probe points crosses the border are measured to determine the positions of the probe points relative to each other. In one embodiment, the checkplate is formed by a square conductive plate having three quadrants of insulated material and a single quadrant of conductive material mounted on its upper surface. These conductive strips connected to the conductive plate are positioned between the quadrants of insulative material to form the conductivity transition border. In other embodiments, multiple parallel strips or a single dot of conductive material are surrounded by insulative material.

Abstract: A disc storage device is provided with a panel (10) having a disc receiving surface (16) which includes a retainer disposed thereon for receiving a disc having a central opening (12). The disc retainer includes a circular arrangement of alternating spring fingers (22) and substantially rigid posts (26) extending upwardly from the disc receiving surface and through the disc central opening, to contact the central opening edge and maintain the disc in place during transport and storage. Enhanced structural integrity of the device can be provided by connecting the posts (26a, 26x) together at the central opening.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fast response and distortion measurement of a signal transfer device. A computer processor generates a multitone test signal of predetermined duration and stores it in a memory. The test signal is read out, converted to analog form, if necessary, and applied to the input of a device under test. The output produced by the device under test in response to the test signal is acquired and digitized, if necessary, and a Fast Fourier Transform is performed on the acquired data to determine its spectral characteristics. Frequency response, harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, phase distortion, wow and flutter and other signal transfer characteristics are measured by the CPU by analysis of the output signal.

Abstract: A bicycle sprocket assembly includes a small sprocket wheel, and a large sprocket wheel coaxial with the small sprocket wheel and provided with several guide units each of which includes a notch formed in the large sprocket wheel, and a chain guiding piece that is secured to the inner side surface of the large sprocket wheel and that is adjacent to the notch. The notches are respectively formed in some spaced-apart sprocket teeth of the large sprocket wheel. Each of the notches is formed by an outer guiding surface which extends from a tooth tip to the corresponding tooth valley and which makes a junction with the inner guiding surface of the corresponding piece, so as to slide the chain between the inner and outer guiding surfaces. The pieces are inclined with respect to axial and radial directions of the sprocket assembly.

Abstract: A hand held actuator comprises a truncated conical housing wherein the volume of air is pressurized by flexure of a diaphragm. A rib protruding from an outer peripheral margin of the diaphragm is received in a groove of a support plate unwanted flexure of the peripheral margin is obtained by supporting the edges of the diaphragm and the plate in spaced apart grooves formed in the interior wall of the housing. The volume of air pressurized by the operation of the diaphragm is communicated by a duct to a signal switch. In one embodiment the duct is connected in a fluid type manner to the interior of the housing by the tapered sleeve. In another embodiment, the duct is joined to a tube forming an extension in an opening in the support plate forming a diaphragm.

Abstract: A light source having a solid state laser emitting a beam that is separated into a number of segments. Each segment is frequency shifted by a different amount so that the segments do not substantially overlap in the frequency domain. Each segment passes through a short focal length lens element of a fly's eye array to be dispersed onto a mask plane for evenly illuminating a mask. The lens elements of the fly's eye array are contained within a small region in comparison to the width of the dispersed beam segments, such that each beam segment contributes illumination to the entirety of a common portion of the mask.

Abstract: A method for cooling air to a predetermined outflow temperature for use in an atmosphere having a controlled humidity. In the method, a stream of air having an unknown temperature and an unknown humidity content is supplied. The air is cooled to provide cooled air having a temperature at or below the predetermined outflow temperature. The cooled air is heated when necessary to provide outgoing air having a temperature approximately equal to the predetermined outflow temperature.

Abstract: An improved method for stitching together reticle patterns on a substrate is described. One or more reticles, whose reticle border patterns are to be blended together on the substrate, are provided on an X-Y movable stage in a scanning type exposure system. Each of the reticles has a border pattern which is identical to the border pattern of at least one of the other reticles so that, when the images of these reticles border patterns overlap on the substrate, the overlapping border patterns effectively form a single image on the substrate. To prevent the double exposure of the overlapping border patterns from overexposing the photoresist and to reduce any detrimental effects resulting from misalignment between the overlapping patterns, either a triangular end portion of the scanning source, a filter, or a movable blind is used to partially shade the overlapping border pattern as the UV source is scanned over the border pattern.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fast response and distortion measurement of a signal transfer device. A computer processor generates a multitone test signal of predetermined duration and stores it in a memory. The test signal is read out, converted to analog form, if necessary, and applied to the input of a device under test. The output produced by the device under test in response to the test signal is acquired and digitized, if necessary, and a Fast Fourier Transform is performed on the acquired data to determine its spectral characteristics. Frequency response, harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, phase distortion, wow and flutter and other signal transfer characteristics are measured by the CPU by analysis of the output signal.

Abstract: An improved laser refractometer (10) employing a interferometer optical component (12), an object mirror (14) and an etalon (16). The etalon (16) is moved in the path of a plurality of reference beams (22, 24) and a plurality of measurement beams (26, 28) such that the reference beams (22, 24) travel through a vacuum within the etalon while the measurement beams (26, 28) travel a like distance through the etalon (16) in ambient air. In varying the distance traveled by the laser beams (22, 24, 26, 28) within the etalon (16) any interference fringes detected by an interference fringe detection device (20) are attributable to differences in the optical paths of the measurement beams (26, 28) as compared to that of the reference beams (22, 24) which, in turn, is entirely attributable to the ambient index of refraction. In a first preferred embodiment of the improved refractometer (10) the angular distance between a pair of plates (30, 32) is varied by rotation of the etalon (16).