Abstract: The invention relates to cooling integrated circuit packages (14) for surface mounting in a hybrid circuit. The invention provides a cooling method which consists in soldering the bottom of the integrated circuit package (14) to one side of the hybrid circuit substrate (10) and in soldering a heat-dissipating peg (30) to its other side. In order to do this, the bottom of the package is provided with a tinnable area and the substrate (10) is provided with two overlying tinnable areas on opposite faces thereof, said areas being put into communication with each other by at least one plated-through hole (31).

Abstract: A contact frame for an IC card reader including, in particular, guide means for guiding or positioning the card, together with contact elements for providing electrical connection with conducting pads on the IC card via which circuits are established to the apparatus including the IC card reader, the contact frame being characterized by the fact that it comprises an inner frame (7) of insulating material molded over the contact elements (4) for providing electrical connection to the IC card, and two extensions (17, 18) extending the substance of the inner frame (7) sideways towards the side edges of the card and beyond said edges, each of said two extensions carrying means (6, 19, 20) for defining the positions of two card-guiding slideways (21, 22).

Abstract: A contact frame for an IC card reader including contact elements for making connections with the IC card, the contact frame further including two electric contact blades (26, 28) carried by said frame and constituting an end-of-stroke contact (5), with one of said blades, a "fixed" blade (28), being coupled to the frame in such a manner that its stationary position relative to the frame is defined, while the other blade, a moving blade (26), is urged by a resilient force in a direction opposite to the direction in which a card is inserted into the reader, and is disposed in such a manner that a card being inserted comes into abutment thereagainst and imparts actuating motion thereto against its resilient force.

Abstract: An optical fiber (F) and a laser (L) are fixed on the top faces of two bases (EF, EL) which also have two facing vertical faces. A spring (4) presses these two faces against each other so as to create thrust friction. The thrust force is initially moderate in order to enable the relative vertical and transverse positions (GV, GT) of the two bases to be adjusted smoothly, after which the force is increased progressively in order to prevent relative displacement taking place while the two bases are being welded together by means of a YAG laser. The invention is particularly applicable to making optical transmission heads usable in optical fiber telecommuncations systems.

Abstract: A method of starting series-coupled vacuum pumps comprising a primary pump (A) and at least one secondary pump (B) connected between the primary pump and an enclosure (E) in which a vacuum is to be established, the method consisting in starting the primary pump initially and subsequently starting the secondary pump when the suction pressure of the primary pump as reduced by rotation of the primary pump reaches an acceptable value, the method being characterized in that the pressure existing in the secondary pump is determined by using a physical magnitude related to the primary pump and following a law similar to the pressure law.

Abstract: The diffuser is made from N=2.sup.n light ducts divided into two sets of 1/2N ducts, with every other duct belonging to a different one of the sets. The two sets of ducts are helically wound in opposite directions but at the same helical pitch over a cylinder (1). Each duct in either set crosses over the 1/2N ducts in the other set, and couplers are provided at those cross-overs between any given duct and the 1/2N ducts of the other set having cross-over numbers 2.sup.q, where q=0, 1, 2, . . . , (n-1). The diffuser has stages each comprising 1/2N couplers, with each stage being disposed in a ring around the cylinder.

Abstract: A wafer of indium phosphide is disposed between two electrodes (102, 104) in a heated enclosure (100) into which ducts (110 and 112) admit nitrogen and ammonia. A high frequency electricity generator (108) forms a plasma between the electrodes which etches the exposed surface of the wafer. The invention is applicable, in particular, to forming semiconductor lasers emitting in the infrared for telecommunications purposes.